Tag: Mom blog

A Farmer’s Life for Us!

Owen’s been begging to start a garden. While browsing through Tractor Supply yesterday I spotted the Miracle-Gro Root Viewer Rainbow Carrot kit.

While we are still planning on planting an outside garden with him, I thought this would be a neat experience.

We had so much fun putting this together this morning!! I mean who doesn’t love dirt?!?! They got the biggest kick out of adding the water to the dirt and watching it grow.

 

Both kiddos had awesome questions about how much water, how long they would take to sprout, & where the perfect spot with enough sunlight would be. I love watching them learn through exploring.
I can’t wait to see if we end up with purple carrots! 💜💜💜💜

Cherished Childhood Memories.


One of my favorite childhood memories is whenever a large rainstorm would hit, my brothers and I would race down to the pond to catch the tiny fish caught in the overflow. My mom’s favorite story to tell is how we snuck one of those tiny bass into my dad’s tropical fish tank. Well the poor little guy ate every one of the guppies for breakfast. To say my dad wasn’t amused would be an understatement.
Well, the last two weeks in Texas have been experiencing the little bitty stingin rain. Big ol fat rain. Rain that flew sideways and even rain that seemed to come from underneath. We were under numerous flash flood warnings.
Well today, the sun finally made an appearance. Hallelujah!!


With the kids dying to go outside, I decided to let them explore. On our walk about, it didn’t take long for them to notice the water overflowing out of the pond. Within minutes they were scooping the fish up and running to put them back in the pond.

I’m typically not an overly sentimental or emotional person, but I just had the best time watching my children make the same memories that I cherish.

The Pet Life: Quotes About Pets!

I’m a huge animal person. We have four dogs, (Cash, Rosie, Max, and Luna) two cats, (Dak and Zeke) and two rabbits(Lola and Cuddles). If it was up to me, I would have tons more than that, but my husband put a limit on me. I couldn’t imagine life without them. Don’t get me wrong, the fur EVERYWHERE is annoying, the hole in the wall is a nice touch to the laundry room, and Max’s idea to make a doggie door in the wooden fence has taken some time to get used to. But, nothing is better than the love waiting at the door for me after a long day of work. Here are a few of my favorite quotes about pets.  

Quinn and Luna!

Until one has loved an animal a part of one’s soul remains unawakened. -Anatole France

A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself. -Josh Billings

Rosie!

Such short little lives our pets have to spend with us, and they spend most of it waiting for us to come home each day. It is amazing how much love and laughter they bring into our lives and even how much closer we become with each other because of them. -John Grogan

 

Lola and Cuddles!

We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals.-Immanual Kant

My little dog — a heartbeat at my feet.-Edith Wharton

A cat is a puzzle for which there is no solution.-Hazel Nicholson

Dak!

The purity of a person’s heart can be quickly measured by how they regard animals. – Anonymous

Who can believe that there is no soul behind those luminous eyes! -Theophile Gautier

Cash! Cash!

Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole. -Roger Caras

A house is not a home without a pet. – Unknown

Animals are such agreeable friends–they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms. – George Eliot

An animal’s eyes have the power to speak a great language. – Martin Buber

Max!

Animals are reliable; many full of love, true in their affections, predictable in their actions, grateful, and loyal. Difficult standards for people to live up to.- Alfred A. Montapert

The difference between friends and pets is that friends we allow into our company, pets we allow into our solitude. – Robert Brault

Zeke and Dak!

Children’s Books For Valentine’s Day!

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, here are some books to have handy.

 

I Love to Cuddle by Carl Norac (PreK)

When Mommy and Daddy are gone, even for only a little while, Lola feels lonely.  There is nobody around to give her a hug!  Her baby-sitter is no fun, and the cartoons on TV can’t snuggle.  But then Lola comes up with a clever idea: she brings every cuddly thing she has into the living room and makes her very own Cuddle Island!  Now Mommy and Daddy are in for a big surprise!

Mr. Goat’s Valentine by Eve Bunting (Prek-1st)

After reading in the newspaper that it’s Valentine’s Day, Mr. Goat sets out in search of very special gifts for his first love. But just what would a goat choose as the perfect gifts to show how he feels?

Ollie’s Valentine by Olivier Dunrea (Prek-1st)

Ollie is looking. Looking for a valentine. Gossie, Gertie, Peedie, and BooBoo all have valentines, but Ollie wonders who will be his. His search leads him to a special valentine of his very own—a surprise for Ollie and readers!

The Yuckiest, Stinkiest, Best Valentine Ever by Brenda A. Ferber (Prek-2nd)

Leon has a crush. A let-her-cut-in-line-at-the-water-fountain kind of crush. And he’s got the perfect valentine. But this valentine has no intention of getting caught up in any romantic conspiracy. “Love is yucky, kid! Valentine’s Day is all about CANDY!”

Love by Matt de la Pena (Prek-3rd)

In this heartfelt celebration of love, Newbery Medal-winning author Matt de la Peña and bestselling illustrator Loren Long depict the many ways we experience this universal bond, which carries us from the day we are born throughout the years of our childhood and beyond.

Love Monster by Rachel Bright( Prek-3rd)

Love Monster is a slightly hairy monster trying to fit in with the cuddly residents of Cutesville. But as it turns out, it’s hard to fit in with the cute and the fluffy when you’re a googly-eyed monster. And so, Love Monster sets out to find someone who will love him just the way he is. His journey is not easy―he looks high, low, and even middle-ish. But as he soon finds out, in the blink of a googly eye, love can find you when you least expect it.

The Sweetest Valentines by Jane E. Gerier (k-2nd)

A classroom project teaches a little bear named Fred the true meaning and importance of Valentine’s Day.

This Is Not a Valentine by Carter Higgins (k-3rd)

This book is not a valentine. It doesn’t have lacey edges or sugary hearts. But it is full of lucky rocks, secret hiding spots, and gumball machine treasures. This is a book about waiting in line and wishing for cinnamon buns. About recognizing that if you care so much about someone not thinking you care, maybe you really do. But wait—isn’t that exactly what love is about?

The Trouble with Valentine’s by Elaine Moore (2nd-5th)

In an effort to play matchmaker, best friends Lexi and Ann Marie try to find a valentine sweetheart for their teacher, Miss Delaney, but set off a series of funny disasters instead.

Geronimo’s Valentines by Geronimo Stilton (2nd-5th)

Enter the world of Geronimo Stilton, where another funny adventure is always right around the corner. Each book is a fast-paced adventure with lively art and a unique format kids 7-10 will love.

BabyMouse Heartbreaker by Matthew Holm (2nd-5th)

Babymouse loves Valentines Day! A day for pink hearts! Flowers! Candy! School dances and romance . . . sweet romance! WAIT! Romance? Ew! And what’s this about a school dance? Does that mean Babymouse needs a date? Uh-oh! Looks like this Valentine’s Day may turn into a Valentine’s dud! Will Babymouse go to the school dance? Will she get any Valentines? Will she find true love?

Junie B. Jones and The Mushy Gushy Valentine by Barbara Park (2nd-5th)

Hurray! February 14—Valentime’s Day, as June B. calls it—is just around the corner. Junie B. can’t wait to see all the valentimes she’ll get. But she never expected a big, mushy card from a secret admirer! Who is this secret mystery guy, anyway? Junie B. is determined to find out!

213 Valentines by Barbara Cohen (3rd-5th)

Wade has trouble adjusting when he is transferred to a special fourth grade class for the gifted and talented, so he plans to send himself 213 valentines signed by celebrities.

Roses Are Dread, Violets Are Boo: A Vampire Valentine Story by Michelle Poploff (3rd-5th)

Fearing that she won’t receive many cards on Valentine’s Day, Wanda Doomsday decides to invite her Uncle Vex to class to teach her classmates how to make special holiday cookies, but when he is suddenly unable to attend, Wanda has to scramble to make the event a success on her own

No Blue Moon Blues Here!

With it being the Super Blue Blood Moon, I didn’t have high expectations for today’s lesson. However, I was pleasantly surprised. We covered comparing and contrasting using the Three Little Pigs by Barry Moser and The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka.  Monday I read the Three Little Pigs aloud, then Tuesday I read The True Story of the Three Little Pigs.

Today each student drew a Venn Diagram in their writing notebook and filled it out independently. Next, We played musical partners. I played Happy by Pharrell Williams as the students walked around with their writing notebook. Once the music stopped the students had to find a partner to share with. We played about three rounds then came back together whole group to make a classroom anchor chart of our Venn Diagram.

They did so well, and even came up with a few that I didn’t think of!

 

Of course with my afternoon class, the fire alarm went off as soon as we started the anchor chart. But, hey if I’ve learned anything from the last 7 years of being in a classroom it’s to be flexible!

Sunday Food Prep!

I don’t know if I’ve mentioned before, but I hate cooking. It’s not that I can’t cook, I just typically choose not to. Time is limited during the week, and I would rather do other things after school.

Well over the past year, I noticed that apparently at 32 years old the fast meals have caught up with me. My pants aren’t fitting anymore, and I would much rather buy my daughter cute outfits than spend unnecessary money on myself. So after some research, I’ve decided to give the Paleo diet a try.  I did it today. I cooked.

I spent all day preparing for the week. I made two types of egg muffins and meatloaf bites. Recipes follow:

 

Spinach and Sausage Egg Muffin

Ingredients

  • 7 large eggs
  • ½ lbs of pork sausage
  • salt & pepper
  • 1/2 cup chopped green onion
  • 3/4 cup Frozen chopped spinach
  • 2 chopped carrots
  • A finely chopped mushroom (optional)

 

Heat oven to 375 degrees and spray a 12-cup cupcake pan with cooking spray. Spray lots of cooking spray so they don’t stick. Cook sausage in a deep skillet over medium heat. When its about half way done, add green onions, spinach, carrots, and mushrooms. Cook until evenly browned. Drain and fill up the cupcake cups. Beat eggs and salt and pepper to taste. Fill cups up with beaten eggs until almost full. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes then remove with a fork.

 

Broccoli Sausage Egg Muffins

Ingredients

  • 7 large eggs
  • ½ lbs of pork sausage
  • salt & pepper
  • 1/2 cup chopped green onion
  • 3/4 cup chopped broccoli
  • A finely chopped mushroom (optional)

Heat oven to 375 degrees and spray a 12-cup cupcake pan with cooking spray. Spray lots of cooking spray so they don’t stick. Cook sausage in a deep skillet over medium heat. When its about half way done, add green onions, broccoli,  and mushrooms. Cook until evenly browned. Drain and fill up the cupcake cups. Beat eggs and salt and pepper to taste. Fill cups up with beaten eggs until almost full. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes then remove with a fork.

 

Mini Meatloaf Cups

Ingredients

  • 1 pound hamburger meat
  • 6 ounces frozen, chopped spinach
  • 1-2 teaspoons oil
  • 4-6 green onions diced
  • 3 ounces mushrooms, finely diced
  • 1 carrot, grated or finely diced
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1/4 cup coconut flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoons onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme

Heat oven to 375 degrees and spray a 12-cup cupcake pan with cooking spray. Thaw the spinach, squeeze out the excess water. Cook green onion and mushrooms on medium heat for about 10 minutes. Put the hamburger meat in a large bowl, add the spinach, carrots, mushroom/onion mixture, beaten eggs, coconut flour and all the spices. Use your hands to combine it. Fill the muffin cups to the top with the meatloaf mixture. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes.

 

They are all actually really good! Next time I may throw in some garlic salt and parsley flakes. The icing on the cake would be if my kids would actually try them. Awe man! Now I’m thinking about cake…

Synonym Hearts Match!

I noticed this week my third graders are still struggling with synonyms. To review, I wanted to add some extra activities into my station rotation. With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, I decided to make my own matching game. I plan on having them cut out, match, and glue the synonym hearts onto construction paper.

Then, they can include the new synonyms in their stories when they rotate to the writing station.

Here is the link to the Synonym Hearts Match! 

 

A Week of Bedtime Stories!

Bedtime stories are my favorite part of the day. I love the connections and memories I make with my sweet little. But, lately she wants to spend more time choosing a book then actually reading. Starting today, we are picking out the books for the week. Hopefully this will save some time during the weeknights and we can make it to bed on time! I love her choices.

 

Sunday: Esme the Emerald Fairy by Sarah Creese and Lara Ede. I ordered this one for my new niece, Esme, but Quinn decided to make sure it’s acceptable for her.

 

Monday: Press Here by Herre´ Tullet. Interactive and fun!

 

Tuesday: Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs retold by Mo Willems. This one introduces some awesome vocabulary words.

 

Wednesday: Splat the Cat by Rob Scotton. It goes well with her starting prek this year.

 

Thursday: The Snail and the Whale by Julia Donaldson. The illustrations are beautiful and its a wonderful read aloud.

 

Friday: How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? By Jane Yolen. It really is a perfect bedtime story!

 

Saturday: The Princess and the Pony by Kate Beaton. Princess Pinecone and her pony are the best!

I can’t wait to see what she chooses next week.

Furbaby Blues!

I love our dogs. They’re treasured members of our family. But, they can be huge jerks sometimes. I don’t know why I was shocked to come home last week to the third dog bed shredded in two months. After a long day at school I just wanted to come home, finish lesson plans, grade a few papers, and hang out in my pajamas. The last thing I had on my mind was picking up fluff out of every crevice of the house.

While I was tired of cleaning, I didn’t want them to have to sleep on the hard floor either. After research and word of mouth, we decided to try Coolaroo Elevated Bed.  So far we’ve been so impressed! We purchased the large bed so they could share. It was super easy to assemble. It only took about 5 minutes to put together, and is much sturdier than I expected.  Our red heeler, Rosie, jumped right on without a second thought. Cash, our 9 year old bugg, was a bit more apprehensive at first. He had to think about about it and consider all his options. However, after he finally decided to give it a try. He didn’t have any trouble getting up, it’s now his new favorite spot.

I plan on buying another one for the back porch during the summer months when they spend more time outside.

 

But, the best part is it’s still in one piece!  


Books for Teaching Persuasive Writing

One of my favorite units to teach is persuasive text/writing. There are so many wonderful books that display persuasive writing. One of my all time favorite series is the Pigeon books by Mo Willems. My son and I have read Don’t let the Pigeon Drive the bus every night for over three years. Some other wonderful books to include in this unit is:

 

I like to have these books displayed around the classroom during the two week unit. I also have a tiny obsession with Oreos, so I use the Oreo to introduce persuasive writing. Here is my anchor chart. Please let me know if there are any awesome books I need to add to my list.