Fabulous Friday

Today was terrific!

We got through everything that was planned. The day went smoothly and my kids are SO smart! I presented them with their Writer's Notebook--something I didn't do last year. They ate them up! I even had an opportunity to have a few writers share their work in the Author's Chair and they loved it! Their stories were so creative and with lots of dialogue! A third grader writing about a boy named Jim who likes Gym?! How clever!

Finished the day presenting Spelling certificates. (They all earned one again this week!) The students also got to spend their earned "Bakery Bucks" at our class store. Pretty sweet.

The brains behind Jim and Gym celebrates his birthday Monday and is bringing in cupcakes. Sweet. =)

Gym soon and a hot date with the soon-to-be-hubby tonight. =)

A fabulous Friday (from start to finish), a lazy Saturday, and wonderful Sunday

Friday afternoon I had a fabulous meeting with my principal and curriculum specialist about flexibility in planning and managing our Literacy program--Reading Street. I love it but there is soooo much they provide us, it can be overwhelming. [[ Read: 4 spelling pages, 4 grammar pages, a grammar transparency, Daily-Fix-Its, a story of the week, 3 leveled readers, centers, writing prompts, &a paired reading selection EACH week. ]] It can easily get overwhelming deciding what is most valuable and what can be passed over. Talking to them reassured me that the key to it all is quality over quantity and that I can easily continue my Literacy block ( discussion, leveled readers, center activities) into the Science/Social Studies block seeing as the story-of-the-week almost always incorporates a science or social studies theme. (Last week's "Boom Town" incorporated supply &demand, the Gold Rush, as well as jobs and businesses.) I felt great leaving School Friday.

A terrific night out at Bar Louies and CBS Scene for a friend's birthday got us home late Friday night and up early for a truly special book sale. It is held in the basement of a library in Newton and seems like a hidden gem. There is always a line at the door 30-45 minutes prior to the start. There are two separate entrances to the sale. (We strategically wait outside the one closest to the children's books and adult fiction.) =) I have always found great books for my students (and me!) at unbelieveable prices. ($2 for a Jodi Picoult? $4 for a set of 6 Judy Moody books--I'll take them!!) This time around I found so many great Social Studies books about the Wild West, 13 colonies, famous people in history, Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence. For my own leisure reading I picked up





... $1 a piece. =) =)


The library volunteers who run the book sale are so sweet--offering bags and assistance finding particular genres of books among the well-organized shelves. My only gripe with the sale is the other patrons. They are often impatient and, at times, even rude. We (my brave sisters and mom) have come to realize that some are dealers and others, just miserable folks who take the fun out of this "hidden gem" as they snap at you, mutter under their breath, or remain stationary when you politely say "excuse me." ::sigh:: But it is worth it and we return 3 times a year to this stuffy, cramped, at times unpleasant, rewarding, hole-in-the-wall "hidden gem."


On a quite separate and unrelated note, we finalllly purchased curtains for our living room. Black, lightweight, and long and I am in love. =) My handyman of a soon-to-be-hubby hung them already and they look fabulous.

(the website's product image)

Back to a bit more correcting, lesson planning, dessert :) and bedtime!

Day 6: done!

I promise more to come but...


I am loving my second year of teaching. I feel more confident about my teaching. I am very pleased to have a new, different, unique bunch of kids who are so darn cute at times, it's hard to believe this is a j-o-b.

Last night was Open House, and I met 16 of the 19 students' parents. Only a few made me nervous. =)

I am very proud of my classroom, and I am excited for another year.

our welcome sign on our door

classroom news bulletin board


close-up of the recipe-card jobs


writing table (showing off my first-day-of-school surprise bouquet)

My brownie cupcakes have come out of the oven, and dinner is about to go in!

It's time!

The teachers returned today--tanned and seemingly ready to hit the ground running.

I was super busy in the classroom setting up, debating what posters to hang up and what to store away and discovering more goodies I forgot I owned.

While I have been able to get it all done, I do wish I had had a few more days to do it. But, ready or not, here they come!


A few things to create& print before bedtime!

And pictures to come...

winding down

The summer is winding down.

Friday was the last day of camp and its goodbye crafts, trashy tv, summer weddings and hellllo third grade. =)


I am trying to hold on to every last bit of summer I can. And gosh, its hard!


As a bit of a last hoorah of the summer, Justin and I embarked on stop #1 of our aptly named Cupcake Crawl. I say "ours" when really, its my passion for cupcakes and his willingness to go along with me (and his love for canollis) that makes it "ours-"and anyone else who cares to join us on our quest for cute, darling, whimsical cupcake creations!

We drove to Hoboken, NJ (four hours without too much traffic) to check out Carlo's Bake Shop--the site of CAKE BOSS on TLC.




We scouted out the place Sunday and stayed in Newark Sunday night.



After a delectable continental breakfast we formally embarked on the bakery Monday morning. And, much to our surprise, we met Buddy Valastro--THE Cake Boss. I was obviously a fan before meeting him in person but this chance meeting (he normally isn't in the shop on Mondays) put him high above the rest. =)



What a weekend! =)


Wednesday its back in the classroom to unpack and get ready for the kiddies. I am eager to uncover more teacher blogs to get the creative juices flowing again!

August already

It's hard to believe August is nearly half over. Summers are usually leisurely and relaxing but boy, have I been busy, busy, busy.

Of course, I wish I had spent more time on school prep, organization and mentally transitioning into third grade mode but its hard when dinner dates, country concerts (Toby Keith, Jason Aldean, and Kenny Chesney), weddings, wedding planning and gym visits get in the way. Speaking of the gym--I've lost 10 pounds. =) Feeling better and eager to keep it up. =)

I will get to school work in the coming days but right now, I am trying desperately to live in the present--enjoy my first night in in awhile and take a deep breath and relax. =)

Last weekend was a college roommate's bachelorette party and it felt really nice to have the six of us together again--on the same continent, in the same country and even in the same house.


There was baking involved--of course. There was a purple and metallic color scheme going on:



I purchased the flower cupcake tray from the Crate and Barrel Outlet a month or so ago and didn't have much luck with it. The small cupcakes with pink decorators sugar are the ones baked in the flower pan. I'll need to experiment again with it.


Leslie did a fine job with the small details all the while alternating jellybeans to form the bride's first initial. =) Kudos.

So happy to have Leslie here with us this weekend. I missed her. Truly. I guess I didn't quite realize how much until this past weekend when we were able to catch up some more, gab, gossip and just get each other. I selfishly want her in Boston. She's comfort, she's therapy, she's a sounding board, she's paparazzi when you need her and she has offered some "first dance" song suggestions I love!


We had such a nice time catching up, celebrating and enjoying each other's company and it left us yearning for our next reunion--this weekend's wedding. Excited to get some wedding ideas myself this weekend. Loved the bachelorette party invite/bar list ::hint: :hint:: :





Another roommate's wedding is a few weeks before ours and I am nervous dates (bridal showers and bachelorette parties) will coincide given that we are limited in weekends with Leah coming home from abroad, July 4th weekend etc. But--its too early to worry about that.

Movie date tomorrow night with J and Steve--"my big brother" and then Country Fest with some good-looking country girls all day Saturday and then wedding Sunday. Exciting weekend!

Its official!

We signed the contract. Paid the deposit.

8.8.10 on Cohasset Harbor

Has a ring to it, huh? (no pun intended)


Details to follow. . .