Finally Caught Up :)

Oh.my.goodness! It is the last day of our break!

I should not be surprised that the time has flown, and I accomplished very little on my to do list. 

However, I did spend some great time with the kids and with the hubby and read some really awesome books, and for that I am grateful!

This weekend I took baby steps to get ready to face the real world again...

Look at that clean room.... yes, I can see my desk, ladies and gents! Whoo hoo...don't worry...by the end of the day Monday it will be lost in a sea of papers and books again, but Friday it was looking clean and organized. I spent the afternoon preparing for the next week. Plans and copies are ready to go!

I headed back to school Saturday afternoon to tackle this stack of papers that have desperately needed to be graded/edited. Crazy that I have to go to school to get it done, but I have carried these same papers back and forth between school and home for weeks now. I decided I would sit in the quiet of my room - no Facebook, no Instagram, no Twitter, no T.V. - just me and these papers. Well, me and that big ol' cup of coffee...I came prepared! 

These are the last of the December pics that I have been dying to share.

Mrs. Whitt had a parent come in and take these adorable Christmas pictures of all of our kiddos! I love how they turned out! Aren't they they cutest!

And here are a few of my own Christmas pics... 

Katie Byrd and Justin

Joshua and Katie Byrd

Christmas with my dad :)

Christmas at home :)

OK...with that I think I am all caught up on our December. LOL...now here is to keeping up in January ;)

I have a few books to share with you tonight...

...my new stack of books purchased with Christmas gift cards from my kiddos! I had entirely too much fun picking these out, hubby in tow. LOL Thank you to my generous kiddos and families...they know me so well!

 

I finished The Book Thief by Markus Zusak yesterday. I had been working on this sad and beautiful story for a few days, and oh how I cried. I do love a book that makes me cry! Set in 1939 just outside of Munich, Germany, we are introduced Liesel Meminger and her amazing story by none other than death himself! I love that the character of death tells this story...such a powerful narrator he turns out to be. I just had to read this for myself before I watched the movie, and I am so glad that I did. This was such a terribly moving story in so many ways.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne was one of the books I just recently purchased. After finishing The Book Thief, I figured it was fitting since they are both Holocaust related. I did enjoy The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, and although I am not sure what rock I have been living under having not already read it, I was surprised by the ending. No doubt that was exactly what Boyne was going for. After finishing it, I did a little research on this one and the reviews were as mixed as I feel. It was definitely worth the read, but for me, it certainly could not stand against The Book Thief.

Now one sweet picture book for you....

I feel in love with The Matchbox Diary by Paul Fleischman. A very beautifully illustrated book of remembrance and family. Bagram Ibatoulline works the same magic he did in Crow Call by Lois Lowry. (See a previous post about Crow Call here: Currently Loving Fall Days. I knew his illustrations immediately, and I knew I had to have it! Great little purchase for sure!

Well...I definitely need to head to bed soon...that alarm will come all too soon after all of these days of sleeping in!

See you tomorrow :)

Happy Reading, friends!

Currently Christmas Break Catch Up - Part III

Yes, I know....I am posting January's Currently and still catching up on my December posts...LOL.  I wouldn't be ME if I wasn't doing a mad dash catch up of some kind. Better late than never! 

So I will start this wonderfully spellbinding  ;) catch up with Farley's January Currently. Be sure to check out the biggest linky party in town...I know I say this all the time, but it bears repeating...There are so many amazing bloggers out there, and I have become a better teacher because of them. So remember the rule of three and get out there and mingle!

Most of my Currently stands on its own as usual...but this year's favorite memory is the time I spent with the hubby. My workaholic husband has spent most of our married life working the days leading up to Christmas, on Christmas, and on his birthday, the day after Christmas; however, his new position with the sheriff's department afforded him some rare and precious time off. I was a little nervous at first, LOL...having twenty years of managing the whole Christmas affair on my own, but as usual, the worry was all for naught. We had so much fun! Shopping with my crazy husband was fun and surprisingly relaxed. haha...the man still manages to surprise me!

Now on to catching up my kiddos and their families on our December fun.... it has become a tradition that our fourth grade kiddos celebrate our Christmas with a yummy breakfast party and stocking-stuffer gift exchange. We have the best parents ever! The kiddos definitely did NOT go hungry! 

Check out the fun...

 

 

 

Love these kiddos so much! 

Now for a quick picture book and great chapter book...

You may remember my post about the book Turkey Trouble by Wendi Silvano; check it out here: Turkeys and Reindeer. This year's kiddos loved it as much as last year's. Well, guess what.... Turkey is back! 

My friend, Sarah at Hungry While Teaching, shared this cute little follow up with me. Turkey Claus! Turkey managed to escape the Thanksgiving dinner table in Turkey Trouble, but will he manage to escape the Christmas dinner table? I love the repeating phrases in both books, and my kiddos always chime in as I read. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that! I know they are engaged as they read along with me, and they always giggle at Turkey's antics! So CUTE :)

As many of you know, I have challenged my kiddos to read 40 books this year. You may also remember that I told my kiddos if I expect them to read 40 books, well I would do the same. I am so glad that I made that challenge to all of us! The kiddos have opened themselves to so many great texts, and so have I! I am loving all of the reading I have done!

One of my faves this year is this beautiful story....

In Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver, we follow Liesl, a lonely girl locked in her attic by her stepmother, and Po, a ghost from the Other Side, on their journey into a new and complicated friendship with Will, the alchemist's apprentice. Will makes a very large mistake with a very important delivery and the consequences will change life (and death) as they all know it, forever! 

Such a sweet and moving fantasy! I truly loved everything about this story, and I cannot wait to share it with my kiddos.

Well...I am off to the school to get some planning and grading done...have to get ready for the real world now!

 Happy Reading, friends!

Christmas Break Catch Up - Part II

Still catching up!

Whew...it does not pay to get behind in blogging...

So many pictures to share! Let's start with our class Christmas tree.

A friend sent me a picture of something similar and recommended I try it for my class. I am sure it is a Pinterest find. This was our version. :)

I have so many favorite picture books. Well, at least that's what my kiddos tell me..."Mrs. Dunn you always say they're your favorite"...

This one is a classic, and by sharing it, I know that I am probably not sharing anything you haven't already taught with this a dozen times over.

But seriously, I just can't help myself. I LOVE Dr. Seuss! You are never too old for a good ol' life lesson wrapped up in some magical rhyming fun!

Now...around this time of year everyone pops out with their Elf on a Shelf craziness....I mean my kiddos come in every morning,"Mrs. Dunn last night my elf...."

I have never been an Elf on the Shelf kind of girl, but after reading How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, I had to pull out my Grinch.

Since my husband always calls me the Grinch of the family (long story there, probably something to do with ripping the Christmas tree out of the house each year on his birthday, the day after Christmas...;) ... I digress... since I am the Grinch of our family, I have a soft spot for the fuzzy green fellow. A couple of years ago, I picked up my very own Grinch from Kohl's. I just love the Kohl's Cares program, and if you have taken my class tour, you have no doubt seen the results all over the shelves.

Well....I pulled out our very own Grinch and mischief ensued!

 

The kiddos LOVED it, so I put up with the distraction for their sake. Those that know me closely know just how difficult of a task that was for me, but I have no doubt that Mr. Grinch will probably make an appearance next year. We had some great writing ideas for our notebook thanks to his crazy antics.

I have to share a couple of books for you, and then I am off to catch up on other all too often neglected tasks.

First is a throw-back to last year...

I want to revisit my ALL TIME favorite Christmas picture book, Red Ranger Came Calling by Berkeley Breathed.

Mr. Breathed has perfectly narrated the tale of his father ~ the self-proclaimed Red Ranger of Mars. This sour-faced little boy is sent to spend Christmas on the damp little island of Vashon were in the end the true meaning of Christmas and faith prevails over "promises hatched by those who weren't very good at keeping them..." and other such twaddle.

I just had to share a few more pics...my kiddos LOVED it!

Funny what belief in someone can do!

 

Red Ranger Came Calling, Berkeley Breathed

If you were to ask most anyone at our school what my favorite Christmas book is, I would not be surprised that they could tell you The Red Ranger Came Calling. They might even ask you a favor in return...to tell me to stop showing them my beloved book over and over again! Again, I just can't help myself!

Now for a great chapter book....

Last night I read a great little dystopian tale...

A friend of mine posted about this book on her Instagram, and I thought I would give it a try! Only $2.99 on Amazon Kindle...whoohoo...I am so glad that I did. 

In Stung by Bethany Wiggins, we follow Fiona as she struggles to come to terms with the foreign and shattered world she awakens in...When the honeybee population collapses, bio-engineered bees cause a worldwide pandemic, and a government botched cure shows that man should be careful how much it plays with mother nature. 

You must have noticed by now my weakness for a good dystopian book. This one was different from so many others that I have read, and I love it for that!

Well...with that ladies and gents...I will say goodbye for now....just until we play catch up again. ;)

Happy Reading, friends!