Reasons that I LOVE/hate my Maymester class!

Love:
Turns out, I am learning tons.
Am motivated to teach the stages of writing to my babies (I already teach genres)!
Have lots of new CUTE resources.
Made a really cute editing/proofreader's marks poster.
Have had to work my butt off and feel like a better student and teacher from it.
Know so much more about accommodations and modifactions....and got lots of great tips!
Making new friends...I don't feel so old when I'm around them ;)
My book!
The plethora of knowledge that I am gaining every second about writing and teaching! I am quite surprised about all the pros for this class!
Finishing in 15 days! Although it has felt like 100! :)

Hate:
Too much work! A crazy amount at that!....in such a short amount of time!
Driving everyday!


Ok, on to more exciting things! I am LOVING that Tori and Dean is back on Oxygen. Tori is my long lost sister, I'm sure of it. And Matt loves it just as much!

Sweet Summer Sunday!

If you would've stopped by our house today you would have never guessed that I am in the middle of the most work that I've ever had to do! I think I'm in denial. I have absolutely zero motivation....and I only have 4 days left. Ahhhh!


I spent the day by the pool, and read 2 books...highlight of my day! Then I ran to Publix, where I haven't been in a few weeks due to all my school work, and Matt grilled and we ate supper on the back deck. Pure Summer Goodness...I tell ya!



Now as I'm sitting out back, I can hear our neighbor's country music drifting through the air. Tomorrow is June 1st. I feel like summer is already racing past...and I just want it to slow down!

But before I can really enjoy it, I need to crank my butt into gear and finish my units and powerpoints! Oh yeah, did I mention that I got sunburned....my first burn of the summer! I hate being burned and will slather on the sunscreen for the rest of the summer SPF 50 at that. I am just so scared that I am going to pay for my addiction to pools! I did wear a hat most of the day! Anyway, we're just enjoying life for a split second here in the deep south. I kind of feel like watching My Girl or The Notebook...maybe next week! I HAVE to get this work done first! Please send some motivation my way if you can! Thanks!


I could really use some of this about right now!

What do I know of Holy???

I've had this Addison Road cd for awhile now from itunes...before they were on the radio. So I am very happy that they are now being played a lot on our local radio stations. I've been listening to this song over and over as I drive to and from Maymester classes and LOVE it and every single word! How true!

Step Up!

Not that I have a lot of extra time lately to blog. But when I am in the mood, what can I say? I worked yesterday.....hard for about 6 hours straight on my computer for my writing class...but am still treading water! At least I'm not sinking..right?
Anyway, my sweet hubby called me when he was working in Albany to say that he was stopping by the Lifeway store and he would have a surprise for me before I left for class!

It was the Stepping Up Bible Study and Audio cd's! Yay! I get sad when I can't do the Beth Moore studies at church. And sure enough last fall the women's ministry did Stepping Up and I was devastated that I couldn't attend because they met the same night that I had class....and I've kind of been looking for the book ever since. The one thing that I love are the hour long videos where Beth Moore gives an overview of the week and ties everything together. If you just do the study on your own and don't have the leader guide, then you miss out I think. But who knew about the audio cd's??? Not I!



I listened to the introduction on my way to class. Now, where have I been for the past 2 years....all of my driving and sleepiness at the wheel and all of a sudden I have the solution. I should've been doing these the whole time I've been in grad school...duh!

Well I know that our church library has these audio cds, so I'm going to listen to Daniel and Esther soon!

Ok, next! It was beautiful out yesteday for the first time in I don't know when. The sun was shining and it was hot, hot, hot...not a cloud in the sky. I guess I should've watched the weather because around 7pm last night sitting in class the sky got black and we were all jumping to the loudest thunder and largest lightening that I have ever seen. Dr. Root decided to let us out a little early.....but did anyone have umbrella's? NO! Luckily, Hillary had an umbrella and held all of our notebooks and bags under it. While we all made a mad (shoeless) dash out to the parking lot. Did any of us think to park in the parking deck? No! Were we all drenched when we got to our cars? Yes! The water in the parking lot came up past my ankles. It looked like we had jumped in a swimming pool...haha! All I could do was laugh! What a funny memory. I had to drive the hour drive back home with the heater cranked up on full blast!


As soon as I was in my car and "safe" I thought that I better take a picture to capture the moment:)


Can you see th water dripping down my face? Ha!


My books were safe though!


Trying to show how bad the rain was...it was completely sideways!

It's A.....

Boy!!! Hehe! I hosted another baby shower this afternoon! This shower was at the Madison Grove clubhouse for my friend Emily. We taught together last year and will both be JSL provisionals this year together. The shower was super fun....even with all the thunderstorms! Maybe June will bring some sunshine! A lot of people came from our old school and I thought it was a pretty good turnout after post planning and given that it was Memorial Day. It seems like lately all of my friends are having boys. We have Bryson, Harper, and Jenral all due this summer...exciting! The shower was a short drop in one, so we went really simple with decorations. Overall, one of the highlights for me was spending time with my old GP family. I also learned that Ann can make amazing bows! The shower was a books and bottoms shower! Here are some pictures from it!


Bryson's new books! People kept on asking me where I got this wrapped...but Matty and I did it...haha!


We also went simple on the food...it was what Emily wanted!


Testing the punch! Oh the stories we have from this shower! We were def. a bunch of scatterbrained teachers who are ready for summer vacation!


How cute is this punch?






I really don't know what Ann is doing in the one :) Haha!

Well, It's back to writing abou the Georgia writing assessment for me. I am looking forward to a date with Matty at 9pm tonight for Jon and Kate plus 8. I can't believe that tomorrow is my last day of post planning and then I'm out for the summer! WOW! I'm definitely ready though and need the time to get through this writing class.

A Gloomy May Saturday!

I had a great day today! I woke up early and got to cleaning up our house! Then I visited a few of my favorite stores downtown to pick up a few last minute gifts. I had to drop by my school to pick up my make-up that I left in my drawer (it was a long day yesterday), then I finally made my way to Kinderlou for Erin's baby shower! She is expecting Jenral in less than a month! We had a great time at his book shower! All of us reading specialists were eating it up and talking our talk!!! haha! I think that we kind of scared some of the other people that aren't teachers or reading grad people. Between the five of us, we covered every major issue in reading education (multiculturalism/diversity) and probably every standard in grades K-3 (homophones, homonyms, time)! :)


The cute package that I had for baby Jenral!


Erin and Jessica with the cake. Jessica made this cute work of art!


The mommy to be!


Trying to get a pic of all the presents!


This was a really cute idea that I am going to use at my friend, Emily's, baby shower that I am hosting next week! It just happnes to be a books and bottoms shower!


We had to get a grad girl picture!

It rained all day on and off....however, it only rained when I was in my car. It poured and thundered all the way to Kinderlou, on my way to Publix, and a few other places, but when I got to each place the sun would sort of shine..weird!

Matt and I had taco night and watched Slumdog Millionare...yuck! I did not like that movie at all. It was sooooo sad to me. So now I'm reading happy blogs to lift my spirits....but I really need to kick my butt into gear and go read for Dr. Root because Maymester is in full swing. Did I mention that after I got to vtown yesterday afternoon, I found out that class was cancelled due to an accident that Dr. Root's son was in? Luckily, Matt drove me....and we were able to make a date night out of it! I am thankful that Dr. Root's son is ok, and that we didn't have class...I was worn out after a busy week and graduation and I think my brain really benefitted from the rest! :)

My babies GRADUATED!

Ooooh, they are sweet :) I thought I'd post pictures of our decorated room! I have so many cute pictures of my parents celebrating with "our" sweet kids in the reception in our classroom. I wish I had some from the actual ceremony, but I was on stage, so.....

I just loved our very special day and cute room decor!

My awesome room mother did these! Perfect...right?


I decided to decorate the door with serious and "silly" poses of my kids in their cap and gowns.


The cake that my sweet Kaylee's grandmother offered to make!


Memory DVD, art book, portfolio, goody bag, "real" diploma, RIF book....we also gave them a graduation bear....but I hadn't set them out at this point.







We let them each take home a balloon afterwards! They LOVED it! Thanks to my hubby for getting Publix to do it for CHEAP!


The lunch room also provided lemonaide!

I had some cute flags that I draped both sides of my classroom with and two signs with streamers hanging from the ceiling that said Congrats Grad! too :)

So, now we have one last week of fun before my kids move up to 1st!