ADD Cheat, Lie, Steal!

I don't know if I told you this before...I have ADD. Attention to Date Disorder! Dates just confuse me. I get ideas that things are one time and then they turn out to be another. I showed up at my nephew's High School Open House on the wrong DAY! When we got there I was sure that it was a good thing we showed up because no one else was there. Now another person might get some kind of premonition showing up to a house where there are NO cars in the driveway on a party day. Not me. I'm pretty sure my husband even said, "Are you sure this is the right day?" I probably laughed and tried to get to the door first to see some of my favorite people in the world. "Where is everybody?" I asked. No one at the house understood my question and they wondered why we had driven an hour to stop in at their house. If I had been by myself I would have made a good story up about being in the area and thought I would stop in for a cup of coffee and walk in the woods. I was not alone....I could feel the eyes of four glaring holes in the back of my head. I can't recall specific times I've made these mistakes, but I know they happen because I remember my attempt at nonchalance when people have brought up this mistake at choice times of yet another ADD disturbance.

Here is my latest ADD moment...I just spent HOURS writing a chapel message for our weekly chapel service tomorrow. I haven't had one yet this year...I mean last year...I figured it must be my turn tomorrow. AFTER I gathered my ideas and put them on paper, I checked the schedule. You know it...I'm not on! I'm not on next week either, or the one after that! I'm three weeks early with my message! Do you think the end of the month is too late to talk about New Year's resolutions? I thought so, too!

I added this picture because I thought this post could use a picture!

Are you in the need of a message? Here is my message for chapel tomorrow. Maybe it will bring you some needed time in God's word!

2 Corinthians 5:17

¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:^[a] The old has gone, the new is here!

There are some new things that I love. Here is a short list of them:

New crayons

New clothes

New birds to add to my bird list

New shoes

New coffee mugs

New Fabric

New Years!

Yep…I love new years. A new year is a fresh start to the rest of my life. It’s the perfect time to change things I don’t like. The changes that I and other people  make are called “resolutions”.  

1.    res·o·lu·tion  :  Noun  A firm decision to do or not to do something.

2.

A resolution is a promise one makes to one’s self; a promise that puts a person’s desire to change into a formal statement.

When making a resolution to change a person might begin by saying, “I resolve to…” and then they would say what their resolution is.

What are some things that you might resolve to do?

allow time for students to answer.

The apostle Paul made a resolution. It is in the Bible. His resolution is, “For I resolved to know nothing ....except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” 1 Corinthians 2:2

Here are my resolutions for the New Year:

I’m going to make it right here in front of you all…I resolve to

cheat, steal and lie more!  You heard me right …I’m going to cheat, steal and lie more. Listen carefully…You may want to make this same resolution, too!

When I say I’m going to cheat it means I will:

Cheat failure.  I won’t be afraid to try something new because I think I may fail.  It is through failure that I’ve learned very important lessons. I can’t fail if I don’t try and just trying means I’m not a failure. It means I’m a try-er! It means I will be trusting that God will guide and protect me through life’s try-als.

I resolve to LIE more. God has told me not to worry. That means I can relax more this new year.  I can live a little more without having to worry about it because I trust my awesome God.

I resolve to STEAL! I’m going to steal more time away to be with God and enjoy the time I can spend with Him in His word the HOLY Bible!

In the year 2013 I resolve to cheat, lie and steal more than I did in 2013! With the help of God I hope you do, too!

Cheat failure

Lie down in green pastures

Steal time with God!

Prayer: Dear God, help me to keep my resolution to cheat failure and to lie down in the green pastures you have given me. Help me to remember to steal some time with you each day so that I may grow in faith and grace

In Jesus name, Amen!

If you would like the Chapel-Home Connection click HERE!

Best Day Ever and a Linky

I love this Emerson quote...

"This is the best day ever!"
Do you have a student who says that every day?! I never get tired of hearing her say it! I hope those positive vibes stay with her all her life! The excitement in the room today was wonderful. My classroom family was so happy to see each other and it didn't take long for them to get reacquainted with me and each other. A couple of times during the day I longed for my PJ pants and book, but I was as happy to see my owlets as they were to see me. I feel so blessed to be a part of these children's lives!

We spent the whole morning in anticipation of "midnight". This was the beginning of our math unit on time and calendar. We've been doing time and calendar daily, so we'll fly through the curriculum! Anyway, at midnight(11:00 am!) we dropped our balls and watched them bounce around the room! We used our noise makers and welcomed in 2013 with joy!

I was filled with lots of inspiration from my blog hopping over the Christmas Vacation. With all that inspiration I could hardly wait to get back to the classroom, so I wanted to link up with Growing Firsties and Teacher to the Core for this great linky...


I have to give a shout out to Mrs. Carroll from The First Grade Parade. She has a packet on TPT full of FREE New Year games and activities. I wish we had more time in the day, so I could actually finish everything I plan for a day!  Her blog is full of ideas that I have enjoyed reading about and pinning. She has over 6,000 more followers than I do! You probably already follower her! Check out what she's up to these days!


A blogger who I would vote for sitting down and having a cup of coffee with is Kimberly. She has a couple followers less than I do, but will soon have more. She's funny. She's smart. She's real. She says what she thinks and she has big thoughts! Her blog is one I check daily for inspiration. I know that someday she'll have a book published and I will be first in line to get it signed. You see, that's why I love her blog, because I love her style of writing. Follow her journey at


Want to link up? The rules are simple and it's a fun way to let others know you are thinking of them! Here are the rules:
This Linky Party has 3 components:

1. Link a post where you have given two shout outs to two bloggers that have inspired you. One blogger with fewer followers and one  with more followers than you. This seems obvious, but please make sure you give links to those inspiring posts/blogs so others can be inspired, too!

2. Please let the two bloggers you are shouting out know that you're doing so. Leave a comment on their blog - maybe on the post that inspired you or on their post dated closest to when you link up. They'll most likely want to know what it was that inspired you to give 
them a shout out. :)

3. We love Farley's "Rule of Three" which means that once you link up, please comment on the posts of the two previous bloggers that linked. Then, come back later and comment on the post of the blogger after your link.

A Day of Balance and Dino Freebie!!

My first day of living a balanced life was great! I was able to eat, watch birds, hike through the woods and make a dinosaur subtraction puzzle activity packet. I even watched Karate Kid with my daughter

This bird got me pretty excited. I hung this feeder in hopes that he would show up!

Common redpoll! He isn't common around these parts!
I was so excited when he showed up at my feeder. I had left my camera at my
sister's house the first time he showed up! I didn't mind driving an hour to visit with her
at all. I almost left with out my camera again!

I've been trying to get a picture of a chickadee for my friend Laurie! Those guys are almost impossible to get. All I got were these footprints...

Click the picture above if you'd like a copy of my Dino-Subtract puzzles. I've also got them at my TPT store if you want to buy them!!

Currently

Here it is New Year's Eve the biggest party night of the year and I'm not partying! I planned a get together at our house, but than my daughter came down with fever, chills and a fever. I just didn't feel right about having people over under those conditions. My groom fell asleep in his favorite chair leaving me nothing to do, so here I am partying with you! I can't think of anyone else I'd rather share New Year's with!! Happy 2013...It is going to be a great year.
I love linking up with Farley! I'd love for my students' families to do this, too! One of these days I'm going get her Currently for students from TPT!

I could and should have added lots of things to the "loving" section. I'm loving having my daughter home from  college. She has one more semester and then graduation. She loves to cook and bake, so having her home is pretty awesome. I certainly hope she finds a job in her field or is accepted into a masters program, but if not...She can come back home and take over the cooking!!  She invited some close family friends over for a party tonight and then got sick. We'll have the party this weekend...Each day is a chance to start over, so each night is a New Year's Eve...Right?!

Do I really need a longer Christmas vacation? No, probably not. I have the whole week off and don't report back until January 7th. What I really need is to get to school and put away Christmas decorations and get ready for the coming weeks. I actually miss my little Owlets and can't wait to find  out about their Christmas celebrations. One of my little guys got a baby sister for Christmas...I can't wait to meet her!

It is going to be a great year. I'm excited to see what life has in store for you and for me.

Your turn...Have you linked up, yet? I can't wait to see what you are doing...Currently!

One Little Word and One Little Freebie

Earlier I think I said my word for 2013 would be "contentment"  I like that word and I feel pretty content most of the time. I love the place I am in and can't think of too many things I would change. The things I would change are pretty circumstantial. . . We won't even go there! I have some "vices" that I want to continue to work on and I feel that each day should be a day that resolutions can and should be made and broken. I'm human after all and each day I'm given a chance to do-over the day before. Each day can be a New Year celebration. If I mess up today's resolution, I'm not going to give-up...I'm going to try again tomorrow.
Tomorrow's resolution...because I didn't get it today..."balance". I don't do anything part-time. I don't have one bird feeder...I have eight, at last count. I become absorbed in different projects and everything else suffers. I need balance in my life and so do the people who love and live with me. That's why I'm changing my OLW to balance. The crazy thing is I know it means I'll be using less of my time to blog so I can spend more time being a wife, mother, teacher, friend, and sister.

I spent too much time a great deal of time today working on penguin activities. This math activity will be one of the math activities students will use next week. I think that my owlets will like it and I hope you will, too! Looking for graphics for this project I found Jennifer's art work VERY helpful and creative! Go visit her at her blog and tell her I said "hello"! You'll be glad you did!!

If you would like more penguin activities and or would like to help send my second child to college check out my recently uploaded penguin activity packet on TPT!

Happy 2013 Giveaway

I don't have much to say...I know shocking, isn't it?! What a great day to surf around and find someone who does have a lot to say and giveaway! The Peanut Gallery is welcoming in 2013 with a great opportunity to WIN big!! Click below to go over and enter. Don't forget to follow this awesome blog.



If I win the Giveaway I'm picking the Pats of Speech Owl Posters and  The Bite of Poetry Unit. If I don't I may just buy these!
 

12 in 12 Linky Party!

I'm in a rather nostalgic mood, so I'm thinking it is the perfect time to reflect on the many changes that have come my way in 2012. It is also a good time to look forward to 2013 and the many changes that lay ahead. I'm happy to be linking up with Miss Kindergarten and A Teeny Tiny Teacher to share my 12 from '12!


12. Favorite Movie:
Life of Pi was a gorgeous and thought provoking movie. I am guaranteed to go to one movie a year! The day after Thanksgiving the sisters, brother, and their families who gathered together for the celebration of thanks head off to a movie the Friday following. Luckily, I hadn't read the book, so I wasn't constantly comparing or thinking how much better the book was!

11. Favorite TV series:
I'm slowly making my way through Mad Men. Being from the 60s myself I love seeing the references to the products, history, clothes and cars of the era. The characters are pretty despicable,  but there are a couple I can't help cheering for including Don Draper!

10.  Favorite restaurant:
A little Chinese place in town is where you can find our family frequently on Friday nights. The owners speak really poor English, so we smile and nod a lot! The price is just right and we all have our favorites. We usually get a box of donuts free when we leave because they like my daughter's curly hair. Last week they gave us a whole order of Spicy Chicken that was a "mistake"! They are good people who cook good food and I feel like family when I'm there!


9. Favorite New Thing You Tried:
I've tried nothing this year...NOTHING! I take that back. . . I tried blogging! Guess what? I like it! I like you for reading it, too! I've made some amazing friends from all over the WORLD!!

The one of the left is my favorite! Birds by THE Kevin Henkes!

I noticed my friend Laurie at Chickadee Jubilee had favorite book as number 9...How'd she get to do that? I'm going to interject my favorite book here. It was recommended by Laurie and I knew I had to have it. I can't wait until spring to share it with this years class.
8.  Favorite Gift I Received:
Let's keep this a secret between the two of us.  I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings. I was amazed at the gift my daughter made for me out of Sculpey for my birthday this year.

 Isn't this awesome? She is such a wonderful talented artist. She also made this...

7. Favorite Pin:
It is kind of like my favorite book! Whatever I'm reading is my favorite! My favorite Pin is what I last pinned!!


I don't have a kitty yet, but as soon as my allergic to cats child leaves for college in the fall we'll need to get one. I'm a sucker for a cute kitty picture. I torture myself regularly by going to the Saturday cat adoption center to just look!

6.  Favorite Blog Post:
It has been fun to look back and read over some of my posts. The one that comes to mind when I think of favorites is probably the one that talked about my friend who was living in Africa. She had to leave the country she and her family were living in due to social unrest. The Way of the Cross was a family project and I'm happy to say "Susan" and her family are now basking in the sun (and Son!) in a warm country frosting cookies in their bathing suits! It wasn't that popular of a post, but one that meant a lot to me!

Another favorite post is one not written by me but by Laurie! Someday I'm going to go visit her to see this...Check it out!
5. Favorite accomplishment:
Starting something and sticking with it! I've been blogging for close to a year. I still get thrilled with every new follower and every comment. It is an amazing community of educators to be a part of!

4. Favorite picture:

I love sharing nature with kids!

3. Favorite Memory:

My weekend in Chicago with my girls will long live in my heart! We had an awesome time and running a 5K with my oldest who lives in Chicago was an amazing adventure from beginning to end. I'm wowed by the independence of my daughter and how she handles herself everywhere she goes with style and confidence will never cease to amaze me.

2.  Goal for 2013:

I like to set attainable goals for myself! I will try to get out on more adventures and see more birds. I will spend more time enjoying my family. I will always try to see the good in all people.

1. One Little Word:

Content

"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." Philippians 4:12 

I know what the secret is...It is basing my joy on the treasures I have in my faith and not on earthly circumstances. I'm still learning...It isn't an inborn trait!

That's it, 2012! Thank you for being a year filled with more blessings and joy than sadness. Thank you for being a year of continued growth and fulfillment. Welcome 2013! You WILL be a year filled with more joys, more lessons, more blessings than I could ever imagine. I look forward to whatever comes our way!

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