Teaching is rough but Teachers are tough. Getting sentimental on ya!

Now that the school year is up and running I have felt a sense of relaxation set in.

I know, I know, those of you who are actually teaching instead of at home for an extra 12 weeks are thinking SHUTTTTUP! I feel for ya, I really do! The beginning of the year is crazy exhausting, which I'm sure means that most of you are either not reading this or are reading it super late on your phone like a crazy person. 

I was so stressed before school started trying to make sure everything was in place for my sub. Little did  I know she is even more amazing than I originally thought. I really have just settled into mommy life and I know I have her to thank for that. Normally, I am all about worrying, I am all about control, order, organization and plan, plan, planning. Well I am certainly learning some lessons about myself with this maternity leave. 

Sometimes I feel guilty for blogging or I guess having time to blog. People ask me how do you have time to do that, I don't get it. I let myself feel worried or embarrassed about what other people "think" I spend my time doing. I over analyze and questions myself constantly. Am I really spending time on the things that matter? Do I cutesify things for my own benefit? Is the extra time I spend even worth it or am I doing it all just to get noticed? I am being incredibly transparent here and I suppose you can tell I've got a bit of anxiety going on. We'll call it the postpartum emotions. As I said, all of this extra time at home has made me realize some really important things about myself and in some cases just reminded me of who I really am. 

Number One:

I love teaching with all my heart. I love every single thing about it. Before I became a teacher I lived and breathed it. I knew from the time I was old enough to boss people around that I wanted to be a teacher. When I am not teaching I miss it because it's not a job. It's who I am. When I was going into work during my maternity leave people looked at me like I was crazy but the truth is I was there because I wanted to be there. I like school. I love the smells, the sounds, the excitement of the first day.

Number Two: 

I create because I am creative. Sure I could whip out a blank piece of computer paper slap 10 or so math problems on there in my own handwriting, make 80 copies for my teammate and I and call it good. Trust me, I do. When I have time, or perhaps I should say make time I want to type it up, add a border, some cute font and a few pieces of clipart to catch the eye of a few kids. I enjoy creating products that I am going to use year after year. I want my kids to look at the work they are doing whether it be a test, quiz, center, game or boring, crummy, old worksheet and  think "Hey this looks interesting. I'll try it." I am proud of the work I do and I want it to show.

Number Three:

I am a good mom... heck with that I am a GREAT mom. I still have trouble with this one though so don't let that confident tone fool you. Like any mom, I question every decision I make and every tiny second I spend with my babies. I want to make the most of it all and being a working mom that guilt can really eat at you. I refer to mommy guilt often because I feel a twinge of it everyday. Regardless of that guilt though I know that my kids know they are incredibly loved. They have a mommy who plays with them, reads with them, makes them snacks and yummy dinners, snuggles them to sleep, sings to them, dances with them, loves them unconditionally and feels blessed beyond all belief to be their mommy. Somedays the guilt is stronger than other days but when that happens I know that tomorrow will be better because all of these things are true. Working and being a mom is tough. To let someone else care for your babies all day so that you can go take care of someone else's seems crazy but...

Number Four:
I love my classroom kids! Every year I fall in love with a new group of kids. At the beginning of each year I wonder how I am going to care as much about this new group as I did last year's. It just comes easily. To be honest, I haven't even met this new group of kids and Tanya (my longterm sub) still gets late night text messages from me asking if they need snack for their first day. -- I can just imagine their poor little tummies growling on that first day as they start to transition back to eating lunch at noon. Of course she doesn't need me to remind her, again, can you say "control freak"?

These 4 things are important to me and I continually need to remind myself of each of them. Being home with my own babies 24 hours a day 7 days a week awakens me to who I am at heart. When I get dreary and tired 2 months into school (heck, who am I kidding, 1 if I'm lucky) I hope I will look back on this time and remember the gifts god has given me. I have a beautiful family and a career that that is a huge part of who I am as a person. I know that I will always have to work hard to give 100% to both and I am at peace with that. It is my hope that this post brings you a little peace at a time when you need it too. Teaching is rough but Teachers are tough.

Saturday Snapshots

It’s funny to me how I lose track of the days now... that is until Friday comes along.

  There is just something about having my sweet hubs home with us for the weekend. I love love love snuggling up in bed a little later than usual. Averie wakes up at the crack of dawn and we get all our cuddles in with her. We baby talk our brains off and try to squeeze a smile or five outta her. 

Conner joins the snuggle sesh a little later. He watches cartoons with us for a while and then it always turns into a wresting match between him and daddy. Averie just thinks it is the best entertainment. I’m not sure what in the world I would do without these sweeties! 

 You know what else is the absolute best? Having a job I can call my hobby. Once a week my mommy-in-law begs to take the kids. She loves em-- I am tellin ya’ she just can’t get enough. She’s not your typical in-law either. She is wonderful in a she comes and helps me do yard work to begin each spring, sends me home with a giant yummy salad every Sunday, loves my kids and spoils em crazy rotten kinda way. 

Well anywho once a week she takes C & A for a few hours and what do I do? Go shopping, sip coffee with a friend, get a pedi?? Well maybe for an hour of my time but the rest I spend in my classroom. I just love being there, creating, decorating, getting ready, ya know all the funsy stuff. I know I won’t be there in the fall but theres just something about it that makes me so happy. I feel so lucky to love what I do so much. 

One day right now is plenty though because as I said before I have these sweet ones to love all up on!

 Being home though I get to work on lotsa goodies though and at my own leisure. 

Look back for a freebie after I finish up this Twitter Board... but here is a sneak peak.

 We’re also working on updating paint and the feel and decor of the living room. Painted this table... 

ran outta spray paint so I’ve still got another to do. Gray and Yellow after much deliberation. some inspiration...

Also dying to add some fall decor... perhaps a wreath and some dining room table fluff.

I love these from aDOORable decor!

 Oh and speaking of updates, I love our new dining room table. We bought it at Wal-Mart and it is incredibly well made. Loving! 

 This little lady is 2 months today! Already! Crayyyyy Cray!! 

 Well those are my Saturday snapshots. Go link up!!

February Currently...

Linking up with Farley here... I just love her. She makes me chuckle at just the right time. 

The Big Game is finallllly over. I think I would like sports a lot more however, my husband is ALL sorts of serious and makes it a tad bit un-fun. When it comes to football and basketball there is hardly a game we watch that does not include some sort of yelling or throwing. On the bright side of that I do love how Conner like to correct his daddy and remind him that saying stupid is not nice... haha that's my boy. 

Onto my currently... visited my parents today! Always fun. Sadly, I had a fierce headache. I shoulda known one was coming on though. I was super emotional yesterday and they say that these pregnant hormone surges can cause headaches. Glad to be home and my prego approved Tylenol has kicked in. 

I am way too tired though so I might just have to skip my must do's for tonight and hit the hay with my little man. Grading can wait right? Right! I think needing sunshine is a given. Last but not least my pet peeve. I mean come on, do you really have anything to say that is going to make me want to admit that I am being overly emotional and sensitive? No! So how about just not arguing with me! Hopin' this baby is a girl because I was not all little miss sensitive with Conner. 

Have a great week all! Now head over and link up. Click here. 

I just couldn't help but laugh...

I was giving three of my kids a spelling pre-test today. I try to keep things moving quickly so that we can get it done and move on. Now and then I get into the mode and forget to give them a sentence to go with or rattle off the word too fast. Like so: "Your word is purpose. She worked with a purpose. Your word is certain. He was certain that it was correct. Next. Complete. Sincere. Their. Food." And then it happened...

"boob?"

Me continuing to move on to the next kid with the next word.

"Mrs. Newport did you just say boob? (a little louder).

"No I did not say boob, I said food. (while shussing <um, is that a word>)

"Giggles", Thank goodness just from the small table group. I was embarrassed enough!

Then my sweet student teacher says, "It sounded like BOOB to me too".

I am so immature, but I just couldn't help but crack up. It's funny how these vulnerable, yet embarrassing moments seem to bond us and make me that much more human to these sweet kids.

The moral of all this is not that you should say something inappropriate to your kids- like boob. I still swear I said food. More so, I am trying to make a point that moments like these completely unrelated to learning, where you and a group of littles just giggle together are  important moments. So often I get caught up in the fast pace of the day. I need an unexpected moment. Something to catch me off guard. Get me smiling. Moments like these remind me that each child in my class needs to have a good giggle with their teacher now and then!

I hope you take these moments each day! Tomorrow I am starting our morning with a joke... just because I can and I love to see em' smile!

Where did the spaghetti go to dance?
The meatball!!

Have a wonderful week and enjoy all those special moments!

Soooo sleepy, but I have a FREEBIE!

I wondered for a while why I just could not find the energy to blog about everything we are doing at school. I mean I always think this is seriously cute, or this is amazing, wow my kids are really getting this I have to remember to share!! Well, for one I can't seem to remember to take pictures. I am barely making it through the day getting every little thing done that I had scheduled to do. When I walk those last little sweeties to the bus I was practically falling asleep at my desk. When I got home there was no way I was thinking about turning on the computer... no sirrreeee!

Well....

 I figured out just why my lids have felt so heavy lately!! Another baby Newport is on the way! We could not be more excited or feel more blessed. Conner is so happy that he is going to be a big brother, though he thinks that the baby is in his tummy too. 

I am sure that you can imagine that my mind is nothin but baby, baby, baby now! It has been hard to find the inspiration to take pictures and to share. I promise we have been learning all sorts a' stuff! 

My kids are rocking multiplication... we are learning about Northwest Native Americans... they are paragraphing like little geniuses and their art is fantabulous!! 

I'll ease myself back into all this slowly... Multiplication

Each time we teach a "trick" we talk about how skip counting can help. We also learn a song to go help us skip count. Musical Array-ngements is great! If you haven't heard these songs you must take a listen. Click the picture to take you to the link. I couldn't find any samples online so if I find the energy (ha-ha) I might have to have my kids sing a number or two for ya to share! 

Any-who after we learn the song we practice skip counting in our skip count book. We discuss patterns and what we notice. We then create flashcards for the trick. Kids have a set of flashcards for home and school. Each week they are tested and they add to their cards. This is going so well- I just hope it STICKS!!

Andddd because I feel so guilty for leaving you all for so long here is a freebie! Hope you can use this skip counting book! Click here to get yours!

Giveaway Winner!!

Went to the pumpkin patch yesterday! We got super lucky with the weather.

It seems every year I say "Next year Conner will want to take pictures" and every year he DOES NOT want to to take pictures. Of course I managed to snap a few anyway. However, there was not a single one with his genuine smile. Exciting enough I did get lots of nose picking.

We picked out a couple of pumpkins, took a hay ride, rode a pony and snacked on some caramel corn. A wonderful day!

We had a 3 day week with kids so there isn't too much to Style me Sunday this week but here ya go!

#1 Yellow sweater (my absolute favorite sweaters) $16.95 at Nordstrom Rack and they fit like a dream. I have several colors. Dark jeans and brown riding boots. I should have taken a close up of my accessories too. I think I will have the hubby start doing so because they really make all the difference. 

#2 This outfit was inspired by my sweet friend Julie Frediani. She really needs to start a blog of her own!! She has a funny story about helping her husband dress and black and brown being a no no together. Well, you can certainly make it happen but only in the right way with the right accessories. The brown top has black stripes which just makes it easy to incorporate with black. The shoes are my favorite wedges and I got them at Ross for $16. They are so comfy. 

Now on to what you have all been waiting for!!! My laminator giveaway had ended and I have a winner!

Beth Shavelson

Congratulations!!! I will be sending you an email shortly to collect all of your information. 

Thank you to all who entered. Thank you for following and sharing with me. Teaching just wouldn't be as fun without all of you!

I am getting pretty close to 100 followers. I am hoping to have a big giveaway so if you are interested in helping support let me know. 

My idea is lots of winners... my favorite things... my most prized products!! 

Halloween Art... and don't forget to enter the Label Maker Giveaway!

Does anyone else feel like the worst part about blogging is using the time that you would normally be stalking everyone else's blog to post to your own. These quick reads are not cutting it!

I am one happy girl right about now! We have a 3 day kid week this week, a 4 day work week annnnnnd my sweet niece turns two tomorrow and I am celebrating with a chocolate cupcake and a fat slice of pizza.... mmmmhmmm

Sure love this sweet girl!

We are painting tomorrow! Yes, painting... the first time. Had to rethink my original plan for Style Me Sunday. Never fails- we paint- I get painted on. 

I did a similar project last year but with a blue night sky. Decided we would Halloweeny it up a bit

Here is the final product

And this is how it's done!

Give kids orange (just a tiny bit- enough to fill bottom of dixie cup. This is way too much)

Also give them white. 

Step 1: Paint a white circle near the top of your paper. There is a white circle there at the top right but it's hard to see. 

Step 2: Dip your brush in orange (1 or 2 dips) mix it with the white. 

Step 3: Paint a circle around your white circle

Step 4: Repeat steps 2 and 3 again and again. Dip in orange, mix with white, paint circle around circle. 

Each time the orange gets darker and darker. 

Step 5: While the paint is drying give students black pieces. 

4- 3X3 squares, A 2 1/2 X 1 1/2 X 8 1/2 and a 3X6 inch piece

Tear the long skinny black piece to make it look like the ground. 

Using the 3X6 inch piece have the kids draw and cut a tree

Finally let them use the squares to make any halloween shapes they would like (cats, pumpkins, a gate, a witch, etc. )

Last: Once the painting is dry glue the pieces onto the painting!

Voila! 

Now don't forget to enter the giveaway for a Label Maker!! 

Just click here!

Good luck!

P to the S sorry about all the stupid + signs on my pictures.... so annoyed but also too lazy to go back and fix em

Style Me Sunday and a Giveaway!

Sorry it took me forever to get to this.

 Friday was the worst afternoon and left me in tears very challenging. I have just not mastered having 37 kids for my afternoon and at this point I am not sure I ever will. I am not giving up though and I took this weekend to brainstorm and really pull myself back together.

Beyond thankful for the support from my team! After a little support session we put our heads together and decided on some plans and changes. 

We are now teaching writing in the afternoon. Daily math with be in the morning! Less transitions and choices should make 37  much more successful. Fingers crossed. 

On to the stuff that is so much more fun!

Style me Sunday! I mentioned before that I pick out all of my clothes for the week on Sunday.

Not an early bird... AT ALL. Picking my clothes out ahead and showering the night before allows me to roll out of bed 30 min. before I leave and snuggle my sweet baby boy a little longer!

Styles for the week...

#1: Long sleeve sweater, floral dress and dark brown riding boots

#2: Collard tank, black cardigan, black skinny slacks and flats

#3: Burnt orange 3/4 sleeve cardigan and Jolt Jeans (both Nordstrom) lace and stripe tank, buckle strappy heel. 

#4: White scarf (charlotte russe), 3/4 sleeve striped shirt (Target), Jolt Jeans (Nordstrom) and gray boots

#5: Shown below, had to take a phone pic this day (made it to the gym wooo for me)... the outfit was super cute though. Mint skinny pants, white 3.4 sleeve shirt, Scarf (Old Navy)

Every outfit shown was less than $50 total. If I did not designate where each piece was purchased from it was either from Ross or Marshalls. I am there all the time and my closet is practically full of clothes and shoes from there alone. What can I say I am all about mass quantity and a bargain. 

GIVEAWAY!

Earlier in the week I showed you this box. And left you wondering what was inside....

All this!!

Some of my favorites included:

-Kodak play touch (movie making!)

- Personal laminator

-Binders, folders, notebooks

-Label maker

I have this exact label maker and LOVE it!

So I want to give one away to a lucky follower... well... because I LOVE you guys!

Just enter below! Thanks for reading, sharing and following!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Ready... Set... Teach

Even though I have been preparing for the last 5+ weeks I can't help but have this feeling that there is more to do. I dunno what it is people- but I REALLY need to learn to let go! (So hard though!!).

Tonight I am printing a few more name stickers to add to things in the morning because our class lists changed over the weekend... goodness me.

Tomorrow I will be teaching about choosing Good Fit books and I came across this sweet little video that I thought was perfect and allows the kids to not listen to me for 5 min. That 5 min. can be hard to come across the first day!!! They gotta take what they can get, right?

I hope you can use this too!



I also spent the evening getting my clothes ready for the week. Whew... had a lot of laundry to put away and sort through but don't you worry I made it out alive... so here are the fits for the week!! (I think this would make a lovely little Sunday link party and would save us time throughout the rest of the week... agree??)

TUESDAY

Black slacks, Blue button up, Gray heels

Wednesday

Black pencil skirt, Brown and black striped top and black peep toe heels (Nine West, comfiest ever!!)

THURSDAY

Khakis, Coral Lace shirt paired with black tank under, black flats

FRIDAY

Jean Capris, Pink 3rd Grade Rocks Shirt and Pink and Black Nike's 

Happy First Day to those of you who go back tomorrow and for those of you who already started happy 4 day week... WOOP WOOP!!!

Woop there it is! Woop there it is! Giveaway in the house!

Tonya, one of my favorite little ladies over at Tonya's Treats for Teachers is having a 500 follower giveaway and I'm talking' GIVE-A-WAY!!!

Click the picture above to head on over!!! Now I am back to relaxing and napping before my fist day of school on Tuesday. Yes, that's right I said nap. I took two naps this weekend.... what in the CRAZY world! Can't remember the last time that happened (sometime before baby) but it was all sorts of lovely! I hope everyone else is enjoying their long holiday weekend, as well!

Teacher Life.... Easy Peasy Recipe Freebie

Very much enjoying my last weekend before heading (officially) back to work this week. I am actually super pumped and excited to get back. Strangely, I have these little excited butterflies in my tummy now and then when I think about how close the first day is getting. I think it is a lot of excitement mixed with a bit of nervousness and stress over all the things I still have left to do. I really just need to keep reminding myself that it is okay if I don't get every single thing done. With my type A personality I feel like my to-do list absolutely positively must be completed. Again, my personality glitches have caused me to create a separate to-do list for these less pressing items that says "If time..." at the top. I know ridiculous....

Well time has slipped away from me this weekend but I don't mind so much because I have been squeezing in a lot of love with these three little sweeties.

We have had so much fun together. There has been a lot of soccer, squirt gun fighting and the occasional brawl over the coolest car. Saturday we spent the day at the in-laws letting them run wild and wear one another out in the big back yard....

Silly little girl!

That's Fred the Tortoise

Sure love this little girl!

Goodness, he sure is my whole world

Our little family!

Relaxin' in the hammock 

Not sure if I have mentioned this before but in the past I have been labeled as a terrible cook, terrible awful horrible, all of it. Well- in the past year or so I have sort of taught myself how to cook and how to cook things that are simple and suit my busy lifestyle. 

Over the summer I gathered my favorite recipes and put them onto a template for 3M shipping size labels (3100-S) stickers. Most of the recipes I have collected from Pinterest. You can click here to see my Yummy Board. 

As the new school year approaches I am hoping that these recipe cards full of recipes that I CAN do will help ease the burden of wondering and deciding what to have for dinner. We have a method that has worked very well for our family for a couple of months now. Every two weeks the hubs and I sit down together and pick out two weeks worth of dinners that sound good to us. Using those recipes I then make a grocery list and shop for those items. This way I am not running to the store every few days for something I forgot. You could also do this every month I just am not sure that if we did that we wouldn't have changed our minds. 

Just click the picture below to get over 70 recipes

We pick 12-14 dinner meals every two weeks to grocery shop for

I keep all of my recipes in this box and organize them 

by sides, deserts, party dishes and dinners

I hope that you find this as helpful as I do!