One Down, 182 to go.

I am definitely tired today, but all went well. I have 3 quite talkative groups. (oh, joy.)

The other day I was researching paper bag albums because I might have the students do them on club (activity) day. I am currently writing a grant/request to get the supplies paid for. I found this wonderfully talented person's blog. Check it out.

Well, dinner is ready. Did I mention I LOVE my crockpot? We made our first meal in it last night (Spinach Chicken Lasagna) We still have gobs of leftovers (a very good thing) and tonight we are making Broccoli Chicken which is my husband's request. This one is baked in the oven though. Tomorrow is leftover day...and a busy evening is planned so perfect timing :)

Its starting again.

Well, tomorrow I start teaching again. My room is ready. My lesson is ready. My clothes for the week are in the dryer. The only thing not really ready is me. Its hard to say goodbye to the freedom of summer. Its hard to admit regrets for not taking full advantage of it. And it is hard to head back into the drama of co-workers and thirteen year-olds. I find the thought of the first day of school a little stressful. It is the day I meet, simultaneously, the kids who I am going to love to death and the ones who will leave me frustrated at the thought of another day of dealing with them. Its quite a whirlwind, really. There is no escaping it--summer is over. Here is to the best teaching year yet!

I made a LO today of my first class of students. They were my students for 5 weeks during a summer school teacher training institute and I shared them with my collaborative teachers. Funny thing is, they were going into 2nd grade when I taught them and they are now in 7th grade (the grade I teach). Time really does fly. My next group of students (my first class that I had all year) were fourth graders and they are entering high school this year. I never thought I'd teach that long and it makes me realize how quickly time flies!

We're going to dodge Dean

It seems we are not getting a direct hit from the hurricane. What's interesting is the extra-cautious preparation I've seen around town. There are busses upon busses lined up. Some of them are at the old, vacant Walmart parking lot. Others are at the convention center. The district's general session for teachers was cancelled today because it was supposed to be there, but the busses left us without parking.
Instead, I worked on my classroom almost all day. I currently feel dusty and icky.
Other good news around here: Anya doesn't haver Kennel Cough. She has the vaccine so I am glad to know it worked. She just has a cold and is noticeably grumpy because of it.
My camera is still holding my photos hostage. Can't wait until I can play show and tell with the photos I've taken recently!

What's on Your To-Do List?

All of a sudden I realized I have a ton of stuff to do this week! Here is my list. Why I feel the need to share it I do not know ;).

1. Clean house (today)
2. Get house ready for impending hurricane and get non-perishable groceries. The Rio Grande Valley (where I live) is the only part of the USA that is currently in the "cone" of the prediction path. Oh, joy. Getting the house ready involves getting dear husband to board up a window that leaks when it rains really hard. This lead me to a question: what do I do with two dogs who will need to "go" during a hurricane. Anya asks to go out every 5 minutes, I swear.
3. Get classroom ready before my "work day" on Friday. Friday is the day the hurricane is supposed to hit and I can just see the work day being cancelled on Friday and school still starting on Monday. yikes.
4. Plan lessons and prepare for first week of school.
5. I have a lot of client appointments to set up.
6. Get camera issue fixed so I can upload my photos.
7. Find some crock pot recipes so we don't starve during this busy week and shop for needed ingredients.
8. Take Anya to the vet. I think she got the cough/cold Josie got from the shelter.
9. Today is my week for paying bills. I haven't opened any of the mail in a week!
10. Spend the two save $10 on a $10 purchase cards I got from JC Penny and Kohls. Dh needs a new bag for college (he starts the 27th).
11. Make sure all laundry is finished before impending hurricane so I have something to wear to work if we lose power. :::sigh::: I dislike the hype hurricanes bring with them, but its better to be safe than sorry.
12. Call to order the flood insurance we have been talking about and haven't done yet. It won't be in effect for this storm, but we've had a lot of rain lately so we better do so.
13. Get sand bags. We moved into our house right after the last hurricane and the previous owners had some sandbags by the back door which is right on level with the grass in the area that gets soggy when it rains so I am sure we should take cue and do the same.
14. Mail my nieces' back to school gifts.

Back to School

These notebooks are for my nieces who will be starting preschool and Kindergarten in less than two weeks. I go back to work tomorrow for teacher stuff. I cannot believe summer is over! This summer was actually 2 weeks longer because this school year must begin longer because of a new Texas law. I wanted to get more scrapping in today. Look back on Sunday. I should surely have some new LOs up then. I'm also almost finished with a pretty cool bill sorter I made entirely from scratch. I am completing it in time for Amy's Challenge over at IL2C. Better stop here. Its past my BEDTIME!!

You're it!!

I've been tagged by Karen

So here are the rules:
1. Post these rules
2. Each person must post 8 random facts about themselves
3. 8 more people need to be tagged, and you have to leave a comment on their blog saying so :)

1. I am thoroughly grossed out by people who do not thoroughly cover there mouth when they sneeze. A sneeze travels at some high speed like 40 MPH or something like that.
2. One regret of my summer is not scrapbooking enough. I have barely done anything creative. If I don't schedule the time I clean, plan, cook, and do all the things I need to do first...and that list never ends, right?
3. I now have FOUR pets! 2 cats (Katie and Sam) and 2 dogs (Anya and Josie). Who knew that would happen?
4. I am a Fightin' Blue Hen. That is the mascot for my college U of Delaware.
5. I am the messiest person imaginable. I wish I wasn't.
6. I LOVE fashion now which is weird because I never really pushed for designer clothing as a teenager.
7. I have been dreaming of getting a Staples Desk Apprentice all summer. I am just waiting and waiting for it to go one sale. I think I am obsessed and really want two--one for work and one for home. (as if this will solve my organization problems ;))
8. I have not changed a single thing about my house since I moved in 2 years....and I want to change everything!! I guess I should get going lol.

Who I tag:
Anyone who wants to join--I'm still working on building a list of people who blog that I can tag. If you want to participate--let me know. :) :)

Looking for a new hairstyle

I am yearning for a new hairstyle. I am low key--leave "just enough" time to get ready...but I love a nice bold look. Are those two things possible??? Here are a few shots of what I found and liked so far:

Sending some love. Otherwise too tired to post.

http://www.1millionlovemessages.com/

More Convention Videos

I swear the convention was not just a bunch of screaming. There were some AMAZING speakers. I am finding a lot of videos of the loud parts though, lol. Still, check out all those people!! 60,000 folks excited about their futures and what they are doing for families. You can't beat it anywhere. It is definitely not the way most people feel on Monday morning when they go to work. ;)

Here are a few more videos.

Convention Video

Watching this short clip makes me feel the excitement again! I have some videos on my phone but can't find my hotsync cord so this is a video off of youtube. Its just 16 seconds long but gives you an idea.

A New Little Girl

B and I have not celebrated our 2 year anniversary officially yet. (It was July 9, 2007). This Friday, August 9, we are going to by getting a new little dog for our family and especially for Anya. I found her on petfinder.com. I was looking for a dog that would not rival Anya's 20 pound size. This little girl...who was picked up as a stray two or three days ago, is a perfect match from what we know so far. Unfortunately, I have to work Wednesday and Thursday, so I must wait until Friday to make the 5 hour drive to check her out. The guy said he could hold her for us, but, with it being a kill-shelter, I didn't want her to miss out on any chance of life if another family comes along for her. I sure hope she waits for us until Friday! She came in without any tags, but has since gotten a nickname Jumper. She is a sweet ball of energy which is exactly what we were looking for. We have a big backyard and feel it would be a waste to not give a dog a home that might not be suited for homes with a smaller yard situation or a less energetic family. We are just so plain excited, but trying not to get our hopes up yet.

Cool Video!!!

I am back from my trip---amazing! I am still digesting all the awesome experiences from the convention and will post about it tomorrow if I get a second. In the meantime, I found this really neat video