And She Surfed to Success!!

Today was the day.  The day I've dreamed about for 7 years.  The perfect first day of school.  Yes it came.  Lucky number seven maybe??  The students came in and they were SILENT!  They colored and listened and followed all of my directions!  I thought I had died and gone to heaven.  Yes I have a shouter!  But I can live with a shouter because that shouter found out that I don't do calling out, we raise hands and wait turns.  I do have one with health as a concern, but we are going to stay on top of it and rock her out to a successful year of first grade!  I had one student that well we didn't get it right twice.  Can't have milk and was upset about oj.  Can't blame the kid.  Second, kid was marked to walk home, but parent came.  Not a cool story!  Moral, make sure if they parent drops off that they understand what walk means.  I'm sure I'll double check it again!  Kid made it to parent.

Next my perfect day came to a hault when I was asked to switch reading groups.  We switch for reading and we have two groups of three.  Our pods were made by where our rooms were, but one person asked me to switch because it wasn't gelin'.  I'm not gelin' with the idea.  Tears were shed as I talked to my mom about it.  I want a stress free zone tomorrow and I don't know what to do.  O the choices stink!  I say no and it bothers me, I say yes it bothers me.  WHY MUST I BE PUT INTO THIS SITUATION!!!!????  What would you do??

I'm totally diggin day two with my kiddos.  Can't wait to see what they are capable of!

I'm also thinking of just ignoring the situation and seeing what happens. ;)

Oh and always carry a spare set of flip flops with you.  I didn't.  i've lost weight and the shoes that were perfect last year aren't so much this year.  O well, just gives me an excuse to wear them all day tomorrow!  So thankful I am able to do this!

Just to show how great of day it was, you can see my desk!  It is a mess and I say that any day where your desk looks like this is a success!  All able to be cleaned up but principal gifts just dropped off and my folder basket plopped down at 645 this morning.  Yup, a success!  :)

I'll take you on a classroom tour tomorrow!

Miss Red Head and her not so rambling class!  :)

It Is The End

So today was my final day of summer.  I go back tomorrow.  I have Pinterested my life away.  I've created things I've wanted to for awhile.  I've not finished one professional book.  I didn't crack my curriculum this summer, but it is all going to be okay.

This summer turned into a summer of healing.  Two years ago I started down the longest path in my career.  Trying to deal THE CLASS.  It took all last summer to get over it.  I read about 10 professional books and by February, I was healed and loved my class.  This summer was totally about healing and praying and understanding.  Not completely accepting it, but I'm moving closer.  This will be a year of change for me in my classroom.  No longer will I have my cousin to text in the morning about what a terror kiddo was.  No more texts about parties or get togethers or cookie fun or random stuff.  It is gone.  Yes I have others to do this with, but it isn't HER!  I have struggled about whether to type this, but this is me.  This is one struggle I am going to have all year!  After 28 years, it doesn't stop.  You just adjust.  I'm adjusting by becoming crafty.  My cousin was an amazing artist and the crafty police couldn't stop her.  Now I'm taking steps to become not just done, but finished done.

Since today was my final day of summer I did enjoy one random book of my choice to read.  I finished it around 11 this morning.  I then had breakfast with kiddo at 12 at a local cafe.  I had a gluten free cookie.  She had a cupcake.  Then we rolled down to the beach.  We went to a local fav of ours, where we head on Wednesday Nights until they close for the season to just get away and remind each other that we can make time for each other.  Next we ran to get ice cream and carmel popcorn.  YUM!  (All food was gluten free!!)  Then we went to the play ground instead of the beach because it was only 75 degrees and the last time I was on the beach at that temperature, I ended up on an ambulance.  No thanks!  Finally I went to try and find something for the first day of school, but no luck!

Today I took a ten mile bike ride in an hour!  That is a first!  I came home and organized and loaded a good part of my stuff in my trunk.

I'm ready for tomorrow.  I need daily life to return.  I love my kid, but I need to not feel her glued to me because she is afraid I will die.  My mom returned home on Saturday with no surgery just a nasty case of dehydration!  DRINK PEPS DRINK! Seriously she asked how old she will be when I die after going home the first night my mom was in the hospital.  A 4 and a half year old asked this.  Yes, this has been apart of my healing.   This has been the challenge.

Tomorrow I will begin my link up for the must haves.  This was a heart pincher and it feels good to let it out.  Tomorrow I will eat rice chex for breakfast instead of a cookie.  Yup, summer is over.  And a new chapter is ready to begin!

Miss Red Head

Winner, tour guide, and bellies

First off I want to thank Meg at third grade in the first state for her awesome drawing! What a nice surprise to get an email while sitting in the er with my mama this afternoon. My mom has the belly issue. Not sure what but hoping all is resolved shortly!

Last but not least I went out last night and realized i was the only native in the group. So they decided that I should open a business for tour guides. I have history in our beach resort so I'm all for some fun.

This quickie post is being done while I wait for food for my dad mom kiddo and myself. Happy last crazy days of summer to me!! Hope no one else gets the call about appendix, er, surgery, nope sorry, overnight to see what's up!

~miss red head

Whipped

Oh my word!  What a day!  I spent six hours in my classroom and forgot to bring more than a cup and a half of rice chex to eat.  Needless to say, I ate a late lunch at 3:30 and then dinner at 6:30.  Better late than never.  It is hard being gluten free, but the amount of work I got done and the way my body feels is so worth it.  Don't think I'll go in tomorrow with the intention of having food with me.  :)

Kiddo came with me and played across the hall with my awesome partner's kids.  I got even more done because of them!  SO THANKFUL!!  I didn't take any pictures, but I did manage to get my desks arranged, my bulletin board changed to fabric, things put away, reading books moved around, and so much I can't even remember.

I came home after a quick run to Sonic.  :)  With my favorite Happy Hour Drink, I was able to finish my Survival Kit.  I saw this pinned last year and did it, but this year, I took it to a whole new level.  I filled the bag, redid the bag label, Modge Podged it to the bag and sealed the bag with a label.  It looks like this.

I cannot wait to place them on student's desks for Meet the Teacher next Friday.  Really fits my classroom this year.

Tomorrow I am headed back into my room as I mentioned before.  Kiddo is coming.  Afterward my mom is taking Marie so I can go out for a girls night.  Beach!  Woo!

Happy Tuesday!

Miss Red Head

Slacker.....& a Sale!

I'm so sorry, I have been a major blog slacker this week.  I have no excuse.  I did go to work two days for a task force.  It was PBS.  It was productive.  I have everything copied that I need for the year for the cafeteria.  I also taught Arts and Crafts at Skating Camp!  It has been a crazy busy week.  I spent time getting stuff finished, like my folders with labels, getting birthday bubbles tied with their birthday balloons.  I hope to post lots of pictures on Monday, including my before classroom pictures.  I finally get to head in next week.  Lots of changes and I'm loving it!

As I mentioned, I am throwing a Sale on my TPT site.  As with everyone else, it will be 20% off.  I hope to add a few other items for you to enjoy before tomorrow.  You never know...Something might be added for only a $1!!

Click Here to visit my store

Have a great weekend and I promise to blog at least three times next week.

~Miss Red Head

Crazy Dreams, Currently, & a Freebie

So last night, I had my first wacky back to school dream.  Thing is, I don't dream about me teaching or my classroom.  Nope.  Not so lucky!  I dream about....high school and old friends and ex boyfriends.  This time I lived at our high school, that didn't look like our high school and I ended up back with the ex.  Weird!  I guess it all goes to actually still teaching in the same school I went to school in.  My current classroom was the computer lab when I was in school.  I first used a computer in this room.  But now, it is MY ROOM!  I CANNOT wait to get back in there and transform my room.  I have only been in it for one year, so it is time to transform it more!  I never did finish some of my bulletin boards last year because I simple ran out of time.  Yes I had things on it through the year, but this year it will be neat and organized and FULL of student work!

Ok time for Farley's August Currently.

Don't forget to read the two before and two after when you link up!

Here is the bag I want from L.L. Bean.  I got a Vera Bradley bag last year and I HATED IT!  I never not like bags, so I was shocked to hate it!  I love this bag and look forward to having two Boat Totes this year!  They are so great for notebooks, curriculum and just knowing something will last forever!

Finally a Freebie!  I have become a DJ Inkers Junkie!  My awesome mom thought up a saying for my homework folders this year.  I used FISH last year, but having a beach theme it didn't really fit.  The BEACH acronym while worked, just wasn't me.  So S.W.I.M. Folder it is.

Students With Important Materials.  Yup it is me.  I also used DJ Inker background, so since this isn't allowable really for me to share, I have created a photo SWIM Folder and made it a FLASH Freebie, so get it quick or make your own folder.  Click the link above or my Teachers Pay Teachers link to get your cover!  I printed this onto full sheets of Labels and stuck it to my folder!  I also just posted my photographic Beach Alphabet.  I will post more about that later!  I may also do a giveaway for the alphabet and shapes unit too!

Also, I'm looking to make my blog more ME.  PLEASE leave me any info on who to contact that can help make my blog more up to date and fit for a Red Head.

Thanks so much!

~Miss Red Head