It's Official

It is official... and I can finally blog about it! I am moving back the state of "fixin to" and "y'all". Headed back in time for the bluebonnets and a summer at the lake! I'll be surrounded again by friendly people and cowboy boots... I am pleased to announce that Ft. Hood Texas has called my husband back and we will be HOME in our SWEET TEXAS again by the end of March!

I have learned so much in my time in DC! I am so honored to have been a part of the work here, and I am conflicted to have to leave before I feel that my work is "done". But, I am so excited and have so much to look forward to back in Texas.  

It feels good to just be able to put it out there- it's been on the down-low for a few months. We had to wait to see if the Army was really telling the truth! They like to change things a lot! For example, I told my last boss we were moving- and a year and a half later- we actually did! That's the fun part of the US Army. But this is for real- for real- for real. 

See you soon Texas! 
Keep it real DC! 

Cleaning House This Snow Day

Hey there- and happy SNOW DAY to me! Bummer is we also have a SNOW DAY tomorrow when I had planned a Professional Development for 600+ teachers in the city! I'm super bummed that all of my work is down the drain, or in a snow drift, but nothing we can do.

So instead of being at work making copies and loading my car full of PD stuff to take and set up this evening at the school. I am at home. In my jammies STILL and have spent the day cleaning and organizing.

One thing I did that I've been meaning to do is clean out BOOKS in my basement. I've been saving books and it's time to sell! Most of them are leveled readers- just single copies of books- that I used in my classroom library. I taught my students how to pick out their "just right books", but I had to have some baskets of books for them that were somewhat leveled in order to scaffold them in this process. In Kinder I had bins of level A-B books together in a GREEN bin. C-D books in a YELLOW bin and E+ in a RED bin.  Once in the "right bin" kids could then find books that are interesting to them and on the right level.

It took years to build up my collection of leveled books. Are you trying to build up your collection? Do you need some more books to add to your classroom library that are leveled? You are in luck.
Good deals to be had in my eBay store! 50 books starting at 12 and 13 dollars and some bigger lots of 75 and 100 too! Click here to start shopping! There are collections of Big Books too.

Follow Up: Read Anything Good Lately?

I had so much fun reading to kids a few weeks ago at a DC School. And they even did their HOMEWORK! Look how cute! Yay for kids- they are so darn smart!

February Currently

Whoop! It's February! I don't know why that excites me, maybe because March is around the corner and that means warmer weather and easier work load? Regardless... bring it February!

I'm linking up with Farley this month. I just love this REASON to blog each month. I promise I am going to get better at blogging. I found out there actually ARE people who read it. ("Hi" teacher at Watkins Elementary on Reading Day).  So... let's get to it.

Currently....

Listening: I got to SEE Alabama in concert back in September in Detroit! Amazing! I grew up with this music and a friend of mine brought it back into my life back in 2002. I had forgotten about 80's country. If you don't own their new Essential Alabama album- go! go! go! buy it! 

Loving: Oh what a MESS traveling was on Thursday night. A couple of inches of snow and DFW shuts down. Maybe there was a little bit of ice too? But... nothing this Michigan girl can't handle. Ha! Funny... now it's sunny and 70 degrees as I catch my plane home! 

Thinking: Truly, things are so busy right now. It's always how it is right? Some weeks are just way worse than others, and this week is tough! I am taking it one thing at a time- checking things off the list. Actually, writing the list makes me anxious, so I have not put it to paper, but rather am crossing it off the list in my mind. 

Wanting: I got enough time at DFW... because that flight was delayed too! If you have never had dinner at the Pappadeaux in terminal A- it's a real treat! It's down in the basement. If you don't know it's there, you would walk right past it! I seek it out every time I'm there and I made it on Thursday night! Yum! Debating if I should go again tonight? Hmmm... 

Needing: I am eating, breathing, and sleeping (sometimes nightmares) about Feb PD Day in the city! Who has PD day on VALENTINE'S Day? I digress... 

So much work goes into such a short three hours for so many teachers!  I have a work PHONE that will stay charged all day compared to my iPhone, but I have a work computer that only lasts me about an HOUR! Grrrr! 

2 Truths and a Fib:  I DID go to a club! It was a first for me- a big bar- in a big city! I saw dance moves, I've never seen in my life! Watch out ladies- I've learned a thing or two! #epic

Sister? I don't have a sister. Anyone who knows me will not be surprised to hear that I am an only child! I have friends who are like sisters, but I grew up with more toys, and more clothes and no one who stole them out of my closet.  

My parents are here for a MONTH! It is awesome. Jeff is out of town for work, so it is just the three of us.  Mom makes dinner, and packs my lunch and cleans my house and does the laundry... Dad has done yard work and cleaned my dryer (lint) and fixed my dishwasher. The older my parents get (Mom just turned 68 and Dad turns 70 in a few months) the more I cherish time with them. There are so many little things that I love about them and I am so thankful to be able to have this special time together- just the three of us. We are riding a double-decker bus in the city next week! #playingtourist

Wishing all of you a fabulous February!

Wordless Wednesday