Silence for Sandy Hook Elementary

I Survived...Barely!

Seriously, the person who schedules parent-teacher conferences on Halloween week obviously is NOT a primary teacher.  In fact, they probably aren't even in a classroom with children of any age for that matter.

I won't go into the unmentionable things that the teachers in my building would like to do to this person or persons.  But I recall hearing something about slowly pulling out fingernails and toenails.  And that was one of the kinder unmentionables.

It was a rough week, let me tell you.

Monday the kids were wild!

Tuesday the kids were even more wild!!

By Wednesday, I don't even think the kids in my class were human.  They were more like the Dementors from Harry Potter sucking the very life out of me.

Image this is me . . .

If I'd been able to scream you would have heard it no matter where you live.  But I couldn't.  I didn't have enough energy for that even.

To top it off, my birthday is on Halloween.  Yeah, I know.  When I signed up for the teaching program in college someone should have said, "Oh, I see your birthday is on a holiday.  You are not allowed into the teaching profession for your own sake.  Sorry.  Next!"

I may have mentioned before that having a Halloween birthday was great as a kid.  Not so as a teacher.  My birthday wish has never come true.  Calm kids.  I know you aren't supposed to tell your birthday wish but since it has never come true yet I think I'm safe.

Every year, EVERY year, the darlings ask me what I'm going to be for Halloween.  The answer is always the same . . . a tired, grouchy teacher.  Then they ask what I'm going to wear.  I point to myself from head to toe and say "You're lookin' at it!"

Don't get me wrong.  I love Halloween.  It's fun.  It's frivolous.  It involves imagination.  And I don't plan on being a tired, grouchy teacher for it.  It just happens slowly, day by day, minute by minute.  And having conferences the day after doesn't help.

Halloween should be on the last Saturday of October so that everyone can have fun and not worry about getting enough sleep or eating too much candy, etc.  Parents would appreciate it, kids would appreciate it, neighbors would appreciate it, and trust me so would teachers.

Valentine's Day should probably be on a Saturday too.

That way we could have our little celebrations on Friday afternoons and go home to sleep it off for a few days.  I know it sounds like a hangover but, trust me, it's worse!

But that's just my opinion.  What's yours?

There Poster

Here is a poster to help with the spelling and usage of there.

I didn't write these just made them into the poster form.  I can't for the life of me find who to give credit to, so if you know please tell me.  I also don't know the tune, if there is one, so I just use "100 Bottles of Beer on the Wall".  :)  Use whatever works for you.

Click the image to go get it.

Last week was crazy assessment time as we have parent-teacher conferences this coming week...starting the day after Halloween.  Yes, you read that correctly!  Whoever planned that one wasn't playing with a full deck I tell you.

I'm praying that after dealing with the still sugar-high, wacko kids on Thursday I have a few positive things to say to their parents who are probably going to be tired and cranky as well.  It sounds like a win-win situation for us all doesn't it?

Saw this on Third Grade Thoughts blog and had to grab it...

Here's to us all surviving Halloween on a Wednesday!

Common Core Giveaway

Heather over at Second Grade Perks is having a giveaway for her HUGE common core pack.  We've just started common core this year so I am really hoping to win.

Go check it out and register to win yourself if you want.  (But remember I'd really, really like to win!)

Subject or Predicate Game

Sometimes at the end of the day when we are waiting for the bell to ring, we'll sing songs like the Sentence Song to fill the time productively.  The other day someone picked the Sentence Song to sing and another little dear went and grabbed the Sentence Shazam! game and handed it to me.  That is how much they love it.

They loved it so much that I decided to make a Subject or Predicate Shazam!

You could play this and sing the Subject and Predicate Song to help your little peanuts learn these concepts.

Click the picture to go to my Teacher's Notebook shop

My kiddos requested more shazam! cards for this version because they like them.  Go figure!  You could take out some if need be.

I'll give away a copy of this game to a random commenter.

Tricky Too

We are working on this homophone bugger this week.  Do your kiddos struggle with using this guy correctly?  Mine do.

It is practiced all year long in our spelling program and some still don't get it.  It doesn't matter if I beg and plead or cry.  It doesn't matter if I stand on my head or run naked.  Some just don't get it.

But this little chant that is a take off on the their one I shared earlier seems to be helping . . . so far.

I figure if I beat it into them hard enough teach it enough ways they'll have to get it eventually right?!

Click to download

Do you have a magical way to teach too to your students?  If so please share.

The Floss Rule for Spelling

Here's a little spelling rule poster freebie.  It's a rule from the Barton Reading program.  Hope you can use it.

Nothing fancy just something my kiddos put in their binder.  They LOVE putting things in that silly contraption.  Maybe it's the clicking noise they can make with it that I love drives me bonkers.

click, click, click

I hear that!  Stop it!

Now last years class would have snickered for hours over the word gas.  This year's class . . . not a peep!

My Musical Class

This class is so funny!  I love how they spontaneously burst into song.  It can be a real pick-me-up.

Take Friday for instance.

I wasn't feeling very well.  (well?  good?  I'll never figure those two out!  GRR!)

I've had this cold/sinus thing going on for three weeks now.  Got a prescription antibiotic about midweek but it's not kicked in yet.  So on Friday I felt like doo-doo and thought I'd get a sub.

HA!  With seven subs for preschool through 6th grade (that's 24+ teachers) I had a better chance of getting my tonsils removed on my dining room table.  Top it off with the fact that I don't have a book of sub notes on my special little guy and you can probably guess what happened.

I ended up having the principal sub for me going in and toughing it out.  (I'd probably have better luck with the tonsils again than the principal.  Will your principal sub for you?)

So with jackhammer sinus headache reverberating in my skull and every little noise setting off the jackhammer headache, I set out to teach to the best of my ability.

It wasn't a day I'm overly proud of but I know there are teachers who do less on their best days sadly.

I whispered as much as I could to keep the drilling headache on low and my class thought it was a game.  They love it when I sing so I sang some questions/directions in funny whisper voices.  Game on!

And then, probably because I was just way off a tad off I forgot to sing the "Name on Your Paper" song.  So they began to softly sing it.  It was so cute.  Those angelic voices!  In spite of feeling like something a dog dropped in the backyard or the cat left in the litterbox, I was smiling.  It made my whole day folks.

I thought I'd share this little tune.  I'm not sure if you have your kiddos do the same kind of thing on their papers, but if so you can grab it by clicking on the picture below.  Or maybe you could tweak it to fit your needs.  I have a lot less no name papers because my little peanuts will sing this as they write their names on their papers with or without me. :)

A New Fur Friend

Thank you everyone for the warm wishes at the sudden loss of my dear dog Juju.  I miss her every day.  Funny how attached we get to our pets.

Sadly we knew we couldn't bring another dog into our home because our Puggle is such a grouch with other dogs.

Well one Saturday about a month ago, after exercising and breakfast with a friend, I ended up at the local animal shelter.  Just to look mind you.

I mean, while I'd been gone only a couple hours one of my pets could have gotten loose and been picked up by animal control.  They could, at that very moment, be languishing in a kennel wondering why I wasn't rescuing them.  It could happen.  It could.  Admit it.

So on my drive home.  In the opposite direction actually.  But it could have been on the way home . . . if I lived that way.  I stopped to look.

And that's what I did.

Okay, I pet too.  And cooed.  And baby talked.  And spread a lot of love.  And told them all how I wished I could take every single one home.

Yes, I could be a hoarder but I'd be a good one not a bad one.  Just saying.

So last stop was the cat room.  Only because it's on the way out.  Really.  That's the truth.

I like cats and have always wanted one.  But it had to be one with longer hair, pretty eyes, that didn't bite or claw.  Not easy to find let me tell you.  Cats just are usually feisty and occasionally bite or claw.

Oh, yeah, did I mention my husband isn't a big cat lover and I'm quite allergic?

Well, guess what?  You'll never guess.

They had my cat there!



I convinced everyone to give it a go and brought Tobias home.  He is a five year old Maine Coon that in less than a few hours weaseled his way into our family's hearts.  He is also best buds with our 12 year old lab mix.

Every day I take an allergy pill although I'm thinking I may have to go prescription.  But it's worth it.  I'd get a shot if I had to.

He is so mellow.  He doesn't bite or claw even if I rub his belly or play with his paws.  Yes, I can rub his belly.  Rub his fur the wrong way and touch his feet.  You heard that correctly.  Maybe he thinks he's a dog.

Toby seems more than happy and tell us every chance he gets.  We don't know anything about his past but he's very loving, gets a long with dogs, and likes popcorn.  Oh, yeah, he begs for it with the dogs.

The only problem is that Toby likes to sleep on the pillow above my head and groom my hair.  It makes for interesting do's in the morning let me tell you.  What's a girl to do?

T-h-e-i-r

What a bugger of a word.  Not hard to spell really.  But to get a second grader to use it correctly. . . not easy.

I found a lengthy homophone song or poem somewhere on the internet that naturally I am unable to find now and there was no author listed on what little I had.  Basically the song/poem was too long for my kiddos but this one little snippet stuck with me for a couple reasons.  One it provided spelling practice (yeah, some kids can't remember if it's ei or ie) and two it was simple.

Song/poem?  Who knows.  I have no idea what it was initially intended to be but I say  this little itty bitty part somewhat to the tune of "100 Bottles of Beer on the Wall".  My kiddos don't know that.  Or at least no one has said anything . . . yet.

Last year I know one of the kids would have caught it.  The little stinker I'm thinking of caught all those kinds of things.  If it was inappropriate or related to anything potty-mouth, even remotely, he got it and let everyone know it.  I got a kick out of that kid!  Most days anyways.  The other parents probably didn't though.

Wouldn't you know the year I had him my two male guinea pigs were fighting for dominance.  Most of the kids thought they were jumping on each other to play but not that little firecracker!  Oh, no!  He nearly gave a little biology lesson before I gave him the hairy eyeball.

Anyway, this is another little chant thingie that this year's class is famous for spontaneously reciting if they hear me whisper "Does that (insert object) belong to them?"

I whipped up this little sign for my language arts focus wall.

Click to go to download

Hope you can use it.

BTW, if you know the song/poem source please let me know.

The Sentence Song

So I got the copy of the sentence song from my school computer.  Remember this is not my original song but I changed maybe two words to make it fit my needs.  The author is Kim Shelley.  (If you know her tell her thanks!)

The kids LOVE this song.  In fact, every year that I've used this song the kids love it.  It's a keeper.

My classes quickly realize how much I love songs, music, and movement and this year's class is no different.  The big difference this year, however, is that this class will just spontaneously break out into song all on their own.

I love it!

It cracks me up!

For example, I'll walk by someone and remind them to write in complete sentences and before you can say "complete what?" the class is singing the sentence song.

How can you not love that?


I'm known for spontaneously breaking into song but I don't recall a class doing it like this.

In fact, a few years ago, the daughter of a fellow teacher that I had in my class once told her mom, "Mrs. Schaff will just start singing out of the blue and not even be embarrassed!"

When the mom told me I laughed so hard.  Then I asked, "Should I be embarrassed?"

Nah, these are little kids.  What do they care?  We all spend to much of our lives being self-conscious, embarrassed, and/or worrying about what other people think.

So if the kids that leave my room remember nothing else, maybe they'll remember to take a chance . . . because you can succeed if you don't try!

Click the picture to download.

Happy singing friends!

Sentence or Fragment

Why is it most kids can answer a question in a complete sentence but can't write one?  I think they just get in a hurry.

Well, we are working on complete sentences like crazy.  Knowing how to write complete sentences is crucial for the whole year since I require almost all written answers to be in complete sentences.  (Is that mean of me?  Or do you do that too?)

We started out by learning what a complete sentence is and isn't.  Enter "The Sentence Song" which the kids and I love.  I don't recall where the original came from (not me) but I've tweaked it just a smidge.  (Oh, snap that's on my computer at school so I'll post it later this week.  Sorry.)

Then we played the "Secret Question" game.  Again not my original idea but don't ask me where it came from.  For this you have one student come to the front of the room and whisper a question in his/her ear.  The child then answers in a complete sentence for all to hear.  The rest of the class has to figure out the question you asked based on the child's answer.  FUN!  Divide kids into teams and score points for correct questions if you want.  Some kids have a really hard time with this and some get it no problem.  One of my brightest was dumbfounded.

We also played "Sentence or Fragment Shazam!"  For this game, students draw a card from a container.  I like to use a lunch bag from the Dollar Store.  The student reads the card out loud and tells (in a complete sentence of course) if it is a sentence or a fragment.  If correct, the child keeps the card.  If incorrect, the card gets put back in the bag.  But, dun dun dun...if a shazam! card is drawn all that child's cards go back into the bag.  The winner (if you want) is the child with the most cards at the end.

Click on the picture to download

I don't make this game self-checking because I like the kids to have discussions about why or why not it is or isn't a sentence.  I say prove it a lot to my kiddos.  I very rarely have huge arguments.  But if you want you could number the cards and make an answer key.  Most of my kiddos were quickly able to tell what part was missing which will help this week when we actually learn the terms subject and predicate.

If you can use it please leave me some love.

Updates & a Freebie

This little blog is so neglected.  I feel like a bad mommy.  Thank goodness there isn't a Blog Services that someone can turn me into for neglect.

It's so hard to believe I've been in school a month.  I keep pinching myself to see if I'm dreaming but I guess I'm not.  I love the beginning of a new year for a lot of reasons.

I redid a lot of my class (again...I know) and have pictures to share but, alas, the camera is at school.  I promise I will get them posted before the end of the year.  HA!

My permanent Promethean board was installed before school began and da da, da da, da...i'm lovin' it!  There's another reason this blog has been neglected.  I spend a great deal of time trying to find flipcharts to go with every lesson I do.  And let me tell you, that a whole bunch of flipcharts that are free on Promethean Planet leave a LOT to be desired.  I haven't paid money for any yet because they are ex.pen.sive!  I'm afraid I'll spend a gazillion dollars (almost) and it will be the same crapola as many of the free ones.  Anyone bought anything that can vouch for their worthiness?  Or do you know of another great resource for flipcharts?

My class is wonderful.  I've got 18 students with another possible on the way this week.  (I'll get into that in a few.)  I'm Whole Brain Teaching them to death!  I love it and they seem to, too.  I'm going to enjoy it while I can since the class coming up next year is incredibly exhausting.

I have an adorable little guy who had a brain tumor as an infant and requires a lot of special help because of it.  Unfortunately we only have a special ed teacher for him for about 20-30 minutes a day.  Remember I'm at a private school.  Frankly, it isn't enough and I am left to do the rest on my own.  The other kids end up helping a lot.  Anyone else have that problem?

So now I'm supposed to get a new student who is coming from the public school because the parents are unhappy because their child is a "genius" but not getting anything extra.  This means I'll have the largest class in second grade and an extremely special need student, a high maintenance parent and a "genius".  Is that fair?

Do you ever feel like you get penalized because you're an effective/good teacher?

Okay, onto the freebie.

I had to make over the "number squeeze" game to fit my theme.  I also wanted it to go up to 120 instead of 100.  It includes math talk cards.  You can grab it by clicking on the preview below.

Leave me a comment if you have any advice or answers to my questions.

1.  Are the Promethean Planet "for sale" flipcharts worth it?
2.  Where else do you find good flipcharts?
3.  Do you get stuck doing your "own thing" with special needs students?
4.  Do you ever feel like you get penalized because you are good at what you do?

Calendar Cards Freebie

This is the last week to get everything together for the start of school.  We don't get any paid days to work in our rooms.  Do you?

As I've worked to redo things in my room so that they go with my color and bee theme I decided I had to remake the cards for my calendar.  I use a pocket chart.  Thankfully it was yellow or what would I have done?!  Oh the shame!

Then I noticed that the yesterday, today, and tomorrow cards that we move each day were ragged and messy.  I believe I've had those since 1995!

You can grab your own to use by clicking on the picture.

On another note, our not quite three year old Shar Pei, Juju, had to be put to sleep yesterday.  

We found out a little over a month ago she had a horrible disease known as Shar Pei fever that would cause her kidneys to fail.  

We knew her time was limited but had no idea that she would go so quickly.  

She was the guardian of our house and family.  She loved to sit in the window and watch the rabbits and squirrels.  Her fur was the softest, fluffiest fur of any dog we've ever had.  Most of all she was her mama's girl and followed me everywhere!  We all miss her but probably mostly me.  

I was lucky enough to have her in my arms when she left this world.  

I know she is at peace and hopefully giving the rabbits and squirrels a run for their money in doggie heaven.

I'll leave you with this poem.  Get out the tissue!

Rainbow Bridge  author unknown Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge. When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable. All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind. They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster. You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart. Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

And The Poster Goes To . . .

Rafflecopter has handed me the white envelope and the winner of poster is . . .






a Rafflecopter giveaway

Please send me an email in the next few days so I can get the poster to you.

And for those of you who didn't win, Erica has graciously offered a 15% off coupon code for ANYTHING in her shop not just this fabulous poster.

It is 2bhoneybunch15

Be sure and give her some love while you are there!

A Freebie & a Follower

This morning as usual a friend and I got up early to beat the heat and go for a walk.  We've been walking faithfully all summer because we both want to lose a few bunch of pounds.

So afterwards we ran some errands in spite of being in our grubby clothes and sweaty.  Hey, it's summer and it's Saturday, right?!

We both have dogs that need special prescription dog food so we stopped at the vet's and I forked out $80 for 35 lbs. of food.  Holy Guacamole, that's expensive!

Then we stopped and bought some wine for a co-worker's wedding next Friday.  (Taryn if you are reading this...I have erased your mind and you know nothing!)

Finally we stopped to look at rescue pets.  Why?  Well we both love animals and my mom is secretly looking for a new dog even though my dad says no.  He wants a new dog too . . . he just doesn't know it yet.  (Chandler Bing! . . .  you Friends followers will get that one!)

So anyway, while there admiring  a pair of loving Chihuahuas (that's a hard word to spell BTW) I'm chatting up one of the volunteers and mention my class pets.  And she's all "Do you have a blog?...The Honey something?"  Me "Yeah"  She "I follow your blog.  You're Erika right!"

Be still my heart!  I felt like a celeb!  If only I'd showered and dressed up!

Then I thought sheesh, don't I always joke about not showering during the summer?  HA

Anyway, she made my day!

Thanks second grade teacher at Broadwater!  (Which BTW is nearly right across the street from my school.)

Which made me think maybe there are some bloggers out there that would like to have a meet up in Billings. Anyone in the area interested?  Even people from WY, SD, or ND?

Now on to the freebie.

I'll be going into my classroom this coming week to begin setting up.  I don't know about you but there are things I change every year.

Sorry for the repetition as I'm sure I've blogged about this before.

But what other jobs do you get a fresh new start every year?

I love my signs and displays from last year but want a little more unity in color and design so I've been redoing a bunch of them to match my color/theme.

I had a request for a yellow, black and white theme that would go with the bee theme but not be over the top  bees.  I thought to myself "Great idea!"

So here are the WBT rules in this color/theme.  Click the picture to get them.

I've also added CAFE headers in the same colors to my TN Shop.  You can grab them for $1 by clicking on here.

I'm working on adding more items using this color scheme as well but have had trouble uploading things to TN.  Anyone else had this issue?

WBT Rules Freebie

I'm on vacation from blog design this week and thought I'd redo a few more things for my room. It won't be long and I'll be back in my room putting things together.

Today I decided to revamp the WBT teaching rules so that they fit in with my overall look a little better. Since I teach in a Christian school I've revamped rule 5 to include keeping God happy too. However, the original rule is there also.

Click here to download.

If you haven't already click here to enter my giveaway!

Are You Ready For Some Giveaway?!

It's time.

I've shirked my duties long enough.

So here is what I am giving away.  Drum roll please!

ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta

I found this amazing poster on etsy and feel in LOVE with it immediately.  I think it would look fabulous in any classroom, don't you?  

You can find it by clicking on Erica's shop link below.  Don't you just love her name (not the shop name)?  I did have to inform her that it is spelled wrong though!

Erica also has a mommy blog you should check out at http://sweetleighmama.blogspot.com/.  I just read how another two year potty trained her two year old.  Funny!  If only I had thought of that when I was potty training my two girls.

So how do you win this adorable poster?

I know you thought I'd never tell right?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I Haven't Forgotten

Sorry folks...I haven't forgotten about the giveaway.

Honest.

Cross my fingers, hope to die, poke a needle in my eye!

I've been busy designing, celebrating my 21st wedding anniversary, designing, sleeping, planning my parents 50th anniversary, sleeping . . .

You get the picture.

In the midst of all that I've been stalking etsy to find the perfect thing . . .

something that I myself would want (just in case I win it myself - lol!)

So don't give up or throw in the towel just yet.  I promise it's coming.

How was the 4th of July celebration where you live?  We had a ban on all fireworks because of the fires roaring in nearly every direction around us.  It's been hot, dry and miserable here like many other places around the US.  It made the 4th pretty quiet.  I think I was asleep by midnight and the dogs were calm, cool, and collected.  No sedatives needed this year.  But still it was rather ho hum.

I still have gotten nothing on my school to-do list done.  I've stopped admiring all the "Made It Mondays" because it just depresses me and then I eat more chocolate.  It's a vicious cycle.

I've got piles of things to do just staring at me on a daily basis and the family is tired of climbing over them.  Even the dogs have started to give me dirty looks.

And I still haven't read a whole new book . . . (soft sobbing)

I am a loser.

But dog gone it, people like me!  (anyone remember Stuart Smalley?)




So stay tuned for the giveaway.  I promise I'll have it before reaching 500 followers . . . just kidding! :)

Notice Anything New?

I started this blog design adventure just a few short months ago and it has really taken off.  I mean OFF!

I have been working nearly full-time on it since school got out...and loving it!

I've made new friends and learned so much.

Along the way this little blog has been sadly neglected and I haven't had nearly as much time for blog stalking as I'd like.  But, like they say, when one door closes another window opens.  Or is it when one window closes another door opens?  Or is it . . .?  You get the gist.

As I've browsed and found design kits for others to use in their blog designs I've stumbled upon many bee themed ones that caught my eye.  Many got pinned onto my bee board.

So last night in the wee hours of the night when all the loved ones were sleeping and the dogs were snoring at my feet and beside me on the couch I decided to grab one of my favorite kits and give this little corner of the blogosphere a makeover.

I am in love and I can't help but keep coming back and smiling when I see my little honey bunch.

I've had many clients tell me that same thing after installing their designs and I didn't really get it . . . until now.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.  (Misty, you better by happy . . . you pest! lol)

You'll notice I added an email button in case you just have a burning desire to contact me.  Please do!

I've also decided to get with it and add some social links.

And to top it all off I've reached 400 followers!!

You know what that means?

Yeah, I have to take a shower AND have a giveaway! :)

I'm debating on what to do still but stay tuned so you don't miss it!

Expository Nonfiction

Our school uses Reading Street by Scott Foresman to teach language arts.

It's not bad.  Although I thought the stories in our old series were more interesting.  :(

The one thing I like is the amount of nonfiction it includes.

Second grade boys LOVE nonfiction.  (So do the girls.)

As mentioned in previous posts I love the Teacher's Clubhouse for literacy posters and much much more.  But they didn't have one for a genre that our book uses.

So instead of paying them to make one for me I made my own.

It looks a LOT like theirs because I wanted it to go with my other posters so don't get mad at me.  Just click on the picture to grab it.

I found a website I'd never seen or heard of before.  It includes Smartboard lessons for many topics.  Check it out.

University of Missouri eThemes:  your source for content-rich, kid-safe online resources

I am a couple followers away from 400!!  Woo Hoo!

I'll be unveiling a new look for my blog and having a giveaway . . . so stay tuned!

You've Got Mail!

I can't believe it's been almost a week since I posted last.

Time flies when you are having fun doesn't it.

Thank you to all who left the kind words after reading about Sadie's untimely demise.  You'll be happy to hear that the reward has grown to over $7,000 the last I heard.  The police just have to catch the horrible person or persons responsible for this.

We've had some of my husband's family in town this week so I've been MIA.  Plus I've done some flower shopping (half price-woot woot!), blog design, cleaning (a wee bit), laundry (Happy Father's Day honey!), grocery shopping (ditto father's day), walking (gotta lose some winter weight), and a whole lot of lazin' around.

It's so nice to know that if it doesn't get done today it can get done tomorrow.  Sadly, I find myself putting things off all summer with that one.  Anyone else?

I got an order from Oriental Trading today.  (So much better than a bill!)  They had free shipping and had some bee junk stuff I thought I could use.

bee book marks/reading guides
(my kids love these but they tend to disappear!)

bee tattoos for back to school gift bag

busy bee sorting graphs for getting to know each other 

bee pocket chart
(couldn't resist)

dry erase sleeves

bee pencil topper/erasers for on desks the first day of school

 

sight word bingo

Now this box will sit around my house for the next 6 weeks collecting dust and annoying my family until I head back to school.

I am only 7 followers away from 400 and then it's GIVEAWAY time!