New Project

I've been wanting to add some things to my TPT store over the holiday break, and I've found that my lesson plan bundles seem to be selling more than anything else. So, I decided to edit and update the Houghton Mifflin science lesson plans that I created when I returned to first grade three years ago. I'll be interested to see how/if they sell. I'll update as soon as I have them finish and posted!

UPDATE: Houghton Mifflin Science Unit A, Chapter 1 is now posted on TPT. Check it out!

Holy Comfort Food, Batman!

The cheesy ham and potato bake was exactly what we all needed on this cold, rainy night. I originally planned to serve it as a dinner dish (with a side salad and applesauce), but KShaf convinced me to turn the meal into breakfast-for-dinner. I paired it with fresh fruit (blackberries and blueberries) and whole wheat toast with homemade jam. Um, yum. Filling and delicious.

Best Laid Plans

I had every intention of going to Target later this morning to pick up a few things with the gift cards I received from my family for Christmas. But it is cold and rainy, and all I want to do for the rest of the day is snuggle up in my PJs and make comfort food (like the cheesy ham and potato bake that I'm planning to make as a means of using up the leftover spiral ham I made about a week ago).

We had a great second Christmas with my family yesterday. We ate a delicious dinner of ham, baked potatoes, and green beans, followed by birthday cake (Happy Birthday, Mom!). The kids opened presents in front of a roaring fire and then disappeared for the rest of the evening to play with their new toys. As you can probably tell from the pic below, Princess A's new doll and horse (named, respectively, Rose and Ruby) were a huge hit, and Deedle made me go out the KShaf's truck before the sun came up this morning to retrieve his new bulldozer (that makes sounds and moves by itself...thanks, Mom and Dad!).

 

I got a text from our daycare provider yesterday that her sewage pipe burst, and as a result, she will be closed on Wednesday (my first day back to work after the winter break). I'll be taking a personal day, and I'm planning to have my sub teach The Gingerbread Man lesson that I never got to before the break.

Off to put my PJs back on!

P.S. Thanks, SpurDog, for motivating me to get the Desk Fairy phenomenon started in my classroom after the start of the new year! I found some adorable freebies on TPT, like this one!

My Two Guys

This is my new favorite picture. It's just too bad that in order to get Deedle to sit still for such a cute pic, he had to be running a fever!

New Year, New Blog Template

OMG, I am totally and completely in love with my new blog template! KShaf's comment when I showed it to him? "You have too much time on your hands."

Thank you, Julie, at Leelou Blogs!

Christmas Redux

Last night, I made Iowa Girl Eats' recipe for Skillet Chili Mac and Cheese, and it was fantastic! Sadly, Deedle didn't have much of an appetite, so he ate toast and applesauce instead (much to Princess A's indignation). But KShaf and I loved it! I'll definitely be making this again.

One of my favorite gifts this Christmas was from my sister-in-law, Heather. Heather was a teacher for many years in Texas and New Jersey (her husband was in the Air Force, so they moved around a lot), but she and her family recently relocated to Pennsylvania to be closer to KShaf's fam. She decided to take a break from teaching, and she started her own scented candle and tart business. I am a huge fan of anything that makes my house smell warm, comfy, and snuggly, and Heather's candles do just that! Check her out on Facebook!

 

Another holiday favorite? KShaf's Aunt A and Uncle D gave me an insanely generous gift card to Old Navy, so yesterday, I took Princess A to the outlets to do a little post-holiday shopping. I found some ridiculously good deals!

KShaf outdid himself this year and bought me a pair of medium-sized pearl studs. I love them! Now, my earlobes won't turn a sickly shade of green from the cheap Target faux-pearl earrings I've been wearing for the past 6 months!

But the best gift of all? Hearing Deedle sing "Silent Night" at the top of his little lungs in church on Christmas Eve, while gripping his lit candle (there were several scary moments when I thought he was going to singe my eyebrows, but, thankfully, I came out of the experience unscathed). There was something about hearing his sweet, innocent three year-old voice singing that particular Christmas carol that brought tears to my eyes. Was it pride? Maybe. But, more likely, I think I was feeling enormously grateful that I had the opportunity to share Christmas with my little babes, and there are 20 families in Connecticut that won't have that chance again.

In a few hours, we'll be heading to C-town to celebrate Christmas with my family. I'm looking forward to sitting around in my Minnetonka slippers and drinking red wine in front of the fire, while the kids tear through even more presents. Merry Christmas, Part Two!

Home Again, Home Again

After ten (extremely long) hours on the road, we finally made it home yesterday around 4:30. In retrospect, KShaf and I agreed that we probably should not have tried to make the drive, knowing that a winter storm was on its way. Hindsight is, however, 20/20. It was nice to sleep in my own bed last night, and I know that the kids felt the same way!

We ended up taking the little ones to the doc this morning to get their coughs and fevers checked out. Dr. KShaf had diagnosed Princess A with bronchitis days ago, but I  thought that it would be a good idea to have an actual medical professional take a look. Sure enough, Princess A has a virus that has developed into bronchitis, and Deedle is fighting off the same bug. Poor babies!

Despite being sick, though, the kids had an awesome Christmas with Aunt A and Uncle D. Deedle was thrilled to receive a Lionel Polar Express train from Santa (among other things), and Princess A was beyond excited to get a HUGE (not sure where it's going to fit in my house) stuffed horse from Grandma.

 

 

In other news, I'm pretty sure that Femster roped me into running a half-marathon in the spring. Uh, a 5K is a pretty big deal for me; I'm not sure that I'll survive a half-marathon! If I'm going to have a chance, I'd better get out there and start running (especially since I have spent the past month eating my way through every holiday gathering I've attended!).