Summer...

Summer seemed to stretch out endlessly before you as a kid and now it seems it is a short countdown of projects to try and get finished before school starts again. That sounded depressing...

I so enjoy having a job that allows this time off in order to relax, recharge and just get some sleep for a change. I am thankful for my job especially when so many good teachers are without one so I will NOT complain! However, I do tend to bite off more than I can chew-did you hear that, Mom?

I start off the summer thinking I will whip not only myself but my house and my entire next school year into shape in two short months. I am met with cold, hard reality time and time again. I think it is important to just make some steps in the right direction and let yourself relax for awhile because The First Day of School comes very quickly and there is no stopping that train!

I think I need to appreciate what I have been able to get done so far and not worry about what doesn't get done. Can I get a t-shirt made with that on it?

Check off the list:

~painted upstairs hallway

~driven to two different courthouses in two different towns to get baby girl's learner's permit Yay, Delaney!

~started this blog!

~made labels and pages for next year's scrapbooks

~ BEE binders totally together for new crop of Kindergarteners

~mapped out a year's worth of monthly budgets...seriously

~made pillows for both girl's bedrooms (some with French script-but, yes!)

~started Weight Watchers

~started walking with the mister in the morning

~tried new Chicken Picatta recipe

~started Weight Watchers again

~watched old movies with my girls

~had lunch with a dear friend that I had not seen in 15 years and it felt as if time had not passed at all

~watched To Kill a Mockingbird with the whole family on Father's Day

~ enjoyed a day at the lake laughing with friends like silly girls

~watched Mythbusters marathon with the mister and lived to tell about it

~sat outside with the family for hours just talking and watching the fireflies

~talked about what is really important to know before you leave for college with my oldest

~daydreamed...


I guess if my summer had to end here it would be complete but there is still time to work on my long checklist and hopefully get a third of it done.

But I might just be too busy counting fireflies...

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!!

We have so many activities for Dr. Seuss in celebration of his birthday for Read Across America-here are just a few!

Of course, we read Cat in the Hat, Hop on Pop, ABC and many, many more but part of our main focus is Green Eggs and Ham.
We read the story, chart rhyming word pairs, talk about trying new foods, etc. Then we talk about how to make green eggs and ham. What do you need? What turns the eggs green? What happens first, second, last? Each child gets a recipe chart and a sentence strip. We read the simple text, talk about each step and start cutting. I wish I had better photos of this process but I don't! Each child cuts out the six pictures showing the sequence of steps. They number each picture and glue them on their sentence strip in the correct order. They now have their own recipe to take home for green eggs and ham!

Green Eggs and Ham Directions

First, the children has to read the recipe out loud, step by step so we can make our own green eggs and ham as a class! I heat up the electric skillet and each child gets to take a turn cracking their own egg into our bowl. They LOVE this part!

Some are nervous...

Some are excited!

Some just like posing with their egg!

Now the children have to walk me through these steps -reading their recipe cards- I beat the eggs with my green whisk 20 times. I add 20 small pieces of cheese, 20 small pieces of ham and 20 drops of green food coloring. (I had 20 students). The children count with me each time. NO one is fidgeting, out of their seat or goofing off, they are glued to this process!

I pour the mix into the skillet and s.l.o.w.l.y stir 20 times while we count together.

Can you say Y.U.M.M.Y?!

Before anyone gets their bowl, we make a prediction as to whether we will like the green eggs and ham or NOT .

They try their eggs and give me a thumbs up or thumbs down.

Most are excited they are eating something soooo exotic!!

Alright!!

After everyone has eaten, we then make a graph to chart how many liked the green eggs and ham and how many did not. I don't have a photo of our graph (darn!) but the majority liked them this year. Next year is another story...

Towards the end of our unit, our wonderful reading coach, Mrs. Yokley, puts together the Dr. Seuss Cafe for us to attend in the Library. Our librarian, Mrs. Barnett, gladly plays the part of the Cat in the Hat!

Here is Mrs. Yokley with students enjoying her hard work! Older students play host and servers. They escort the children to a table where the children choose from a menu of Dr. Seuss books. The servers then read the books to their table. The children are served multi colored goldfish crackers and have a chance to color a Dr. Seuss mask. They love every minute!!

Look at how the library is transformed by Mrs. Yokley, Mrs. Barnett and Mrs. Gautreaux into the Dr. Seuss Cafe!

This Mrs. Booker's class posing in front of the cafe-this photo goes into each child's Kindergarten Scrapbook-so sweet! What a wonderful experience! I have a section of my reading center that is dedicated to Dr. Seuss books and after this unit, the kids absolutely can not get enough of his books...which is the ultimate goal!