Helping Hands

This week has been so much fun! I am helping out teacher-friends at other schools (a- because we're all fabulous, and b- because I'm not allowed to work in my classroom until tomorrow since they are waxing floors), but we're having a great time anyway!

My fifth grade friend is going with an underwater/fishy theme and she just found a few really awesome free fonts that she downloaded, and our first grade friend is going with a tiger/safari kind of thing. Put both of those with my outer space theme and we've got a great time!

I'll post a few pictures when I can, because you can believe that you'll want to see how my classroom has transformed. (That, and I'm just a little bit proud of my hard work. I have to show off sometimes.)

Lastly, I met with three other music teachers in my district for lunch today. We're just way too much alike in the fact that we want to give our students the best music education that we can, but I love it because we all have so many different -- but fabulous -- ideas to share! We had our own "teacher share party" and we each brought a couple of things to share with each other. (Which was hard, because most of what we all do is a lot alike!) We still managed. :)

Hope everyone is having a GREAT first week back (or a great week if your already back or haven't started yet). Peace out.

Let the Countdown Begin!

Just starting the countdown! School officially begins for me in 12 days! I'm mid-organizing my brand new classroom, so pics will be posted soon!!

Bumps in the Road

After being up in my classroom for a short while this morning, it's official... I am so excited for the new year to begin!!

Bump #1: There are approximately 5 large wooden doors, many spray-painted frames and screws, and an assortment of huge bulletin boards and whiteboard just WAITING to be put into the other classrooms that aren't finished yet! I can barely get around to find anything! (Which is a teeny bit dramatic, but I just want to get in there and get my boxes unloaded. There are two books now that have been misplaced somewhere and I cannot find them anywhere. How frustrating.)

Bump #2: School isn't even close to starting. I'm talking - a good 30 days away. The kiddos officially get to show off their new clothes, bring in all of their new-school goodies, and meet me one month from today! (Maybe I'm also a little nervous, now that I think of it. But a good nervous! I'm a planner, so I actually have my first 3 days of lesson plans done for K-2nd. That's a start.)

Bump #3: I have no schedule in sight. I guess it is only Monday of this week, and I've been looking forward to this since the beginning of June - when my principal said that we "specials" will meet and make a schedule. (This is the first time in 4 years that anyone has ever asked MY opinion about MY schedule... Is that normal?)

Other than the obsessive planning on my part, and the occasional (ok, weekly) collaborating with other fellow rockstar music teachers throughout the summer, I have had a few things that kept me busy. Time at the lake, many more weddings (including 2 more still to come), T's birthday tomorrow... The good stuff. :)

The poor guy is working so hard this week, and I'll have to get some kind of dessert ready for him. (This is the time where knowing how to make a pie would be so beneficial! I'll see what I can come up with!)

Have a great music-making Monday! Hopefully, when I come back later this week, I'll have an official theme picked out and ready to start creating!

Shopping Problem

Alternate title: Hello. My name is Lindsey, and I am a shopaholic.

Nothing makes me happier than back-to-school shopping! I love the fact that my job gives me the "excuse" to buy a few pieces of new clothing each year (always justified as back-to-school clothes).

However, the problem usually occurs when I have an absurd amount of ideas that I want to incorporate. Each year, I tend to buy books, theme decorations, and a crazy amount of organizing tools. I love me some great notebooks, tabs, page protectors, sharpies, and everything else!

So when this little beauty popped up, I knew it was just for me and I had to have it! I love when stores have their "Teacher Sales," but I never seem to get the memo in time! I always find out a day late or I've already been to the store earlier. So I got online at Mardel.com and found me my new favorite thing. I can't decide if it will go in my scrapbooking room, or if I'll tote it up to my classroom... (And I know I couldn't sell T on the idea of purchasing one for both...)

(Isn't she wonderful?!)

She should be here in about a week and I am so excited! I'm sure I'll be full of more great ideas once I meet up with a few of my rockstar teacher-friends this week! Be on the lookout!

Top 10 List for July (so far...)

So I guess over the summer, I'm finally really figuring out what "summer break" is all about... I've been working part-time, going to workshops, and family reunions, and just this week started to relax!

Here's my Top 10 List for the few days we've had so far this month...

1. 4th of July is by far one of my all-time favorite holidays! I was able to spend the holiday this year with my husband's family at our lake"house" (I use the term "house" loosely, as it's really only a trailer - which is all you need at the lake!) The day before the fireworks (love them!), my brother-in-law proposed to his girlfriend - an adorable Kinder teacher that we all love so much!

2. We were able to go back to the lake this past week!! (That NEVER happens!) But the honey and the pups were able to work off some serious energy in the water - tubes, skis, you name it! (And I have to confess that I am terr.i.ble. when it comes to water sports, but I gave it a nice shot! That's all a guy can ask for, right?)

3. Schedules. I am seriously trying to ween myself back onto school hours!! It takes me such a long time to realize that I don't get to stay up and read until the wee hours of the night, take an afternoon nap when I please (or cuddle with the dogs when I do), and I NEVER hear the term "sleeping in" during the week. So by then end of this month, I hope I'll have it figured out (or something close to it).

4. I have been obsessed the past couple of days with catching up with my blogger friends! (No, they may not realize that I obsess stalk read their blogs as much as I do, but I consider us friends, nonetheless.)

5. I am kind of an organizational maniac when it comes to my classroom. My house on the other hand, it needs work. One room at a time, it will be clean come August! (This is probably one reason we never had an "inside" pet when I was growing up... The hair-shedding in this heat has been horrible!)

6. Rain, rain go away... OK, so I guess you can only really sing that song if you'd been lucky enough to HAVE any rain in the past few weeks. I guess I am finally getting used to the triple-digit weather, but when our power has to be shut off on Monday to fix a wire in the neighborhood... yeah, there's no way I'll be singing the same tune. Hopefully, they'll finish quickly because they don't have any resting place close by with air conditioning!

7. Back to basics on my classroom todo list. I still need to choose a theme! I've seen all sorts of bloggers out there that are ready for the new school year! I've seen a lot of Pirates actually (ahoy matey!), but some other adorable ones are Hollywood, Bees, Sports-related, and many more. I went for frogs last year (and if you knew me at all, you'd be in shock as I am running-scared-pee-on-myself terrified of the real things)!

8. More on the organizational side, I just switched positions within my school district (3 cheers for no more traveling in ice, snow, rain, and heat!), but we had a teacher retire and I was lucky enough to be considered for the job so early in the school year. The organizational side in me is itching to get in there and start getting things done. I want to organize the new closets, the storage behind the stage, all of the fabulous music and programs that were left for me, and get my treasures out of their boxes (where they've lived in this heat for almost 2 months now). This could seriously take days...

9. I have some super-amazing music friends that have kept me in check all summer and need a quick shout-out. Katie and Mary are two of the best people to hang out with - and we always end up bouncing off new ideas and ways to make them work in our rooms! (It's summer! Why are we still planning for next year's students?? Haha - but we'll be ready for them!)

10. Lastly, I have a couple of goals for the last few weeks of July:

-begin (and finish?) the first book of The Hunger Games

-clean out and organize my new classroom (yes, I want that done in July)

-fill my brain with all kinds of wonderful new things that I can incorporate

into my music room!

-and finally, take one last trip to the lake with a fruity drink in hand.

Any objections? :)

Top 10 List for June...

Since I have not been able to consistently write everyday (or every week for that matter), I have opted to make a Top 10 List for this month. Some may be things I have done and others may be things I still want to do... Either way, here they come!

1. We just got back yesterday from my husband's annual family lake trip (aka family reunion, but funner). The lake itself is about 5 hours away from us, so my sweet babies had to stay at the vet clinic for a couple of days. Once we got there, we actually only made it to the lake once. Once! That was it! We did squeeze in a nice canoe trip, but every single night (and most afternoons) were filled with pitch. I was a newbie when I first came to the family, but I am all kinds of professional now! (It's a surprise at how competitive I get...)

2. Today was such a lazy day, that I filled it with cuddles from puppies, 2 books, and lots of reality tv. (Real Housewives? Yes, please!)

3. I have been watching The Bachelorette and I am pretty sure that I am more annoyed with this season more than others. It disgusts me that the producers think we (the audience) need to hear Bentley's name that many times, AND the fact that they thought that a boxing match with 8 guys wouldn't be full of competitive testosterone and a nice guy getting knocked around. I'm kind of over it.

4. What I love Wednesday is tomorrow!!! I'll be spending the day with 3 of my favorite Kappa Delta sisters - who I haven't seen in months!! We all live 1-2 hours apart from each other (which isn't much), but it is harder to get together with our busy lives. I am extremely excited and cannot wait!

5. I have been reading for pleasure again... I tend to read a lot during the school year even (we have no kiddos yet, so I am still selfish with my free time). However, summertime is usually filled with school-related books. Classroom management, curriculum planning, etc. I'm a nerd, but I own it.

6. I have officially found the coolest site! Zazzle.com has become my new favorite thing! I ordered a friend and I a personalized notebook, because she and I are organizational queens! Everything must be filed with labels and dividers...always. (It's a sickness.)

7. I have newly become a lake person. My husband and his 2 brothers purchased a lake house from their great uncle this past spring, and I've only gotten to go and stay once!! This weekend will be our next adventure (second week in a row with his family... kind of like a mini-family reunion). But I'm really excited!! (I'll have to come back and tell everyone why! It's a secret for now!)

8. Boot Camp. (Doesn't that say it all?) I signed up this summer - knowing that I wouldn't be able to attend the last 2 weeks of classes - but I still got in about 5 weeks of it! Sounds crazy (and Mr. T agrees), but I LOVED it! Two days a week at 5:30 a.m. for 60 minutes. I did work and I am proud!

9. After Boot Camp comes.... my version of exercise. I have to start getting my butt up again (which seems to be hard for me without a set schedule or routine during the summers), but 5:30 was a great time for me to get out there. I head up to the track and keep trying to add another lap every couple of weeks. I'm by no means where I need to be, but I am out there and I am doing it! (Which is more than I could've said for the past 3 years since I've been teaching.)

10. Fireworks are my favorite! Hope everyone has a happy and safe 4th!!

Playing Catch-Up

I can only begin with an apology. I am so incredibly sorry that I have been absent from blogging for almost 3 months! Yes, we all know that the end of the year is chaos for everyone, but I am finally getting a short, well-deserved break since May has ended.

Since school's been out, I've cleaned out my classroom, because.... I'M CHANGING SCHOOLS!! I have really been troubled over this decision since December, but I finally took the leap. I will miss my friends terribly but I will be so thankful that I won't be traveling during the school day. I am confident that I can make it work anywhere and teach how I love to at any school. However, I don't think I'll be complaining about the few extra breaks during my weekly schedule or the PTA support.

My brain is overflowing with new ideas, and I've already been planning my new year! (Yes, I am still thinking about school and researching new things, going to workshops, etc. over my summer "break." It happens.)

Other happenings since cleaning out my classroom:

1. The weekend after my classroom clean-up, my family entered a local softball tournament and WON! (We've participated the past 3 years now, and have won 2... My brother -the college QB- tends to stack the team with talent, but still manages to invite me.)

2. Memorial Day Week, our church hosted it's annual summer VBS. Last year, we weren't official members yet, but our friends talked me into being a small group leader. I gotta say, I liked that job sooo much better. I was an FCA Camp huddle leader for about 6 years, and I could never get enough of it! However, this year at VBS, I was co-in charge of all things involving music - including (but not limited to) 4 daily sessions of music with each group, the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as the program for the families on the last day. I was more than exhausted, and didn't honestly like it all that much. (I would've been fine if it was just the 4 music sessions... the impromptu skits are what killed me. That's not my strong suit.)

3. These past 2 weeks, I've worked in an office. A phone-answering, stock-selling, 8 to 5 office. What cracked me up is that I had multiple people ask me if I would ever work there and make it a career. I simply said, I have a career and I seem to be pretty good at it. If I wasn't a music teacher, and I wasn't online during boring blocks of time researching and getting new ideas, I don't think I could make it the whole day. It is such an easy job!! (You hear that! I'm complaining about a job being too easy... What has teaching done to me??)

4. Lastly, I have a Great Expectations workshop from Tuesday - Friday this week. I'll be up at school by 6:15, ready to depart with a small group of the new teachers I'm working with next year. Wish me luck!

Hopefully, I'll come back with a few new ideas that I'll be ready to add to next year's agenda! (That and anything that gives me the excuse to take a trip to our closest office supply store (and spend entirely more than necessary). Yay!