Good News/Bad News

The good news is that there is another great giveaway going on at Amelia's - Where the Wild Things Learn.  She has 9 different bloggers lined up for her 100 follower giveaway, lots of good stuff.  The giveaway ends on Tuesday.  Go check it out.  Click on her name, (since I can't figure out how to make the picture link work - even with wonderful instructions from Chrissy)

The bad news is I am sick, on my vacation.

It could have been avoided, grrr.

I was asked to come, while I am on vacation, to our grade level collobration meeting.  I am not kidding, within 15 minutes of me walking into the building I started coughing.  By last night, I had the fever and chills and the deadly hack cough.  I was sick in December as soon as I walked back into the door at school.  I thought I was immune to the dreaded flu that was taking everyone down in January and February. 

But, seriously, getting it while I am on vacation - stinks.  Plus, if I didn't go to the stinkin' meeting - I would have never have gotten sick.  My classroom is cursed - I tell you.

So, instead, of going to play in my grand daughters' classrooms today - I am going to go see the best doctor ever, because he will make me all better.

Hope you have a wonderful, spectacular day.  Don't forget to head over to the giveaway.

700 Giveaway for a Friend

Tonya is having a huge giveaway for her 700 followers - 26 different bloggers have joined in.  You need to go check it out.  She is the sweetest thing and one of the first peeps that I started following.

Today, I am hoping to get some more knitting done, a little cleaning, go through my in-box (over 900 messages I need to sort) and a nap, of course.  Maybe, I will even do a little laundry - wait I don't have to go to school tomorrow.  I guess, the laundry can wait another day or two, giggle.

Have a wonderful, blessed Sunday.

Five for Friday - February 22

I am linking up with Kacey at Doddle Bugs Teaching

Here are 5 random things about this week.

I spent Valentine's Day/Presidents' Weekend in Hawaii visiting my hubby.  On Saturday, I was on a bus for 227 miles around the island - visiting 5 different quilt stores.  It was so much fun, I love my Hawaii friends.  The flower above was on this huge tree, outside of one of the quilt stores.  Unfortunately, I don't remember the name of the tree.  The flowers looked very wispy and the pods were about an inch or two across.  It looked like someone had painted the pods yellow, beautiful.

We had our annual school jog-a-thon fundraiser this week.  This fundraiser is really cool because 100% goes back to the school into programs that the teachers vote for.  Every class has a theme,  my babes wore mustaches.  I have a couple of boys that really need to have a mustache when they grow up, so cute.

I bought this really yummy yarn in Hawaii to make a scarf - the colors are Hawaii ocean blue or peacock feather colors.  I was able to get a lot of knitting done on the plane.  I have also set aside an hour each night, just to knit on this scarf.  I am about 1/3 of the way done.

 

My birthday is in March, so my room mom surprised me today with a party.  She made me wear the hat, the sash and a magic wand.  The kids got so excited, especially since I wore it to the awards assembly in the morning.  I love my room mom and my kiddos.  They gave me a bunch of gift cards, so sweet - especially the Starbucks.

Today, is the start of my 5 week break - yup you read it right.  5 wonderful weeks off.

And I celebrated with 6 upper grade teachers - having all you can eat sushi.  What a great start to a break.  This is called the Volcano, yum.

I hope you have a great weekend. 

Long Weekend

I am back from my lonnnggg weekend, had a great time.  Hubby was following me around like a little puppy - I really miss him.  It was great to spend time with him and with friends.  I bought a lot of fabric for some sewing.  Most of it, I have a plan for - the rest, it was just so cute.

There was a medical emergency on the plane, the first time I have heard, "Is there a doctor on board, we have a medical emergency?"  It was right out of a movie, watching the doctor walk by.  The cute paramedics walking on the plane when we landed.  Wow

The kids had their doctor appointment for the twins yesterday.  She is due April 21, but they were going to take them March 15 because my daughter in law is so tiny.  Apparently, the twins are doing great (which is wonderful), but they might keep them in there until April 5.  Hubby is flying home in March to see the twins, he leaves March 27 - uhh, see the problem

The twins should weigh 3 pounds each to be at target, healthy weight.  One of the girls is at 3.8 pounds and the other little darling (the active one) is 4 pounds bu their estimations.  Oh my gosh.  My daughter in law is taking such good care of herself and the babies.  Her sister is pregnant and due 2 weeks before the twins and is a lot bigger. 

Well, I am off to a inservice today for Common Core.  Then, I work 2 1/2 days and off for 5 weeks. 

Woo hoo.  Enjoy your day.

Love in the air

I got to Hawaii yesterday and I love it. If you have never been here, you need to come. It is a little bit of heaven. Every time I arrive my hubby greets me at the airport with a wreath of flowers called a Lei. This one is tuberose and smells wonderful. It is very special to me. Yesterday, he didn't disappoint me and made sure that it had a red ribbon. I wish I could send you the smell. I hope your valentine's day was wonderfully and your long weekend - relaxing

Happy Valentine's Day

aka I am super excited

I am getting on an airplane to go see my hubby day

As most of you know, my hubby lives in Hawaii (he is taking care of his mom) and I live in California.  I get to see him every 4 months.

It is hard, cuz I miss him - a lot.  But, he needs to take care of his mom right now.

But, I had enough miles saved up for the trip and Monday is a holiday and a 3rd grade teacher at my school is taking care of the other loves of my life.  So, I missed him so bad - I booked the trip.

We haven't been together on Valentine's Day for 4 years - so this is super special to me.  Text messages for Valentine's Day just don't seem right.

Plus, there is an island quilt shop hop on Saturday.  I get on a bus with my Hawaii BFFs and we spend the day going to 5 different quilt stores on the Big Island.  We will be laughing a lot and maybe, buying a little fabric - which is why I am bring an empty suitcase.

So I hope you enjoy spending the day with the loves of your lives.

Happy Valentine's Day

PS. I know the picture kinda of looks like a painting, but I snapped the picture.  It was a perfect day with the love of my life in Hawaii.

Love Notes

I am linking up with Amy for her Love Note Link Up.  Please go check it out, it is a great way to meet other bloggers.

"Lovely List"

Name: Terri

Grade I Teach:  First

State:  California

Favorite Colors:  Pink

Lucky Number: 7

Favorite Subject to Teach:  Reading

Go to Snack:  M & Ms

TV Show:  Hawaii 5-0, Grey's

Last Movie You Watched:  Hmmmm, oh Breaking Dawn

Music You are Loving Right Now:  Country

Always Shopping at:  Target, one stop shopping and Starbucks, heehee

Word of the Day:  laugh

"Love Links"

a blog you are loving right now:

Brave Girls - sign up for their daily emails. I love receiving little notes of encouragement every morning.

a product your adore:

Starbucks of any kind

What are your favorite hobbies or what do you enjoy doing during your free time?

Knitting, quilting, reading, photography, walking on the beach, creating goodies to use in my classroom and hanging out with my grand kids.

Your favorite vacation destination?

Hawaii, it is where my heart is.  My husband lives in Hawaii, so I live there 3 months a year - when I get to visit him.  He retired a couple of years ago and moved home to take care of his mom.  I am flying over to see him for the weekend.  Woo hoo.

The best advice you've been given?

Don't worry what other people think about you - my youngest son said it to me when I was having a really bad day at work.  

This one is hard, since I am a people pleaser.  I tend to do too much.  I want to make people happy.

Most rewarding part of teaching?

The hugs.  I love getting the hugs from the kids, seeing their face light up when they figured something out.

What are you known for?



Being creative.  I love coming up with new ideas.

2 random facts:

#1

I am a mom to 4 boys, I have the gray hair to prove it.  I am a grandma to 5 grand kids and a set of twin girls on the way, woo hoo.  I love being a grandma, it is more fun than being a mom.  Highly recommend it.

#2

I make Hawaiian feather leis.  They take a lot of time, but it is so relaxing.  These leis belong to a friend of mine.

Pictures of my loves:

Hugs,

Valentine's Day

I am linking up with First Grade Found Me for her Valentine's Day Picture Book Linky Party.

I found the cutest book last weekend at Barnes & Noble.  I got the book for my new grandson, because it is a board book, beautiful colors and simple words.  Sample pages, "I Love Kisses", etc.

It is by Barbi Sido.  After looking at it again - I thought it would be perfect for my first graders.  So my mind started spinning and I made this little freebie packet to go with the book.

You can find it here

The kids can't write what they love - simple answers and illustrate.  Then, I made a class page that they can write what they love and why they love it - then I will put it into a class book.

I got up early this morning, day off, to finish this Valentine Sight Word game freebie, too.

You can find it here, or

the full packet here - which has 5 sight word memory games and a Bingo game.  I am you enjoy them and if you download them, please me some love.

I need to finish up grades today, so I should stay off the computer, haha.  I will probably take a break and go to lunch with my son and grandson, so much fun.  If you are off, today - enjoy.

Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year is one of my favorite holidays to teach.  One year when I was visiting Hawaii, I was able to see an actual lion dance - it was so cool with lots of firecrackers.  I think my love for the holiday started then.

The inspiration for the dragon and the lantern art came from Sandi.  I didn't have a Chinese newspaper, so a parent brought in a Korean paper that I copied and cut into strips.  My parent said that a Chinese or Japanese paper would have looked nicer, I can't tell the difference. I think they turned out great.

We made Year of the Snake headbands, with glitter of course.

We worked on our Chinese New Year small books and took a little test.

Made some cute dancing dragons.  They all turned out different, they really enjoyed this activity.

Of course, we ate with chopsticks - orange chicken, rice and fortune cookies.  They each had a different way of using the chopsticks.  Here one of my little ones is teaching another one.

We have the stab method, which is the way I eat with chopsticks. My husband is Japanese/Hawaiian, but I can't use chopsticks - go figure.

This one was a cutie.  He invented his own method, the two stick pick up.  It worked great, I should try it this way.

According, to my babes "it was the best day ever"