Top 10: Best Things about the Start of the School Year

August is here. It's hard to believe...this summer has sailed by.  I'm not sure I'm fully ready to go back, but ready or not school is just around the corner. I do know I'm ready to start buying school supplies and back to school clothes.  I already scored some spectacular TPT products during the BTS15 sale.

It's also time for the monthly Top 10 list link-up with Hailey at The Third Grade Nest.

This month the topic is...(well, what else?!?)... back to school!

1. New supplies are simply the best.

2. I'm chomping at the bit to see my roster this year. Will I have any siblings?!  I hope so. I love getting to keep families from year to year.

3. Choosing a first day outfit means going back to school clothing shopping.  I'll probably need to get a few outfits, so I have choices for the first day... right?

4. A new year brings a blank slate. I love that. No time to dwell on the things I wish I had done better. The time to push forward is here. Go forth and conquer!

5. I love books.  Organizing and restocking my library is a huge part of my classroom set-up, but it's pretty much my happy place.

6. Setting up my classroom is one of my greatest joys. Everything is so clean and so organized. It will never look like that ever again during the year, but that's okay, lol. Sometimes learning is messy. :)

7. Routine makes me happy. 

8. There is nothing better than seeing your former student run into your room, scream, and give you a big hug!

9. It's finally time to try out all those create bulletin board ideas I've been pinning on Pinterest. Here's to hoping I have enough wall space.

10. And the final reason back to school is the best is... that school is starting. I still love school. I love learning new things, creating projects, playing games, and doing activities. I may be the teacher now, but school has always been an exciting and wonderful place for me to be. I hope I can continue to create that experience in my classroom and truly foster a love of learning in the children that walk through my classroom door each day.

What do you love about going back to school?  Please tell.

Hop on over to The Third Grade Nest to link up and join the fun!

Get to Know Me: Yes or No?!

Happy Sunday everyone!

So, what am I doing blogging late on a Sunday night? Well, I simply had to join the Assess Me linky party that Rachel from The Tattooed Teacher is hosting.  Blogger icebreakers with fun activities?  Love.

This week is a Yes or No format. Again, love. 

Here's a bit more about me.

#1) Everyone talks to themselves, right? It's totally normal... I hope. My dogs are usually there, so I like to pretend they are listening and often sympathizing.

#2) Not superstitious at all.

#3) The sound of cracking knuckles is like nails on a chalkboard to me. I cringe at the very thought.

#4) Surprising, I'm not hungry at the moment. That being said I did just chomp down three Lemon Oreos. Have you had them??  Oh boy...delicious!!

#5) I turned to TBS just in time to catch Crazy, Stupid. Love.  It has honestly become one of my favorite movies.  The more I watch it, the more I enjoy it. So well done and I often think to myself, "You're better than the Gap." LOL.

#6) No wisdom teeth now. Strangely enough, I only had two which made life so much simpler when it was time to get them pulled.

#7) Yes! I showered! AND... I took the time to blow my hair dry. This is a big deal in the summer.

#8) My last trip to Disney was in 1994. Crazy, huh?  I was 10 and it was a surprise trip from my parents.  Totally awesome, but I've heard it's changed a lot.  :)

#9) I wear glasses but not contacts. The thought of putting anything in my eye totally freaks me out. Have you ever seen the Friends episode where Rachel has to put eye drops in and Monica has to hold her down on the couch to do it. I'm Rachel in this situation for sure.

#10) I was born in Texas, moved to the Seattle area for high-school and college, and then moved back to the Texas five years ago. I'm happy to be back because I love the sun! However, I must confess I miss the mountains and the water. It is just so beautiful there...when it's not raining that is.

That's it for me. Do we have anything in common?  Go link up with The Tattooed Teacher and read about all the other awesome bloggers out there linking up too.

Have a great week!

Sunday Scoop 3-2-1

Today I'm linking up with The Teaching Trio for the Sunday Scoop.  I love the whole idea of this linky and the 3-2-1 format. Fun!

So, here's what's shaking this Sunday...

3 Things I HAVE to Do:

1. I love my corgis, but good grief do they shed! Ugh! In the battle between me and dog fur I am loosing...badly. 
2. Why does it seem that you wake up one day and your hair just looks terrible.  It sneaks up on you. Everything is fine until that fatal morning.  Well, my friends, we are there.  It is time.
3. Summer time for teachers means scheduling (and attending) all those necessary appointments. Better now than during the school year, but I have giving up my pool time for a teeth cleaning. Sometimes being a responsible adult is lame. :)

2 Things I HOPE to Do:

1. I'm working on a few new products for my store that I'm really excited about wrapping up. Stay tuned for some wild math task cards & a super fun summer activity!
2.  Summer for me is usually about reading by the pool... everyday. I haven't gotten there as much as I would like this summer, so I'm looking forward to clocking a few leisurely afternoons in the sun.

 1 Thing I'm HAPPY to Do:

It's Tonight!! Woohoo!!

What are y'all up to?!?  Hop on over to The Teaching Trio to see what other bloggers are up to this week and join the fun.  

 

Also, don't forget to check out my Back to School Essentials linky party to see what teachers all over the globe are buying for B2S. Please link up & share your own back to school must-haves!! 

  

Back to School Essentials {A Linky Party}

Is it too early in the summer to start talking about back to school shopping? Because... I've already started the shopping.

Like many all teachers,  I stock up on back to school goodies for my classroom during the summer. Luckily, over the years I have become more disciplined with what and how much I buy.

I remember my first few years, I purchased every composition notebook I laid eyes on from June through August. No... seriously... EVERY SINGLE ONE! I had no will power! I just knew I had to have enough and apparently I never had enough. After storing ALL my leftover notebooks, notebook paper, and unused packages of pens (because I seriously bought that much!) I finally learned what was essential and what was fun! (Basically... wants verses needs)

Now I have gotten pretty good at buying what I like to call my essentials. These are the things I purchase each summer to replenish the diminished stock or replace the old.  It's just part of the summer time routine... every year... without fail!

These have become my Back to School Essentials!

 #1 IKEA Book Boxes

I love these things! They last all year and the kids enjoy taking them home at the end of the year. It's quick and easy. I have nothing to store over the summer or clean out. Simple. I like that. And, if you don't live near an IKEA like me, then you can just order from Amazon! 

#2 Really Good Stuff Calendar

Best. Calendar. Ever. 

I will never go back to anything else. It's double sided, so you can choose which one you like the best - the colorful primary or the more sophisticated intermediate (shown above).

#3 Multicultural Construction Paper

 

This paper is great for all those back to school portraits at the beginning of the year. 

I usually purchase 2-3 packages at the beginning of the year.
**Update** You can order this construction paper from Amazon or from Classroom Direct.

#4 Eraser Tops

My students just love having an excuse to cross things out on their papers, but not when I have a stock pile of these bad boys on hand! The best erasers I've found are from Classroom Direct. They come in a box of 144 erasers for under $5 and they are really high quality. They actually erase. I hand them out like candy.

#5 Mr. Sketch Markers

Oh, the childhood memories! 

I buy a new box every year even if my old ones are still in working condition. 

I just love 'em.

#6 Post-it Notes

Because...honestly... can you ever have enough?

#7 Ticonderoga Pencils & Pilot V5 Pens

It's the only pencil I will use. I really am a total pencil snob. 

Also, a bit of a pen snob. What can I say? I like what I like. :)

#8 Books!!

This is probably my biggest expense, but I spread it out over the summer to make it more palatable.  Every summer I read and blog about the upcoming Bluebonnet Books and Battle Books through Fiction Friday.  I always purchase the books so that 1) my kids will have access to a classroom copy all year and 2) if I LOVE the book then I have a copy myself. Hehe. It's what I like to call a win-win!

And... That's it! Those are my essentials. Those are my no questions asked HAVE to be purchased items. Of course, there is still plenty of impulse purchasing throughout the summer. I still can't go through the school supply section without getting something. And who can resist perusing the school supply ads on Sunday to hunt down the best deals?  Not me. :)

What is in your list of essentials?  What do you purchase EVERY single summer without fail for the upcoming year? Share your must-haves below or link up with your own blog post.

I can't wait to hear from everyone. I have a feeling that I may be adding to my list, but that works for me. I'm also a little worried I left something obvious off the list, lol. Let me know!

If you link up, please make sure to include the Linky Party button and link back to my blog.  Thanks so much! 

Happy (early) Back to School shopping!

An InLinkz Link-up

Top 10 Things Teaching Has Taught Me

Good morning y'all!

Today I'm linking up Jamye over at Teach, Talk, Inspire for her Tell All Tuesday Linky.  This week's topic: The Top 10 Things Teaching Has Taught Me!

 

1) What works today with one kiddo or one class, may not work tomorrow, two weeks, or three months from now.  Has that ever happened to you?  You start a new management system in your classroom that the students love, and three months later the honeymoon period is over and you need something new? Teachers need an arsenal of management and motivation strategies at their disposal.

2) Teachers (as a group) are amazing! Teachers are constantly being given new standards, new curriculum, "new" education jargon,  new technology, new evaluation systems... basically new everything.  And we adapt. We make it work. We put kids first, pull ourselves up by our bootstraps, and persevere. Not everyone could do this job. #truth

3) Choose your battles. This one is huge, especially if you are working with difficult parents and students. Always evaluate your goal. Ask yourself if your actions will hinder or accelerate you to your goal. For example, go ahead and let students work under their desks upside down or snuggled up in a corner with a clipboard. If they are still completing their work, I say we are all good. I promise the principal won't think you let kids run wild in your room.

4) Be flexible about...EVERYTHING. I found myself singing a lot of "Let it GO" this year.  Plans will change, just roll with it. It will truly all work out in the long run.

5) Leave work at school. This is essential for me during the school year. I stay late 1-2 nights a week to get everything done, but I never take any work home, especially grading. For one thing, I won't do it! I'm absolutely exhausted by the time I call it a night and it's important to have some distance. Now, that being said that doesn't mean I haven't cut out some lamination while sitting on my couch watching Game of Thrones. There is always more you can do.

6) Be yourself. It's easy to read through a scripted lesson and think, "Great! I'll just do that." But be wary. Make the lesson your own. Add your personal flair. You always have to be yourself in the classroom. If you try to be anyone else, the kids will see straight through you. :)

7) Real leadership roles happen organically in the classroom. Okay, don't hate me for this one but I'm not a fan of the "everyone gets a leadership role and rotates" mumbo jumbo. The most successful leadership roles I've had in my classroom came from students stepping up themselves and determining something they could do and wanted to do. For example, I had one student last year that LOVED animals and was a total expert. He came to school one day and asked if he could share an animal fact during morning meeting. The next day he came with another fact. This continued for a week. After a few days, I asked him if he wanted this to be his classroom leadership role - sharing interesting animal facts with us each day. This child thrived in this leadership role! By the end of the year, he was coming in each morning prepared having seriously thought it all out. He drew pictures on the board to provide students with a visual example, asked questions to engage the class before his fact, and even choose a theme for different weeks. He owned it and he rocked it. That's leadership.

8) Change is a good thing. Don't be afraid to change grade levels or change schools. You learn so much from being in a new environment and it makes you a better teacher.

9) Ticonderoga pencils are the best! There is simply nothing that compares and it is the only pencil I will use.  I'm a total pencil snob.

10) Always do what's best for your kids, not your benchmark scores or your planning guide. I think this is something every teacher knows and believes, but sometimes it is hard not to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of it all, especially when you are feeling pressure from administration or parents about scores. Stay true.  We got this!

Oh wow, and that's ten! I probably could have kept going.  :) I'm fairly certain I learn at least 10 more things every year. Teaching is definitely the profession of learning. Hop on over to Teach, Talk, Inspire to see what other educators have learned over the years and share your own thoughts in the comments section below. Can't wait to hear from you!

 

 

Thanks for stopping by and happy teaching and learning!

 



Currently July

Happy Wednesday Thursday folks!

Today, I'm linking up with Farley over at Oh' Boy 4th Grade for her famous monthly linky party: Currently. I can't even remember the last time I was on my game enough to link up. Feels good. :)

So... here's what's shakin'....CURRENTLY...

Listening: 
I love to just put random shuffle on my iPhone and see what comes up. You can hear anything and everything and I just love the random. It can go from the Bleachers to Macklemore to Katy Perry to Bruno Mars to Death Cab for Cutie.  I just love the variety.

Loving: 
Why did I wait so long to get on Instagram?!? I have no idea, but I'm addicted now. If you don't already, please click here to follow me.  We'll have soooo much fun!


Thinking: 
It's almost the most wonderful time of year...if you're a teacher that is! It's almost school supply season. I was in Office Max yesterday and they were definitely clearing out space and starting to set up for school supplies!! Ahhh!! I need new pens, new markers, new post its... well, basically new everything!!

I love the Pilot Precise V5! They are pretty much magical!

Wanting: 
My Amazon box should be here any day now, but I want it NOW.  :)  It is filled with wonderful books that I'm chomping at the bit to read. Look what I found online...

This picture makes me sooo happy! Amazon boxes and coffee. I'm in heaven. LOL. Can you tell I lived in the Seattle area for 10 years?  I can still consider them local, right?!

Needing: 
This summer I took the plunge into TPT. For years I have been posting the quality effective resource on TPT for free but they weren't always super cute. But now... I've purchased all super adorable clip art from Scrappin' Doodles and Creative Clips and I'm totally obsessed with making everything cute and effective and fun!! I want to revamp everything! LOL. Who do you love to buy your clip art from? Favorites?

All Star: 
This summer I've been really proud of all the reading I've been doing. I have a book with me everywhere I go. No seriously... everywhere! Just in case I have a few moments to read. And the funny thing is, the more your read, the more you WANT to read, so I have just been devouring books like crazy this summer. At least devouring books by my standards. My comprehension is through the roof, but I am not what one would call a fast reader. If only.  Just imagine the books I could get through then.  To see what I've been reading, visit my Fiction Friday page and check back every Friday for my newest post to celebrate children's literature.

That's all for me! What are you up to??

Teachers Love Summer {Linky Party}

 

Oh.. heck yes... we do! I start looking forward to summer in October, seriously! I mean... don't get me wrong... I love my job. I can't think of anything else in the world I would rather do, except sit by the pool, go to the beach, enjoy hours of free reading time, and lounge around all day.  :)

Today, I'm linking up with Aimee over at Primary Speaking for her super fun summer linky... Teachers Love Summer to share 6 reasons why I love summer, in no particular order.

No Alarm Clock Needed

I despise waking up to an alarm clock. I would much rather wake up naturally with the sun shining through my windows. That only happens in the summer.  I love it! I'm getting a full 8 hours of sleep every night and I feel refreshed when I get up in the morning. There's nothing better.

Time

Summer is an opportunity to get caught up on everything. I finally have all the time I need to do everything I dreamed of doing throughout the year. It is so much easier to maintain your house, your yard, your laundry, your workout schedule, your Pinterest boards, your blog, etc. when you are not working 10+ hours a day.   

I love having this time to create some of the wonderful things I've pinned from Pinterest over the last year. I love having time to cook and try out new recipes. I love having time to get caught up on blogs while sipping my morning coffee. I love having time to hit the gym everyday. Okay... most days. It's that feeling of finally having time for things and if you run out of time today, there is always tomorrow. Best. Feeling. Ever.

Beach

I love the beach. It is one of my favorite places to spend the day. Nothing says relaxation like the sound of the waves crashing on the shore and the caw of seagulls overhead. I can just sit under an umbrella and read all day. It is pure bliss.

Unlimited Reading Time

Reading is one of my favorite activities, but I find it hard to do during the school year. My brain is so fried by the end of the day, it takes me forever to get through a book. I start reading and two pages later I'm asleep. At a rate of two pages a day, even a short book takes me a long time to read. In the summer, if I start a good book I can devote the whole day to reading if I want. And I usually only take 1-2 quick little naps while doing it. :)

 

Blogging

Oh yes, summer is the time where I come back to my poor neglected little blog and get back into the swing of things. One of my favorite summer blog activities is Fiction Friday. This is a linky party I created several years ago that allows me to share all the great children's literature books I'm reading over the summer and invites others to link up and share their favorites too. 

This year I have committed myself to reading the upcoming Bluebonnet Book nominees and the Battle of the Books list for my upcoming 4th graders. Check out my blog each Friday to see what books I read this week and click through the links to find other great books. I've learned of so many great titles while doing this linky and I always feel so "in the know" when I head back to school in the fall. Come join the fun!!

 Friends & Family

This one probably doesn't need any more explanation. I simply love having extra time to see my friends and family. It's the best! Whether we are bowling, going to a movie, or just hanging out, it is so nice to have the ability to spend quality time with the people you love anytime you want.

So, that's it for me. Those are my Top 6 reasons why I love summer. What about you?  What is your favorite thing about summer?  Please share in the comment below. And don't forget to hop over to Primarily Speaking to see what other bloggers/teachers LOVE about summer!

Happy Summer!! Now let's get out there and enjoy it!

Reflect & Refresh: Part 1

Yesterday finally felt like summer.

I woke up without an alarm, enjoyed my coffee while catching up on blogs, went to the gym, spent two glorious hours by the pool, met up with friends for happy hour, and then enjoyed a relaxing dinner with my husband at home! 

Pretty much PERFECT! 

Today, I'm excited to be linking up with Destiny at Terrific Teaching and Learning for her Reflect and Refresh Linky Party. The end of the year is always a good time to think about what went well and what changes could be made for next year. As we all know, live and learn or in this case teach and learn. :)

Communication:

I feel like communication is a strength for me. I really try to keep parents informed of what's going on in our classroom. As a fourth grade team, we send out a 4th grade Newsletter each week with curriculum updates, important dates, and reminders. I always attach the general newsletter to an email that includes specifics for my class. I think the biggest thing I have learned with sending weekly emails is to keep them direct and to the point. I use headings and bullet everything. I want it to be quick and easy for my parents to read. The best part is that if parents have questions, they can reply back to me in that moment. It keeps the doors open for communication all year long!

Remind 101 (now just called Remind) is another absolute gem of a tool for teachers! If you don't use this, you simply have to start. I'm telling you... parents love it! It is easy to send out quick reminders on anything from "Field trip tomorrow - don't forget a sack lunch!" to "PTA Performance tonight at 6. Hope to see you there!" The app has even updated so that you can send messages to a selected group of parents. This was awesome when I needed to send something out to only my tutoring kids or only my students who were missing work. You can also send pictures! I could quickly blast out pictures from our field trips and/or classroom anytime. Simply awesome!

Organization:

Okay, so I had a new room this year which meant I had to figure out the perfect furniture arrangement for that space. Y'all... I NEVER did! I moved things around so many times throughout the year and simply never discovered the perfect way to house all my students, their desks, my teacher desk (which is mandated to a specific spot due to technology and naturally is the worst place in the room for it), my group gathering area, my guided reading table (that bad boy is HUGE), my entire classroom library, etc.  It drove me crazy all year. So... this fall my mission is to figure it out. There has to be a way. I just haven't discovered it yet.

For classroom management, I stuck to my tried and trues.

• I love the positive clip chart that you have seen everywhere! My kids love it too. They work so hard to get above the chart or even off the chart. 
• Wiggle seats have been a lifesaver each and every year for my squirrely kiddos. They are awesome! 
• Go Noodle was a great way to take quick 2-5 minute brain breaks during our exceptionally long morning. The kids loved the zumba dance ones and I have to admit watching them follow along was priceless. Another classroom favorite was Kitty High-Five.

Content:

Student technology. What to say?  Does anyone else have a hard time incorporating technology for student use when you have extremely limited access?  I want my kids to use product based apps and participate in activities like Kahoot but that is so tough with only 4 iPads in my classroom. It takes forevvvvver! And you know one is always on the fritz when you try to use them. Any tips?  Please help! This is one of my major goals for next year.

We made great progress this year getting into more hands-on science and developing our science notebooking skills as a 4th grade. This is the first year where my students filled up their science notebooks and some even ran out of pages! We also survived the first year with new math standards and a new math curriculum. Yahoo! And...I started using some of the strategies from Notice & Note, but not enough. I want to do so much more! 

My Big Summer Goal:

I've already started my summer goal of reading all 20 Texas Bluebonnet Nominees for the upcoming school year. My school librarian does a great job encouraging students to read bluebonnets and I like to be in the know too! I've completed 1/20 of the goal so far and you can read all about Quinny & Hopper on my current edition of Fiction Friday!

My other goal makes me a little nervous. I have a TPT store and have posted lots of different things for free, but I have never sold anything. I'm intimidated by all the copyright mumbo jumbo and I also feel like it is my way of giving back to all the other countless teachers who have shared their awesome stuff with me for free.

Then, the other day I was looking at my product activity and one of my products had been downloaded over 10,000 times!!! Holy cow! I couldn't help but think "What If?!?"

So, now I'm wondering...what if I gave it a try?  Not to toot my own horn, but I came up with some pretty sweet activities this year that I know my class loved and the rest of my team loved, so... maybe others would love them too and possibly pay for them?!?  I would greatly appreciated any advice in this area.  How to get started?  I know it's a huge time commitment, so is it worth it?  Please share your knowledge and expertise.

Whoa... that was some good reflecting.  I feel better. :)  Overall, it was a really good year. It's hard to believe I just wrapped up my 8th year of teaching. Where does the time go?? Now, it is time to relax, recharge, and get energized for next year which has the potential to be even better!!  

Thanks for reading my thoughts and sharing your thoughts with me.

Summer Recap & Meet the Teacher

I did it.

I went up to school and started working on my classroom today.  I even got up early.  Like really early.  Like left my house before 7 am early!

I'm not going to lie... it was rough.

Walking into my classroom sealed the deal.  Summer is officially over.  So, it seems like the perfect time to link up with Mrs. Thompson at Adventures in Teaching for her Summer Recap linky where you tell about 5 moments this summer using pictures. This also ties in perfectly with Meet the Teacher Monday. Bonus!

Fact #1: I love going to museums.  Just don't ask me to stay too long.

  

It's true.  I really DO enjoy museums, historical landmarks, and what not.  I do.  I love going.  I like to take pictures.  I like to walk through. I appreciate.  I really do.  But, I don't want to hang out there all day and I don't want to read every sign and every plaque.

It's like the Grand Canyon scene in Guilt Trip. Have you seen it?  They get to the Grand Canyon and wow! is it beautiful.  And Barbara Streisand looks at Seth Rogan and says, "So, how long do we look at it?" And he says, "10 minutes?" 

 

McNay Art Museum - San Antonio, Texas

That being said, one of my favorite activities this summer was going to the McNay Art Museum in San Antonio. The outside grounds are stunning. They are filled with some really incredible sculptures. Beautiful! The special exhibit was on Normal Rockwell and it was so cool!

The left is the staged photograph that he used to paint the image on the right.

I had no idea he set up elaborate photo shoots of  his sketches to create a photograph for him to use while he painted.  This was his way to be sure he captured the right lighting, expression, and angle of whatever he was trying to paint.  It explains why his paintings are so lifelike. It was really an incredible exhibit. I highly recommend it. It's called Norman Rockwell: Behind the Camera. Worth it!

Fact #2: I make a pretty good San Antonio tour guide.

Now, I know I have only lived in San Antonio for three years, but during that time I have taken the Riverboat tour countless times, walked through the Alamo on more than one occasion, and walked the Riverwalk up, down, and back again.  It's such a fun place to visit and the history is fascinating.  So, when my mom came to visit, we headed downtown to do a little exploring and take some photos. No boat tour this time, I just did the talking.

Fact #3: My high school mascot and college mascot were the same...the Viking!

If you have been following my blog for awhile you probably already know that I went to high school and college in Washington state.  My high school was in a tiny town on the Kitsap Pennisula called Poulsbo, and we were the North Kitsap Vikings.  Then, I went to college at Western Washington University, where I continued to be a Viking.  As a child, my elementary mascot was a Crusader.  All I ever wanted was to be a bear or a tiger.  But, alas, I have always been ready to battle old school style.

This summer I went back for just a quick visit. My husband and I flew in Thursday and back out Sunday. While there we got some amazing coffee, saw a good friend get married, rode the ferries, enjoyed the cooler weather, visited with family, and attended my brother-in-laws navy retirement.  It was a complete whirlwind, but a great trip!

Fact #4: I like being a tourist in my own city.

Thank goodness my best friend comes down from Washington to do all the tourist activities with me.  We've covered the basics in years past.  We've done Six Flags and met the penguins at SeaWorld. So, this year we had to do some research for some fun filled San Antonio activities. Honestly, I think we hit the ball out of the park this time.

We went to the 3rd Annual Food Truck Throw Down for some good eats.  I had some deep fried guacamole topped with a raspberry chipotle sauce that was ah-maz-ing! We did the River City Run which is a 5K running tour of downtown SA.  It was hot and really humid, but so worth it! After doing some shopping at the San Marcos outlets (HUGE! people HUGE!), we went swimming at Barton Springs in Austin. We drove to Boerne to see Pistol Packin' Paula (click here for video), who you may remember from America's Got Talent, and we sampled some wine at the Grape Creek Vineyard in Fredericksburg.  Oh... and we did a ghost tour downtown! Such fun! 

Fact #5: I'm obsessed with my dogs.

Okay, you probably already knew that, but I couldn't pass up another opportunity to post pictures of my pups! How can you not love those faces?  Or those cute corgi butts? Adorable!

Whew! It's been quite a summer. What are your favorite memories from the summer?  Link up with Adventures in Teaching to recap and link up with Blog Hoppin' to tell us some interesting facts about yourself for Meet the Teacher Monday.

Hmmm... It occurs to me now that none of my facts were teaching related.  I'll be happy to take questions. :)

Ta Ta for now...