Cute Baby Noises!

Kaylee makes lots of noises for such a little person, some cute and some not so cute. Lately, she has been making this little squeal when she is in her pack & play bassinet looking at the mobile. I tried to catch it on video tonight. Here is my attempt:

Linky Party- What is Your Biggest Pet Peeve in the Classroom?

Alisha over at The Bubbly Blonde is hosting a Linky Blog Hop! Join in!

My biggest pet peeve is when my 3rd graders ask me about something that we are about to do. For instance, after lunch we always go to recess so why come up to me in the hall or when we get in the classroom and ask, "Are we going to go outside?" Don't come up to me and ask, "What are we going to do next?" just because you are done with an assignment. You will find out in a minute. Ugh, annoys me so!

A second pet peeve is the pencil sharpener. I cannot stand the wall pencil sharpener. Mainly kids asking me to use the pencil sharpener. I do not understand why they need to sharpen pencils so much. Therefore, this year I am making my kids keep an individual pencil sharpener in their desks so they don't have to get up and go sharpen their pencils. I will be less annoyed and it will be more productive for class time!

Those are my two main pet peeves, what are yours?

Feel so rested!

I feel so rested today after Kaylee slept so well! She only woke up around 12:30 for a feeding. She woke up again around 4:30 but I was able to get her back to sleep until 6:00. Looks like our school year routine won't be so difficult after all. If we can do it once, we can do it again! I sure hope :) Just feels nice to have 7 hours of sleep, 5 being in a row!

Picture trying to catch Kaylee smiling! She is totally smiling now when she thinks something is funny instead of just randomly. My baby girl is growing :) I sure have enjoyed this summer!

New (School) Year Resolution Linky Party!

New School Year Resolution

My new school year resolution is to improve how I teach Reading to my students. For the three years that I have taught, I have utilized Reading centers and small group time with me to teach the reading skills necessary for the state test. I feel that my students benefit a great deal by the small group time they spend with me, but I am not sure how beneficial the centers are. My centers mainly focus in on reading comprehension not many other reading skills. Anybody else use centers with 3rd graders? Have any good ones to help with making inferences, comparing/contrasting, drawing conclusions?

Link Up to Share Your Resolution!

Exercise TV

10 Minute Buns & Thighs

Just completed my first workout post-baby using our OnDemand free Exercise TV. I went to the doctor yesterday for my 6 week check-up and I have been cleared so I can start working on flattening my belly and getting my thighs back down! I have a feeling Exercise TV will be my best source for exercise since I can do the programs right here in my living room with Kaylee nearby. She was napping, so I decided now was a good time to start.

I picked this 10 minute buns and thighs b/c my thighs are my main area of concern plus it was only 10 minutes long. I have to start out on the light side! My jeans pre-pregnancy barely make it above my knees b/c my thighs grew so much. I didn't realize while I was pregnant that they grew so much, but they sure did. My other area I need to work on is my stomach. Most of my belly weight fell right off since I have been breastfeeding, but it is a little bit flabby so I want to work on tightening it up. Hope I am not too sore tomorrow b/c I will be doing this same exercise Saturday and Sunday b/c it goes away from the OnDemand on Monday!

Hope I stay determined to exercise. I am not telling myself that I will do it everyday b/c I know once I go to work in a week, that will be too hard. I am going to shoot for everyday this coming week to try to get my body semi-used to moving again then go for three days when work begins. According to the doctor yesterday, I now weigh 144. I was 171 at my last preggo appointment and I was 132 when I got preggo. My goal is to get down to 130. Sounds reasonable right?

Sweet Summertime!

One Week

That is all that remains of this wonderful summer break.

It sure has flown by and I have enjoyed every minute with my baby girl.

Kaylee and I have had tons of visitors and she grows each day!

She is a very sweet baby and I will miss her as I return to work.

But I will have her to look forward to after school each afternoon.

And that will get me through each day!

Too Cool for School Tips

Belinda over @ I Love 2 Teach is having a Linky Party for the coolest tip, trick, technique, or time-saver that you use in your classroom. Here is a cool tip and a cool technique from my 3rd grade classroom:

Coolest tip: Get to know your kiddos. Your students will love that you know what sport they play, how many siblings they have, and what they had for breakfast. I try my best to learn about each of my students' families so that I can have something personal to talk to everyone about. It lets me learn about them and they love the one-on-one attention from me!

Coolest technique: My conduct chart. I use a pocket chart with calendar numbers (representing the student numbers). We have five classroom rules and each rule has a colored popsicle stick related to it. For instance, Following Directions is Rule #1 and the popsicle stick is green. When a student misbehaves, I tell him/her to go to the conduct chart. When the student gets there, it is his/her responsibility to figure out which rule was broken. I like how the student has to quickly reflect on the behavior. 90% of the time the student chooses the right stick. All students have the chance to remove sticks throughout the day. They are not allowed to remove them, I have to move them or tell them to remove them. This year I am incorporating a positive stick. My class mascot is the frog, so I am going to have a popsicle stick with a frog sticker on the end of it and call it a "toadstick" for those being "toadally" great! If a student ends the day with a "toadstick," they will receive a treat :) Each day starts fresh for the kiddos. I keep an excel document of the sticks pulled each day and I average their conduct grade in at the end of the week for one weekly grade!

Go ahead and link up to share your cool tips!

Vistaprint Deals!

I went on Vistaprint this morning and ordered some awesome stuff for only $1.49 thanks to Clutter-Free Classroom's post on "Oh-My-FREE-Stuff." I made some stuff for school and for personal use. Here are a couple items, one for school and one for home :)

Stamper

Adorable Homework Passes (Business Cards)

10 Page photo book of my little Kaylee!

What I Could Not Teach Without- Link Up!

My Classroom Top 5 Must-Haves!

Link up with Mrs. Lamb to share yours!

1) My laptop- My wonderful school system gives each teacher a MacBook to use administratively and educationally. I would be lost without it!

2) Laptop Projector- This is my "go to" item. I use it almost on a daily basis to project powerpoints, website, interactive games, word documents, etc.

3) Computers for my students- I need at least 4 computers in my room for my kiddos to use mainly for AR tests, but also for educational websites!

4) Hand Sanitizer- I am kind of a germ freak so I can't stand the thought of touching an assignment that has just been touched by a kid that sneezed. Ugh! Every time I hear a sneeze or see a nose being blown, I totally point to the hand sanitizer.

5) Laughter- I love having laughter in my classroom. Usually it is brought upon by me being sarcastic or by a silly thing that a student did or said. Laughter is the best medicine and can make any day better!

My Classroom Lingo :)

"We've all got those "things" that we say. What is something you always say to your students? Maybe it's something cute that you love... or maybe it's something that you heard them start to say to each other that made you go "uh oh!". "

I always find myself saying crazy things in the classroom, but when I saw this link up it was hard to think of all my crazy sayings!

One thing I say to my girls instead of calling them by name is calling them "chickadee." The word chickadee is just fun to say! One girl one year asked me what a chickadee was and I was like it's a bird. She didn't believe me until we did our US State project and a chickadee was a state bird for two states!

My favorite serious thing to say to my students is "Seriously!" When someone is doing something they shouldn't be and they already got in trouble for it once, I just give them my teacher leer and say, "Seriously, go to the conduct chart." END OF DISCUSSION

Link up with Christina and share your teacher sayings!

Wednesday Loving!

I'm Loving teaching blogs and the amazing teachers that take the time to have awesome blogs! I recently found some and have become obsessed with finding cool ideas and handy things I can use in my classroom.

I'm Loving these adorable seat crates that I saw on Clutter-Free Classroom. Would love to make some for my classroom!

I'm Loving watching Live With Regis & Kelly and The Price Is Right! Summer time gives me the freedom to watch daytime morning shows and those are my two favorites.

Link up @ This Kind of Love to share what you are loving today!

Favorite Books Linky Party-Teacher Style!

Childhood Favorites: I loved reading The Boxcar Children books, The Full House series books (b/c I was obsessed with Full House), and I really loved The American Girl books. I liked them because they were short and each girl had her own little series!

Classroom Favorites: I start each year off reading the first Judy Moody book to my class b/c she is starting the 3rd grade and that is what I teach. The kiddos love it! Last year, I discovered that my 3rd graders loved The Weird School books. They are silly books that can always give the kids a good laugh.

Read to My Own Children Favorites: Well, I just had my first baby a month ago so I haven't been doing much reading yet. I have a feeling that I Love You Forever will be one of my favorites to read to my sweet Kaylee. I absolutely feel in love with this book when my second grade teacher gave it to everyone in our class as a gift. I still have that copy and will be reading it to Kaylee soon! Such a sweet story :)

Professional Favorites: Of course, Harry Wong! What good elementary teacher doesn't love Harry Wong?? I was one that actually enjoyed watching the Harry Wong videos in my undergrad class. I also like Ron Clark and his Essential 55 and Excellent 11. He was the guest speaker at our opening inservice last year. I actually got to meet him and he signed my book. That man has so much energy! Harry and Ron both give basic advice that we often forget or don't think enough about once we get into our own classrooms.

Guilty Pleasure Favorites: I am not a "read for fun" type of girl mainly b/c I never have time or make time to read. Now that I am finally done with my grad school work I can take time to read! I have always loved Nicholas Sparks books and this summer I discovered that I like Kristin Hannah's books. I also like Joanne Fluke's "Hannah Swensen" dessert mystery series.

Your turn to join in the Linky Party Blog Hop!

What are your favorite books?

Kaylee- 1 Month!

Our baby girl is 1 month old today!

Sleeping: She goes to sleep in the 9:00 hour and usually wakes up in the 12:00 hour and then again at 3:00 or 4:00. We are starting to work on a routine this week!

Eating: She eats about every 2-2.5 hours. Breastmilk most of the day with two 4 oz formula bottles in there as we are starting to supplement b/c mommy has to go to work soon.

Activity: She is lifting her head so well, loves to be on her tummy! She is starting to be much more alert and curious about the world around her :)

Napping: She usually naps an hour to an hour and half after each feeding with one longer nap usually in late afternoon

Favorite Place: Rock and Play Sleeper

Favorite Toy: Not really into toys yet

Seriously Thursday!

Linking up @ Becky's for Seriously Thursday for the first time!

Seriously.....only 3 weeks until I go back to work. All my free time with my sweet baby girl will be coming to an end soon. I love my job and love the start of a new school year, but this year will just be a little more difficult since I have an adorable newborn baby girl that I have to leave :(

Seriously.....I can't wait to start working out and getting my tummy tightened. This whole having a baby thing wasn't too terrible on my body, I am only about 12 pounds heavier than when I got pregnant, but I would like to tighten my tummy and work on my thighs. Wii Fit+ will be worked into my routine next week as light exercise since I am not "supposed" to work out until my 6 week check-up.

Seriously.....24 is one of the most intense shows. I recently became obsessed with it on Netflix. I am on episode 21 of the first season. It is crazy how much can go on in one hour and in one day for that matter. A whole season of a tv show all based around one day? INSANE

What are you serious about this week?

Linky Party-Top 10 About Me!

Link up with Rachel @ Go Fourth! With Mrs. Owens for this fun activity and a freebie for classroom teachers!

Top 10 Things to Know About Me

10. I'm half Italian

9. I married my first love

8. I have five siblings

7. I LOVE desserts and could totally live off of them

6. I have always lived in the same town

5. I love purses

4. I love the young and the elderly

3. I have an adorable 3 year old cairn terrier named JoJo

2. I love every minute of my teaching profession, so glad I chose it

1. I just had my first child, a precious little girl named Kaylee

4th of July Pictures!

We had fun swimming and eating burgers at Paula's! Hope ya'll had a great holiday!

Daddy and Kaylee

Auntie Em and Kaylee

Nana and Kaylee!

Me and my furry baby JoJo

Eating the yummy rice crispy pops Paula made!

Silly baby!

Pretty fireworks! Our town puts on a great display!

What Kaylee did during the extremely loud fireworks!

Reliving childhood sparkler memories!

Happy 4th!

Today is Kaylee's first holiday! She has an adorable 4th of July outfit to wear to our family pool cookout. Hope she likes the fireworks! Pictures to come later. Happy 4th everyone!