Daybook

FOR TODAY

Outside my window...it is gray...but no rain at the moment.  

I am thinking...that getting back to writing here is a good thing. 

I am thankful for...an extra hour of planning time on Thursdays! 

From the kitchen...last night we had crunchy chicken and rice pilaf with corn bread.  It was delish!  Not sure what the kitchen will have in store for us tonight.  :)

I am creating...an organizational plan that will combine school and home responsibilities.  

I am going...to work on some sort of proposal for an afternoon/afterschool math club.  I'm not sure if I'll focus on homework or 'fun' in math.   

I am wondering...what we will do this weekend. 

I am reading...nothing at the moment.  Finished Maine last week.  It had a terrible ending!  

I am looking forward to... SPRING.

I am learning...to juggle work and home. (when work is supposed to be 19 hours but is more like 40)

Around the house...things are ok.  

A favorite quote for today...

Source: aliedwards.com via Barbara on Pinterest

One of my favorite things ... talking to my BFFL each day!

A few plans for the rest of the week: working on getting ahead in my mrspagnottiflipsformath lessons, going out with n over the weekend, picking up a medicine/exercise  ball for N

A photo I'm sharing:

Peace!

Honors Breakfast

Both of my kids earned honors on  their last report card.  We were invited to an honors breakfast at each school.  Today I was able to attend n's honors breakfast.  The cafeteria was packed!  The administration was impressed with the fact that the 6th grade class had very few students slide back in their grades during the second term.  Typically they loose quite a few kids from honors at this time of the year.  Breakfast goodies and coffee was served and we listened to guest speakers share their perspectives on 6th grade and middle school.  I am very proud of my children.  They are both great students and good people.  I am blessed to have them in my life.

Peace!

Mellow Yellow Monday

So I'm going to try to get back into my writing practice!  I'll keep it short and sweet but I do want to get back to daily posts.

Mellow Yellow Monday has always been a fun post.  Yellow is such a bright color.  Certainly it helps to improve my mood on cold winter days.

Can't wait for the forsythia to begin to bud up and bloom this spring!  Snow is fun but now that we have had a blizzard and a few snow days I am totally ready for spring.  I can't wait to clean up my garden and get my hands dirty.  

Peace!

What is Our Word View?  A collaboration between two friends who lost touch over the years but have reconnected online.  We share a love of the ocean, photography, quotes, animals and family.  Often times our photographic interpretations for the word of the week are very similar.

This week  the word home was chosen for our photographic interpretation.  I hope you will go over to Our Word View and see what Liz shares this week.

For me... home is where the heart is!  This series of pictures is the epitome of home....

We had so much fun shooting these pictures using the photo booth application on my mac.  They are not the best quality but the sentiment outweighs the quality.  

Peace!

Our Word View - STORM

What is Our Word View?  A collaboration between two friends who lost touch over the years but have reconnected online.  We share a love of the ocean, photography, quotes, animals and family.  Often times our photographic interpretations for the word of the week are very similar.

This week  the word storm was chosen for our photographic interpretation.  I hope you will go over to Our Word View and see what Liz shares this week.

Well as we all know last week at this time we were digging out from the blizzard of 2013!  In my home we were doing our best to stay warm and toasty by the fire.  After the first twelve hours of family togetherness and chilly 50 and below temps inside the house we had had enough!  So here is the good, the bad and the ugly from the blizzard of 2013. 

Not only does a snow storm bring with it excitement... it deposits beauty onto the barren trees and brown landscape, transforming it into a sparkling wonderland.  I love the crisp, crystal clear air after a snow storm. 

As many know the storms also bring with it ugly damage.  We were so fortunate to have moved our cars down the driveway.  Had we not taken this step to decrease the amount of snow we had to shovel to 'get out' of our driveway we would have lost both vehicles to this huge oak that snapped and fell during the night of the blizzard.  Thank God it didn't break 10 feel lower on it's trunk or it would have landed in my bed! 

Finally.... the ugly!  The cold caused me to make some very poor fashion choices in order to keep from getting frostbite!  It also caused our living room to be turned into an indoor camping area.  It was not pretty!  

Peace!

Our Word View - Grateful

What is Our Word View?  A collaboration between two friends who lost touch over the years but have reconnected online.  We share a love of the ocean, photography, quotes, animals and family.  Often times our photographic interpretations for the word of the week are very similar.

This week  the word grateful was chosen for our photographic interpretation.  I hope you will go over to Our Word View and see what Liz shares this week.

There is so much to be grateful for in this world.  I am blessed with a healthy beautiful family.  I love my chosen profession.  On a daily basis I am amazed by the beauty that abounds around me each and every day.  

With the storm that is raging through the northeast right now I am grateful for the ability to create fire in my fireplace.  It will provide warmth, light and the opportunity to heat or cook food when our lights go out.  It is also so very beautiful.  

I hope you are all warm and safe wherever you may be. 

Peace!

New Beginnings!

Well the news is out!  40M is being vacated and will be available for weekly rental this summer.  I am excited and terrified!  I love the idea of having a beautiful home that will be open to families and individuals from across the country to come and enjoy a restful holiday.  The views are beautiful and the neighborhood is quiet.  We are situated within an hour from Boston and Chatham.   A long weekend or a week away can both be equally restorative.  We have a lot of work to do before we go live.  Cleaning, furnishing, equipping, marketing.... just a few of the items on the list of to do's.  Developing a website, blog, calendar, contracts and promotional materials are also on the list.  If we can get this off the ground I think it will be hugely beneficial to our family.  Anyone who reads here please check out our FB group page.  Feel free to join if you are so inclined.  I will update there as well as on twitter.

Peace!

Learning

Well I spent the day with a room filled with educators who are all learning more about teaching math to students. We were all together learning more about the research based math program First Steps.  It is fascinating to see all the pieces come together in this program.  It aligns fairly well with the standardized tests that are given to students in our state, with the exception of how kids learn and understand decimals and fractions.  I love having the tools necessary to assess students and determine what key understandings might be missing or misunderstood.  All this being said...  all that math in my brain has given me a sizable headache!

Tomorrow I'll be meeting with all the title one teachers in my building as well as the principal and reading specialist to review our student caseloads.  It should be interesting.  I will certainly report back.

Peace!

Our Word View - Gradual

What is Our Word View?  A collaboration between two friends who lost touch over the years but have reconnected online.  We share a love of the ocean, photography, quotes, animals and family.  Often times our photographic interpretations of our word of the week are very similar.

This week  the word gradual was chosen for our photographic interpretation.  I hope you will go over to Our Word View and see what Liz shares this week.

I would say that one of the most beautiful natural scenes is that of the gradual awakening of the day.  Watching the sun slowly rise over the ocean is a magical experience.  It is something everyone should experience.  

Peace!