Running?!?

So in 2019 I am running a half marathon! I was actually suppose to run an 8k and a 5k in 2018 but well life happened so that didn’t! The 8k I presented at VSTE for the first time and the 5k Virginia saw an unusual December snow! So with that I am upping my running game! So I have started training! Do I like running? Nope not at all! Do I find it enjoyable? Nope but what I do enjoy is the clarity that it gives me! The push to do better! I also hate running on a treadmill but with rainy weather I really have no choice! I am looking forward to days where I can run outside for further distances! 

Where has time gone

So I started this blog in Nov 2011 and left it in February of 2012! So well what happened?? Life happened! I was in my 3rd year of teaching and Chris and I had just bought our house! We were finishing our first tour with the navy and moving into our 2nd!

 2012 brought great joy to our lives when Emma was born in December but well that’s another blog post! 

2014 I moved to 4th grade to teach gifted education! I got endorsed to teach gifted education through the university of Virginia 

Then 2015 brought two bundles of joy into our lives! 

2016 I moved to 2nd grade and embarked on my journey with google classroom 

2017 I went to a pd and started working with #ozobots where I found a love for robotics and all things that involve #edtech 

One Step

It's hard to believe that in 9 years of teaching that I would have found a love for edtech. I have spend much time in the last 2 years soaking up all I can about edtech and after attending the VSTE conference realizing that I have only touched the surface of edtech. It's funny to that I have picked back up this blog after almost 7 years. Now do I have time to keep this up...well probably not but well....let's see where this year takes us!!! So here begins my blogging journey on my more complete or just stratch the surface of well life as a mom of 3, teacher, fashion retailer, and tech lover! 

Cooking adventures....

So last weekend during our homeimprovement adventures it was time to use pinterest for what it is best know for.....its dessert recipies.....

First one we tried....http://www.celebrations.com/cupcakecrown/2012/cupcake/peanut-butter-brownie-buckeye-cupcakes

Don't they look soooo good.

On Sunday for the Superbowl we made....http://www.onceuponaplate1.com/2008/10/samoas-girl-scout-cookie-clone.html

very sweet....but definitely a great recipe.

Home Improvement Project

Well we have been in the house for about a month and a half now and are beginning to make minor adjustments to the house.....our first adjustment....put in a back splash....this due to the fact that somehow bacon grease and sometimes other things seem to splash on dry wall which is very difficult to clean.....

So we began by prepping the wall. 

We had some great help and supervision.....and we are close to being finished but oh wait by turning off the power to the kitchen so we didnt cause any other problems we also didnt have lights which meant oh wait another trip to the hardware store....

All done now and we have a beautiful backsplash and now we just have to touch up the walls around the tiles.....but its a good start and we did it all by ourselves with the help of some friends....i guess we owe them big :)

Holiday Decorations

So we have moved into our new house and since we moved during the holiday season the holiday decorations went up and have since come down.....

one of the things I saw not really sure where but we put Christmas cards on a tree to keep take off the wall...now I have to find something to put in that hole in the front hall.


Since we have moved and things are finally starting to settle out....hopefully more home improvement projects are on their way.....so keep tuned for more updates....

Baking Up Good Behavior

 So the upcoming holiday and winter break has well children and grown ups excited.  But being a kindergarten teacher it is important to modify things on a almost daily basis to keep things fresh and exciting.  I saw something similar to this activity on a website another kindergarten teacher had using Christmas trees.  Well my school that is not a PC thing to do.  So I modified the activity and used our focus on gingerbread man to encourage good behavior.

So on in order to build your gingerbread man----you have to be on a "good" color at the end of the day! Thus encouraging good choices and listening....A skill that even in Dec is still a challenge.  It also encourages children to come to school because if you don't come to school you cant have good behavior to get something on your gingerbread man.  It has worked so far---they really want to have things on their gingerbread man!

So on Day 1--they earned their gingerbread body
Day 2-eyes
Day 3-nose
Day 4- 1 button
Day 5-mouth

We will continue to add to our gingerbread man until Winter break and then they can take home their gingerbread man!!! At the end of every week students will have some kind of reward.