New Toy!

I was very spoiled and got a new camera for my Birthday! I got to pick it out last week amongst the hurried last minute shoppers.  I haven't been this excited about anything I've bought in a long time.  It just may be my new best friend and I may have spent more time with it than my husband...but I think he understands :) 

I decided to try it out on my sisters...they let me try anything and everything! 

It's easy though because they are both SO beautiful! 

Christmas 2010

We were just missing Colorado's perfectly sparkling white snow...in fact we hardly needed our jackets at all.  But we were all finally together again! 

We enjoyed our Christmas morning breakfast of fried dough, homemade Lasagna for dinner and Tiramisu and Pizzelle cookies.

We enjoyed watching movies (The Incredible Mr. Fox is pretty adorable) and playing games...snuggling on the couch next to the fire place. 

Our family Christmas traditions are slowly changing every year...I think my parents need some grandchildren to bring the traditions into full swing again ;)

I have a few more days of uninterrupted bliss and I get to spend it with my sister until she heads back to paradise at the end of the week.  Maybe she'll help me finish my packing? 

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!

It's Monday and I'm on Vacation!

This morning as I was rushing to get out of the house...on my first day of Christmas Vacation none the less, my husband says, "Jess, don't freak out but Wilson barfed on one of the Christmas presents..." 

super Wilson. thanks.

(I won't tell you whose it was so they don't feel bad that they're getting the barfed on gift. Don't worry I cleaned it off :)

Then I was off to the stinky Vehicle Registration office. I've been dreading or rather avoiding it for weeks...I tend to drag things out and make them worse than they are. 

Luckily I only had to wait for about a minute before the same grumpy man from last year helped me.  I was going to wish him happy holidays and then didn't because he made me feel stupid for asking what the date was. 

I proceeded with my errands. Target (which I'm pretty sure I was there yesterday too) and the grocery store which is crammed full of people literally running down the isles.

I felt very grown up today.

Getting the shopping done for my husband :)

--------

On another note, this is what our apartment looks like right now  

which is making me sad. It is however making my cats exited because they now have a built in jungle gym. 

We only have a couple weeks left until the big day. This will be my fifth apartment in five years. 

sigh* I can't wait until we can buy a house someday. 

I hope your Monday is off to a good start...only 5 more days until Christmas (come on snow...do your magic) and only 2 more days until my sister comes home!

I Can't Resist

I know you probably don't like staring at pictures of my sweet cats...but I had to share this picture I took of little Princess Margo.   She was just a little puff ball laying on our white sheets (hmm black cats and white sheets....) and it was the perfect photo op.

She is so cute I can barely stand it :)

Things you get to do if you're a Kindergarten teacher

Make reindeer faces using an AB pattern

Watch Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (this is much creepier than I remember it being...)

Read favorite holiday stories

Give boxes of crayons as Christmas gifts...I love the smell of new crayons (admit it, you probably love smelling crayons too)

My students were so excited! So many of our students don't have supplies at home so this was the perfect gift. 

Report Cards are done,
test scores turned in,
planning complete.


Now I'm just counting down the days until Kate and Bobby get here!

No Sleep

and here's why....

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me

A husband sneezing very loudly!

On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me

Two cats hacking hairballs

and a Husband sneezing very loudly!

On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me

Three neighbors yelling

Two cats hacking hairballs

and a husband sneezing very loudly! 

I would keep going but I overslept and am now running significantly late... 

How many days left of school you ask?

3

I think I can I think I can I think I can...

proud

I came home this evening and this was on the fridge :)

Songs From Yesteryear

My mom found this great piano song book in her box of old teaching things. It was published in 1951...made especially for Kindergarten teachers.  

I love looking at the pictures! (I secretly wish I was a Kindergarten teacher in 1951)

When I got my piano this summer for my classroom (remember how excited I was?!) I searched and searched for "Kindergarten" piano music and kept coming to dead ends. It's just no where to be found.  The majority of Kindergarten teachers no longer have pianos in their classrooms like they used to long ago.  

My students love when I play for them. 

"Are you going to play that on the piano today?"

I found a cute little number to play from the old song book and made it our clean up song.  

It's been so great being able to share my love of music with my students.  

Stop by sometime and we'll sing you some songs!

Must Be Friday

Today was your typical Friday in elementary school...times NINE MILLION!

Every few minutes someone broke out into song..."Jingle Bells! Jingle Bells!..."

"Mrs. Wolfe, I LOVE Santa Clause!"

The good news is I got my testing all done a week early! Now next week can return back to normal.

I told my students my good news this morning.

Student 1: "What's normal mean?"

Student 2: "It means the same 'ole same 'ole"

Student 3: "Mrs. Wolfe, my dad's not around anymore 'cause he's lazy"

{?} 

This afternoon I was adventurous and got out the white glue...which any teacher knows is risky business. We were working on gluing our reindeer patterns. 

We talked about how "a little dot is a lot!"

I showed them.

I said it a few hundred more times.

Then I watched as one student used every ounce of strength to squeeze the glue in a continuous flow    

all     over     the     table.

lovely 

Just then a student was called to the office to go home.  As I walked him to the door he turned and said, "Bye Mrs. Wolfe! I'll miss you!"

No amount of glue on the tables or singing at an annoying pitch can make me forget why I do what I do :)

happy friday 

Don't Bother me Tuesdays at 7

I'm obsessed people!

I can't get enough of Glee (if you don't watch it I can't be your friend...juuussst kidding, but seriously you really should).

My entire life I have secretly wanted to be a great music sensation.  I can hold a tune, but it's geared more towards a five year old audience.  I stand up everyday and sing in front of a crowd, you know, the typical Kindergarten song..."Five little ducks went out one day, over the hill and far away..." And my attentive audience is usually picking their nose or putting their shoe lace in their mouth or doing both at the same time. Glee is so much cooler than that.  

Tonight as I was watching my show, Martin turned to me and said, "Wow, your favorite show singing your favorite music" (it was their Christmas episode)

I know right?!!

And tomorrow morning I'll pop in my Glee CD and sing at the top of my lungs on my way to school...that is until I'm totally embarrassed because the person in the car next to me is judging me :)

It's Beginning To Look a Lot Like Christmas!

I added a little holiday cheer to my classroom this week!

Today I pulled out the Christmas tree along with a few eight-legged friends...they were not saved by my holiday cheer.

I love this time of year! 
I love being inside watching my favorite Christmas movies...
White Christmas, Meet Me In St. Louis, and Miracle on 34th Street. 
I love snuggling with my little family in piles and piles of blankets. 
I love the smell of my Mistletoe candle.
I love the glow of our tiny Christmas tree.


We were driving home from my sisters house last week and apparently these fine folk love Christmas too...

Nothing says Christmas like eight bajillion twinkly lights

Worldless Wednesday: Colorado Sunrise