Classroom Setup

After a long Monday and 4k Institute Tuesday and Wednesday, it was FINALLY time for my co-lead and I to arrange our classroom!!

Here's a before picture - okay, we moved the desk to the corner, but that was before we got the brilliant ideas to take a before picture. 

We got that table with the tablecloth thanks to the janitors waxing the floors Thursday night.

We moved the cubbies near the family board and door and kept the art supplies where they were. We moved the little table near it so kiddos can do play doh and draw at that table.

This was the start to our circle time area where we'll put our calendar and job chart.

This is the mess left on the other side of the room half way through the day.

 This is the other area that was a bit of a mess. I am still puzzled why the camp staff put the sensory table on top of the table..

This is how the room looked at the end of Day 1. My co-lead scrubbed real hard on the chalkboard to get the sticky parts of the velcro off. We decided not to use the calendar pocket chard in the previous picture. It seemed like it might be overwhelming for a 4 year old. That broken rocking chair will be thrown out and we'll get a replacement. I'm really happy with my idea of putting that long bookshelf in front of the desk area. Even if we're kinda "trapped" back there, it keeps the kiddos away from it.

 Here's our calendar area! We have a temporary rug out because the one they ordered probably won't be in by the time school starts. I felt our calendar part looked very plain when we left. 

This is the view from the dramatic play area. We still weren't sure where we were going to put the sensory table in use or not in use yet. 

Day 2 - We got the jobs written on our job chart. Still need to fix calendar on there. My co-lead realized she spelt it wrong. I love our colors chart we got. I'm kinda addicted to going on trips to The Learning Shop! 

Our calendar area doesn't look so plain jane. We got that schedule chart from one of the kindergarten teachers who was just throwing it away. One person's trash is another person's treasure! The weather chart is one my mom got me at Walmart. Thanks Mom! :)

Our birthday board. I love that we got the blue sprinkle border and while putting up our poster, we realized the poster had green sprinkles as a border!

Our dramatic play area. A big thanks to one of the camp staff for taking those pillows to the laundromat. We weren't going to have them in the room...they were so dirty! Now we can use them. :)

A Week In Review

It was a crazy, busy week and before this new week officially starts it's time to recap it! 

Sunday - We went to a cake tasting/pricing appointment. It was not what I expected and the price left us with sticker shock. Who knew cake was almost as expensive as my dress?! We're still keeping our options open with cake for our wedding. 

This was my lunch! My favorite was the chocolate with choc filling and pumpkin with cream cheese filling.

Monday - My first day of work! It was filled with lots of questions and playing on the computer finding ideas for things to do in our classroom with my co-lead. We found out how many students we have too! It was also the day my mom had her first post op follow up appointment. Her drains came out and the surgeon said the lymph nodes they took looked good. :) Monday night Tim and I celebrated by going to a restaurant called Benvenuto's Italian Grill. We have a gift certificate for a free dessert and also free beverages from the Bridal show we attended in May. We tried one of the pizzas, the Bianca, and it was delicious. Our dessert, a triple chocolate cake was so much better than any cake I tried on Sunday.

 

My 23oz free New Glarus Spotted Cow :) 

 

Tuesday -  Second day of work was starting to drag. I remembered the way to get to the staff lounge and get soda, which was really bad of me! After work, my co-lead and I went to a teacher store called The Learning Shop. We found a couple things for the classroom and brought them back before our staff meeting. Super long day to put in 9.5 hours at work including staff meeting.

Wednesday - By today I was really getting into a mood. I felt like I was getting paid to sit on my butt in the office. We couldn't even get into our classroom to even organize the supply closet until Thursday when the summer camp kiddos went on their field trip. We had so many questions still that weren't going to be answered until Friday meeting with the Early Childhood teacher working with us or Professional Development at the end of the month. Plus, our boss was at another branch so we couldn't ask her. If I thought Tuesday was long, today was much longer!

Thursday - Our boss was out sick. We were able to get through the cabinets and organize, which only ate up 2 1/2 hours of the day. The supply closet looks much better and we were able to see what we have and what we don't have. I cannot wait to finally be able to work in my classroom! Only 8 more days...  Tim and I took a long walk (about 2 miles) in town and on the bike path. It was a nice evening to walk with the cooler temperatures.

Friday - It's finally the last day of the work week! Our boss was back. We almost didn't think she was coming, but she was just running late. We had a working lunch at the local coffee shop. I have lived in town for months and it was my first time. I felt much better about the year after meeting with the Early Childhood teacher, but concerned that we had so many special education kiddos in both AM and PM sections. We'll see how that turns out the first few weeks of school. I took off work early since my co-lead was leaving for a wedding to pack and load up to head home. 

Saturday - My friend's bridal shower was in the afternoon. I was so used to getting up early I couldn't sleep in so I stopped at my bestie's house to see baby Riley and catch up with her, as well as convinced her to go the shower! I ended up getting to feed her for the first time and spend some quality time with her. 

Miss Riley was napping when I got there. She is just so adorable!

Our second picture together :)

I just loved her pants. I'm a big fan of polka dots, but the cupcake on her bottom was the cutest thing ever!

After getting a chance to spend a few hours with my two favorites I got to play chauffeur for my mom. She hasn't been allowed to drive yet and she usually goes shopping and grocery shopping in Dubuque. I volunteered to take her because if Dad did, she wouldn't get to shop! It was nice to spend some time together since I won't see her tomorrow for her birthday. I found a couple books for school and got a pair of running shorts to help motivate me to get active.

A Little Surprise In the Mail

When this is posted, I will be at the hospital, the very same hospital that my mom and I were born at, for my mom's surgery. Lucky for me, I have AMAZING friends who thought of me while I wait at the hospital. :)

My friend Berkley (and her hubby Mat) mailed me a special box. We now have a parent with cancer in common and I wish we only just had teaching in common. She has gone through this much longer than I have and she sent me a box full of things to help me in the coming weeks. My favorite piece is the bracelet. Knowing that this piece of jewelry helped her through her toughest days and now I have my own to help me through mine. It amazes me because I knew she had plenty to do before she boarded a plane to Cali for her college friend's wedding.

 

The saying that came with the bracelet says: "Faith doesn't make things easy, it makes them possible."

I also made a quick trip back to the apartment (it's not really quick, it takes an hour and a half), but my mom had never been to my apartment and I had books on hold that were available to pick up at the library. I've already started on one of my books that I impatiently waited for.

I hope you are having a great Tuesday! If you have a moment, say a little prayer for my mom.

Fiesta!

A regular spot for my bestie and bridesmaid for our lunch/dinner dates is Fiesta Cancun, a local-ish mexican restaurant. I have to "commute" 40 minutes in either direction to get to one of them, but it is well worth the trip! My favorite is in my fiance's hometown and there was one in both my college towns! Corinne lives in my very first college town and it is very strange for it to now be in the former Happy Joes. Instead of doing lunches like we have been for the last half year, we did dinner last night. 

We split a jumbo strawberry margarita. It's was Corinne's first strawberry marg. I got a little bit of her in the picture. :) P.S. Those chips are addicting and yummy!

I didn't take a picture of our meals, but Rin got a taco salad with out the hard shell bowl thingy and I got a combination with a cheese quesadilla, chicken enchilada, and refried beans. I love me some Fiesta beans! 

We hadn't had a picture together (just us) in years! So we changed that last night. There will be many more pictures with my wedding coming up in 11 months!! Yay!