sol17 #6: I said I would never be THAT mom

Pre-James, I said I would never be THAT mom that has a wall of baby toys in the living room. We live in a ranch with an open floor plan, so you can basically see the whole house from the front door. I wanted our living room to remain somewhat free of baby clutter, so at the end of the day, Jim and I could sit down, as adults, and not trip over a million toys. Not to mention, if a guest were to walk through our front door, they wouldn't be greeted by a mound of primary-colored, noise-making things.

Fast forward to yesterday morning. Jim is bringing up another large toy from the basement and sets it smack dab in the middle of the living room floor. It's a sitting/standing piano thing with so many musical attachments that James can do a 360 in it and have something to play with the whole time. It's pretty cool and James LOVES it!

While sitting on the floor and playing with James, I took a look around the room and felt so incredibly grateful to have this wall of full of baby things. It means our child is healthy, growing, and able to play and have fun. It means our home is filled with more laughs, family, friends, and love. 

I looked back at James and thought to myself, "I'm so glad to be THAT mom." <3

Our play zone :)

sol17 #5: you're teacher-voicing me!

My husband and I were on our way home from Indiana last night and we swooped through a drive-thru to grab a snack. I have many pet peeves, but one thing I despise most is when you don't get napkins in a take-out bag.

Pulling away from the drive-thru window, I ask Jim to check the bag for napkins. None. Usually we keep some in the glovebox, but our stash was depleted. 

Fearing a greasy steering wheel, I turn to Jim and say sternly, "I just don't get how that's not a routine thing - to put napkins in a take-out bag!"

His immediate reaction, "You're teacher-voicing me!" 

Whoops... didn't mean to teacher voice my innocent husband. 

By the way, Jim let me use his sleeve as a napkin on the way home. #superherohusband

sol17 #4: girls night

Friday night plans are hard. Just plain hard. Any teacher knows that by Friday at 3pm, all you want to see in your near future is your bed.

Well, I knew I wasn't going to see my bed until well after my usual bedtime. I had plans in my calendar for a while to go to my friend Sara's for a girls night and even though I was exhausted, I was very much looking forward to a night out with my great friends, and some I haven't seen in a few months!

After sitting in traffic for almost 2 hours (insert large eye roll emoji), I walk into her home, grab a plate, and fill it with some yummy apps. I took a deep breath, sat down, and just relaxed - ahhh... Girl talk and good food was exactly the type of calm and relaxation I needed after a long week. :)

SOL17 #3: victory dance

One of my 3rd grade students has been working so hard on retelling the important parts of a book. About four weeks ago, we set a goal that he would score 3/3 on the retell part of his next running record. Two weeks ago, I sat down with him to check his progress and his score was 1/3, the same as it was when we started. I modeled a new strategy for him, he practiced it for a few days, and I assessed him yesterday.

After he finished reading, he confidently and enthusiastically told me ALL the important parts of the story IN HIS OWN WORDS! Cue the clouds parting and sunbeams shining down on this kiddo :) As I finished up my notes, I look up to see him dancing. 

I asked, "A, what's the cool dance for?"

A - "It's my victory dance! For reaching my goal." 

Ugh, my heart melted. I love when kiddos recognize their successes and celebrate them. 

SOL17 #2: time of your life

This morning on my way to work, Green Day's "Time of your Life" came on (which, by the way, I actually found out is NOT called Time of your Life, but Good Riddance - I'm terrible with song names).

Anyway, this song reminds me of my 8th grade dance. It was the last song that the DJ played, and as the lights came on in the gym, everyone was crying and hugging like we would never see each other again. Typical 8th grade drama since we'd all be back at school the following Monday!

I love how songs can instantly bring you back to certain memories in your life. :)

SOL17 #1: flooding the kitchen (spoiler alert: cute baby in the tub)

James LOVES his bath. I mean his arms shake, feet kick, and he makes crazy noises when we set him in his tub. This is one of his favorite times of the day, and who can blame him? He gets to chill out in warm water, enjoy his favorite book, and splash around.

The other night, James was splashing around so much that water was flowing out of the bathtub, over the counter and onto the floor. Of course as I'm trying to clean up the water, he just splashes more and it's everywhere! Maybe it's time we throw in the towel and switch him to the actual bathtub :)

Seriously though... he just makes me smile :)

latest poetry obsession

We all know that April is poetry month, and I love, love, love finding new resources to teach poetry! My oh so fabulous co-worker Michelle introduced me to this book, and I am obsessed!

Naming the World: A Year of Poems and Lessons by Nancie Atwell

Naming the World is a collection of over 200 poems that are geared toward middle schoolers to help them make sense of the world they live in. Students are able to identify with these poems, and the discussions we have around them help the students gain perspective on their lives in a somewhat challenging transition period.

2 weeks ago, I was struggling to find some poetry to use with one of my 5th grade groups. I wanted something engaging that had some depth to it, while allowing for meaningful discussion as they transition into middle school. As I was expressing my concern to Michelle, she slaps this book on my desk and says, "I heard it was good, bought it a while ago, and haven't used it yet!" Well, here I am to tell you all that this book is AHH - MAZING! The students are able to connect with the poetry which allows for deeper understanding, and they love how some of the poems are written by middle schoolers!

Two favorites so far are, "Remembrance of a Friend" by Ben Williams and "The Little Boy" by Helen E. Buckly. The first one even moved us to tears! It was an incredibly humbling and powerful moment to share with my students. :)

What are some other fantastic poetry resources? Please share!