Post Christmas relaxation...and a new Winter Unit!

Hello, my blogging buddies! Kerri here...

Well, we survived Christmas!! We went to 3 houses in 2 days, ate entirely too much food, but got to see all of our loved ones, including my dad, who I hardly ever get to see, so I was very happy! 

Can't you just see the love between these 2 girls overflowing?? (NOT)

We have also been immersed in all things Hobbit around here...

Saw it twice! And, yes, I do now own the soundtrack as well!

This lego set was a gift from Santa to Katie, and I think I might like it better than her. Isn't it fun??

Yup, even a Hobbit notebook, complete with map of Middle Earth. I know, I know. I'm a major nerd!

My husband is also planning on us going camping next week in his Christmas present...

Ummm, does he not realize that I'm more of a Marriott Timeshare type girl? I'm just a wee bit frightened...ugh.

I also FINALLY finished my Snowman Soup Centers! FINALLY! Sakes alive, I feel like I was working on these For-EV-uh! But, they're finished and they are ADORBS! I know I say that every time I make a new set, but seriously, snowman and all things Winter just kill me, they're so cute!

(clickety click for a closer looksie)

All kinds of Wintery goodness for your kidlets to sink their brains into when we get back from break, which isn't until January 7th for me, Praise the Lord! I guess I know what I'm going to be doing next week to get these ready... starts with an L and rhymes with waminating!!

Talk to you soon, friends! Hope your holidays were AH-MAZING!
XOXO Kerri B

Merry Christmas!!

Good morning, blogging friends!
Lindsay and I want to wish you all a safe and merry Christmas, from our families to yours. We love and appreciate you all so much and this coming up on 2 year blogging adventure has been such a blessing to both of us! 

XOXO Kerri and Lindsay!

Gearing up for WInter...and a last minute FREEBIE!

Good Evening, blogging buddies! Kerri here...
This past weekend was pretty rough for me, and I was so happy to get back to my kidlets this morning (after hugging my own kidlets extra extra all weekend). Even though they have FULLY embraced the HOLIDAY spirit (if you know what I mean...), I am still so so thankful for each and every one of them, and my heart aches for the families in Connecticut.

We are in the final stages of our HOLIDAY EXTRAVAGANZA SUPER CRAZY WEEK over here in my neck of the first grade woods. Here is a little peek at our Parent gifts (all finished, thanks to my FAB student teacher!!), as well as the Magic Elf letters we wrote today...

I gave them choices and they almost ALL chose snowmen!! Can't say I blame them...I heart snowmen too!!

Our Magic Elf letters were HILARIOUS! My kids took it sooo seriously, and most of them want Magic Elf to write back. YIKES! Maybe we have a little problem??

I love this: "Can you tell Santa that Santa is my favorite guy?"

Question of the day: "Am I on the nice list??"

This one was the best: "This is what I want for Christmas. A dog. A girl dog. So my cat Maury can have a stepsister." CLASSIC!!!

I am also gearing up for the Loooonnng month of January when we come back, and I will be using these fun Wintery centers that I created last year (click on each picture to take a closer look)...

Arctic Life...

Winter Games...

Winter Words Writing Pack...

And coming soon soon soon, to feed my obsession with snowmen...

I cannot wait to get these ready for my kidlets!!

Finally, here is a little Dice game FREEBIE if you are still in school this week like me. Since my kids are SOOO full of the Holiday Spirit, I thought a little dice adding, ornament coloring activity would keep them quiet engaged and learning for maybe, possibly, 20-30 minutes (hopefully? Fingers crossed??)

Click on the tree below to download your own copy via Google Docs!

3 1/2 more days for me, friends!! And then, on Saturday, for my Hubs and my 14th anniversary, we're going to see the Hobbit and dinner (giddy squeal!!)
Hang in there, peeps! Unless you're already on vacay, well then, whatever! Jealous...

Kerri B

Silence for Sandy Hook Elementary

-Kerri and Lindsay

It's official... and we have a winner!!

Christmas has thrown up in my classroom!! Not literally, of course, but there is Christmas joy ALL OVER THE PLACE!! :)

Happy happy, Peeps! Kerri here...
This, my friends, is an official Christmas photo dump. Let's take a little tour through all of the joy and good cheer that is permeating my room lately...

My cute little Charlie Brown tree!! $10 at ACE hardware!!

We will be making this precious little snowflake ornament during our Christmas party next week!

Step one of our Holiday plaques is complete! We will paint the plaques tomorrow and then I'm busting out my Mod Podge!!

Family Wreaths brought in by my students. I heart them so!!

Look at our reindeer farm!! Aren't they ADORBS??

Christmas tree art, hot off the presses!

Here are some pics of our Magic Elf fun, straight out of my Magic Elf Writing Pack! (There is still time!! You can still get in a whole week of Magic Elf goodness with your kidlets!!)

Hello, my little Magic Elf friend!! Just chillaxing, are ya??

She wrote, "Do you want food?" "Thank you!" How cute!

Magic Elf likes to eat candy canes?? Of course he does, silly!!

We wrote this acrostic today as a class, and they came up with such awesome ideas!!

We have also been using lots of Holiday words in our writing...

You can find this little writing pack here...

We have also been working hard on our Merry Christmas, Magic Elf! Literacy and Math Centers...

Luckily, there are enough centers in this pack to keep them busy little elves all through next week, which makes life so much easier doesn't it, the week before Christmas break?? I LOVE when they are busy and engaged!!
Here's a peek at what we've been working on!

Christmas Cheer! Sentence Editing

Jolly Holidays! ABC Order

Merry and Bright! Noun and Adjective Sort

I leave you with this...Santa, yes the real Santa, wrote my Katie a personalized letter and sent it to her in the mail. She was OVER THE MOON when it came yesterday!! She said, "He even knows my middle name!!" 

He also left her a magic key so he can get in our house (we don't have a fireplace-boo!)

Maybe you would like Santa to write your littles a letter as well? You can ask him be clicking on Santa below...

Hang in there, friends!! Only 8 more days to go!! Or are you out this Friday, you lucky ducks??
XOXO Kerri B
P.S. We have a winner for our Classroom Friendly Pencil Sharpener. Drumroll please....

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Congratulations Nikki!! I will be contacting you shortly!

He's Making A List, and Checking It Twice . . .

Evening folks!  Lindsay here . . .

Ahhhh . . .it feels good to be at the computer in my fat pants sipping some delicous coffee and catching up with y'all! 

Last week was a rough one for the Messyhair familly. I came down with a terrible cold and felt as though I had been hit by a bus . . . We're talking "mommy-is-too-sick-to-shower-today-and-we-are-having-grilled-cheese-for-dinner-again" kind of sick.  Luckily, I have one amazing husband.  He stepped up and did the grocery shopping, let me sleep in, ran errands, cleaned the house . . . UNTIL . . .

He got sick too.  Dangit.  That moment was too good to be true. ;)

And then, of course, Baby Jack got sick too.  So there we were . . . three snotty, irritable sickies all sipping tea in our fat pants. 

Well not really, but you get the idea.

But now, I am happy to say I am feeling quite better - and I am excited to share with you all what the Mighty Mites in Room 17 have been up to lately . . .

First off, we did some writing for Christmas.  Rather than having my kiddos write what they wanted for Christmas, I had them write a letter to Santa explaining WHY they had either been A: naughty, or B: nice, this year.

(Of course, they ALL assured Santa they had been very, very nice!)

Adorable, right?  This student gives lots of high fives to her friends . . .

 

 

A few more reasons to be on the "nice" list: kissing and hugging mom, eating his vegetables, and going to the grocery store with her mom. 

 

 

(If you'd like a copy of this Naughty or Nice template, click the Santa below)

 

 

 

So, of course to go along with our letters to Santa, we also had to make some adorable Santas . . .  I changed up my Santa from last year and had my kiddos rip loooooooong white pieces for a wilder, blowing-in-the-breeze kind of beard, and I love how they turned out! 

 

 

 

 



The dimensions for "breezy beard Santa" are as follows:

9x6 peach for face (horizontal)
1x2 red for nose
2x4 pink for cheeks (makes two - fold and make two circles)
3x3 white for hat poof
9x7 red for hat (fold and cut triangle from bottom corners in to the top at the fold)
9x2 white for hat trim (make oval)
12x18 green for background
And each student needs one 9x12 white piece to start ripping for the beard, although more white will probably be needed!! :)

I used our Santa letters and art for our December Kindergarten hallway bulletin board and it turned out so cute!  And a great reminder to my kidlets that Santa is making a list . . AND HE IS WATCHING!!!!!!!

Along with getting ready for Santa, my kiddos have also been having fun with my Merry & Bright Holiday Math and Literacy Centers (click cover image to check out the whole unit in my TPT store):

 

 

 

 

My kids really enjoyed the Sweet Treat Sound Count - segmenting and counting sounds in words!

They also practiced their number sequencing skills to 20 with Feliz Navidad Find the Number:

This week my kiddos will be busy with more Merry and Bright goodness, including graphing, a medial vowel sort, and patterns!

Well, thats about it for now . . . just one more picture to share with you all.  We got our tree recently (before the whole family got sick) and Jack had the BEST time!  Even though we didn't get the $100 tree.  Sorry bud!

Hope you are all enjoying the holiday season with your families as well!  Goodnight!



Lindsay