After the fact Haunted House art...and a Houghton Mifflin Freebie!

YAWN!! Hey folks! Kerri here...
Is anyone else as exhausted as I am?? I didn't even have kids today, but man, I am still SOOO beat from all of the festivities yesterday!
I know this is too little, too late, but I feel compelled to post about our Haunted House art that we made last Thursday, mostly to have a record I can refer to next year. 
I used Rachelle's (www.whattheteacherwants.blogspot.com-my favorito!) fantastic Haunted House writing paper from her SUPER DUPER Halloween unit, and we step drew Haunted houses (well, actually they look more like castles-whatever...) with Sharpie markers (my kids feel oh-so grown up when they use sharpies!) to glue next to the stories. We added Foamy Halloween stickers (I love them!) and a moon. Tada! Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy. Check 'em out!

Easy and fun for my kiddos. :)


Also, this week we are teaching Theme 3-Week 1 from the Houghton Mifflin Reading Series. I made this little response activity for the story Seasons, because frankly, I think the HM workbook is L.A.M.E. and I try to use it as little as possible. Did I really just write that out loud? Whatevas...
You can use this response worksheet with any book you read about the seasons. It will also work for science lessons. Click on the pic to download!

I'll be back later this week with a super cute Classroom Pets themed math center and maybe a Lit center too...if I get my rear in gear!

Have a happy week...show some love, leave a comment!

Oh baby! I'm back . . .

Hey there blogger buddies!!! 

Wow!  How is it October already?! Y'all must have thought I fell off the face of the earth in September or something . . . Thank goodness Kerri has been hard at work creating fabulousness to share!!

Well, first of all . . . . (drumroll please) . . . I would like to introduce Mr. Jackson Joseph Messner!!  Born August 23 weighing all of 9 lbs. 15.5 oz.  (My mom - also a teacher - was quite perturbed that they didn't just say ten pounds.  "Don't these people know how to round??!!"  Love you mom!!)

Here are the proud mommy and daddy - and baby!  Check out all that hair!  Actually, we weren't at all surprised about his hair . . . but we were shocked he wasn't born with a 5 'clock shadow like daddy!

And here is peaceful, sleeping Jack.  We're lovin' his perfect baby mouth and the lovely sound of his snoring!!

Life has been a wonderful, crazy ride since our little man arrived.  My days consist of feeding, diapers, and lots of naps . . . for Jack that is!  He has decided that his favorite (an only!) place to nap is right on mom's right shoulder.  Sure makes it hard to keep up with the blogging . . . or answer the phone . . . sheesh, its hard to get anything done these days!  But in the back of my mind the countdown is on until I have to return to work in November, so I am soaking up every snuggle and smile until then and paying absolutely no attention to the fact that my right arm has fallen asleep and there is a crick in my neck! :)

Being away from school, in the meantime, has been so surreal.  I have not yet met my kinder class for this year, but I am getting excited to meet them all and let the fun begin.  Having a substitute start the year with my kiddos was really tough . . . (How were my kiddos gonna learn how to rotate through centers the *right* way without me???!!  Would there be magic play doh awaiting them on their tables the very first day??!!  What if they learned the wrong motions for the Alphafriends song - YIPES!!)  Okay, well I was definately learning a lesson in GIVING UP CONTROL (thanks Kerri, for opening my eyes to that which was so obvious to everyone else), and it turns out, things are okay without me!  Well, at least until November . . . then I'll be whipping that class into shape!  Just kidding. Sort of.

Anyway, I thought I would share this Seasons Graph with you - its a great math activity to do as a group any time of the year!  In addition to graphing, you can have your kiddos practice comparing - greatest, least, more than, less than, etc.  Enjoy!

Just click on the picture above to access the file! :)

Anyhow, I am off to feed the little man . . .and perhaps squeeze in a shower here sometime today?  (Too much info?  C'mon, all you mommies who have had infants know what I'm talking about!!)

Hope you all have a wonderful week!

Lindsay (Jack's mommy!)