Field Trip Fun/ Very Important Message

Okay. I'm getting better at this. Only because I am in a productive mood.

So Friday was great! I woke up and it was raining. I was thinking who goes to Callaway Gardens when it's raining. I had already heard horror stories of going to Callaway Gardens previous years when it was raining and sitting on the bus for an hour or more before deciding to go back to school. An hour or more wait isn't that long. But, with 70 second graders crammed on a cheese wagon would probably seem like 24 hours. And, I do NOT do throw up. Not my own. So definately no one elses. While reading journals I come across this precious little boys entry about getting bus sick every time he rides. This makes me instantly nervous. What if he does get sick? What if it gets on me? Or I smell it. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
But, I wore my hair curly (so that couldn't contribute to my mood), put my tennis shoes on, and was off to school. I pull up and see this.

Charter buses? For a field trip? Saaaawheeeeet.

Now, my attitude changes immediately. Waiting an hour isn't an issue on a charter bus. Pop in a movie in the A.C. for those kiddos and we're set. Only about 30 minutes later do I find out 5th grade was also going on a field trip and those buses were for them. Danggggggggggg it. My mood changes again.

The kids walk in the classroom bounching OFF THE WALLS. Literally back and forth from the door, to my desk, to their friends' desks, to the window getting a weather update, and that 100 more times. I had to become really mean really quick because I didn't pack any Goody Powders.

Buses (CHEESE WAGONS) pull up. Not we must load lunches AND snacks. I'm pretty much tired by now. It stopped raining when we got off the interstate and the little fella sitting beside me singing "I bust tha windows outcha car" and "I throw my hands up in the air sometimes saying ayyy oh baby lettt go" might have helped my mood just a tad.

First thing we did was go to a Raptor/Prey show. Can I just say I really enjoyed that? Yes, I said it. And the kids LOVED it!

RED TAILED HAWK 

Okay, don't remember the name of this one 

Barn Owl

Don;t remember the name of this one either but I do remember the reason that he isn't allowed to be in the wild. "He met with a Suburban's windshield one night." 

Another picture of the Barn Owl (had my fkash on. Oops!)

Next, we were off to the butterfly garden. It was hot, humid, and loud. I enjoyed it for about 5 minutes and was over it! The kids were trying to play tag with the butterflies. Talk about stress. I could just see a child wanting a medal for being the "Tag" champ!

Then, it was time for lunch. Which was my 2nd favorite part. (Surprise, Surprise) After we ate, we played tag and I was "IT" probably 4,257 times. I was def. tired then. While one of my kids was playing, NOT TAG WITH ME, he was running, not looking where he was going, and ran full speed INTO A HUGE CEDAR column that knocked him flat on his back. This is the same one whose name I say in my sleep for not staying in his seat. He had a goose egg the size of a baseball. No exaggeration!

Finally, we were off to the garden. This was my 3rd favorite part because we were literally there for 10 minutes and that was plenty of time to see everything that was there. But, really the flowers were my favorite part.  Here's some pictures from there.

How goregous were those flowers? They made me actually made me want to try to have a green thumb. But, my boyfriend cuts grass. So maybe he will. Or do people who cut grass not have green thumbs. Anyhow, I'd love flowers in my yard like the ones in the pictures above.

And we're off. I literally fell asleep on accident on the way home. My teacher took a picture of me and all but 4 of my kids in my class sleeping on the way home. Ooops. Honest mistake. I was tired.

And that led to me napping for an hour or more Friday night and being completely worthless.

Tomorrow, I am starting to teach about the life cycle of caterpillars. I went through the caterpillars that I put in individual cups for each student last week with mallow. Mallow- google it. It's used in marshmallows and it stinks (smells like baby food) and made me want to vomit. And doing 23, wasn't fun. But, I got the caterpillars out of the box today and 7 had already died. I left them in the box therefore they couldn't get light and suffocated. Way to go Ms. Newman. (Hold your applause please!) But don't fret, I placed them by the window seal to try and bring them back to life. And if I am unsuccessful, I have plenty extra.
Pictures to come on this unit!!!! I am soo pumped. I know all the kids will name their caterpillars tomorrow so I'll definately make note of the names to share. Oh and check out my new system for student's turning in their work. They come and file their work under their name so I can just snap this filing cabinet shut, and carrry it right to my car, then right in my house, and grade away.

And yes, I know goes is off center, and it is driving me completely bonkers, BUT I don't feel like redoing it!

One last very important thing--

It's this beautiful woman's birthday! Happy 46th birthday mama!!! Don't kill me for telling your age. I'm only doing it so people won't believe your my sister. You never cease to amaze me with you kindness, love, and humor. I couldn't imagine having a better person as my best friend. However, I can imagine a better mom for Jake and that would be you! Hope you day has been HALF as wonderful as you. Love you more than words could EVER say!

Until Friday/ish,

"Her skin is as smooth as a rock"

Maybe starting a blog wasn't such a great idea.
Or maybe there should be more than 24 hours in a day?
Either way, I feel like a let down when it comes to blogging. But, when I do blog, I try to catch you up on what I'm going to be doing so that kinda makes up for days I don't right?

Reading journals today, I come across a journal entry about yours truly. It reads:

"I like Ms. Numan our inturn. I will tell you about Ms. Numan. Her name is Rachel like me. She has pretty brown hair. Her hair is straight and long. Her eyes are brown as dirt. Her skin is as smooth as a rock. She is pretty. She is a big help in the classroom. She is really good at expressing what she is reading. I think Ms. Neman is really nice and smart."

Well.....that was just too cute wasn't it? I went from Ms. Numan to Ms. Neman. And we have been working on adjetives lately so I am assuming that this student is trying to incorporate them in her writing. However, saying that my skin is smooth as a rock frightens me. I mean, it must be really neat to have skin as smooth as a rock. Right?!

Teacher appreciation week was 2 weeks ago and my kids made me feel SUPER appreciated. They made cards on Monday. Brought me "hugs and kisses" (Hershey's) on Tuesday. Then, flowers on Wednesday. And on Friday, I got a gift card from the class:) It's always nice to see that all of your hard work is being appreciated by SOMEONE.

Here are some things that were said in the cards:

"You are lovely like hearts."

"I love you Ms. Newman thank you for what you have taught us. and thank you for the story's you have read to us."

"Mr. Newman I love you." (Followed by a drawing of 2 girls. Beside on it says: You are 20. And by the other: I am 7."

I guess I'll appreciate the fact that she said I was 2 years younger than I really am one day.

"Happy Valentine's day. I hope you have a nice Valentine."

Yes, John, my Valentine, Cody, is a nice person.

"Dear Mrs. Rachel Newman, thank you for teaching us to be hard working second graders. I we wern't with you or if you wern't here with us we would'nt be hard working second graders. thank you for all. you're sensearly. your friend, bob."

Well, this is funny because I say Bob's name in my sleep at night. He is constantly out of his seat, sitting in his chair like it's a Lazyboy, or talking. But gosh, I love Bob. Thanks for appreciating that I want you to be hard working second graders.

"Thank you Ms. Newman for thanking of thes projects and being relly nice."

This next one, I have NO IDEA where this saying came from or what it is implying. If you know, please fill me in!

"Just let the NATION come to your girl." (Illustrations include: a strawberry. a cat, a ladybug, a flower, and a dog.)

This week we are having a short week because we're going on a field trip Friday. I am so excited but SO nervous at the same time. I sometimes have trouble keeping these kids in the classroom. Do you think it would be bad if I offered to purchase those kiddie leashes for my group?! COMPLETELY KIDDING! But I do for see some events occuring: someone getting sick on the bus, someone having to go to the bathroom on the bus, someone swatting and injuring/killing a butterfly, someone forgetting their lunch and asking to share mine, someone trying to catch a butterfly and put it in their pocket, someone asking 10,000 questions about butterflies that I can't answer. These are just a few. But all jokes aside,  I know they will be so excited and will be precious angels.

 But, we are working on our "SPRINGING INTO CONTRACTIONS" bulletin board. The boys are making Contraction Catepillars. (Cut out 6 circles. The 1st circle gets 1 googly eye and a smile. The other 5 get contractions. Then, each circle gets 2 legs. Each leg has the 1 of the 2  words written to make up the contraction.) The girls are making Contraction Kites. (Contraction goes on the kite. The 2 words that make up the contraction go on 2 bowties, and on the 3rd bowtie, they write a sentence using the word.) Presh huh?

Next week we start our butterfly unit. Don't worry. There are TONS of pictures to come. I could sit here for hours and write about what all we will do but I'll post pictures instead:)

That's about all the exciting things I have. I have been extremely busy preparing for my 2 full weeks of teaching. I am so ready to get started but I have been planning for almost a full week and am not even halfway through. It's times like these that I wish I wasn't such a perfectionist. Oh and the job search continues. I have written follow-up letters to those schools I interviewed with, sent copies of resumes and coverletters to the schools I've applied with, and that is VERY time consuming. Addressing each cover letter to a different person AFTER finding out who it should be addressed to leads to me wanting to pull every hair off my head!  But, I hope all of this hard work will pay off. It's all in His hands.

Until the butterflies arrive at YES,