The Ones We Love The Most

I started this blog to have a place to share my classroom experiences. Little did I know or understand what I was getting myself into. This blog has become my little outlet. Not only about education, but about life. I've shared some experiences that reflect pain and tragedy and how I've tried to use those experiences to help people. My latest hardship doesn't seem to have a lesson in it, but God is still working. So we will see.

*Warning* Extremely Personal Post Ahead* 

My father was diagnosed with cancer in 2002. He fought it and he BEAT it! His health, however, suffered tremendously. In 2008, he had to switch to a feeding tube, because his food was going into his lungs, causing him to aspirate. The aspiration was causing chronic pneumonia. He was getting it almost every other month or so. When Daddy would get pneumonia, he was in ICU for a week or so and typically went into septic shock. I remember the Dr. telling us that people typically do not go into septic shock more than once. Daddy has been septic so many times, I've lost count. He was a strong man, and never let the fact that he couldn't eat slow him down. He still lived life everyday. He did a *few* things I didn't approve of...like long motorcycle trips, and just living on the edge. He told me he wasn't sure how long he had and he didn't want any regrets. Thanksgiving was always his favorite holiday, daddy was a foodie for sure! Every year, after he went to the tube, he just said "I know I can't eat, but I'm alive and still kickin'". The feeding tube did slow the pneumonia down, but it didn't prevent it. The last two years, his voice started to become very difficult to understand and our main methods of communication became texting and FB messages. Every Thanksgiving, my family comes from all over to the mountains of North Carolina. Last week, we were gearing up for that very tradition. Dad went up a little early, and had only been there a few hours. He pretty much went straight to bed that night...

So about 12 days ago, daddy text me, "I went shopping today, I bought the kiddos a 3 piece suit". I was like...what? You went shopping by yourself? And why a suit? You don't wear suits, my hubby doesn't wear suits? We are jeans and pearl snap shirt folks! That's our dress up! My hubby got a *tad* irritated at the thought of his kiddos in a 3 piece suit (ummm okay). I just said "Ya know, daddy never just randomly buys gifts, just let it be". That was Thursday. I told Daddy thanks for the suits and we looked forward to seeing them. 

Then the phone call that changed EVERYTHING. That middle of the night, gut wrenching phone call of someone you love crying. IF you haven't experienced this, I pray you never do. By the sound of my sweet Aunt's voice, I knew, this time was different. The hubby made some calls, and loaded our family up..the longest car ride of my life.

We got there, just in time for the doctors to tell us the most awful words ever "Your father has no blood flow to his brain". Daddy went to be with Jesus that day. I am thankful that we all had the chance to see him one last time. 

After we got back to my family's house, someone gave me another surprise. On that shopping trip, Daddy had bought my sister and I two pieces of jewelry. The first time in my life that he's ever randomly done that. I've shouted this from the rooftops, I don't think my daddy knew he was going to die. I do, however, believe that GOD put those impulses in his heart.  God knew that Daddy would soon be called to heaven. Dad had just finished his "honey do list " all over his house. Something he's had for YEARS to do. 

I wanted to share with you a few pictures, so that you could see the changes he went through. Cancer is an awful thing, and we were so excited when daddy "won" the battle. But the thing with cancer, it's not a battle, it's a war. The war continues for years after you are "Cancer Free". 

Pre-Cancer

My Wedding Day (4 years post cancer)

My brother and daddy ( 8 years post cancer)

10.5 years post cancer 

Our Last Picture

My kiddos proudly opened their gifts from their papa and wore those brand new suits to lay him ,to rest.

Now, as I attempt to figure out this new way of life without my daddy, I hope that I can show the courage and the strength that he did. I hope that one day people will say that I blessed their lives the way my dad did. I could not have asked for a better dad,  and am so honored when people tell me I'm just like him (Except SOME areas haha) 

I am so excited about a shadow box our friend made from Custom Coin Holders. He is a disabled veteran who does amazing work! Head on over and check them out!

Thank you for letting me share this with you. I am so honored that so many of you have become my friends through this little ole blog!!! 

Exhaustion at it's finest

So! A little update! As you know, I've been without a full time teaching position for a little over a year. My family moved last fall when my husband was transferred to VA. In the meantime, I've been volunteering, substituting and doing anything to just get out there and be involved in the schools. I've had a couple of *almost* jobs, and then on HALLOWEEN, I got the BEST phone call..job interview! I was so excited. I interviewed that day and was offered the job the next morning! I'm so happy to say that I'm returning to....my roots..my soul...FIRST GRADE!!!!

 So since November 1st, I have been running around like crazy!! 

We first had to move everything in..

I'm not sure if my husband was excited about my job...or that the fact that he could actually SEE his boat now ;)

Then, the real work began....

I can't even believe I'm posting this picture! But it shows the working stages of putting together a classroom!! I know you all know  how crazy it can be!!! 

These aren't the best pictures, but here goes my room thus far. I have a few more finishing touches to add..

I used my Chevron Classroom Labels

My Library Book Check Out System. Go check out this FREEBIE

I love A Cupcake For The Teacher's Behavior Chart

I used several of my sweet friend  Erica Bohrer's Resources

This is one of my favorite spaces..and I still have to add to it. I used command hooks to make up my own anchor chart storage area. 

  

My Library 

Multi Colored Chevron Labels

So now, I'm off to finish up my lesson plans and print my centers for the month! I'm using so many resources! I will share that with you later in the week!!! Be sure to stop by my little shop, you might find a little sale happening PLUS some freebies I added!!!

Throwback Thursday Trio

I am so happy to join in on the fun with my friends Michelle and Fern!! They've asked me to join in on the fun..so what exactly is a Throwback Thursday Trio?? Read here about what Fern and Michelle are up too:

Fern recently came up with a new idea.  Each week, we are going to make one of our normally priced packets free for one day.  This is our way of showing a little appreciation to our followers who have loyally followed our blogs.  As an added bonus, we are going to invite a different blogger friend each week to join us.  Not only will you get free stuff, you might get to "meet" someone new and want to follow his or her store, too.  How great is that?!!!  Make sure you visit our blogs every Thursday!

Click here to download my freebie! 

Just a reminder:  You will not be able to leave feedback after we change it back to a paid for lesson. 

My freebie is my

Interactive Number Journal

How is that I have two children that are COMPLETE opposite?!?! One (oldest) dislikes school with a PASSION. You would think we were asking him to run 100 miles in the pouring rain when all he has to do is homework. The other one (kinder) gets sad when it's Saturday because there is no school! He even asks for MORE homework. Every day he wants to do extra "school time" as he calls it. We had our first conference the other day and his teacher said he is also very eager in the classroom!!! I don't know WHERE this comes from!! He loves math and numbers, and I wanted a way to practice those number words early on. I know how tricky they can be later on...So I came up with this little fun Interactive Math Number Journal! You can use this journal in several ways. My little one wanted to glue it into his own spiral notebook. But I thought it would be cut and easy in the classroom to glue it onto construction paper. That way you can work on it as you need to. I plan on making a set with higher numbers, because he will get to 20 pretty quickly!!!  

It includes numbers 1-20!!

His favorite part is the high light the number section :) 

Guided Math Tips and Resources

Hey Friends! If you haven't noticed, I've  really been enjoying our guided math routine this year! We've had so much fun while learning all at the same time! If you are not familiar with Guided Math, it follows the same routine as Guided Reading! Students are working in cooperative learning groups while the teacher pulls students who need remediation or intervention. This gives you a chance to see where each and EVERY student is.

I typically introduce each topic in a whole group setting, then we start our stations. Students are practicing the skill the first day. I will also sometimes give a pre assessment.  The first day, I am rotating around each station to see where students are struggling. I group my students by how they did on the pretest. The groups will change, depending on the skill. My struggling students for money, might be different then the students who struggle with word problems. The following day, we start off with our stations again and I pull each group to re-teach the skill. We follow this routine for several days. About the fifth or sixth day of instruction, I will give a mini assessment to see where our struggles are. Using this data, I might re-group my students for intervention.

While I'm working with my intervention group, my students are completing centers. The skills are a combination of the current SOL and previously taught skills. This way, the students are working on skills all throughout the year, not just when the pacing guide says to! I don't have my kids rotate. Just the math tubs rotate. You can read more about that here

Reasons why I *LOVE* Guided Math:

*Students are doing engaging, hands on, interactive math activities

*Teacher meets with every student in a small group setting

*It's not BORING! Kids LOVE IT!

Here are my FAVORITE Resources for Guided Math:

                               

That's the reasons in a nutshell! I have SEVERAL posts on guided math and resources to use! My blogging friends also have tons of ideas so I decided to do a little linky party!

If you have a post about guided math, feel free to link up, just be sure to add my image to your post and link back to this post!!! Don't have a blog? Leave a comment of what you would like to know about guided math or your favorite guided math tip!!!

Till Next Time!