Guess My Vacation To Win!

Can you guess where I am going?

Leave your answer in comments, 

with an email where you can be reached.

One lucky winner will receive 
a very special gift

from this amazing place!

I'll be back on July 4 to announce the winner!

(Some of you know where I will be, in general terms.

Guess a specific spot on my itinerary!)
I'm going to miss blog hopping....
I will not have access to technology!
Honestly, I'm experiencing some anxiety about leaving my computer behind.  This past week I was knee deep in kindergarten, testing incoming students and organizing bulletin boards.
Ideas for this year are swimming around in my brain!
The spiral notebook just might become 
my best friend on this vacation

Prayer Requests for Kindergarten & Above~Freebie!

Everyday, I pray with my kindergartners.  (Dear public school teacher pals, pass this post on to someone who might be interested!)  Verbalizing our prayer requests and listening to others is beneficial for many reasons.  However!...there have been days when I wished I'd created a more streamlined approach to this portion of our Bible lesson time.
Typically, we would go around the circle, sharing our requests as I wrote them on paper hearts and added them to the prayer box.  We filled a jar with answered prayers, as we first checked the box during devotions.  This photo was taken on the last day of school.  

The Happy Home Fairy recently shared a post that made me think about new ways to incorporate prayer, writing (list-making), and our children's Bibles, into other parts of my kindergarten schedule.
I plan to set up a year-round spot for cozy chairs, a basket of Bible-related books, and these prayer slips.  As the year progresses, I will add blank paper to encourage more writing and/or illustrating!  
Prayer Request Slips

Planning Calendar

I see things whole-to-part.  

There have been many times--trigonometry and calculus!--

when I wished I didn't need to grasp the whole picture first!

At the age of 48 (shhh!), I'm finally learning 

to just accept my personal style and go with it.

(Of course, I will not stop stretching my other brain muscles!)

This planning calendar was created in Power Point. 

I will be jotting down basic notes for each quarter, per page.

Would this be helpful to you?

I need to save it as a compatible slide, 

allowing changes in text and format.

Updates to come!

One More Book

"Books are the plane, and the train, and the road.
They are the destination and the journey.
They are home."
Anna Quindlen

Find it here.

June is the month that I set aside for sorting through 

the scraps of paper I collect throughout the year.

Today, I tackled a drawer that contained

--among other things-- 

receipts for school supplies, perfume samples, 

thank you notes, and papers with quotes.

Among the fluttering mess, I found the above quote.

Somehow, I want to use this quote in my classroom!

My relationship with books goes back to my earliest memories.

This may have something to do with primarily 

being a sight learner; I am compelled to read.  

Anna Quindlen wrote an essay, "On Being A Mom",

that always brings tears to my eyes.

(I've linked the essay at a blog that will inspire you with its photography!) 

I'm living in unknown territory this summer, 

with our 19-year-old son home from college.  

He is trying not to chafe against a curfew.  

We are trying not to ask too many questions.

He is managing his own work schedule.

We are managing to give him the freedom to fail.

Where do I go to process this new territory?

Books...but not necessarily books about parenting young adults.

When I am reading, there is another track being traveled.  

My heart seems to shake and sort the details 

of my subconscious and conscious thoughts.  

At the end of a half hour with a book, 

things are clearer, answers are settled.

At the moment, I'm rereading 

"All Is Vanity", by Christina Schwarz

The characters make me want to be a better writer, 

to notice and describe the things I tend to forget.

What is your relationship with books?

A New Look!

I am thrilled with my new template!  Erika and Misty at Honey Bunch Blog Designs did a fantastic job!  If you are looking for a change, I highly recommend them.  :-)


The new design reminds me of my classroom.  Every morning, when I turn on the lights, I feel as if I've stepped into a storybook.  I wanted the template to capture the magical moment that is kindergarten.