What we have been up to in Room 9

I live in Room 9- aka my classroom.  The other day I slept on the futon in my room.  I keep a pantry in there too- it really is my second (or first) home.

 Here are a few peaks into what life has been like in room 9 lately...

Me on a Map Unit

Me on a Map Unit

We collected enough canned food to line every hall way of our school!  A post on the bulletin board is coming soon!

We made turkeys for grandparent's breakfast.  The paper is a writing from a prompt "You just found out Farmer Fred is planning on eating you (the turkey) for Thanksgiving!  What will you do?"

Building with base ten blocks, the recording how many were used

transferring patterns from geobards to paper

Sums turkeys!  Each student was given a name (10 for example) and they had to write sums of that number!

Where did November go?

Several weeks ago my computer crashed.  Have I even called in to get it fixed yet- no.  Where did this month go?!?!  I feel like it was literally last week that I was doing report cards (That was the 1st week of October for me....) and now we are trying to fit in our assessments before the next round of reposrt cards  (Our semester ends December 15th)!


I miss you all, and your inspiration to be crafty, creative, loving, caring, and thoughtful.  I really will try to be better, but for now, please bare with me as I finish out my first semster as a teacher!  :)


Last weekend (the week before Thanksgiving) we had been looking forward to the event of the year "Friendsgiving".  Friendsgiving was created our last year of college.  All of our closest friends gathered in a tiny apartment and cooked a full thanksgiving meal together.  It was a blast!!  We loved it so much that it became an annual thing.  It is the one time of year where all of us can see each other.  While everyone is moving away, we still will get together then.  We had not seen some of these people in over a year and were very excited to be able to be together for an entire weekend! 

However, just a few days before Hubby's Grandmother passed away.  It was very sudden as in she has been the same for a long time.  At the same time however, we have known that ti was coming as she Alzheimers gets worse each week (and it has been for several years).  Tickets just to fly out for the funeral were 450 each!  Hubster went, and I stayed home.  All of our plans for the next few weeks changed. 

Normally when things change I don't like it.  I love making plans, and keeping them.  That may sound funny since I am a teacher and my plans change during the day every 5 minutes (or less)- but I think that's why I like having my plans in life so set.  I was happy that I didn't find myself upset by all of the changes (including not seeing my family at all for thanksgiving).  I was sad that I was unable to go to friendsgiving.  We hope that this will encourage us to make plans with these friends soon. 


Thanksgiving we spent with Hubby's family.  His brother stayed in town from Oregon since the funeral.  It was a true American Thanksgiving with just the five of us (a nice change from years past as my inlaws always invite 7 different Chinese students each year).  We had a lot of fun, lots to eat, and lots to drink (entire bottle of Maker's Mark.....).  However it was interesting to see how Hubby's dad handled the first holiday just days after his mothers passing.  If in 25 years my husband is half the man his father is I will be one lucky lady. 

lincon park zoo

have you ever been to the Lincon Park Zoo in Chicago?  It's a free public zoo (minus parking) and it is incredible!  By far and away the best was to spend 17 bucks in Chicago!

We love the African Exhibit!  But the best part of the zoo had nothing to do with what the zoo had to offer, but rather who was there.  Everywhere we went we saw awesome parents!  They were making everything and educational activity.  They were all so attentive to their children.  They played along with all of the silly things to get the kids excited about learning!  It was so flippin cool to see!!  I wasn't too surprised that I noticed since I noticed parents and kids all the time, but when the Hubster noticed I knew it was serious!  Thank you to all of those parents for being amazing examples to us, and fantastic reminders that kids don't have to be rotten stink-pots :)

that dumb broken computer (and a wedding)

so my computer busted last week- like won't turn on at all kind of busted.  and we just got it a few months ago (refurbished but still!  it's a mac!)
all of this time without my computer has left me staying later at school to get work done, and left my hobby of blogging in the wind.

oh how i miss you all.  I literally sat at my computer at school just now for 1 hour looking through posts for the past week and a half!  (and it's sunday night, so that is just not ok for me to be at school!)

it look as if it will be a few more weeks until i get everything back up and running again.  on the upside I recently uploaded a million pictures to my school computer- so not all is lost :)

Last weekend I wasn't very focused on my computer because my dear friend from college was getting married!!  The hubby and I drove up to Chicago for the weekend- and it was fantastic!  Please  enjoy the pictures- it was such a beautiful fall wedding- and would not have been more perfectly fitted to the two of them!

the head table

cutting the cake

the first dance

so in love!

father and daughter

the 'sign-in' (finger print tree)

garter (yes, that is the groom pulling out an old shoes- among other things from the dress)

"SHOUT"

the happy couple on their send off!

Pumpkin Love

We loved picking our pumpkins.  We also loved carving them!  Check out our awesome work.  Yes, the 'Newly-Whits' are in fact awesome at carving pumpkins. :)

farm grown pumpkins!

the first lighting on the back porch

video game....... (his)

adorable w (hers)

so proud of my little pumpkin!

our front porch

Hallows Eve

Trick-or-Treat!

I love halloween.  Not sure why, but I think it is fun.  It was super fun to be a first grade teacher that day!  The kids were all so excited.  My favorite part was the next morning when they brough in pictures of being dressed up!  I have a class of winners!  :)

The 'Newly-Whits' celebrated Halloween by staying in, hoping for trick-or-treaters (with 5x as much candy as we could ever need- we are set until easter).  I dug through the closest to make a costume, and the hubby did the same.  I landed on Pirate and he landed on a Duke Basketball player.


After the trick-or treaters were gone (all 5 of them) we watched Scream.  It was an uneventful night, but great non-the less.

sassy pirate wench ;)

Pumpkin fun coming soon!

ok, i'll take a little more now

Well, it's been about 13 weeks, and i am finally on my feet!  I am no longer feeling like I am just getting by at school.  I no longer feel behind.  I no longer feel clueless, and it is amazing!

I get to school at 6:45 in the morning- work my booty off until most get in by 7:15- then chat before final preparations when the kids arrive at 8:05!  I have learned how to make use of all of my time.  I don't wait for the computer to turn on, each time I walk across the room I set something up.  I keep a pile of papers that need to be graded papercliped together next to my desk and I do a few with every spare minute I find. 

The kids leave at 2:45 and by contract I am there until 3:10.  Recently I have been leaving at 3:10!  What a change from the 6:30 the first month of school!  When I get home I relax, and only have one set of papers to grade before getting started on dinner when the hubster gets home!

I am really feeling like I am in the grove.  Of course, that is not enough for me.  Secretly, I strive on a little stress.  So I got in touch with my school today to see what extra curricular needs we have yet to meet.  I'll find out later this week what I have gotten myself into!

Until then, I will enjoy the balance of being a teacher-wife.

I leave you with a random look into room 9 :)

**ps** every time i get on blogger the internet crashes- odd.  I miss reading your lovely words, and hope to return to normal soon!