Do I have to???

     Awww... It's just one of those Mondays. I think I have a case of the Mondays... Can someone write me a note for school? You really need to stay in bed and snuggle with puppies to feel better. So, I think I need to do that. What? No note for me? But look! How do you get up when you are snugly like this...

Or this...

     You're right. I need to go to school. I would miss my students. But truly! It's 30 degrees outside and my dogs are snoring! Okay. Coffee is another remedy. I'm up!

     Hubby and I stopped by the small man-made lake down the road from my school and church. It is 5 minutes away. Sometimes, I drive down here to grade papers when the weather is nice...

     Isn't it lovely? This is where I park. We parked here too and soaked in God's majestic display. And, I had a latte. Vanilla. Hot. 

     There is a farmhouse at the bottom of it from when they flooded the valley a long time ago. If the water is low (it is NOT right now due to the rains we had earlier in the month), and you kayak toward the middle, you can paddle over the tops of old evergreens. 

     Enjoy your day, dear friends! Warm hugs to you! Time to change from "Heather on the Couch" to "Mrs. Wise". 

Heather, the Marm

P. S. There's still time to write me a note...

Oops, didn't give this a title... My bad!

     Good Morning, Dear Friends! I am up and awake, although some furry children are having a harder time of it!  Actually, they are both WIDE awake now.  They are chasing each other and wrestling.  And, they are using me as base.  Yea.  So, I may have to pause from time to time and use my best teacher voice to say, "Knock it off!" (I would never say that to a student.  But, boy, does it work wonders with my "children"...)

     I won a give away from Timewashed!  Becky is such a sweet, lovely woman of God with just a soothing and peaceful style.  Now, I am a prim girl, no doubt, but I love to add some whites from ironstone and such to give a contrast to the darker tones.  When I opened this, the heavenly smell of lavender rose from within this beautiful vintage box.  And inside, oh, I just "Ooooo'ed" and "Ahhhhh'ed".  It was like opening a treasure chest- doilies, ribbon, little tags, wooden numbers, paper birds...  I have put some of the things around, I will show you later (I have crafting stuff everywhere- no pictures for you! ).  Plus, the most adorable velvet pumpkin... You will see more of him later. *sigh*.  Such loveliness.  Now, the creative juices are flowing in how to use all of this loveliness.  Becky has a beautiful Etsy shop in which she sells these pumpkins and these crafting kits.  The kits have all of the needfuls to create this white vintage looks!  So fun!

     Well, I am puttering around (in between cleaning and starting school "thinkin'") and moving things.  Trying to get a little less cluttered but authentic look.  Authentic meaning- where would these items be kept in a real home from the 1800's?  Now, I am not fooling myself that my house looks at all like that.  I look through prim magazines and sigh.  Those are award winners.  My award would look like, "Well, she tried". I try to imagine these things so to bring order and balance for the eye rather than having items scattered all over.  So, just a heads-up, I will be asking for your opinion in the next post.  Get your thinking caps on!  

     I just got this old cheese strainer from a local thrift shop for $2.  I love cheese strainers.  Well, let's be honest, my Irish heritage is all about cheese.  And bread.  OKAY, and my students think my jokes are cheesy (Don't ya'll chime in either!). Really, should they be commenting on that? Have you seen Saturday morning cartoons lately??? Anyway, back on the correct trail. SO, well, I like this grouping by my sink.  I think it needs one more thing.  Or does it?  I am all about groupings of odd numbers, but maybe less is more?  What do ya'll think?

     ANYWHOOO, here are some of the starts of the laundry bag for clothes pins.  I stitched and primmed the label.  But, it needs a little somethin' behind it.  I have the lace, but I don't want to use it.  I like it too much.  I do think it needs something behind the label.  Ticking? Ideas?

Finished my stitchery.  My husband and I have been on a Rockford Files kick on Netflix.  Good for stitchin'!These are my "Stitchin' Tins".  They are perfect and portable to take my stuff wherever and well, protect them from my curious chewer, Charlie.

I put it next to my egg holder find.  I put some of my prim eggs on it.  This is on my hutch.  I am going to make my hutch a buttery of sorts.  That is another thing I will need your opinion on for another day!

      Here is the pumpkin I got with the giveaway.  I placed it next to my velvet pear.  Lookin' kind of Fallish... Oh, and I got some little gourds.  Gonna make a garland.  Sometime.  When I am allowed to use my husband's drill...

      Did this little stitchery for a frame that I had.  He's drying.  He's been drinking up more coffee than I have this morning.  Do you know that I love you all sooooo much that I haven't had coffee yet?  Been too busy reading blogs!  I have been reading them on my Feedly app on my Itouch.  Problem is, it won't let me comment!  I am enjoying your posts, although a lot of prayer is needed out there... Be on the look out!

     One could not ask for a better mom (I still refer to her as "Mommy"...).  She allows me a certain allotment to purchase things for the classroom.  We don't get anything from the school to purchase things, so it comes out of our pocket, so she helps with that.  What a blessing!

      Well, this year, I am being moved into a different building.  I have been in my current room for 9 years, so I was a little sad.  But my new room (a WHOLE modular for my own!) has lots of windows (LOVE IT!).  Windows must have cute curtains.  Must.  I was going to hand sew them since my vintage pistachio green machine Singer needed some repairs.  We were walking around Target getting lights and things for my new decor, and I turn around and my mom is gone.  

     Okay, side story, so we kept getting separated from each other, and my mom kept calling me on her cell phone to find out where I was.  Each time, she would really only be a row or two away.  When she saw me, she would continue to talk to me on her cell.  Boy, did we giggle!  So one call I get says, "Come over here..." She is in the sewing machine isle... 

     "What do you think about this?"  

     "It looks nice." 

     "Well, let's get it because you can't handsew all of those curtains." 

      I was so blown away!  It is light, portable, and doesn't weigh 50 pounds (My old one does).  I can even take it to school and make the curtains on the spot. You have all instilled in me the desire to sew and stitch, this really was just so exciting. God has blessed me with such a loving mom who continues to look out for my needs, listens, encourages, advises... Even though I am 39 years old.  She is a humble and compassionate woman of God.  Thank you, Lord, for my Mommy!

 

Proverbs 31:25-31

" Strength and dignity are her clothing,
    and she laughs at the time to come.  

She opens her mouth with wisdom,
    and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.

 She looks well to the ways of her household
    and does not eat the bread of idleness.

  Her children rise up and call her blessed;
    her husband also, and he praises her:

  “Many women have done excellently,
    but you surpass them all.”

  Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
    but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

  Give her of the fruit of her hands,
    and let her works praise her in the gates."

Blessings and hugs to you all, friends old and new!  Thank you for stopping by!

Love,

Heather

Planning, Puppy, and Pie Pin Keep Giveaway

      Look at this picture.  Out of all of the things there are my table, which do you think is the most valuable to a teacher? Okay, you pulled it out of me... THE COFFEE, of course.  But, Mrs. Wise, wouldn't the lesson plan book be most important?  Nope- No coffee, No workee... Sleepy head on the deskee... Okay, maybe I had too much today... Well, the candle has its place too- between hamsters and sweaty kids...

    








     This is my little warm-spot-stealer at it again.  She is actually behind me so it was hard taking the picture.  She is a nice snuggle pup.  If I am grading or blogging, she is usually near me.  Unless I am eating pizza.  Then she is right in my face...


  
    




     I found this clock at Goodwill today.  I think it is beautiful (Especially for $4).  The most awesome thing is that you wind it with a key! It ticks as loud as an episode of "60 Minutes". I love its tole work!  I also got it because I am reading my students one of my favorite books from my childhood, Tom's Midnight Garden.  In it, the story centers around an old grandfather clock.  AND that clock has to be wound by a key. SO, I thought it would be neat for the students to see a clock that ticks and is wound by a key (I will tell you about their reaction).

     The clock is also a reminder to check out my 50 Followers Giveaway! You can find that post here. I would strongly encourage you to read the comments!  Talk about wonderful stories!!!! I am loving them, and I hope you will continue to go back and read others' stories as they post them!  It definitely strikes to my heart the importance of how I do my job.  Teachers can leave a lasting impression- good and bad. 

     Also, hidden within others' comments, there are some opportunities for bonus "gold star" entries.  Those go to the person who posts a correct answer in his/her (who are we kidding? HER) comment directly following the question.  I want you to have additional opportunities to enter, but I am truly not trying to make you all jump through hoops.  I just want everyone to get a chance to enjoy these stories as much as I am!  Thank you to all who have posted for taking the time to share your stories- heartwarming to downright embarrassing!

Blessings and G'night, Dear Friends!

Heather

Another Week in Fifth Grade...

Psalm 100:5 

"For the Lord is good;
    his steadfast love endures forever,
    and his faithfulness to all generations."

My drive to school...

"The Desk" this week...

 

 Starting to organize the rolling cart...

If you give a teacher some cookies, she may get work done... (A special treat from my co-worker!  Chocolate Owl Cookies!  Yummy!)

 

Ok, so getting the work done?  Apparently not... Actually, this is the stuff from the rolling cart that needs to be organized.  But at least the cart is cleaned off!!!  Poor desk... Maybe more cookies and coffee are needed!

 

This is the learning aide for our Bible curriculum.  It is to demonstrate how the foundation of our life is God and His Word.  We build on that through the wisdom that comes only from God.  And then the rest of the structure is Biblical truths that make up the structure of our "House".  Sitting safely on our coffee table, right?

 

So how many fifth graders does it take to knock the thing down and put it back together? Apparently, all of them...

Working hard or hardly working?  Our "Morning Missions".

 

Happy birthday to... everyone!  3 in my class and like 3 in the other classes celebrated birthdays with treats..  Ugh.  I like treats but... The little cupcakes were chocolate with cream cheese icing!  The one on the left is a homemade chocolate chip cookie cake... Mmmmmmm...  I saved my coffee for those...

HOWEVER, 5 minutes after these pictures were taken and treats consumed- Well, lets just say, letters from "Think" were flying off the board that afternoon.  "AND NO!  Sugar cannot be used as an excuse for bad behavior!" said the teacher to her students as her hair turned grey before their eyes!

 

The two birthday pumpkins went to deliver treats to the other teachers.  They stopped to give one to my coworker, Tim.  This is how the two of them came back after their visits.  They said that Mr. Glass told them it is what they both need... Can't deny that one! :)

A BEAUTIFUL DAY AT SCHOOL!

We're thinkin'!  Halfway through the week!  Much better!!!!

Recess Duty

Okay, so we have chat so as to communicate with each other and the office.  These are the weird conversations that happen between the fourth grader teacher and myself.  Yeah.  I don't know...

Mystery Box Activity:

There were foam shapes and a marble sealed inside each box.  Their job was to try to discover and determine what the inside of the box looked like.  The marble is to help with that.  There were 3 different "levels":

1.  They brainstormed with no idea as to what could possibly be inside.

2.  I showed them the possible shapes.

3.  I gave them an empty box, a marble, and foam pieces to use trial-and-error to see what they can figure out.  The box is NEVER opened.  I just gave them a rating as to how close they were.  There were some overachievers who were downright surly because they weren't "close".  Good grief. So much for a fun activity. 

 

 

We did it!!!!!  We earned all of our letters and then some!!!!  We celebrated by a game of soccer before dismissal on Friday!  Thank you for your prayers on Monday!  God worked on their hearts and definitely turned that week around!!!!

 

Blessings to you all! Thank you for your prayers!!!

Whatchadoin'?

So this is my second post, yes, I know.  But this one is "The Home Edition". So, well, not "The School Edition".  I am no longer "Mrs. Wise".  I am Heather.  Sitting on a couch.  Drinking coffee. And enjoying a fake fireplace.  Truly. OH, and eating peach bread from Shady Maple Farm Market (I live 10 minutes from there...).

Mmmmmm. Gingerbread scented candle. Okay.  Wait.  I need to go heat up my coffee.  Again.

 

My "fake fireplace"!!!  Sounds real with surround sound!  I told you, Trace...

 

The owl is staying at home, staring people down as they come up the stairs.  The scarecrow is going to school.  They are both eBay purchases from the same seller. $5 a piece!  I thought that it was a good bargain for homemade items! I thought the scarecrow would be cute for the classroom.  I don't like to do seasonal bulletin boards.  I like mine to be subject oriented.  But, I do like putting little decorations around the room to make it homey.  Fall and Christmas are my favorites for decorating!

 

I got this kitty on eBay as well.  This lady is such a wonderful testimony through eBay and so creative.  She has a story behind every cat she makes.  My cat's name is "Sam".  He has an addiction to chili.  The story is all about his renovations to his house, and his addiction to making and consuming chili. It is hilarious!  I love the part about eating antacids like they were candy!  Each cat has a different, charming story and is different in its design.  I was loving just going through and reading the stories.  When you get a cat, you get the story printed on parchment paper.  I think she should put them all together in a book!  She also takes the time to write a note BY HAND to tell you about the cat's journey to your house and then ends with sharing God's love and truth.  I was just really was amazed by the time and effort she put into each buyers purchase experience.  You could really tell she enjoyed what she did!

You have to check her out- Alnalex

God has really been gracious in eBay sales this month.  I did stay true to my word and get rid of items to make room for my cat, crow, and apples. It feels good to pass on items that are just sitting or kept in a cabinet. The rest is going toward getting my husband a new iPod since he dropped his (It had also gone through the wash this summer.  Yea for rice!!!).  It is hard to surprise someone when they handle the finances- "Uh, Honey. What is this payment to Apple?" "Surprise."  So, hopefully this will be a surprise.  Don't ya'll tell!

 

Ahh!  My crow!  I was so excited to be able to purchase a crow from Wendy at Ravenwood Whimzies!  He is perfect for the fall decor.  I told her about my crow friend, Winston, from school (He is in the previous post).  Guess what his tag says?  Winston!  So sweet!

 

I am addicted to Granny Trace's apples! They are such cozy bowl fillers.  I just love the texture and patterns of wool. I will have to show you all of my husband's grandmother's pinkeeps that she made.  I think you will see why I have a great affection for Woolie Apples...

 

So, I have been working on my pinkeeps.  The one is my own design, I guess.  It is a pie in a vintage tin.  It is onsaburg fabric with cheese cloth "crust" along the edges.  For the one, I am only going to slightly tea stain ( Steve said to just do them both lightly.  Never!  I can't!  I am a prim gal!).  The other, well, let's just say "well done".  The other others are just cute fabric in various vintage containers with vintage buttons.  I will take better pictures when I am really done.  I will also have questions for finishing them, but I will save that for a later post.

 

You know the house is cold when you have to keep reheating your coffee every 15 minutes.  It is that part of Fall where you don't have to use the air conditioner, but you really don't want to use heat to save money on the electric bill.  So, blankets and warm puppies (We have another puppy visiting.  My coworker, Anne, has a dog named Lexi.  She is visiting.  She is a true lap dog.  And laptop dog.  I will try to take pictures to explain later...).

Okay, so this coffee container has always intrigued me.  Why is there a period after 'coffee'?  The only thing I can think of is to make a statement, "COFFEE". Like you NEED to drink me.  NOW.  I don't know.  What are your thoughts?

That's it for this weekend!

Thank you for stopping by!

The Teach.  Ooops. Heather

Have a blessed weekend!