Arch Enemy

Most Recently Read Book:

Arch Enemy

By Frank Beddor

This book is the third and final book in the Looking Glass Wars series. I definitely liked this book but to me, it had the feel of a third and final book. I kind of felt the same way about Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer. They have to write the last book in the series but because it's kind of just tying things up it ends up being a little anti-climactic. The feel like all you're getting is the denouement (the falling action and resolution after the climax). Especially when it all ends up as you think it will or should. I still love this series. Love the characters, love the multiple plotlines, love the action.

Just in case you haven't read my blog posts about the other books in this series/trilogy, it's all about Alyss Hart from Wonderland. According to the author, the book Alice in Wonderland got the entire story all wrong. You have to read the book to figure out what Wonderland is all about and it's truly worth getting your hands on!

Readicide

Most Recently Read Book:

Readicide: How Schools Are Killing Reading and What You Can Do About It

By Kelly Gallagher

Another book every reading teacher should read! I have read so many great reading books lately that I might not have picked up if it wasn't for National Boards. It has really gotten me back on track as far as reading literature about teaching. This book has some really great ideas in it. Gallagher talks about a balance when it comes to teaching reading. We can't overdo books and we can't just tell a kid to read a book and then give them a test. There has to be a happy medium. I could not agree more. I just wish other teachers would read this and see all the statistics he has about reading and test scores. There are some remarkable statistics and tidbits of information in this short book. I'm anxious to share it with other teachers!!!

National Boards

Here I am, sitting at Starbucks working on all the writing I have to do in order to earn my National Boards Certification. I'm taking a break to eat a yummy sausage and egg breakfast sandwich and to sip on a venti Calm hot tea and I just realized I have never really blogged about National Boards. I know I have tweeted about it but I haven't really talked about it on my blog.

Just because I should be devotedly working on National Boards and I need a reason to prolong my break I'll blog about it now!

National Board certification is a one-year process of analyzing and assessing and reflecting on my teaching. When I'm done I'll have written 4 15-page portfolio entries, video taped myself a million times, and taken 6 assessment center online essays...and hopefully I'll achieve National Board certification! I'll go from a standard teaching certificate to a master teaching certificate and it will be current for 10 whole years! (Compared to 5 years that a standard is good for.) One other little bonus is that the state will pay me $1500 every year for those 10 years...sounds nice but it used to be $3000 until they halved the budget this summer. But $15,000 is still a lot.

That's all the concrete stuff I'll get, but I have to tell you this is the most rewarding learning I have ever done. People say it's a ton of work, and it is, believe me. I also believe it's worthwhile work that is manageable if you just break it all down and do it a little bit at a time. Thus, my Saturday Starbucks work sessions! I was doing good at the beginning of the school year and I've gotten sidetracked lately. On Saturdays when Chad doesn't have a chiropractor appointment I sneak out of the house at 5:15 and head to Starbucks to get my work done. I love it. I was here this morning before the newspapers and when it was still completely dark and blissfully quiet (except for Starbucks' awesome music...).

Here I am:

Lovely, huh? I actually don't feel as beat up as I look in this picture!!! I think I just look tired...when I actually took a nap yesterday afternoon and then went to sleep at 7:15 after we put Jordan to bed. On another note, our house is a complete wreck seeing as it has been the last of my worries with everything going on like National Boards, teaching in general, the holidays, Christmas cards, spending time with friends and family...if you could see that you would realize, no, I am most certainly not Wonder Woman...although I like to believe I am sometimes. (No, I refuse to provide you with a picture of it...it's not pretty.)

Okay, I've spent enough time on this procrastinating post...back to work!

Catching Fire

Most Recently Read Book:

Catching Fire

By Suzanne Collins

Sniffle. Waaah. Sniffle. Sigh. Ugh.

It is a complete understatement to say that this is an amazing book and series. I thought I liked Hunger Games, the first book in this series, but this book is quite possibly just as amazing. This trilogy is about a dystopic society where two members of each of the 12 districts are selected to participate in the Hunger Games. The tributes are put into an arena and left to fend for themselves...until their deaths. The last person alive is the victor. If the first story isn't epic enough for you, wait until you get your hands on this one...and, believe me...you'll want to. (And then either comment here or e-mail me because I want to hear what you think!)

Knots in My Yo-yo String

Most Recently Read Book:

Knots in My Yo-yo String: The Autobiography of a Kid

By Jerry Spinelli

Jerry Spinelli is one of my favorite authors. I loved Maniac Magee when I read it in junior high school and, more recently, I have loved Stargirl, Love, Stargirl, and Milkweed. Reading Spinelli's autobiography of his life growing up really gives insight into some of his stories. I told some of my students I was reading it and they were asking me if he had a hard life. Truth be told, he really didn't have a hard life. He had a fun life. He had a life of playing baseball in sandlots and riding his bike all over town. It's a nice glimpse of life in the 50's. Each chapter seems a little disconnected from the others, even though he tries to tie it together with the idea of knots in his yo-yo string, but overall it was a nice, reminiscent read (not that I was alive in the 50's...but you know what I mean.)

Happy Happy Joy Joy!

Yippee! I got an award! Emily Wood is my newest bestest blog friend and she just gave me an award today. What a great end to a long Monday: to come home and see that I made the cut!

Here's what I have to do to accept the award:

List 10 things that make you happy.

Try and do at least one of them today.

Tag 10 bloggers that brighten your day.

Link back to the person that tagged you.

1. My friends and family! Here we are with only some of our closest friends when we got married in Las Vegas. I love this picture. This is probably the picture I have with the most of our closest and friends and family.

2. Rainbows! Chad took this picture of meforever ago, after we had just bought our townhouse. It's actually a double rainbow and it went completely all around.

3. A big ol' bucket of freshly popped popcorn!

4. This bubbly cheesy bread from King Arthur Flour that I made..which I definitely think we are long overdue for...I definitely see cheesy bread in my future!5. Books! I looooooove books! Can you tell? If you read my blog at all, I'm sure you know I'm crazy for books. I took this picture in the spring after I had come home from the library...this is only one of my piles! I think these were the books I had then I had another pile of audio books and another pile of picture books. It was a great day. I love the library!

6. My mama...and my daddy. They just got back from Guatemala, where they were off having fun and climbing volcanoes for two weeks! I missed them sooooooo much. Mwah!

7. My hubby. I love this man. I'm so lucky to be married to him (as much as he can drive me crazy) he is my best friend. Always and forever. Forever and always.

8. Sleeping babies. Particularly my sleeping baby! Isn't this such a sweet picture? This is my kiddo when he was about a week old taken by my friend Krystie. I just love his little face and his pudginess. I have to go see his sweet sleeping self before I go to bed at night. I love sleeping kiddos. **I will definitely be doing this in about 10 minutes!!!**

9. Of course, I also love my kiddo when he's awake! I only got to see him for about an hour tonight but it was so nice to come home to his little smile. It's the sweetest thing to hear him say, "Hi, Mom!"

10. The power of the Internet. I know this is crazy, but being connected just makes me happy. I love checking my e-mail, reading blogs, getting updates on Twitter and Facebook. I have just really felt so connected to people I've known since I was born and people I've never even met in real life before. I was sitting in on a class last week where the teacher was talking about social media and asking how it impacts our lives. I sat there ruminating myself and it was remarkable to me how much I feel connected because of all this technology. I love it!

Ten Bloggers Who Brighten My Day (in no particular order!)

1. Kathy from Words of Whimsy

2. Julie from The South Family

3. Laura from Mike and Laura

4. Lara from Bubbee And Me

5. Heather from Icing on the Cake

6. Kelly from The Kettrick Five

7. The Love Shack

8. Kristi from The Brouse House

9. Lindy from Collage Cafe

10. Tiffany from Dreams Do Come True

Sitting with Santa

We spent the day yesterday with our friends who just had their third baby. I love newborns. They are so tiny and sweet and just have do the cutest things that only newborns do. I can't believe my baby is already 2 1/2. It's crazy. I love him to pieces. He is really a sweet boy. It's crazy how much he has changed. Here's a look back at his visits with Santa!

2007

2008

2009