I Love Books!

The teacher geek in me loves books and I am not shy about it. I mean, I love books. I love the way they smell. I love the sound when opening up a new one. I love the look on a child's face when they read their first book, their favorite book, the first book that makes them laugh or cry, and when they read one with such voice and fluency that it makes me laugh or cry. 

The mommy geek in me loves sharing books with T. I love the way he glances at the book and decides instantly if we will read it or not. I love how he laughs and makes noises while I read. I love how he corrects me if the story is not going his way. I just love it.

As an educator and somewhat tech savvy lady, I know a thing or two about computers. I love them, too. I know they have a place in our lives and I know they are fun! I love the convenience of my iPad. I love the look and ease of eReaders. I do not however think they can replace a book. In fact, I KNOW THEY CAN NOT REPLACE A BOOK and here is how I know:

The emotions shared in this less than two minute clip could not have happened with a Kindle/Nook/Cranny/etc. This connection to print is irreplaceable. This small experience is building not only his reading skills, but his love of literature. Kids need to touch books. They need to feel their power. They need to hug them and hold them.

Read with your child. And be sure to throw in real books as often as you can. For more info on reading with toddlers, click here. To read a story online (for free) so a real life book will be passed to children in need, click here. 

P.S. He is reading . (Click here for details!)

I am Thankful!

The girls at What the Teacher Wants (one of my favorite blogs in the universe!) are hosting an "I am thankful" linky party. I am so blessed and love the opportunity to share the love!


1.  What are you thankful for in your classroom? Hmmm. We are in a brand new school this year and so this is tough. I am going to go with the Elmo projector. It has made things a lot easier!

2. What person are you most thankful for? Another toughie. I am going to break the rules and say my family. My family means the world to me. We have been through so much and each time we come out a little stronger and a little closer. I love you Mom, Dad, Aunt P, A, N, and T!

3. What 3 blogs are you most thankful for? I love blog hopping! I am going to try to pick a few that might not have been highlighted, yet. Of course, I LOVE What the Teacher Wants! My other two would be Sailing Through First Grade and Teaching Blog Addict. Oh! Classroom Freebies is awesome, too!

4. What guilty pleasure are you most thankful for? I think my guilty pleasure is my iPhone. I just love it. My hubby pretty much rocks for surprising me with it. I seriously wonder...how did I manage before? :)

5. What are you most thankful for? I wouldn't even know where to begin! I am thankful for my wonderful husband and adorable little guy! I am thankful for a healthy family that loves and supports me. My mom and dad rock. My little sister and niece are rockstars. My Granny is amazing. My extended family is great! I am thankful for my job. I love being a teacher! I am thankful for the great people I work with each day. I am thankful for my friends. I would be lost without them. I am thankful for our home. I am thankful for all the time I had with my brother and sister before they passed away. I am thankful for the many opportunities that have made me who I am. I am thankful for books-plain and simple. I am thankful for football season. N and I have so much fun! Go Falcons!

 I am most thankful to God, who makes all of this possible. 

Books Make It Better, Part II

The goal was small-500 books in one week. The response was HUGE! 

My fabulous school collected 696 books for women and children's shelters in the Atlanta area. We sorted the books into groups-preschool, primary, older kids, and adults. It was so exciting to count the books and look at them! N and I dropped off the totes full of books to the Children's Restoration Network today.

I can only imagine the looks on the children's faces as they thumb through Dr. Seuss, Magic Tree House, Harry Potter, Amelia Bedelia, and so many others!

Thank you Reach Out and Read! Thank you Jen! Thank you Mom Congress! Thank you ESE students and parents!

Now for an update.....we'll be doing it again in January!

My Son, the Artist

As you know, T is multi-talented. I mean, I don't want to be one of those mommies, but my kid is super, duper talented! (and by "I don't want to be one of those mommies," I mean I absolutely am one of those mommies!)

Let me state my case. Here are exhibits A, B, C, D, and E. He gets a marker, grabs a notecard and says, "Mommy, I want to draw me." He said, "I am going to draw a circle." and he did. Then he said, "Hmm. I need eyes." He drew two eyes and said, "one, two." Then, "Oh, where is my nose?" Then he drew the dot nose. "I need a mouth."

Then I say, "Let's draw mommy!" He says, "I'm gonna draw daddy!" While drawing daddy, he said, "Oh-he needs ears!"

Then I say, "Let's draw mommy!" He says, "I'm gonna draw Peeper."

Then I say, "oooh, let's draw mommy!" He says, "I'm gonna draw Oba!"

Then I say, "Let's draw mommy!" Then he says, "I'm gonna draw Pops!"

Well, I think you get the idea!

Please send all gifted inquiries to my personal email. I will respond as soon as I sort through the hundreds of responses. 

On a serious note, for more information on the developmental stages of drawing, go here!