P52: One last week around the sun

Wow. The year is really coming to a close. I couldn't be happier to have spent the end of the year with Avi, Ben, and the boys. Making memories to the end of 2013, for sure. 

This week really has been fun. Noam is at the perfect age (ok, I say that every trip) and Ronan is just a little smush. We've had tons of fun this week and had a bunch of firsts! 

Monday, Avi and I took Noam ice skating. Avi and I grew up skating and thought Noam would like to try too...yeah...not so much. He screamed most of the time, oh well. I enjoyed being back on the ice - even dusted some of my skills off. Best part, was after we left the rink, Noam kept saying "I loved ice skating, it was so much fun!" At least he had a good memory from it!

Mr. Ronan had a ton of first this week too. He cut his first tooth (drool was very abundant) and he figured out how to sit up! It's a whole new world for him and we started bets on when he'll crawl. My bet, any day now. 

Then, to continue on our active adventures, Ben and I took the kids (well, Noam really) to a trampoline zone. The last time I was anywhere near a trampoline with Ben, I got a "new" nose so of course, well, yeah we clearly haven't learned anything! We all jumped and jumped, safely, and it was so cute to see Noam having a BLAST! 

Highlight of the week: Every part? is that a cop out? Seriously, though, just getting such special time with the littles is a gigantic highlight.

Favorite teaching moment: not having my work email pushing notifications to my phone. A true vacation. 

Random-osity: Noam is obsessed with Kombucha. Every time we go into the market, he runs off and gets a few bottles. A little hippie!  

Also!
I have decided to start a link-up in 2014! It will be on Mondays and be called:
 "The Good. The Random. The Fun."
Come link up something good, random, or fun about your week, or all 3! I hope you'll join me!!

(no code, just copy and paste!)

Hope to see you on Monday, January 6th! 

The Details

* Post 1 photo or as many as you like each week on Mondays.

* The button or text link should be present in your post- but not absolutely necessary.

* Please visit some other blogs & leave some love & encouragement.
* Submit the URL of your blog post - not your home page.

Can’t wait to see all your photos each week as we venture through 2013!

Project 52

P52: The 51st week around the sun

1 full week left in 2013! How in the universe did that happen? Funny thing, when I said that to my class this week, one kid pipes up and goes, "well the earth has almost finished going around the sun, so yeah it's almost 2014!" Smart little kids!

This was a fun week heading into vacation! We did tons of creative writing, lots of reading for fun, and we ended the week with a PJ party where we read our personal narratives to the younger kids and enjoyed hot chocolate. Fun way to end the 2013 side of our school year.

Then, once I said adieu to my class, I high-tailed it to the airport to head to Portland!!! SO excited to have woken up to Noam and Ronan - more than excited to spend the rest of 2013 out here. Making memories up until the end, I say.

Highlight of the week: Reuniting with Noam and Ronan on Saturday AM! Been 5 months since I have seen them!

Favorite teaching moment: Watching my kiddos read their stories and beam with pride as they shared their writing with the "littler" kids at KSA!

Random-osity: I colored two finger nails with highlighter one day this week...that stuff doesn't come off easily!!

Also!
I have decided to start a link-up in 2014! It will be on Mondays and be called:
 "The Good. The Random. The Fun."
Come link up something good, random, or fun about your week, or all 3! I hope you'll join me!!

The Details

* Post 1 photo or as many as you like each week on Mondays.

* The button or text link should be present in your post- but not absolutely necessary.

* Please visit some other blogs & leave some love & encouragement.
* Submit the URL of your blog post - not your home page.

Can’t wait to see all your photos each week as we venture through 2013!

Project 52

P52: 50th week around the sun

Winter really showed up this week! We've had 3 snowy events this week and this winter lover is loving it. Makes this holiday season even more perfect!

Seeing snow everywhere has made me a giddy little school teacher, too. The drive to and from work is stunning and the excitement buzzing in the kids is contagious. Of course, natural New Englanders, it started snowing, heavily, Tuesday mid-morning. One kid looks up from her work, exclaims "Hey! Snow!" They all look up, go "cool!" and go back to work. Seasoned snow veterans.

Of course, the cold and snow has made me want to become more domestic than usual. The crockpot was pulled out, oven used to roast, and yummy pancakes for breakfast over the weekend. Good thing it burns serious calories shoveling! 

Now it's onto one week of school before we let out for winter break - insane the year is really, really almost over!

Highlight of the week: The snow. Hands down. Happy Tamar with all the white blanketing the area! 

Favorite teaching moment: Watching my class give a "weekend weather outlook" for the entire school. They looked at the current temp and forecast and put the thing together, so cute!

Random-osity: Friday night, Lord of the Rings was on. After lamenting the insertion of commercials every 3 minutes, it hit me...put in the DVD...genius, right?

Also!
I have decided to start a link-up in 2014! It will be on Mondays and be called:
 "The Good. The Random. The Fun."
Come link up something good, random, or fun about your week, or all 3! I hope you'll join me!!

The Details

* Post 1 photo or as many as you like each week on Mondays.

* The button or text link should be present in your post- but not absolutely necessary.

* Please visit some other blogs & leave some love & encouragement.
* Submit the URL of your blog post - not your home page.

Can’t wait to see all your photos each week as we venture through 2013!

Project 52

P52: Week 49 around the sun

This week went by so quickly! And now it's December and the year is this close to being over...insane, I say. I just love this time of year, the festive air, the lights, the joy. Makes me want December to last longer!

Much of the week was spent celebrating the end of Chanukah, which is always fun at school. I went to my first alumni event for American this week. It was small and low key but made me feel like a real grown up, oy!

This weekend I drove home to NY and mom and I went to Poughkeepsie for a friend's bar mitzvah. It was fun to see some family friends and celebrate Aaron's big day! We also saw Catching Fire - super good! Makes me want to drop everything and reread the books!

Highlight of the week: Playing a fun game of "oh Mr. Fox what time is it" with the K-4 kids after the menorah lighting one afternoon. Nothing beats chasing a bunch of kids around a gym!

Favorite teaching moment: watching one child light up during the school wide "Chanukah engineering challenge" he was clearly in his element and it was so great to see

Random-osity: I went to NY for 2.5 days and took 4 pairs of shoes. That math just doesn't add up!

Also!
I have decided to start a link-up in 2014! It will be on Mondays and be called:
 "The Good. The Random. The Fun."
Come link up something good, random, or fun about your week, or all 3! I hope you'll join me!!

The Details

* Post 1 photo or as many as you like each week on Mondays.

* The button or text link should be present in your post- but not absolutely necessary.

* Please visit some other blogs & leave some love & encouragement.
* Submit the URL of your blog post - not your home page.

Can’t wait to see all your photos each week as we venture through 2013!

Project 52

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P52: Week 48 around the sun

Happy December, happy Chanukah, and happy belated Thanksgiving! 

I had a wonderful time out in Las Vegas with my family friends, the Hafters. I hadn't seen them in 3 years and it was great to get some serious time with them! I for the first time in ages traveled without my laptop and it was so nice to just disconnect from life and be with the H6! We had a wonderful holiday and now it's time for the end of Chanukah and the end of the year! 

So, today, just the random snapshots of the trip - much more to come in the next few days!

Highlight of the week: Getting to Las Vegas and surprising the Hafter kids! They had NO clue I was coming. The look on their faces = priceless.

Favorite teaching moment: watching my class make menorahs using blocks and connecting cubes the day before vacation, the team work, and enthusiasm was amazing!

Random-osity: Every time I am at an airport, I want to walk the wrong way on a moving walkway. So wrong, but it looks so fun!

The Details

* Post 1 photo or as many as you like each week on Mondays.

* The button or text link should be present in your post- but not absolutely necessary.

* Please visit some other blogs & leave some love & encouragement.
* Submit the URL of your blog post - not your home page.

Can’t wait to see all your photos each week as we venture through 2013!

Project 52

P52: Week 47 around the sun

Oh what a week!! 

I started it with a nice and relaxing Sunday. I went to the Museum of Science which I hadn't been to in ages and was able to make it to the farmer's market. A nice relaxing weekend, which was good considering the middle part of the week was largely a blur! 

In a span of 5 days I crammed: meeting meteorologist Jeremy Reiner, lots of teaching, lots of meetings, and so much more! On top of that I was practicing 4 sections of torah reading for this past Shabbat. The Jewish calendar is so off this year, that my 13th anniversary of my bat mitzvah was a full month before it's actual Gregorian calendar anniversary! 

Oh, yeah, and the PBS video went live this weekend!! That and an article in the Boston Globe where I am quoted was published this week. It's insane. I never thought this would happen to me, or my school, ever! It's been amazing to be part of such a once in a life-time event and find the importance in the holidays converging and be able to teach my class that, amazing! I embedded the video below - enjoy!!

Highlight of the week: Oh man - way too many choices this week! It may just have to be a tie between meeting Jeremy Reiner and being on PBS! 

Favorite teaching moment: My class are pretending to be Pilgrims writing letters back to England saying what it's like in Plymouth. One child wrote "The voyage was not easy because I had to drink beer. I didn't like it I wanted the bad water!" - love that was his Mayflower voyage takeaway!

Random-osity: Whenever I take tissues from a tissue box, I always have to take two tissues...random, right?

(seriously, are my kiddos adorable!? and Rabbi David, one of our co-heads, is just amazing to hear!)

The Details

* Post 1 photo or as many as you like each week on Mondays.

* The button or text link should be present in your post- but not absolutely necessary.

* Please visit some other blogs & leave some love & encouragement.
* Submit the URL of your blog post - not your home page.

Can’t wait to see all your photos each week as we venture through 2013!

Project 52

P52: 46th week around the sun

Friday at dismissal, the 4th grade teacher looked at me and went, "it doesn't feel like parent teacher conferences were 4 days ago..." - he was right! This was one busy and exciting week!! 

I had a very lazy Sunday, just puttering, shopping, saw 12 Years a Slave (go see it!), and geared up for this amazing week that was. 

Monday was indeed, conference day. I survived! The parents are happy, the kids are happy, I am happy! 

The rest of the week was all about "Thanksgivukkah" - on Thursday, as a school we traveled to Plymouth Plantation and the Mayflower where we explored, sang the Thanksgivukkah song, and lots of other awesome-ness that I will share tomorrow. Oh and I was filmed for a PBS feature on Thanksgivukkah (more tomorrow!)

By Friday, I was dead to the world! This was one fun week, for sure! 

Highligh of the week: a relaxing massage at the end of a fun, but hectic, week! Nothing says Friday afternoon like having the stress kneaded out of you!

Favorite teaching moment:  my class being rockstars on Thursday as PBS filmed out class and lesson. They acted as though there wasn't a camera or boom mike in their faces and were AMAZING (have I mentioned my class rocks?)

Random-osity: I have 4 colored pens that the kids know they may not touch. I use them to mark their papers, mark up my plan book, and write notes to myself. Controlling, me? Never!

And! I entered a photo of mine in my city's First Light contest - it's a populatiry contest now! If you could, could you please go to the link below and like the picture! I would love to win! (and share the link amongst your friends if you're so inclined!) Click here: HERE (I am not doing well in the running, so to speak!)

 The Details

* Post 1 photo or as many as you like each week on Mondays.

* The button or text link should be present in your post- but not absolutely necessary.

* Please visit some other blogs & leave some love & encouragement.
* Submit the URL of your blog post - not your home page.

Can’t wait to see all your photos each week as we venture through 2013!

Project 52

P52: Week 45 around the sun

This was one of the most beautiful weeks in New England since I moved here! Every day the colors seemed more vivid and amazing, I found myself saying "oh wow!" around every corner as I drove to and from work. I just love that it's the second week of November and it's so gorgeous still!

It was a busy week at school. We started our social studies unit, pilgrims - fitting right? The kids are loving it so far and we're all stoked for our field trip to Plymouth Plantation this week! The highlight of the unit so far might have been when reading about the Mayflower's journey we read that even the children drank beer because the water was rancid. A child pipes up "whoa, that's not legal!" Out of the mouths of babes...

The latest gym challenge wrapped up this weekend, I barely did anything this time, but pulled off a top 10 finish, go figure! I also finally made an apple/pear crisp this week - makes my fall really complete now! Even better was enjoying it with friends over shabbat dinner! And seriously, 2.5 weeks out from Thanksgiving? How did that happen!?

Highlight of the week: A relaxing evening on the couch watching Monsters U. Sometimes it's nice to shut off the work email and really veg out at night.

Favorite teaching moment: watching my class read finish "publishing" their personal narratives - they put so much work into illustrating them and one kid even drew a price tag/bar code on the back of theirs!

Random-osity: I sent a tweet to a local radio dj Friday am - two minutes later I am in the car and I hear him read the tweet. The best part? He said my name right!

And! I am thinking of starting a weekly link-up in 2014. Just a chance to link up and share things going on in your life. Maybe with a focus like "The Good. The Random. The Fun" - what say you? Would you join me and link up/

 The Details

* Post 1 photo or as many as you like each week on Mondays.

* The button or text link should be present in your post- but not absolutely necessary.

* Please visit some other blogs & leave some love & encouragement.
* Submit the URL of your blog post - not your home page.

Can’t wait to see all your photos each week as we venture through 2013!

Project 52

P52: Week 44 around the sun

Yes, this was a VERY exciting week for Boston. A full recap of that tomorrow. Today I have something just as important to talk about...

Today is Noam's 3rd birthday!! I cannot believe I became an aunt 3 years ago. I cannot believe he went from little peanut to big 3 year old!

This kid is: all about Thomas and trains. Obsessed with Obama. Knows "What does the fox say." Is the best big brother. Is a starbucks connoisseur. Says "mar mar" in the cutest voice ever. And has a laugh that makes me smile from ear to ear.

Noam, watching you grow up, even from 3,000 miles away is one of my favorite things to do. You are one amazing kiddo and I hope you never loose your spirit and passion for life. I hope all of your wishes and dreams come true and you have the best year, yet!

Love you something wicked crazy kiddo!!

Highlight of the week: Um, hands down...being in Boston for the world series win! Watching it happen, seeing two players after the parade, meeting Carlos Arrendando, just being a here to watch this city celebrate!

Favorite teaching moment: We made verb action heroes this week. The kids has so much fun designing their hero and coming up with action verbs their hero uses, so cute!

Random-osity: I've started to plan my work outfits for the whole week on Saturday afternoons. Makes evenings packing my gym bag super easy - no more "ugg what do I wear tomorrow" moments!

And! I am thinking of starting a weekly link-up in 2014. Just a chance to link up and share things going on in your life. Maybe with a focus like "The Good. The Random. The Fun" - what say you? Would you join me and link up/

 The Details

* Post 1 photo or as many as you like each week on Mondays.

* The button or text link should be present in your post- but not absolutely necessary.

* Please visit some other blogs & leave some love & encouragement.
* Submit the URL of your blog post - not your home page.

Can’t wait to see all your photos each week as we venture through 2013!

Project 52

P52: 43rd week around the sun

Gang, there are 9 weeks left in the year. How in the dickens did that happen!?

The cold moved in for real this week, making the year's end seem closer now. I made my first batch of soups for dinner this week, just made the fall and winter lover in me super excited. Then by Friday, it was 26º at work as I pulled into the lot, love it!

This week, let's be honest, it was all about the Red Sox! Just after midnight last Saturday (well, Sunday then...) the Sox punched their ticket to the World Series! Walking around on Sunday, the city just felt super charged. It's so cool to be up here for the series this time!! Wednesday night, as I watched the anthem on tv I heard jets overhead...folks, I live so close to Fenway, I am in the flight path for fly overs!! Game 1 was amazing, game 2, wasn't so pretty, and well game 3? No comment. But the Sox have spirit and are Boston Strong. I figure I will sleep in November!

School was busy too - the kids were of course charged with Red Sox fever, but we still got tons done. Friday we had special visitors day and the kids loved having their grandparents in the class for a few hours showing them their desks and doing some fun activities.

Highlight of the week: The Sox clinching the ALCS and winning game 1 of the series. So great to see this city having something good happen!!

Favorite teaching moment: I love when all of KSA comes together to celebrate Shabbat. Friday we did in honor of special visitors day and the energy was great!

Random-osity: I finally watched The Hobbit. Ehhhh.....not so sure what to think, and this is coming from a die hard LOTR fan. Peter Jackson, what were you thinking??

I'm working on growing the blog's Facebook page - won't you please join me over there as well? I post a sampling of the random things around me and would love to connect there (here) too!

And I am on bloglovin' here! Plus the various other social media sites, see the links at the top right of the page!

 The Details

* Post 1 photo or as many as you like each week on Mondays.

* The button or text link should be present in your post- but not absolutely necessary.

* Please visit some other blogs & leave some love & encouragement.
* Submit the URL of your blog post - not your home page.

Can’t wait to see all your photos each week as we venture through 2013!

Project 52

P52: Week 42 around the sun

This week was crazy! I am a firm believer that a full moon makes everything crazy and that belief was confirmed this week!

We had such a busy week at school, including our first math test and starting our new Chumash workbooks. Everyone was a bit off this week leading up to the gorgeous moon, thankfully we ended the week on a super awesome note. Makes the insanity worth it!

Fall has suddenly showed up in full colorful force too. I just love driving to and from work now and seeing the amazing colors on the trees. Our school is surrounded by a rainbow of foliage too, I just love this season.

I also may need a prescription for anti-anxiety meds by the time baseball season is over. I love my Sox, but there have been way to many nail biters and late nights! But, there was NOTHING better than watching them punch their ticket to the World Series on Saturday night. Of course, I missed the massive grand slam, but who cares....GO Sox!!

Highlight of the week: My math class did SO well on their first unit assessment! I always get anxious if they truly know the material, but it was great to see they did. Now onward to advanced addition and subtraction!

Favorite teaching moment: Ending the week on a beautiful note, with the 3rd and 4th graders going around saying what was good about our week and then singing songs for Kabbalat Shabbat, so special.

Random-osity: I may now hold the record for the fastest IKEA trip, ever. In and out (with purchase) in 17 minutes. Insane, right?

I'm working on growing the blog's Facebook page - won't you please join me over there as well? I post a sampling of the random things around me and would love to connect there (here) too!

And I am on bloglovin' here! Plus the various other social media sites, see the links at the top right of the page!

 The Details

* Post 1 photo or as many as you like each week on Mondays.

* The button or text link should be present in your post- but not absolutely necessary.

* Please visit some other blogs & leave some love & encouragement.
* Submit the URL of your blog post - not your home page.

Can’t wait to see all your photos each week as we venture through 2013!

Project 52

P52: Week 41 around the sun

This was my first 5 full days of school this school year - and it was a busy one!

I came back from my conference on Sunday after a quick shopping spree at the mall with mom. Someone has to support the economy, right? Good thing I got a new puffy vest, because the temps have fallen here! I have actually needed heat in the car in the mornings and afternoons!

More signs of fall were all around too - I made my famous pumpkin cookies this week and got to pick up a friend's CSA which came with amazing fresh fall veggies (and so many more apples!). This really is a delicious season!

School was jam packed this week. We had back to school night and then tons of fun, writing on tables (best motivator) and doing some awesome brain storming on some big concepts. The real excitement at school was the making of a lipdub video. Heard of "Thanksgivukkah" - the name for Chanukah and Thanksgiving this year since they start the same day! Well, we're the Day School closest to Plymouth Rock so we're celebrating it loud and proud! You can see the video here!

Highlight of the week: The Red Sox beating the Rays and moving onto the ALCS! Go SOX!!!

Favorite teaching moment: When I told a kid his time working me in math was over (they were writing on my table) he drew a sad face on the table - adorable, but sorry kid, your mini-lesson was over!

Random-osity: I cannot figure out car defrosters. I have a master's degree and for the life of me can never get the balance of temperature, inside/outside air, fan strength right. Sad, but true.

I'm working on growing the blog's facebook page - won't you please join me over there as well? I post a sampling of the random things around me and would love to connect there (here) too!

And I am on bloglovin' here! Plus the various other social media sites, see the links at the top right of the page!

 The Details

* Post 1 photo or as many as you like each week on Mondays.

* The button or text link should be present in your post- but not absolutely necessary.

* Please visit some other blogs & leave some love & encouragement.
* Submit the URL of your blog post - not your home page.

Can’t wait to see all your photos each week as we venture through 2013!

Project 52

P52: 40th week around the sun

This was an exciting and very busy week. It was the first week with 5 days of school since the start of the year. Naturally, I would be going to my first professional conference this week and miss Thursday and Friday!

I spent Monday through Wednesday running around like a chicken with my head cut off trying to get my sub plans all squared away. I wanted to make sure they weren't doing busy work, but needed to make it easy on the sub!

I lucked out with the conference location being 15 minutes from Mom so I got a small vacation too. The conference was amazing. It's the Social Thinking conference which centers on helping children with special needs, but really all children, learn to really think about what's going on around them and learn how to be excellent social beings.

Hearing Michelle Garcia Winner (the creator of this program) speak was amazing. She is the guru and hearing more about how to implement the program was beyond amazing. The whole room was star struck. One of my fellow teachers came too and we had fun having time to talk shop together and remind each other that no news from school was good news!

Also - week 40 is done, 12 more weeks left in the year!!

Highlight of the week: In addition to the amazing conference, it's always great to get time with mom! Saturday night we saw "Gravity" - run, go see it, amazing!!

Favorite teaching moment: When I reminded my class on Wednesday that I wouldn't be in on Thursday and Friday and who their substitute was one kid went "yay! well, I will really miss you, but I do like that she's our sub!" So cute!

Random-osity: As I drove over the CT and NY border on Wednesday, the song that came on my phone was "New York State of Mind" - now that is random!

I'm working on growing the blog's facebook page - won't you please join me over there as well? I post a sampling of the random things around me and would love to connect there (here) too!

And I am on bloglovin' here! Plus the various other social media sites, see the links at the top right of the page!

 The Details

* Post 1 photo or as many as you like each week on Mondays.

* The button or text link should be present in your post- but not absolutely necessary.

* Please visit some other blogs & leave some love & encouragement.
* Submit the URL of your blog post - not your home page.

Can’t wait to see all your photos each week as we venture through 2013!

Project 52

P52: 39th week around the sun

This week was another crazy one. We rounded out the last of the fall Jewish holidays! It's a fun ending, celebrating the end of reading our Torah and starting it all over again. Celebration or not, we're all tired of being in shul! Now it's back to normal.

The big highlight of this week, before we had the last round of chaggim, was finally getting to go real indoor rock climbing with my friends. We had to learn to tie the ropes into our harnesses and how to belay someone up and down the wall! It was so much fun and such hard work! We went out for ice cream after to reward ourselves for the hard work.

My medal also came in for my first place finish in the push-up section of the summer gym games. I have never gotten a medal for anything before, so this was pretty cool! Now it's onto the last games of 2013, bring it on!

Highlight of the week: Totally shallow, but who cares, all of the tv shows came back this week and it's been fun to watch all my favorites at night as I relax. I also started watching Scrubs again, oh love that show!

Favorite teaching moment: Reliving my childhood and making Simchat Torah flags with my class. It was fun to pass on the tradition I grew up with to them!

Random-osity: the new iOS7's default alarm clock tone is different, which made Monday morning's 5am wakeup very very confusing!

I'm working on growing the blog's facebook page - won't you please join me over there as well? I post a sampling of the random things around me and would love to connect there (here) too!

And I am on bloglovin' here! Plus the various other social media sites, see the links at the top right of the page!

 The Details

* Post 1 photo or as many as you like each week on Mondays.

* The button or text link should be present in your post- but not absolutely necessary.

* Please visit some other blogs & leave some love & encouragement.
* Submit the URL of your blog post - not your home page.

Can’t wait to see all your photos each week as we venture through 2013!

Project 52