symmetry with my face.

My favorite math lessons are math lessons that involve art.  Today, we did some major art skills mixed with our symmetry lesson.  Even I didn't want to miss out on it, so I did my portrait alongside my kiddos.

Not too shabby, right?

For a 2nd grade teacher, at least.

Bytheway, last night = not a good night.  Can anyone say t-i-r-e-d?  Good thing it's school spirit week and we go to the Scera theater to watch a movie for a good portion of the day.  Don't tell my kiddos, but I'm sneaking in fruit snacks to eat.  Hey, a girl's gotta eat.

And I eat all the time.

P.s. T and I started reading the Hobbit last night again (I never made it through the first time we attempted it).  Maybe this time I'll enjoy it more now that I understand a little bit of what's going on.  Usually I hate seeing movies before reading the book, but in this case, it might just help.   

Valentines and Lover's Holiday

Valentine's Day is tomorrow.

That always makes it a hectic week for a teacher (or at least the day before Valentine's gets crazy).  I actually got my Valentine's done earlier in the week this year...  I went the fast and simple route this time around.  I did these last year, but scaled them down and used double stick tape.  I busted these babies out in an hour this year.

Success for a grade school teacher.

I even had enough down time at home to paint my nails this year too!  I went to school with my nails like this on Tuesday and the next day a student showed up with almost the same exact nails as mine.

It turned up the corners of my mouth and made me laugh.  7 and 8-year-olds definitely know how to make a grown woman feel good about herself.  

Valentine's Day also means it's Lover's Holiday.  For our very first Valentine's Day together when we were dating, T and I really wanted to impress each other.  He did it by buying my sisters chocolates and my mom flowers (my dad felt left out...) and of course a bouquet of flowers for me.  He ended up having to work at Home Depot that entire day, but found time to show up that morning to surprise the women in my family and me.  After just a few months of dating, he already knew that by loving my family, he'd be on my good side!

He got off work late that night, but I saved our steak and shrimp dinners and we ate in my parents trailer in candlelight.  He'd surprised me the month before by dressing up and making me an Italian dinner (and I showed up in jeans and a t-shirt!), so I did the same to him, complete with a dress and heels.  :)  

Suffice it to say, it was a pretty amazing Valentine's Day.  And since that Valentine's, I've never spent Valentine's with another person.  I wouldn't have it any other way.  

We definitely enjoy the romantic side of the holiday, but we love having fun and being silly too.  We found what works for us and what we enjoy doing for each other and we say everyone else should do the same!  

So happy day-before-Valentine's-Day.  It's already been an awesome weekend (add to the fact that it's a 3-day weekend and it's even better!).

Tyler's last first day of school.

It finally came.

T's last first day of school (at least, for a while.  He's contemplating an MBA.).  With 3 classes this semester along with an "internship" (they're letting him count his actually working hours at Arellia) it should be a breeze compared to some of his past semesters!

We're both so excited for his last semester of college.  He's worked his cute little bum off trying to do his best.  And it's working.  He's got a solid job that will hire him full-time after he graduates.  What's even better?  He's doing what he loves and what he's actually going to school for.  

Come graduation day, I'll be one happy and proud wife (don't worry, I already am!).  

{Last first day of school!}

T even sported a nice haircut for the first day of school.  His hair gets super wavy (I hope our baby inherits this attribute!) the longer it gets, so it was about time he got a haircut!  He's a pretty attractive guy.  Like, really attractive.  Like, our babies will be adorable because he is.

I also cross my fingers they get his looooong eyelashes.

I'm so proud of you, T-Bear.  For sticking out college and getting a degree.  It's been quite the adventure and I'm one proud wife!

November 16, 2013 {13 WEEKS} Telling the Faculty and My Students

Today I told the faculty (besides my 2nd grade team, who have known for awhile!) that we're pregnant!  

I wanted to make it a little special because my colleagues are pretty special and I've never met a teacher who didn't like a mid day snack!

I picked up "Baby" Goldfish and "Baby" water bottles and put up the baby announcement picture we'd used to tell my family and extended family.

My students were given "Baby" monster fruit snacks and I had a small presentation set up for them on my promethean board.

Suffice it to say, they were excited!  It was fun to share our happy news with people I love and I'm so close with.  And the fact that it's pretty fun telling people that we're pregnant.  It gets me all excited all over again!

apples, fall, and a lot of johnny appleseed.

Johnny Appleseed's birthday is tomorrow.  His real name is John Chapman.  He'll be 238 years old.

Holy Moly.  That's old.

His birthday is also one of my favorite days out of the entire year.  I look forward to it almost as much as I do Dr. Seuss' birthday.  Almost.

I love how Johnny appleseed's birthday is in the fall.  It makes me completely embrace the fall season and happily wave goodbye to summer.  

It makes me renew my love for fall weather and warm applesauce.  I love the red, orange, and yellow leaves that crunch when you step on them.  I love the weather (it's raining right now!).  I love milk chocolate hot cocoa with whipped cream and candles that smell like pumpkin rolls.  I love jacket weather busting out my collection of scarves.  I love boots and cute long socks that poke out the top of your boots.

But.  I love fall the most because my Grandma gets to come make a presentation in my classroom.  If you didn't already know, my grandma is a master cook.  And she knows everything there is about apples.  She knows every. single. kind. of. apple.  She knows when during the season which apple is best picked and bought at.  And most of all?  She can makes anything that you can put apples in.  But her dried apples are the best.  Hands down.  

She owns a massive dehydrator and an apple peeler that cores and slices the apples like that! (insert snapping fingers here).  After the apples are sliced, she quickly puts them through a sugar and cinnamon mixture, lays them out on the dehydrator trays, and lets the apples dehydrate to their hearts content.  I remember many days as a child stuffing myself to my hearts content with dried apples.  In fact, my dad and I had a day just like that last week.  We may have eaten half of a tray together.

Once you start, you just can't stop.

But back to the main reason of this post.  My grandma comes in and does a fantastic presentation on apples on Johnny Appleseed's birthday.  This year, due to some of my grandfather's health issues, she came a couple of days early (which, let's be honest, a classroom full of 25 7-year-olds really don't mind a party a little early).  She brought in apples, her apple poster, a song/poem about Johnny Appleseed, and her apple peeler gadget.

My mom also heads up making all of the other apple goodies besides the dried apples.  She make apple muffins, apple cookies, apple crisp, applesauce, and apple juice.  Have I told you that my mom is amazing?  Because she is.  While my grandma does her presentation, I get to sit in the back of my classroom with my mom and tell her the hilarious things that 2nd graders come up with.  But that's a topic for a whole 'nuther day.

My grandma is a natural with kids.  I could sit and listen to her stories all day long and be a happy camper.

She provides all of the apples for my students.

And all of them get to see their apple cored and peeled right in front of their eyes.  

Apples have always tasted better in the form of an apple spiral.  My students agreed.

These women are quite remarkable.  They have taught me much of what I know about hard work, dedication, service, and love.  They shine as women of faith and women of character.  I honestly could tell you good things about them all day long.  The too of them have gone through a lot and done a lot in their lives and they still go throughout the days happy and smiling.

I'm truly grateful for them in my life.  I'm so glad that my students get to meet them and see them regularly in my classroom (why yes, they do grade certain assignments for me and cut out lamination and bag up goodies I use for math lessons.  I'm such a spoiled teacher.)  My students hear me talk about these women weekly if not daily.  They hear my grandma do her Tarzan yell, sing the ABC's backwards, and speak like Donald Duck.  

Because some of them don't have a grandma like I do.  And I want them to know that Grandma's are special and amazing and are meant to love and cherish children. 

So here's to two women who I admire and respect.

The women I'm proud to call my mom and my grandma.

The women who my students call Carol and "Grandma."

I love you.

in the words of an old mentor teacher

I'm a damn good teacher and no one can tell me different.

{R. Herrick}

Sometimes you have those days.  Or weeks.

And my poor husband has caught the brunt of all of it.  Good thing we're so in love that a few tiffs don't get in the way of what really matters.

(T making banana bread.  Why yes, my husband really does do it all.)

Here's to a better week next week.

homemade shrimp pesto linguine with roasted tomatoes for lunch while creating a unit for time?

Don't mind if I do.

fyi. school started.

The chaos and craziness of the first week of school has started up in a whirlwind!  I brought in the school year with 24 new little monsters this year (which I adore!).  This new batch are incredibly smart, already so efficient, and I love them all!

Yes.  I kept the same theme in my classroom. 

Monsters are just so appropriate for a 2nd grade class.  I love monsters.  They love monsters.  It's love all around for monsters.

I even got a brand spankin' new lunch box this year that T sent me to school with on the first day.

Is it not the cutest?  Thank you Target for coming out with so many adorable monster dollar spot items over the summer.  I'm in love with it all (and probably went a little overboard buying every monster in sight). 

My classroom stayed the same with a few updated things and even some new parts!

Meet the Teacher Night was a big success and this year I wanted a sign-in table with examples of what items needed for the first day of school.  

Cute and simple.  I think I'll do it again next year!

A close-up.  Just as a reminder for me to remember what it looked like so I can replicate it next year.  I forget things.  It happens.

Does this door look familiar?  It should.  I gave in and did the same door from last year.  Except, I like his mouth much better this year.  

Helloooo purple monster.

I tried something new and had the parents fill out/sign all of the forms I usually have them sign at S.E.P's and had them do it during Meet the Teacher Night.

Another success!  Much more efficient and I've been able to concentrate on more important things during S.E.P's.  

Score one for Mrs. Kussee!

How they turned in their papers...

Again, this is really for my sake so I remember how I organized Meet the Teacher Night.  

Have I mentioned how much I love that Monsters University came out this summer?  Stores have gone craaazy with monster stuff.  Including juice boxes.  Yet another item I couldn't pass up.

Target is going to drain our bank account one of these days...

My incredible aunt that got me into teaching from the get go is now a facilitator.  Which meant that I got to go through her stuff and take what I wanted out of her classroom.   I got some gooood stuff.

Including this new bookshelf display that displays books with the covers showing.  This is the finished version after T and I went to town on it spray painting it red.

I love it.

After talking myself out of making birthday monsters this year, I talked myself back into it.  

Decisions decisions!

I just wasn't ready to give them up yet.  And the fact that I sewed on the facial features this year and then my mom sewed them together this year with her sewing machine.  Much faster than me hand-sewing them all.  

And the fact that I only had to make 26 this year rather than 36 made the decision a little easier to make...

I love the bright colors this year.  These monsters might be my best batch yet...

I also moved my calendar station this year.  My class can actually see it now instead of squinting and ruining their eyes to read what it said.  

AND the fact that I got rid of almost 10 desks in my classroom this year made it possible to have another carpet area.  Hallelujah for smaller class sizes!

New red carpet area.  The easel turned out extremely nice too after we took it apart and spray-painted it.

I just had to have another carpet area with all our extra space so T and I headed to IKEA for our annual classroom decor trip (my poor husband) and we picked up a bright blue carpet (that reminds me of a furry blue monster) for the front of my room.

It's awesome.  And soft.  And I hope that it doesn't get ruined when winter comes around...

Thanks to our family friend, Becky, I switched out the ugly velcro jobs with these cute monster clips.  I think it's safe to say that I adore them.

I also designed a new class clip chart!  I sell the digital copy of it on teacherspayteachers.com and surprisingly enough, people have actually bought it!  

Hello date money!

I also got brave and dyed the clips with R.I.T dye again this year.  I love how crisp the colors turned out!  

Everything else in the classroom stayed relatively the same.  It's bright, happy, and makes me happy to spend the majority of my day in. 

After Meet the Teacher the Night, I welcomed my brand new monsters into the classroom.

Let me tell ya, these kids are hilarious this year.  Seriously.  Good times are coming to Room 5.

And bytheway, my husband is adorable when he takes naps on Sundays.  

No really, he is.

See?  Told ya.

smorgasbord of thoughts from the week.

T brought me home flowers this week.  Included in the bouquet were sunflowers.  Sunflowers are some of my favorite flowers.  They're cheery and happy and bright and sunny.  And I love it when they just start to bloom and open up.

T left me a note on the table before he left for work.  I woke up stuffy and sniffly and his cute little love note and happy sunflowers completely turned my morning around!

Best.  Husband.  Ever.

We participated in the Temple to Temple 5K on the 24th this year.  We ran/jogged/walked with a couple of friends of ours and completely enjoyed ourselves.  Running with over 4,000 people (who, let's be honest, were all mostly members of the LDS church) was pretty inspiring.  We can't wait for the Provo City Center temple to be completed in the coming year!  Heavenly Father is truly blessing the people in Provo.

And T and I realized we haven't taken a picture together in a while.  So we attempted one after church last week.

Pretty sure all of them ended up being super cheesy.  But hey, they show us young and completely head over heels in love with each other so I love them.  

Marriage is work.  It's something we have to work for on a daily basis. It's easy to start becoming selfish and not put the other first.  We're definitely not perfect marriage partners, but we are perfect for each other.  No one else would fit me as well as T does.  

He truly does complete me.

 {This is usually what our pictures end up looking like...}

On another note, I'm in in the process of planning my relief society lesson for sunday right now.  I don't know what it is, but teaching a room full of thirty 8-year olds is no problemo.  I can dress up for crazy hair day and wear crazy clothes to school and stand on desks while I teach to entertain them, but put me in a room full of adult women and I freeze up.  I become the definition of dork-ification (if ever a word existed).

Go figure.

One day, I will figure out this whole adulthood thing.  For now, I'm stuck in limbo between young adult and adult.  It's a bit of an awkward place to be sometimes.  At least my second graders could care less.

Bytheway, the first day of school is in less than a month.  Just sayin'.

paint, pizza, and monsters.

T spoiled me over the weekend.  I've had a couple of projects for school I've been itching to get done and he was happy enough to lend me a hand and teach me his handyman skills he picked up from working at Home Depot for 4 years.

First up was a nasty whiteboard easel that was in dire need of some paint.  The easel I've had in my classroom was a yard sale cast-off that my parents found for me the first year I started teaching.  It served its purpose for the past 2 years, but I really wanted something new for the upcoming year.  

Before spending a buttload of money on a new easel, I asked the school custodian if there were any hanging around the school that I could look at.  

She led the way to the storage on the stage and showed me the perfect easel.  Not too short and definitely not too tall.  Not too bulky and not too narrow.  The only problem?  It needed a little paint, which I was more than happy to fix!

We forgot to take a picture of it before taking it apart to be painted and primed, but it only needed a coat of primer before painting it.

{Easel taken apart and primed}

Project number dos was a bookcase display that stores book with the cover facing out.  I've been wanting one for my classroom library, but they are soo expensive!  Good thing my aunt retired from teaching this year and handed this one down to me.  What's even better is that my uncle made it out of quality wood that will stand the test of time with my 2nd graders.  

This one took a little more time to prime and cover the pen and pencil markings that were on the surface, but oh it was so worth it.

{T spray painting.  Without a mask.  Whoops.}

T primed both pieces as I sat in the shade and watched and tried to not complain about the terrible hot sun.  

Bytheway, what is with the 100+ weather in Provo these days?!  It's not a good sign that it's scalding in the sun at the beginning of July!  

Blech.  Hot weather and me do not mix.

Ever.

I digress.

T did awesome priming these beauties.  We painted them a lovely color that will go with my bright classroom perfectly.  The finished pictures will be up when I get the rest of my classroom organized and put together.   So excited for next year already.

{T looks like he's literally smokin' hot in this picture!  Mmm Hmm!}

We got brave and turned the oven on for exactly 30 minutes to bake 2 pizzas for Friday Night Pizza Night last week.  We did a regular old pepperoni pizza with this awesome and easy sauce.  But the highlight of the night was a new gourmet pizza we tried.  Can you say chicken, avocado, feta, and egg pizza?  We're loving Famous Dave's Sweet and Zesty BBQ sauce for the sauce on pizza's these days too.

Oh yum!

Add a husband who cleans up and does the dishes to the mix and you've got yourself a perfect date night.  Oh how I love this man of mine.

He makes a pretty great dishwasher too.

And the a/c window unit you see in the window?  I usually hate how nasty it makes my kitchen look and how I don't get any fresh sunshine through the kitchen window in the summer months.  This year, I love that thing.  It's saved us on more than one occasion the past week from passing out from the heat.

And the fun has begun with the birthday monster making once again.  This year, I have about 23 kids in my class as of right now.  That's almost 10 less than last year!  Whoo whoo!  Which means 10 less monsters to make.

They're cut and ready for some cute little faces and accessories.  I'm pretty stoked about the neon colors I found for them this year.  I'm crossing my fingers that my upcoming students will love them too.  

Because I was seriously close to not making monsters this year.  Until the neon colors caught my eye... blast my love for bright summer colors.

June was fantastic with vacations, hiking, and catching up on some much needed down time and housework.  July is here and it's time to kick it in gear for the new school year and start prepping and revamping!

year 2 reflection.

The last week of school is always hard.  It's a finality of a chapter in my life book.  It's like when you read a book and you're devastated when it ends.  You get to know the characters so well that they become your best friends.  

I hate it when the school year ends because the students I get to know so well don't play as big of part in my story anymore.

This year was a hard one.  It was draining at times to fulfill my duties for 32 students and their parents.  But, thankfully, I worked with a phenomenal group of students and parents alike.  I adored them.  Amongst the literal sweat and tears this year, I strengthened my relationship with every single one of my students.  This year's students hold a special place in my heart (but I also said that about last years class).  They were complex, analytical thinkers that understood sarcasm and humor and knew how to work hard while having fun.  They were witty, thoughtful, and curious.  They wanted to learn.  They wanted to be at school.  They left my room at the end of the day with questions they wanted to find answers to and with a wealth of knowledge they learned at school during the day.  It's not often that a teacher gets that combination within all of their students.

These students of mine aren't just students I send home at the end of the school day.  They're my life.  I think about them and their lives and hope that they choose to do good.  I worry about them.  I experience pride and joy in their accomplishments with them.  I cry with them.  I love them.

With all that in mind, now you know why today, the last day of school, would be hard. 

This week started with our class read-a-thon and monster party.  It's the highlight of the last week of school.  Everyone brings their birthday monster I make them for their birthdays and we watch Monsters Inc.  It's a blast and they have this big reunion with their birthday monsters in hand.

I also provide them with a pizza party lunch (thanks to BlackJack Pizza for the incredible teacher discount this year!). 

One of the best movies ever.  Kids giggle and laugh throughout the whole thing!

Some of my little monsters brought their birthday monsters along with some adorable accessories this year.  Check out the cute hula hooper monster decked out with it's own grass skirt, towel, and umbrella!

Some monsters even turned into little superheros complete with a cape and socks to match!

How cute are these kiddos?!  Oh my.  I think I'm going to start crying.  Again.  

The final count of monsters I've made is now up to 67!

{Don't mind my glowing, sunburned face.}

This little guy reminds me of one of my good friends growing up.  He's little and adorable.  He (and his incredible mother) got us matching monster t-shirts.  He was so excited to give me the package with this t-shirt in it.  I'll be honest, I was excited too!  More like freaking out and jumping up and down I was so excited.

And yes, I fit into a boys XL shirt in case anyone was wondering.  It's a perfect fit!

The last day of school brought lots of laughter and tears.  We handed out 2nd grade promotion cards, class awards, yearbook signing, and finishing up Charlotte's Web.  Bytheway, why does Charlotte have to die?!  Don't they know it's a children's book?  I had some pretty upset kiddos today.

I've had a lot of supportive parents this year who not only got their kids to school on time with their homework done, but they threw class holiday parties, were kind in their emails and communication with me, and were optimistic and enthusiastic about their comments on their child's learning.  I was invited to almost all of my little monsters baptisms this year and T and I made it to all but 3 (not counting the upcoming summer ones)!

They were also kind enough to give me a warm send-off to the summer with lots of cards and little gifts.  I was overwhelmed today with the amount of love from my students and their parents this year.  They truly are a special bunch!  

I'm a pretty sentimental person.  I hang onto things for their sentimental value, not necessarily their physical value.  The thing I love to receive the most during the school year is the massive amount of cards from students and parents alike.  Kind words of gratitude and thoughtfulness are always a way to my heart.  I cherish letters.  

{a portion of the cards from today.}

I also received another form of cards today that will keep T and I quite happy during the summer months when it's too hot outside or we're too lazy too cook!

One of my favorite gifts of the day was a beautiful gift from the whole class.  I got close to many of my students mothers this year.  A couple of them (who I wish I had kids their kids' age so they could grow up together!) put together this gem for me...

A thumbprint from each student with their name.  

I love the quote they put on it.  I have yet to decide where to hang this beauty.  It may just end up in the office at home instead of at school.  It's too special to run the risk of getting damaged!  We'll see where it ends up.

Another thoughtful family gave me a beautifully framed The Family: A Proclamation to the World.  T and I have been wanting one framed in our house for a while.  It was actually on my list of summer projects!  It's like they read my mind.  I can check it off of my list!

Other students gave me an adorable monster pillow, necklaces, earrings, neat-o chapstick, scarves, water bottles, LOTS of yummy goodies, nice hairspray and more.  I was spoiled rotten.

But you know what?  I would trade it all to have another year with this group.  Seriously.  I have no regrets or complaints about this group and I can't imagine not teaching them next year!

When the bell rang today, I was a wreck.  I attempted to hold it together and did rather well until little Atticus gave me the tightest hug and took a big deep breath trying to hold in the tears.  Oh help.  No one could resist a little 8-year-old crying over the fact you won't be his teacher next year or the fact that he won't see you for a few months.  It was enough to tear my heart out. 

But the day did come to a close.  My classroom is packed up and everything moved to back rooms and cupboards so the carpets and countertops can get cleaned...

{I promise my storage room never looks like this.  Unless I have to shove everything it for the summer!}

I'm not a big fan of goodbyes.  I would much rather say, "see you later" than an actual "goodbye."  These cute little gifts summed up what I wanted to say to my little monsters perfectly.

See you later alligators! 

Until next year...