Sorry I've been missing in action the past week!  Things have been very crazy around here!!

My daughter turned one last week, I can't believe that it has been a year already!  Where does time go!?

My school had their annual auction Friday night as well, so I was at that late.

There has been a lot going on at school too, with staff members and changes coming up next year.

My best friend came in for the weekend to surprise me, with her baby for my daughter's birthday.

Then I woke up this morning and couldn't talk!!  Luckily by 9:00 my voice was back good enough to teach loud enough that my students could hear me.

Needless to say, I'm here, but I've been sleeping!  Last night I went to bed at 7:30!!  I wanted to get to bed that early tonight too, but I had to electronically sign papers for our home refinance.  I will be back soon, I promise!!!

Plus, I may have something exciting to share that is coming up really soon!!

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Cassandra

I am so thankful that it is Friday!!  That means it is time for Easter break!!

I am linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for their weekly happiness!!

I am so excited that I get to spend this weekend with two of my best friends!!  My college friend came to spend the end of her spring break with us! We graduated together and then went our separate ways.  Back in 2009 she went on a major road trip with us up the California coast to Oregon!!  Since I have had children she has come to visit many times, and was even here for the baby shower for my son!!  She has come a few times since then, but has not seen my daughter since last summer!!  We are so excited to be able to spend these few days with her!!

My best teaching buddy is in town for Easter weekend too!!  She left me for Vegas, and every day I miss her being next door!  My school year has not been the same, and I miss her and our ice cream dates!  I'm excited to be able to spend some time with her this weekend though, and hope we can sneak in some Blue Bell somewhere!!

This week we were able to use some amazing centers by Ashley over at Schroeder Shenanigans in Second!  If you have not checked her out yet you will want to make sure that you do!!  We were able to use her new math centers, Eggcelent Place Value and Fraction Practice.  My kids loved the games, and they kept them engaged!

We were also able to work on our helping verbs with her amazing Helping Verbs scoot!!

In science this week we have been doing many hands on activities!  We are learning about layers of the earth, volcanoes, fossils and rocks.  We have not been reading out of our textbook, and instead have been using amazing products I found on TPT LAST YEAR!!  I couldn't believe it when I realized that a product I bought A YEAR AGO, was from The Blessed Teacher!!  I love Jennifer, and was so excited when I realized it was her pack that I used!

This week we made different types of rock using laffy taffy, graham crackers and frosting.  We also went on a fossil dig using chocolate chip cookies!!  On Thursday we were able to make our own fossils, so hopefully they will be nice and set on Tuesday when we get back to school!

Easter is one of my favorite holidays, and one of my favorite holidays to teach my students about.  There is so much that goes in to the Easter story, and for some of them it is the first time that they will read the story straight out of the bible.  We talked a lot about what Judas did, and how Peter denied Jesus three times.  It is so easy for us go along with the crowd, and not always stand up for what is right, or for what we believe in.  I'm looking forward to discussing the rest of the Easter story next week, and the amazing events that took place on Easter Sunday!!!

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Cassandra

How often are you able to do fun hands on activities for science?!

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Cassandra

I can't believe it is Sunday night already!  Where did this weekend go!?!  I feel like Sunday night comes faster and faster every weekend!!  I have big plans for this summer on how to make sure that my weekends can be spent relaxing, and not spending them planning, printing, laminating, you know what most of us spend our Sunday evenings doing!!

I'm linking up with Jennifer over at Mrs. Laffin's Laughings to share what we will be doing this week!

I'm excited for our rounding activity that I found from The Blessed Teacher!  We are going to work on rounding to the nearest tens and hundred with this Bingo game!!  I think my kids will love it, and it will give them the opportunity to practice using any numbers that they would like.  Make sure you check it out!  Every teacher loves a bargain, and it is a freebie, so how could you go wrong!?!  Make sure to leave some awesome feedback and check out the rest of her store too!!

This month we are starting our Earth science unit!  This unit is probably my favorite because I have found some AWESOME resources to use, and don't really have to use my textbook AT ALL!!  I am hoping parents will like it too because we aren't going to take a test, but instead we are going to do some hands on projects and experiments to show what we know!!

I am using products by the amazing The Blessed Teacher, and Nicole Shelby!!  You will want to make sure you check them out!  Jennifer has some great ideas on fossils, and she even has directions on how the kids can make fossils on their own!!  Nicole has lots of great ideas and organizers to help your students show what they know in many, MANY, different ways!!  I look forward to using most of her product, and to watching the kids have fun as they learn this month!!

In religion we are talking about Easter this month.  I am always amazed at what my students take away from this time of year, and how deep we are able to go into the story.  I am looking forward to talking about the Last Supper this week, as well as discussing the great gift we received on Good Friday.

I hope that you all have an amazing week!!  I am off to read before I fall asleep and get up in the morning to begin this fun week!!

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Cassandra

I am so excited for my first giveaway and to announce the winner!  Thank you to all who entered, and thank you to all of my new followers!  I hope that I can share an idea with you that will help, or that you will enjoy following my blog as much as I enjoy following all of you!!  I love this blogging, IG world and the many, MANY, great teachers and friends I have made!!

The winner is . . .

I look forward to more giveaways in the future, and once again thank you all for your support on this amazing journey!!

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Cassandra

I am so excited for this linky!!

What do you do for a fun whole class writing activity?

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Cassandra

I am linking up with Farley over at Oh' Boy 4th Grade!!  I love this link up, and it is my favorite one to do every month!  Plus it always reminds me how quickly the months are flying by!!

I can't believe I am already filling this out about April, but here you go!

Listening - I am finally catching up on Revenge. After taking my two week break from technology I am finally playing catch up. I have three weeks to get caught up on.  Plus all of the other shows that my husband and I record so we can catch up on!

Loving - I'm loving that our weather cooled down again!  Here in Arizona if it gets too hot this early then you know you are in for a long summer!  I am enjoying the fact that we aren't sweating this week, but that we can enjoy a cool evening!

Thinking - summer cannot come soon enough!  I know it will be here before we know it, but sometimes I worry that these parents still don't trust me to do what is best for their kids.  I am having another parent meeting tomorrow to defend what I am doing.

Wanting - I am in need of a quiet weekend.  I need time to rest, get caught up with my kids, and my husband.  I have turned into a not so nice wife, and I know I need to get back to how I should be, and more importantly how I want to be.

Needing - we are in the middle of refinancing our house, and are finally going to buy a second car.  We sold my car when we had my son, and now that I take him to school with me four days a week my husband and I have been sharing our car and rides.  We are excited to be able to buy a second car again!

Hours - I drop my son off at preschool around 7:15, so I am at work by 7:25, after tutoring I try to leave school no later than 4:15 to go pick him up.  I am lucky if we can leave his school by 4:30 to head home though.  He loves playing, riding bikes, and just running around outside.  We are so blessed by his love for school!

Thank you all for coming by, and don't forget to enter my giveaway here!!

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Cassandra