A Fun Lunch and Classroom

Yesterday I took my girls to see my grandma.  I just love grandma's.  She is an AMAZING lady who has been through a lot in her lifetime.  She's 92 and I love her TONS!!!  Not only do I have one of her names ( Full name:  Hebe Maria Molina Sicilia de Hammond.  My sister has Molina as her middle name and one of my girls has Sicilia), I also have her brown eyes and long, pointy, lovely chin.  :)   So, my grandma came from Spain and more specifically the Canary Islands.  She came to our great country as a missionary in 1939 when she was only 19 on a boat.  I have the trunk she brought with "NY" stcratched on one of the sides. It makes me sad to say this, but that was the last time she physically saw her family.  She used to get pictures, call them and I LOVED to hear her talk with them in spanish.  The way those words rolled off her tongue.... Amazing.

So she now lives in a nursing home and they take outings a few times a month.  Those ladies keep her busy there.  When we showed up, they were loading up to go to Frisch's.  BONUS for us!  I loaded us all back into my car swagger wagon (because yes... I'm a minivan mom) and drove over to the restaurant.  We had a wonderful lunch with her.  Our youngest, just SMILED at her "great-ma", shoved gently fed her goldfish, and laughed, laughed, laughed with her.  Our oldest and middle had a great time too, drawing her pictures and eating her ice cream. :)  Here are a few pics.  My middle is oh-so-shy, even around our family.  She's just like me, so no pics of her.  :(

Isn't she the cutest thing ever!  My brain started thinking about all the personnal narratives my firsties will start off writing this year and how I can incorporate all the stories I have about my grandma.  I used to stay the night with her a few times a week when I started teaching and she still lived alone in a notsogood part of Cincinnati.  So I have LOTS of great memories and stories to share..... those will come later.

On another note, I started going back into school like every other teacher in the whole wide world.  I love, love, love the newly waxed floors.  :)  They always look so pretty and make you feel good when you walk in.  Here a the few before pics I have.  Many more after pics will follow. :)

from the back of my room

The side counter in my room.  That is my word wall hiding behind all that stuff.  It is already in a new place, that pic is down below.  :)

Back counter.  My sink is on the right had side.  It has a water fountain. BONUS!

Counter by the windows with my collection of fans for the one hundred bagillion degree days that are still ahead of us.

A-L of my wordwall

M-Z of my word wall.

My coat closets and junk.  :)  The closet on the right is already new and improved! I forgot to take a pic of that.

My three ladies and Em's two ladies. :)

So... in the last three pictures you can alreay see a few of the changes.  My sweet, fellow curious teacher Em came in with me and helped set up my classroom!  It was a LOT of fun and our girls enjoyed each other.  By the way, do you see the yard stick my youngest has?!?!?!?!  She was using it like a fencer... dangerous, had to take it away.  I'm no fun. 

ALL my desks are in the back of the room set up as long tables.  I really wanted tables this year, but desks will do.  There is a little pod in the middle.  I think it'll help me see everyone and what they are doing in a small space. 

My word wall is now on the front board.  I covered the old board in contact paper which was a nightmare an enjoyable experience for all.  I had the letters and painters tape from our teacher free store called Crayons to Computers.  I will blog more about that stupendous place next week because it's our week to shop!  I'm as giddy as my kids the night before Christmas. 

What do you think so far?????  I still have a ways to go.... but it's a start!  :)

Happy decorating your room!!!!
Maria