My Work Bag

OK...so the most popular post of 2011 was my Organized Work Bag that I use between home and my classroom. As I brought it to school this morning, I noticed how "full" it was and how much stuff actually fits inside! When I first showed you my bag, I did not show you what the inside looks like. So, here you go...

This is what the bag looked like this morning with all of my weekly Centers material.

Besides all of that paper, I have my Lesson Plan book, sight words, assessment material, and a binder to file the Centers material into (eventually!!) all in the small hanging file tub.

Here is a shot of the file tub. I also have a 3-hole punch and a copy of Step By Step: A Guide to Microsoft Office Professional 2010. I know...what a geek but we have the new version on our school laptops and I want to know how to use/ utilize every part of it!!

Just look at how packed that file tub its...

So, I took the Centers material and binder out so we can use them this week. This left me with a lot more room in the file tub.

And then wiped out the bag 'cause it was dirty!!

I also cleaned out the pockets. These hold my sticky notes, wipe out tape, scissors, tape, rubber cement and my collection of sharpies. (Can you even be a teacher without Sharpies...Love Them!!)

Here's a look at the back. It has 2 more pockets that I try to keep empty...just in case!

Now, it's all cleaned out and ready for a new week.

Until it's time to go home...I tried!!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone! My... how time flies. It seems like just yesterday that we were ringing in 2011! I have a lot of little projects in the works that I will share soon but wanted to kick off the New Year with farewell to my simply, little Christmas decorations.

We recently found ourselves with a second cat....a kitten that my Mom found and couldn't find anyone else to take it (I know...sounds horrible but I was not looking to mother 2 cats and a 12 year old!!).

We, of course, are in love with the little thing (still too young to figure out if it's a boy or girl!) and can't imagine life without it! To make a long story not as long...we couldn't put up our big Christmas tree...that little thing is in to everything!! So, we decided to decorate small this year and go all out again next year when "Sam" is not as young.

So, we put up my daughter's small, white tree on top of the tall chest in the living room so Sam couldn't get to it. We put a few funky ornaments on it and kept the rest of the ornaments stored away.

And since we finally (after 7.5 years) have a mantle...we hung our stockings by the fireplace with care...in hopes that St. Nicholas would soon be there!!!

I should have taken some more close-up pictures, but if you look closely, I also put some ornaments in the lanterns on the mantle. (And yes...I still have spring-looking flowers in the vases. It's on my To-Do List!!)

So, that's our Christmas in a nutshell...all thanks to our new little friend!

(Sam and Katie)