Kindergarten Math Game: Train Race

Last week, my kindergartners learned how to play Train Race. With all the squealing and cheering, you might have thought it was a really exciting activity. It's just a simple counting game, but the students love it. The prep required is minimal. Print and laminate the cards below (you'll need one card for every two children, so print more if needed.) Trim them and then attach to a piece of yarn that's about one yard long. You can attach with staples, or punch a hole in the card and tie the yarn through. Gather a box of Unifix cubes or linker cubes. You can attach the "Train Race Start" to one end of the yarn, and "End" to the other end of the yarn. And now go sit down and have yourself a cup of coffee and one of those delicious double-chocolate cookies... because you're done. That's all there is to it.

  


Click here for the PDF.

Wait. I lied. Each pair of students will need one die. So you'll also have to locate your box of dice and get it out.

To play, player one rolls one die. Player counts the dots on the die, and then counts out that many cubes, and builds a train with them. Next it is player two's turn, and he rolls the die and builds a train. For the next turn, player one rolls again, and adds a number of "cars" (cubes) to his train. Then player A needs to stop and count the number of cubes in his train. Each time a player has a turn, he/she needs to count the number of cars in his/her train.



The player whose train reaches the end of the yarn or the End card is the winner. I teach this game early in the year, and students frequently choose to play it during Math Workshop.

Book Boxes and Texts for Getting Started with Readers Workshop

Do your students have book boxes? Book totes? Book bins? Book bags? The container doesn't matter a bit.  One year I used little plastic totes from the dollar store, but for the past couple of years, I've used plastic boxes. I purchased the boxes in three different colors to help each of my young students find the right box, and I labeled them with student names. I remind my kindergartners to remember which color their boxes are. Then, they have a fewer number of box labels to check. I know, it sounds pretty basic, right? It's not. Once students know which color box to look for, they can find the correct box more quickly.



It's sometimes challenging to find a place for book boxes in the classroom. Luckily, I have a very large room this year, and I was able to place them all in one area. In the past, I've had to put some on one side of the room and some on the other. It actually worked just fine! And there was an advantage to storing the boxes in different places in the room: no crowds when it's time to get the boxes out or put them away.

I usually begin the year by selecting books for each student for the first week of Readers Workshop. But this year, my class is pretty amazing, and I let them do the shopping. I presented lessons on how the library is organized, and then I let them go. At the beginning, I let them choose eight books for their book boxes. Later in the year, they are allowed to choose more.

After students had chosen books, I taught a couple of lessons on "Three Ways to Read a Book."  I got the idea when I attended a Daily 5 Workshop, but I've changed it from their model a bit. For one thing, when I read the books, I make a chart that includes a picture of each book I read. When I teach students the three ways to read a book, I like to use books that are similar in some way for each lesson. One year, I used three different frog books. One was appropriate for showing how to read the pictures, because it had complex illustrations and too many words for most first graders. Another was a book that had very simple, repetitive text, and I showed the students how to look and point at every word while the read. The third book was a story that we had already read for fun in class. I used it to show how to retell the story.

This year, I chose sets of three books by one author. This chart shows the books by Eric Carle  and the books by David Shannon. For demonstrating how to read the pictures, I used Mr. Seahorse and Good Boy, Fergus. To model how to read the words, I used Have You Seen My Cat? and No, David. And for retelling, I used Duck on a Bike and The Very Hungry Caterpillar.



 



 



 



I'll continue adding another set or two of books to our chart, because I think it's good to review those three ways several times at the beginning.

So after students selected books and I taught the three ways to read a book, it was time to get going on the important part: reading! I use the rules for Read to Self from The Sisters:

1. Read the whole time.

2. Stay in one place.

3. Get started right away.

I modeled and had my students demonstrate each one. My favorite rule is "Read the whole time." We had a little discussion about how you can't talk if you're really reading. And you can't look around the room if you're really reading. And we discussed what to do if someone else in the class isn't following the rules. In my class, I tell the students that they should ignore anyone who tries to talk to them during Readers Workshop. If the person is really persistent, I give them the option of showing the quiet sign (index finger held to lips), but not saying anything and getting right to work. I absolutely love demonstrating this each time. Today, I had a student sit and read a book while I was the naughty student who was trying to distract him."

"Pppssssssst!! Dean! Dean!... Dean! I'm talking to you! ..... Dean! Dean! Dean! Look at the cool pictures in my book, Dean! Look at the funny dog getting on the bus. Dean! LOOK! DEAN!"

Omg. It was awesome. Dean just kept on reading and completely ignored me. He did it so well. And then he finally showed me the quiet sign. It was hilarious, but completely effective. The kids got it.

Each day I assign places in the room to read. It takes a few minutes, but it's totally worth it for kindergarten and first grade. I have several comfy chairs, a few bean bag chairs, a couple of piles of pillows, two tiny tables and tons of floor space and many desks. I send students to different places in the room, and in the case of desks and the floor, I just try to keep the children separate from each other as much as I can.

The students are to take their book boxes to their reading places and "get started right away.

Omiword. Today was the second day of Readers Workshop in my class. My students are so thrilled with the books in their book boxes, and they got started right away. They all sat, and picked up books and... read. Yes, those were the instructions, but it just doesn't always happen as quickly and easily as it did today. Often at the beginning of the year, my students can't even read for two minutes without someone talking or playing or getting up to walk around the room. Today?! Eighteen minutes. It's unbelievable. This group loves books!

Happy Friday, Teacher Friends! The long weekend is nearly here!

Back to School Night

I just got home. SO LATE. I walked in the door, kissed my kids, got a glass of water and got into bed. What a long day! I left the house around 7:00 am. It's 9:30 pm now.

But I've gotta say... it was worth it. I love the opportunity to talk to parents!

I live far enough from my school that it didn't make sense to come home in between dismissal and Back to School Night. So I stayed and worked. First I made sure that everything was ready for my presentation--- handouts, Powerpoint, a strategically-placed bottle of water, and teeny tiny first grade chairs moved to the right area of the room! Haha! Then, I got down to work organizing things!

I managed to unpack another box (I still have about 20 boxes in my little bathroom hallway area. It's driving me nuts to have them there, but I'm waiting for delivery of some bookshelves!) and I did a little filing. I gathered small jobs that parent volunteers can do, and placed them in a special box. I made piles of things that need to be copied, laminated, and shredded. I sorted some papers, laid out some materials for tomorrow, made a couple of charts, and neatened my teaching easel. Whew! BLISS!

Then, I was getting ready to go pick up a Jamba or a salad at Chipotle, because those are the healthiest nearby options. But then I realized that if I left school at that point, I might not get a parking place when I came back because all the families would be arriving for Back to School Night. Yikes. And I wasn't in the mood to park a block or two away.

Thank goodness for the fridge in my room. Not nearly as good as a smoothie or salad, but I survived. As my husband sometimes told the kids when they were little, "Sometimes you live to eat, but today you can eat to live."



I always keep a jar of tiny cornichons in my fridge. Weird? Maybe... but I love them. And I had a fruit bar and handful of nuts.  I lived.

The families who came for Back to School Night were great. I love hearing their questions, even though some this year were rather critical -- not everyone is completely comfortable with the combination class, just yet. But several families thanked me for a great start to the year and mentioned how happy their children are this year, which I love to hear! My principal and vice principal both came by to offer support, and now I can cross the whole night off of my list!

I did forget to talk about a couple of things. Most importantly, that I don't teach using lots of dittoes or copied pages. We do word work in composition books, math work in math journals, and my students store their writing in folders. I wish I had remembered to let the parents know that "no papers coming home" doesn't mean "no work being done."

What's on your list of things that you always discuss with parents at Back to School Night?

Place Value Boxes from Target and a Corner of my Classroom

More calendar math... Each day, we add a Unifix cube to our collection. When there are ten, we stack them into "one ten" and move the entire stack to the tens column. Well, I saw these cute little boxes in the dollar bins at Target and they are perfect for collecting the cubes. Today was the ninth day of school, so tomorrow my students will stack the cubes into a ten.



I printed the Ones, Tens and Hundreds labels from my unit, Common Core Calendar Math, and taped it on! Easy! Yes, I know that the words are in the wrong order in the picture! Not sure how that happened, but it's fixed now.

Today my students finished up some little Pete the Cat paper projects, and I couldn't resist hanging them all over the classroom.  I think they're just adorable. My kinders and first graders were both able to do the project somewhat independently. The best part is the tail. I shared my idea for a spiral tail, but told the students that they could make any kind of tail they wanted. The variety is awesome! They're all different, which I love!

I still have organizing and unpacking to do in my room. I'm trying to do a little each day, but I'm waiting for the district to deliver a couple of big bookshelves.

Geez, is that picture blurry? Or am I just in need of sleep?

Common Core Math: The Calendar

I just finished this big pack of goodies for primary classrooms. Calendar activities are still an effective way to teach Common Core skills. The only thing... some of our old calendar routines need a little tweaking!



 

I created this file full of printables that you can use during your calendar time. Instructions are included, and the activities are Common Core aligned. Even my good friend who is a *pro* at innovative calendar activities found some new ideas! Click HERE to get your copy!

Have a great week! Tomorrow is our ninth day of school!

A Hundred Numbers for Your Pocket Chart

It seems like lots of teachers are loving bees this year! It's a great theme! So I made a set of number cards with bees on every one.

The cards are for those nylon pocket charts that so many of us have hanging in our rooms. You know, the kind with 100 tiny pockets? Yep, I have one too! I have never loved the red numbers that came with the pocket chart, and it finally hit me---- why not make cute numbers?! Yes, I know I wrote that post about too much cute in a classroom. But if it's functional and cute, I think that's awesome!



The great thing about these cards is that they can be used alone or with those red cards that came with the pocket chart. You can use the "cute" cards to highlight number patterns or a number of the day or whatever. I love Marcy Cook's "Color It on the Hundred's Chart" and these cute numbers work really well with her lessons.

So far, I've made a black and white version with bright bunting, and a bee version. Any other requests? Let me know and I'll get right on it!

Who Doesn't Love Pete the Cat?

Pete the Cat is such a darling little fellow, and my students love the Pete the Cat books! I have several copies of each title in the classroom, and they are always in use! If you don't have the books, click on the book covers to get them!





I created a set of pocket chart sentences to use with the book, as well as two different mini-books for students. They were perfect for my kindergartners and first graders!



Click on the picture for a link to these materials.



There are lots of perfectly-sized sentence strips to use with students. We had tons o' fun pretending that Pete stepped in bubble gum, lettuce, cherries and more. The materials also work well for oral language practice with English Language Learners.

I just love Pete! He makes my students smile and giggle, and it's infectious! We had a great week of Pete the Cat fun!

I Survived My New Class and a Couple of Thoughts about Teaching a Combination

Of course I survived! Of course! But it was a pretty wild ride for a few days last week. Mainly, just putting it all together so fast was a challenge. That, and a serious lack of sleep, made me feel like I was chasing a bus... but not quite moving fast enough to catch it. The week seemed long, and I admit that I was counting the hours until the weekend starting at lunchtime on Friday.

After school on Friday, I worked in my room a little, came home, had a delicious and healthy dinner and slept eight hours. This morning I got up and had a nice, long run, some pineapple and a poached egg, and the longest shower ever. I'm feeling pretty recovered and ready for more!

The school schedule will be adjusted sometime soon, but for now, my students are dismissed at two different times, have recess on two different playgrounds, and arrive at two different times. It's been a tad challenging. It's been years since I taught a combination class, and I remembered a few tricks to share with anyone getting ready to start teaching a combination class.

First, name tags... I used striped name tags for my kindergartners and polka dot name tags for my first graders on the first day. Now, after three days with my *PERFECTLY ADORABLE AND DELIGHTFUL* students, I know which children are kinders and which are first graders. But those name tags really helped the first day.

Second, I did use different paper to color code some of the notes that went home with the families. Yes, that seems so minor... but trust me on this, it helps with organization.

And lastly, I am not seating my students by grade. Think about a regular, old class of students who are all in the same grade. I'm thinking about my class two years ago. I had students who were decoding perfectly, able to comprehend up to a second grade level, behaving well, listening and ready to learn, beginning to understand multiplication, and writing complete paragraphs with every word spelled correctly. I also had students who were barely writing their names, didn't know all the letters/sounds, couldn't count 10 objects accurately, rolled on the carpet during read aloud time, and were frequently hitting other students. I also had one who was constantly on the lookout for staples or paper clips or anything he could try to stick into an outlet. And I had a biter.

Huge range of abilities, huh? Well, I think my class this year has a similar range (though so far, no biters, and my new room has very few outlets!) And it shouldn't matter that the students are in different grades. No, they won't be taught based on the same standards, and they won't all be doing the same thing all the time. That's called differentiation, and it's one of my strengths. Since I teach reading, math, and writing using a Workshop Model, it will be fairly simple to differentiate in those subjects.

My real worry with separating students and making it clear who is in which grade... it does nothing for the sense of community in the class. We are all one, amazing class. And yes, some students are a little older and can do a little more. But we are one class. I've had first graders with fewer skills that my kindergartners this year. And I've had a few kindergartners over the years whose abilities surpassed my first graders this year. No matter.

I love my new class, and they're all going to learn. Together.

What a Difference Six Hours Makes: My New Classroom!

My Wacky Week, Part 2

After staying up way too late last night organizing packets for kindergarten orientation, I finally slept. Briefly.

I was up at 6:00, in my old classroom by 7:00, and I got to work: packing, prioritizing, sorting, wondering... was it even possible?!

My husband and two of the kids went and picked up a truck and met me at the old school. The four of us packed and taped and taped and packed until we ran out of tape! We took a quick Jamba Juice break, stopped by the store for more tape, and had the whole room completely packet by 11:00! Un. Real. We filled the truck with pretty things, furniture, and things I needed right away. We boxed up most of the books and some other things, and they should be delivered in a few days.

We arrived at the new room around noon, unloaded, dashed out for Chipotle salads, organized, unpacked, hung things, put things on shelves and voila! A classroom, ready to go! Okay, it was pretty much nothing like "voila!" My husband and son are the heroes of the day. Good heavens! They lifted so much heavy stuff!

So I made it to kindergarten orientation. The parents were lovely, and I met one adorable little boy who said, "Nice to meet you," and was ready to shake my hand all night long! A few of the parents were really, really excited, and said that they loved the room!



I hung a cute "Welcome" sign on the door, and I'll add some student work tomorrow!

I

Thank heavens for a wonderful secretary who copied all my handouts for the Kindergarten Orientation! I emailed them to her at 1:23 this morning! Yikes!



Since most of my books are still in boxes, most of the book bins are empty! But 4,000 books will soon fill them up!



A kind and generous kinder teacher gave me a rug because she had two! I'm so pleased and grateful! Not every teacher would do that for someone else...

I'm feeling pretty good about the room. It's not done. But tomorrow is the first day of school, and I did all that in six hours. Whew.

Good night, friends! We all need sleep!

Have You Done Anything Crazy This Week?

Well, have you? Have you done anything that might make you question your own sanity?

Friends, I just did.

I was supposed to be teaching first grade this year, at the same school where I worked last year.

Uh-oh. Are you getting the idea? Yes. THAT kind of crazy!

An opportunity presented itself on Friday. I thought about it all weekend, considered a million "what-if?" scenarios and decided to go for it. I had an interview today (after a completely full day of professional development!) ...and... now I'm going to be teaching a kindergarten-first grade combination class at a new school!

I couldn't be more thrilled! Thank goodness for my amazingly awesome husband and fabulously strong son who have secured a U-Haul truck for tomorrow. They'll be helping me move my stuff out of my old room at my old school and into my new room at my new school.

One tiny thing... tomorrow night is Kindergarten Orientation! I'll need to have things somewhat set up for that! And the second tiny thing is that the first day of school is Wednesday! Madness!

Please, please tell me that someone out there has done something wackier and survived!  Any crazy first week/first day stories to share?

I'm sure it will all be worth it. I just know it's going to be great.

Common Core Math? Yes! Alligators? No.

Have you been thinking about Common Core? Of course you have! I was just asking to see if anyone was paying attention! Ha ha!

We're all thinking about the Common Core Standards. The Common Core is bringing some big changes to all curricular areas. One of the big shifts in mathematics instruction is the focus on true understanding of mathematical concepts. Everything I have read, watched, and heard regarding math has said, "No more tricks."  That means no more shortcuts, no mnemonics. We should be giving our students adequate instruction and practice so that they understand the concepts without the tricks.

We have all used some kind of trick or shortcut over the years. Teachers of algebra use the acronym FOIL for first, outside, inside, last when multiplying binomials. The mom, dad, sister, brother mnemonic is popular among teachers of long division. For young children, many of us have used the "alligator" to help students learn to use greater than and less than signs.

Um... Well... Ugh... It feels a little awkward... and some of us are pretty attached... but it's time to say goodbye to the alligator. And goodbye to those cute alligator posters.

I've created a set of posters that present the language of each symbol. The file contains two different versions, so choose the one you like and heat up that laminator. And listen-up... if neither strikes your fancy, be sure to leave me a message about what colors you need. I'll do my best.

In the actual teaching of the concepts and symbols of greater than and less than, I have heard recommendations to teach just one of the symbols first. For instance, show your class "the greater" than sign. Have them practice the language, compare numbers on the whiteboard, play games that involve "greater than," and use handfuls of beans and compare quantities using "greater than." Give them all the "greater than" they can take. And then, only then, introduce "less than." This recommendation made a ton of sense to me. Rather than confusing children with arrows pointing both ways, let them internalize the use of one, and then teach them the other.

So here it is. Click for your free set of posters! Print! Tell your friends!



It might be a bumpy road this year, if your district is implementing the Common Core State Standards (like mine is.)  But we will get through it, without the alligators. Alligators are a little scary, anyway!

August Picture Book 10 for 10: Books I Love to Read Aloud

Here's my list...

Books I love to read aloud...over and over! Click on the book covers to get more information about each selection.

1. Chicks and Salsa by Aaron Reynolds



 

I love Chicks and Salsa! It's not just a clever, humorous story about farm animals cooking Mexican food. It's a great teaching tool. The vocabulary is rich, and the book lends itself to a variety of lessons on word choice, synonyms, shades of meaning, etc. Get it. It's awesome!

2. Memoirs of a Goldfish by Devin Scillian



 

What goldfish keeps a diary?! Right?! This book is lovely. "I swam around my bowl." Great for teaching how to keep a journal, but completely entertaining as well. It's an adventure in a bowl, and there's a lesson about appreciating what you have, as well.

3. Pete the Cat: Rocking in My School Shoes by Eric Litwin



 

What's not to love? Pete is adorable and cool, and students can completely identify with this book. Sometimes I play the music along with it (you can listen HERE) and sometimes I just read it myself. No matter. It's always a hit, and I'm not even sick of Pete!

4. Muncha! Muncha! Muncha!  by Candace Fleming and G. Brian Karas



 

I actually owned this book for a year before I opened it and read it. That is so unlike me! But it's the truth. I think someone gave me a copy, and I was busy with other things. Very sad story, because this book has it all. The language is extremely fun and rich, and Mr. McGreely goes to ridiculous lengths to keep the bunnies out of his garden, which makes for some hilarious illustrations. I now own at least five copies of this book!

5. We Were Tired of Living in a House by Liesel Moak Skorpen



 

I seem to gravitate to books with the "be grateful for what you have" theme. In this book, children experiment with living in a cave, a tree, at the beach, in a pond... before deciding to go back to living in a house.

6. Is Your Mama a Llama? by Deborah Guarino



 

I love the rhythm and rhyme and illustrations, and there's some content there, too.

7. Meanwhile Back at the Ranch by Trinka Hakes Noble



 

Someone referred to this book as "vintage," which made me feel a little old. But I love the book enough that I don't care. In the story, Rancher Hicks goes into town for some excitement (there really isn't anything new, thought), and actually misses a TON of excitement back at the ranch.

8. Katie Loves the Kittens by John Himmelman



Katie is an energetic and impulsive dog who scares three new kittens over and over again. She doesn't mean to, she's just a dog! The illustrations, especially of the expressions on Katie's face, are fabulous! This book is a ton of fun to read aloud!

9. Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag



 

Okay, this time, yes... totally vintage! But age doesn't matter! Once you start chanting, "Hundreds of cats, thousands of cats, millions and billions and trillions of cats," you'll be hooked!

10. Benjamin's 365 Birthdays by Judi Barrett



 

I know, I've talked about this book before. But it's one of my absolute favorites of all time! I just couldn't leave it off this list.

Happy Saturday, everyone! And HAPPY READING!

Getting Ready for the First Day: Gathering Supplies for the Teacher

Do you have your clothes ready for the first day? Some things just don't seem to change: I always need a new dress for day one! I got this pretty dress a few weeks ago, and I'm going to wear it with a navy cardigan and off-white flats on the first day of school!



It's from Ann Taylor, and I loved it the minute I saw it. Playful, yet professional. And the best part... I was able to get a teacher discount! Yes, you read that right! Some of my favorite places give discounts for teachers: Ann Taylor, LOFT, J. Crew, and Banana Republic. I've also heard that teachers can get a discount at The Limited, J.Jill, New York and Company, and Christopher and Banks.

Heck, it's worth asking almost anywhere! Keep your teacher ID with you, and when you get ready to pay, just ask, "Do you happen to give a discount for teachers?" I asked once at Macy's and the cashier looked at me, smiled, and then applied her personal employee discount. I think that's probably against the rules, but I appreciated the gesture!

Lots of museums, amusement parks, zoos, and other attractions also give discounts for teachers, as do many bookstores, craft stores, and office supply stores. When I bought my new MacBook Air a few weeks ago, I got a significant discount!

I'm also beginning to stock my closet with food that will get me through the day. I've got a bag sitting by the front door now--ready to take tomorrow! It's filled with snack sized bags of almonds and cashews, Lara Bars, applesauce, dried apple chips, bottled water, and my favorite teas. I have a tiny, dorm fridge in the closet, and I usually keep some baby carrots and cornichons (teeny, tiny pickles) because I love to snack on them.

Please share!

What are you wearing on the first day of school?

Do you have a favorite place where you have gotten a discount because you're a teacher?

What snacks do you keep in your closet or desk to help you get through the day?

 

Preparing the Classroom Environment: Labels for Everything!

Omiword. My classroom is a disaster. I had meetings all day yesterday, but got to work in my room a little today. I've got another few days of meetings coming up and then one final full day in my room before the first graders arrive! I'm pretty organized, I have a clear picture of how I want things in my head, and my energy level is well-above average. Still, I had some moments of panic this morning. Honestly, I almost cried.

After a few hours of work, I feel better. The room is not anywhere near done. But I got a few things accomplished, so I'm feeling less hopeless. I made one pile of all the things to hang on the wall, boxes of guided reading books are near the reading table (though not unpacked, unfortunately), I got extra furniture moved out of the room and I've got most of the supplies stacked in one corner. The baskets that I use to store guided reading lesson materials in are on the shelves where they belong. Progress.

There are so many parts of the classroom environment to consider, and I wanted to share one thing that I always do. I label everything in my room. Those labels really add a lot to my print-rich environment and they help my beginning readers and writers.  At the beginning of the year (during those random few seconds before recess or lunch), I turn each label into a quick literacy activity. I might gather them around the sink and point to the word "soap." I usually ask if anyone can read the word or wants to guess what the word says. Then we read the word together a few times: first in our student voices, next in a little mouse voice, then in another silly voice. Together we say the names of the letters, clap the word and determine the number of syllables, and then we might "stretch out the word" and break it into phonemes. Another day, I might just ask students to read the word. Of course, at that point, they will all remember that the label on the soap says, "Soap," but they usually look at the word carefully and really concentrate. It's adorable, and at the same time it's giving them another literacy experience. I probably don't need to mention how accomplished first graders feel when they can read lots of words around the classroom (even if they are just remembering the label words at first!) Smarties!

I like to have cute labels for my room, but I also like the idea of having students do some labeling themselves. I usually begin the year with the cute labels. When the mood strikes (or when a lesson coordinates with the letters sounds in the word), I remove it. Then I point out the the students that the label is missing. I make a big deal about it, and they all agree that we should make a new one. We make a new one using a shared writing format.

I choose one student to do the writing. We use a sentence strip or another kind of blank label, and put it up on the teaching easel. Together as a class, we sound the word out. I write the letters on a big magnetic drawing board like this. Click for info!



I hold the board so that the students on the floor and the student writing at the easel can all see. The students who are sitting on the floor are engaged, helping me sound out the word. The student at the easel is writing the word and can copy the letters from the magnet board. When the label is done, we put it in the appropriate place.

My students learn to use the labels in their writing, too. If they need to know how to spell a word, they simply take their writing notebook and go to the place in the classroom where the label is posted. After they write the word, they return to their writing place and continue.

I've made several sets of colorful, thematic labels for primary classrooms. If you don't see the theme you're looking for, leave a comment and I will see what I can create! Click on each picture for more information!

Last Summer Weekend and One of Our Family's Favorite Books

In an attempt to squeeze just a little more out of the summer break, we had a busy, relaxing, adventurous weekend. The. Best. Kind. It was a wonderful combination of getting things done, spending time together, relaxing, and planning ahead.

First, we invested some time in getting things organized at home. If I had gone to Organizational High School, I'm fairly certain I would have graduated in the top 10% of my class. I like things organized. I'm a "place for everything and everything in it's place" kind of person, but if my entire family were the same, what fun would there be in that?! My husband is an "absent-minded scientist-type" and my two younger daughters... well, let's just say that they will clean up when asked, but order doesn't come naturally. My older daughter and son can definitely appreciate organization, and they are getting to be better students all the time!

So we got the whole team together and rearranged some furniture, cleaned out some closets, powered through the laundry hamper, tackled the Tupperware cupboard, reorganized cupboards, bathed the dog, and wiped, washed or vacuumed everything. Pure bliss for me! I feel more prepared for everything when the house is in order!

Next we had some good times at the gym with the whole family. Usually  my husband and I drop kids off at their  own activities and then go to the gym, just the two of us. But this weekend, we rounded up all the kids and had a fun time together on the treadmills, elliptical machines, bikes, and weight machines. My son is a serious swimmer, and here he is entertaining us by doing pull-ups while holding a 50-pound weight between his legs. Ha! Crazy-strong!



We managed to do some gourmet/healthy cooking, eat some delicious raspberries, strawberries and blueberries, and we went on some nice, leisurely walks with our goofy dog, Violet. We went to a fun trampoline place



and started a James Bond Marathon with "Dr. No" (and since the kids don't start school until a week after I do, we'll probably be able to watch all the James Bond movies while it's still summer!)

We ended the weekend with a concert. We saw My Morning Jacket (fun but LOUD!),



Wilco,and Bob Dylan. I hadn't been to a concert in ages and we had a fun time!

After a weekend with my family that was so perfect, I knew I had to share a family favorite for my book today.



Everyone in the family loves this book. It's never, ever on the shelf... usually on a couch or ottoman or in the car or on a bed or in someone's lap! All of my children have spent hours reading and exploring it over and over and over. It has something for everyone, and it's more than just a book for any curious child. We have "loved-to-death" at least four copies of The Way Things Work by David Macaulay, and I'm always on the lookout for more!

And the new version? Even better!



Last minute summer fun at your house?

Any books you can't live without (or at least recommend highly)?

Leave a comment! Let's share!