Out of pocket

I am headed to an AEA conference until Saturday so ill be a little out of pocket (is that a real phrase?) for awhile. 🙂 I think I have to pay for Internet soooooo……

Yes, teachers, you can hate me for having 2 days off. 🙂

Of course, you probably feel sorry for me since you know what it’s like to get ready for a sub and what you have to come back to!!

Runners, knock some miles out for me since I’m hoping to only squeeze in about a mile each day.

Readers, be jealous. Be very jealous. I’ll be reading every spare moment I have. With no kids. No husband. And what? Did I just leave my cell phone charger at home by accident?????

Signing off for now.

The Twisted Window Book Review by Lois Duncan

Received from Net Galley. Thank you Net Galley!

The Twisted Window by Lois Duncan

Goodreads Summary:

Tracy, a high school junior, becomes embroiled in the problems of a strange boy, who asks her assistance in “snatching” his half-sister from her father who has allegedly kidnapped her.

My Thoughts:

Shocker. Twisting. Didn’t see it coming. Yep, that about sums it up.

If you could see my tweets while I was reading this book you would see that at one point (well, more than one) I wanted to SLAP the tar out of Tracy. And I wasn’t too hooked on Brad either. I couldn’t really dredge up too much sympathy for either character. In fact, I started thinking I was a bad person because of that.

Well, Lois Duncan pulled a fast one on me that I didn’t see coming. I got my explanation about Brad’s actions and any animosity I had been feeling toward him…let’s just say it dissipated. (I’m trying to show off some of my vocabulary!)

I enjoyed this one and am looking forward to reading more of Lois Duncan’s books. I especially want to read the one based on her daughter’s death in 1989.

4 of 5 stars to this thriller for middle graders.

 

Day 3-#RWRunningStreak

Does this look familiar?

Now imagine 2 of them. Under my torso. THAT’S what my legs felt like today! 🙂

My buddy and I ran 2.01 miles in 23:01. How can that be hard you ask? Well, when you have to pick up 2 of the above….

The weatherman on the radio (you know that voice that does NOT have to be accountable for what he/she says!) said that it would be in the high 60’s/low 70’s today. I was so pleased that I would be able to run in warm weather since I am NOT a winter person!

I guess they were either giving the temperature for my classroom with the heater on OR a vacation at the beach because it was NOT that warm. In fact, it was downright cold!!

Weatherman-you better be glad you are anonymous! 🙂 Because it would not be pretty!

Sidenote: 18 days of school left before Christmas vacation, but WHO’S COUNTING???????????

Have your legs ever felt heavy??

 

Another run for #RWRunningStreak

Day 2 of my Runner’s World Running Streak. 3 miles in 35 something-I’m just gonna round it up to 36 since I’m too tired to go get my garmin. 🙂

AND-we saw a rainbow at the end of our run! Didn’t have my phone with me(you know-I have a GARMIN FORERUNNER 10 now!!) so no picture of the majestic image it splayed across the sky.

Speaking of my GARMIN- I.LOVE.IT. I’ll try and take a picture of it in all its glory soon. Did I mention it’s pink???? And so simple to use!

My eyes are starting to droop, so I promise I will respond to all the comments on previous posts by tomorrow night.

One more thing-I’m currently reading The Twisted Window by Lois Duncan (how have I not read any of her books for middle grade/YA??). But there’s this problem I have. I think I’m supposed to dislike Brad because we know he is up to no good. However, I’m really disliking Tracy, the supposed good yet naive one. She’s acting like a TOTAL snot to her aunt and uncle who are taking care of her. It’s making me want to jackslap her. Wait, did I just say “jackslap”? Yep. And that’s what I want to do. She is so ungrateful!

Come here, Tracy.

Night everyone! 🙂

 

Holiday Running Streak

Not this kind of streak.

This kind of streak.

Are you up for it? This is a little after the fact, but better late than never. Seeing how I’ve only run 3 times the WHOLE month of November-YIKES-I say bring it on to the Runner’s World Holiday Running Streak!

The official rules:

It started on Thanksgiving Day. It goes through New Year’s Day. 1 mile each day. That’s all.

You can log your miles on twitter using the #RWRunningStreak hashtag. Or not. 🙂

41 days. 41 miles.

I’ve run 3.48 total so far on 2 different runs, but I’m only going to count today’s 2.48 so the miles can be consecutive.

Who’s in????

It’s Monday-What Are You Reading?11/26/12

Here we are with another chance to share wonderful books with each other thanks to Jen and Kellee over at Teach Mentor Texts and Sheila over at Book Journey who both sponsor this great meme each week for young adult/children and adult respectively!

KID BOOKS

ADULT BOOKS

My FAVE book this week goes to Envy by Sandra Brown!!!!! 🙂 Although I liked all of them, and you just can’t find anything to complain about with Tami Hoag and Lisa Gardner!

My BEWARE book this week was Not Yet 40. It begins with an EXPLICIT scene. Just warning you in advance!

In the event that you want to check out my reviews from goodreads (like if you have NOTHING else to do on this cold Monday!). 🙂 I haven’t linked up with this meme in quite awhile so there are SEVERAL books I’ve reviewed that aren’t on my blog.

My Goodreads Review Page

What was your FAVE book this week?

Stickman to the rescue

Drab. Blah. Redundant. These are just a few words that might be used to describe this time of the year in school. I would save these for January-my LEAST favorite month of the year!!!!!!!!!!- but I know the students have these words making a continuous cycle through their head. Probably while I am teaching no les. 🙂

In order to spice things up a bit, I have introduced Stickman. Compliments of The Writing Fix and Corbett Harrison-a FAB teacher! Thanks for the great ideas!

You can read all about how Stickman is used in Corbett’s writing journals with his students at their website. My spin on Stickman is to let him become an interactive player in our history that we are learning. We will use him in our writing, too, but I think for this year he will become central to our history lessons.

The students can draw him in the margin responding to something they have written OR they can draw him as a part of our note taking-hence the interactive part.

The kids think he is GREAT. He really is. 🙂

The very 1st day I introduced him, this is the creation of one of my 6th graders:

I’m hoping it will really help them “think” about their learning!

The next day I gave them all a copy of the facial expressions they can use. This also came from Corbett’s page on The Writing Fix’s website. You have got to visit that website!!

We talked about a few of them, and then I had everyone draw Stickman with their favorite expression. 🙂

Can’t wait to see what else they come up with-it’s amazing how creative they can be. When we let them. 🙂

What are you using to spice up your lessons lately?

 

 

Thanksgiving is Great!!

I LOVE this holiday. Family, good food, relaxing. What more could a girl ask for? Oh, maybe that’s not how I should have phrased that. 🙂

I’m thankful for-LIFE. That about sums it up. If I tried to be specific it would take too long. And you would fall asleep. So that’s it. I’m thankful for life.

Here’s a post written by a principal I found through twitter. He always says some insightful stuff so I thought I would share. 🙂

Have a great and wonderful Thanksgiving!

 

Scott Wright’s Post on Thanksgiving

Envy by Sandra Brown book review

 Envy by Sandra Brown

This is one of the shortest summaries I’ve seen which sometimes makes me wonder about the quality of the book. Don’t be worried. This book rocked!

Goodreads Summary:

Living on a remote island under an assumed name, novelist Parker Evans guards his secrets well. Fascinated by this reclusive genius, publisher Maris Matherly-Reed decides to pursue him. But this new project threatens an old commitment, a commitment at the very center of her life. Envy has all the ingredients of a Sandra Brown beach read bestseller.

My thoughts:

I have to say that this is the BEST book I have read in a long time!!!! Sandra Brown always knocks em out, but she really outdid herself in this one!

There were 2 stories overlapping each other in this one since it was about an author and his manuscript. The feelings I had toward the characters were right on the money! (Patting self on the back)

Not only was I not wanting to put this one down (being an avid reader that happens to me a lot so maybe that’s not special!), but it kept me wondering and guessing and wondering and guessing….well, you get the picture.

You’re going to like Maris, the main character, especially when you realize she DOES have a backbone. 🙂

5 of 5 stars

Thirstday-11/15/12

A book and a beverage hosted by David at Eat The Book.

This looked interesting so I thought I would join in this week. Here’s my beverage of choice and my current read!

 

Life is good. 🙂