Our last school day of 2012 and party!

I was absolutely exhausted when I came home on Friday.   It was a half day,  but still... a major butt whooping.  

The major problem is that I have a serious denial issue.   I am in complete denial that I am not crafty.   I see things on Pinterest and very sincerely believe that I can do them - with ease even.   But y'all,  I can't.   I really can't.   I decided to make clipboards for my class for Christmas.   I usually do Scholastic books and it is never a big hit,  but it works,  but this year,  I decided I was going to make something really great.  My kids are constantly hoarding my classroom clipboards in their desks, and are very possessive of them,  so I thought I would make them each a personalized clipboard.  Easy right?  Perhaps for most...not so much for me.

I bought a truckload of Modge Podge, some scrapbook paper and a bunch of clipboards from Wal-Mart. I even begged our fantabulous receptionist Vanessa to Cricut cut all the letters for their initials and she DID IT!  I love her.  It was all working out really well and I was ahead of the game... but somehow it all still worked out that my entire kitchen, my clothes,  my blowdryer (don't ask) and our floor was covered in Modge Podge and superfine glitter...and I was up hating life at 2 am the night before our Christmas party.   I was concurrently baking for my kids teachers and Jay's clients.   Total mess.   Next year,  I will be buying books again.   But I did get them done and they turned out okay - kind of lumpy... but done.  I cleaned up and was ready to sleep.   Unfortunately,  my seven year old son Grant (who has special needs) woke up decided it was time to party.  About 3:30 finally gave up.

A couple hours later,  I loaded the boards up (some still kind of sticky) along with boxes of cookies and homemade candy,  my gigantic electric griddle, spatula, pancake toppings and my giant school bag, one of my sons and my daughter and headed to school.   After three trips into the building we were ready.   I passed them out, and  the kids liked them.  Not as much as they would have liked a real toy or something,  but as much as any kid ever really likes any teacher gift. 

Here they are...

After morning meeting and announcements we met up in the gym and  had a Texas snowball fight in the gym.   Our PTA president started this years ago,  and it is always so much fun!  We all wore PJ's that day so we were slipping and sliding all over the place. 

Then we had a whole school sing-a-long in the cafeteria - which was sweet and funny. Then we had a pancake party in our room.  Here are some of their creations.
  





I was super duper happy to send them home early after then consumed this much sugar.   So happy for the long break!   I have some units I am working on and am happy to have some time to devote to them.   I hope y'all had a great last school day of 2012! 

  My thoughts and prayers are with those families and teachers in Connecticut  who I am sure had a much different day Friday.  I am still just in shock over the whole thing.   I am praying that 2013 brings the end to all the school violence.   



Much Love,