So some of you know what I like to do in my none-so-spare-time, play with our doggies.  Well, recently we started fostering dogs as well from Chicago Pit Stop Rescue. These are all dogs that come from Chicago Animal Control and are at risk of being put down.

We have fostered two babies already...

Sneakers - Adopted!

And....

Slingshot - Adopted!

We now have an adorable little girl - Dora.  She was returned to CPSR after a year of living in a home with children and is now with us.  Dora is SUCH a sweetie and very special because she only has three legs. She'll need a lot of help getting around and a dedicated owner. We love we so much and hope she can find her forever family! 

Here's all the swag she came to us with - spoiled with stuff!

Oh and she is an EXCELLENT cuddler!

Call me crazy - but I love this!

Ahh It's a Bug!!!

It's now officially one of the most fun times of the year - bug centers! The kids have a love/hate relationship with bugs.  They hate the ones that are alive, and love the fake ones! It is also REAL cute that when we start talking about bugs and the jobs they have in the environment, that some of the little ones want to save all the bugs they see and some still want to squash them. This become a super-battle and if you squash a bug, whaa whaa, you are "mean." Whiiiiccch creates a whole 'nother problem....but I digress.

So...Bug Centers...I am using Growing Kinders "Going Buggy" Unit with some additional pieces of my own. Her unit is awesome!

This sweetie is practicing "counting on." There are two bugs in that little magnifying glass on the right and number 7. So he has to count 7+ (2 bugs)...7, 8, 9. We practiced doing this before using blocks and our fingers. 

These lil ladies are taking number cards (ex. 13) and writing that number and the next two numbers in sequence. 13, 14, 15. 

Here, we are counting by ten frames to count numbers over 19. AWESOME! :o)

Now it's time for BUG HUUUUNNNT! This is basically write the room with bug vocabulary. This is our #1 favorite activity. It is leveled as well for differing needs.

And last, we are sequencing sentences.  The kids have to match mix-matched sentences, put them in order and write them down.  This was one of the more difficult centers, as our creative minds just wanted to use the cards to create our own sentences. Which, of course, is fine as well! :o)

Hope you enjoy! Do you have a bug unit? Link it up! :o)

Five for Friday!

It's Five for Friday time! Here are my five random things about this week!

Last night I finished my Common Core State Standards quick reference cards.  Well, I finished the pack long ago, but finally got it laminated and key-ringed for myself! I use these cards when I am lesson planning and explaining "I cans" to the students. Click the link above for your own copy!

My puppy Millie - the kids next door call her the hyper dog. She is such a cuddle bug, but see that little thing by her mouth? Yes its the remnant of a tennis ball, that she insists on playing fetch with still.  Anyone else have a hyper dog? :o)

Paula the Paleontologist and our Dinosaur unit - It from Khrys Bosland's Dino-Mite Dinosaur Unit.  It is a fantastic unit that guided our dinosaur studies! The kids especially loved the write around the room activity.

So this is SUPER random, but we took this out of our basement this week - it is the original stove that came with our house.  As we were cleaning up from the flood, I decided to check if this baby was loose, and it was, so away it went!

And last, this is my major accomplishment for this week - I got all of our end of the year reading level testing completed! And WOW. I am so amazed at the strides my little ones have made over the past year. Brings a little tear to my eye to think back on the past year...SO PROUD!

And that's my Five for Friday.  Next week we are going to start buggy centers, which I have A LOT of work to do in preparation...as in...I haven't started yet. Oops!

What do you do for buggy centers? What are you working on at this time in the year that you would like incorporated into themed centers? 

Parents - What do you want to see us doing?