Voting, Tricking out the Tree, Toilets and Such.

I bet that title made you curious. You can't pass up reading a blog with a title like that.

Happy Election Day! I had the day off school, so it's been a pretty great day. I woke up when I wanted to. Not when my alarm told me to. That always makes for a fantastic day.

I rocked the vote and rocked the 'I Voted' sticker even harder.

Daisy learned how to wink tonight while we were watching the election coverage. Luckily she did it for the camera so I could share for all the world to see. 

I probably shouldn't even go where I'm about to go. I'm not making the following comments to start debate or discussion, and honestly, I don't want debate. Any and all hateful comments will be deleted, so don't waste your time. This is MY blog and I'm just going to share for a minute. I'm not going to get all hateful and do any candidate bashing. That's not me. I'm a private person when it comes to politics. I am usually very tight-lipped in this area of my life. My policy is to not really discuss it with others. I keep it in the family. It keeps the peace among friends and it's just safer, but since it's Election Day, I'll break my own rule because I am the President of my blog! I vote, 'Do what you want to do, Sarah'. 

I am disappointed with the outcome of the election. There, I said it. I just wanted to get that out of the way. In case you missed the elephants on my shirt in the picture above, now you know. 

Now, with that being said, Obama is our re-elected President and I will keep him and his administration in my prayers during this second term as they lead our country. As a Christian, it is my duty to show respect and honor and to pray for all elected officials. Regardless of who is in office in Washington, I have faith because I know the ONE who holds this world together and who appoints our leaders. The things of this world are only temporary. For that, I am thankful.

I'm proud that I have freedom and a right to vote. 

I'm proud to be an American. And I'm proud of Kentucky. And I'm proud of the South and all that RED!  :)

 Regardless of our beliefs, moral stances, and viewpoints, it's important that we are kind to one another. I've seen some ugly comments on Facebook and Twitter from members of both parties. We can all have different viewpoints and still be friends and still be a UNITED nation. 

Like High School Musical, we're all in this together.

:End of political rant:

Now let's all join hands and sing.

 "Kumbaya, my Lord..."

And just for election fun and giggles, I wrote my brother's name in on the line for Mayor. The news reported tonight that the one and only running candidate for mayor received 100% of the vote. I know that's a lie.

And now...

On to thinking about joyous things like twinkling lights and hanging ornaments...

So. I tricked out my tree. No. Your eyes are not deceiving you. My Christmas tree is up in all of its black glory. The tree went up on November 5th. A full 50 days before Christmas. Not a day too soon, if you ask me. I decked the halls and sang my fa-la-las.

Glory.

Just a random story for you all: 

My dad got a recall notice in the mail for their TOILET!?. Yes. One of the toilets in their house is being recalled. For risk of exploding. EXPLODING! I know. I can't believe it either. All I know is I'm not sitting my butt on that toilet until the problem is resolved. I don't want to be blown sky high. I'm scared for them. Having a deadly hunk of porcelain in their house that could blow to smithereens at any moment is scary.

And, hmm. What else have I been up to? Let's see. Just taking pictures of my dog. Wearing glasses. Because it's fun.

It's been a long night. I'm taking myself to bed. 

Happy Wednesday, friends!

Boo To You.

I said I would be back on Wednesday, and a promise is a promise. So here I am. Rock you like a hurricane. Speaking of, to the East Coast readers out there, I hope you are safe. I've been glued to the TV the past two mornings. So sad.

So today was this day called Halloween, you know. As I was walking my kids into the cafeteria for lunch today, one of my boys ran up to me all wide-eyed, like he just found out he won a monster truck. "Ms. Marcum, is today Halloween!?!?" Okay, dear child. How is seeing the cafeteria line decked out in Halloween decorations making it all finally come together? I feel like if I vomited, it would be bats and spiders and pumpkins and candy because that's all that I've talked about and seen these past three weeks. Plus we spent all morning talking about the fact that it's Halloween/party day and making spider hats and doing Halloween activities. I guess it didn't register. Any of it. Oh my.

Surprisingly, today wasn't that crazy of a school day. The kids held it together pretty well. We were loud, but we're always loud. Just like Wal-Mart has the "Low-price guarantee. Always.", we have the screaming-voice level guarantee. Always.
We partied this afternoon. Our party involved a lot of laughter and screaming due to the fun party games. As kindergarten kids say about every day of school, it was their "best day ever".

Today I realized that I only have 20 more Halloween parties until I retire. So that's neat.

I got the heck out of school and made it home close to 3:30. That never happens. This has been the longest night ever because I've had so much time at home. It's strange and pleasant and I like it. I made some delectable potato soup and got ready for the trick-or-treating action that started at 4:30! So early!

Every year I invite my students to come hit me up at my house for candy. I love seeing my kids dressed up and they are always so excited to see that I live in a real house and not in my classroom. And they love seeing my dog. I even had some of my former students come back to visit my house tonight. I just love that.

And now I guess I'm going to get ready for bed because this has been the longest night in my existence and I could use the extra sleep anyway. Before I go to sleep, I'm going to leave you all with a little gem from the picture vault of Sarah's past.

The picture below is of me one Halloween many moons ago.

Presenting: Rainbow Brite.

And to make it extra snazzy, we add the wig.

What was your favorite Halloween costume of all time?

Happy Halloween, you little pumpkins, you.

As of Late.

Well, well, well. Here I am, right on schedule for my monthly blog post. How is everyone?

Me? I feel loony. The past few weeks have been SO busy. I might have had a mini-nervous breakdown the Friday before last, but I'm better now. Parent-teacher conferences and all that mess have left this girl feeling tired and uninspired about everything. I'm alive, but I've been too busy to live, you know what I mean? Just going through the motions at a crawling, barely-making-it speed. Sadly, things aren't going to be much better this week. It's party week. Sigh. And it's a full dang moon. The kids are going to be bonkers.

I can't complain too much, though, because I did just have a vacation a few weeks ago. I had a week off school for fall break at the beginning of October and I was lucky enough to sneak away to Sandestin, Florida with some of my teacher pals. It was such a great trip and was much-needed. You put four starved-for-vacation teachers loose on the beach and you get a fun time, that's what you get. I don't think I've ever laughed as much in my whole life as I did while on this trip. So fun. I'm convinced teachers are some of the craziest and funnest (it's a word if you work with elementary kids) people on the planet.

We never got a picture of the four of us together, so I had to put two pictures up so that we were all represented.

The three lovely ladies I vacationed with teach at the school I used to be at. I miss them all so very much. Big sad face. It was so great to spend time with them on vacation.

Last weekend, I also took a timeout from life to just kick it. I hung out at my aunt and uncle's house/farm for a day. The house and farm used to be my grandparent's and it's where I spent a huge portion of my childhood. Going back brings so many good memories...like scrubbing cow poop off my tennis shoes with an old toothbrush. Just one memory of many. This place is truly one of my favorite places on this earth. I love a farm and wide-open spaces. I'd love to live on a farm if I could have a Target really close by, but then it probably wouldn't be a farm because it would be developed by a Target, so...guess that won't work.

I love cows. My smile is so huge because I'm so happy from these animal friends.

Look at this sweet baby.

Moo.

And, yes, I have a different blog look. And, no, I'm not in love with it, but I was growing tired of my old template. This one was free and free is my favorite, so it will do for now.

It's almost time for something else that's my favorite...BREAKING AMISH! Do you all love this show like I do? I can't wait to see what happens tonight when they all go back home. So much drama. So much scandal. So much Amish.

My goal is to be back with another post by Wednesday, so that I can say 'Boo' to you. That's my goal. We'll see. Later gators.

Kindergarten Common Core.

I had to blog about this because it's a good deal and I like deals. Teachers love finding quality materials and activities to use with students, but we really love when they are tied to Common Core Standards. This 600+ page Kindergarten Common Core Workbook featuring English and Math standards is a great resource for kindergarten teachers.

This workbook is regularly priced $39.99 (which is a great deal considering the amount of pages and resources), but if you're a fellow Blogger and are interested in this workbook, jump on over to check out the giveaway, here to find out how to get it for free! I'm excited about getting it as a resource. A sample download is available to preview and it looks like the workbook is full of quality materials with cute graphics. I can't wait to use it in my classroom.

You Better Redneck-ognize.

Remember how I blog about once a month? Well, it's that time! This post goes out to my buddy, Tanya. She found me in the hole that I was buried in and brought me back up to the Blogger light of day. I kinda forgot I had a blog. Thanks for reminding me. Knowing I still have a fan out there was the inspiration I needed to push me over the edge of Lazy Writer Mountain.

I actually think about the fact that I have a blog quite often. I'm good at doing a lot of thinking, but not always a lot of action. I think to myself, "Self, this would be a great blog post" or "the masses sure would love to hear this story about you because you're so fabulous". Then I think about the effort involved in writing the post that's in my brain. And I'd have to clean the cheese residue off my fingers from the bag of cheese puffs I just ate to be able to type, and well, I'm just exhausted thinking about it. Getting my story from my brain to my fingertips to the keyboard to the screen just seems like a lot of work most days. That involves so much coming together. So the posts stay in my brain. I'm being really selfish.

I'll just give a quick update about school and then we'll get on with the show. The main event.
The days are just ticking away. We already have 22 days of school down. That is fine by me. Only 14 more days until Fall Break, but I'm not counting down my breaks or anything. My school year is off to a good start. I have a great class that is full of energy. They keep me on my toes. And I've already rearranged my classroom. By the 5th day of school, I'd already changed the tables up and everything. I'm sure it's only the first of many changes.

So I've been gone for a month, and there's sooooooo much we could talk about. I'm in the mood to talk about something pretty important, like, TV. Just when I think TLC can't get any better, they go and do it. They've really out done themselves this time. Their lineup right now is spectacular, guys. I mean, right now they've got a redneck beauty queen family, conjoined twins, and an Amish Real World. That's dynamite. Almost as dynamite as Napoleon.

I need to know who the TLC fans are out there. Raise your hand like you just don't care. I need someone to talk to about these shows. I could tweet about Honey Boo Boo all Wednesday night and I need to know who wants to be in a fan club of sorts with me. It will be like Babysitter's Club but instead of Babysitting, we'll just watch TV at our own houses and tweet and/or blog about it and talk abut them like we know them in real life. Last week all I wanted to say was "Shh. It's a wig" (which is the most clever store name I've ever heard, I might add), but nobody got it. I whispered, "Shh. It's a wig" in the teacher's lounge and I just got cricket sounds.

What's your favorite thing about Honey Boo Boo's family?

credit: TLC

Is it Mama June's Forklift Foot or her hollers of excitement as she went down the water slide? Honey Boo Boo's random dances because she hears a song in her head? Sugar Bear looking "smexy" in his mullet wig? I can't pick a favorite moment. It's all my favorite. I seriously laugh out loud during that show. It's so shocking and revolting, yet awesome and amazing all at the same time.

Abby and Brittany. 

credit: TLC

Don't send me hate mail, but this show is kind of a train wreck, but I can't look away. I feel like nothing but a huge rubbernecker while I watch this show. I can't really talk about it anymore or I might start to cry.

Next up, Breaking Amish. 

credit: TLC

It premiered last night. Did any of you watch it? I loved it. Of course I would. That's no surprise. It was interesting to learn about their lifestyle and also fascinating because they are being little rebels that are going to be shunned. Little shunned rebels in dresses and stockings and bun caps. It's like a Real World: Amish edition. I'm sold. It's going to be so good.

Next, let's talk about some not-so-great things I see on TV. Recent infomercials that are making me sick.
First up, the PediSpin.

We know what these are all about, but guys, this PediSpin commercial...it's too much. The shot of the hanging dead foot skin. I don't want to see that--especially not when I'm trying to eat my dinner.

Next, the Tag Away. 

Credit

What the what? That infomercial makes me want to just say a lot of bad words. This post would be nothing but a big censor bleep if I could tell you how I really feel about this product. It's nasty. Do us all a favor and go to a dermatologist if you have skin tags all over your body. Don't try to remedy that mess at home. Just pay your co-pay (which for me would be less than the $19.99 Tag Away price) and get it done professionally. The only thing you should be "tagging away" is yourself in pictures on Facebook. That's the only thing to be tagging, guys. Or if you're in a gang, you might participate in that kind of tagging. But let's not tag away at our necks. Please.

Are there any other hot shows that I'm missing out on that I should be tuning in to see? My nights are pretty full, but I could probably squeeze another show in somewhere.

Well, guess I'll see you all next month!

Summer has come to an end. It's sad. I'm already looking forward to Labor Day. And Fall Break. And all the breaks after that. And next summer.
I have been working like a maniac lately. It's been all work and no play. I've pretty much lived in my classroom, but I haven't really minded it. It's been fun and exciting because I had a completely blank space and made it all my own. Nobody's old stuff to sort through first. Nothing that I felt like I had to keep. All new. And clean. And fresh smelling. Ahhh. So nice.
It will almost be a relief that school is starting because that means I'll just be driving to school once a day. Not 3 or 4 times a day like I have been.
I've met all of my new students. I have a nice class size of 21 so far. I've been a little nervous because this year is full of so many changes. It's the inaugural year of our school. Everything is new. It's still not "home" yet. After the kindergarten and school-wide open houses, though, I'm feeling better. I have some cute kids and very nice and supportive parents. Everyone is excited. I keep going back and forth between excited/nervous/want-to-throw-up nauseous.

The next two days are required teacher work days. I'll add the finishing touches to my room then. I mean, I had it "open house ready", but I still need to finish hanging a few things here and there and organizing some things. Hopefully I'll also find a little bit of time to actually plan for the first two days. That might be a good thing to do.

I'll be back with up close pictures of things in my room once I'm completely finished. I was hating my room about a week ago, but I'm pretty pleased with how it's turned out. Here's a few for now. Take a peek.

Here it is! We're the Rockets, so that explains the rocket stuff in the hallway.

Here's the view from the door. The pictures are a little blurry. I'll take better pictures tomorrow. 

To me, the classroom is small compared to my classroom at my old school. We do have really nice vaulted ceilings, though. It's a little scary up there hanging things from the ceiling tiles.

And yes, I already have a light out. I've put in a maintenance request. 

I like color. A lot. The room was too "oatmeal" for me and that had to go. Color and patterns everywhere!

I'm a little bit obsessed with chevron right now.

Word Wall. 

I had my students color a rocket sheet during the kindergarten open house. Several of them wanted to give me their sheet so I thought I'd go ahead and display some work. Why not, right?

Well, that's all for now. I just wanted to pop in and say "hey"! Talk soon!

Fact: It's Friday, Honey Boo Boo Child.

It's time for another edition of Facts. By Sarah.

I apologize in advance for the stupid spacing between all the bullets. The formatting is all off and it just won't work with me tonight.

• Fact: This is how we do it, it's Friday night.

• Fact: I feel alright.

• Fact: Sadly, I can't continue the lyrics because I'm not having a party on the West side.

• Fact: I'm sitting on my couch. Just me, Daisy, MacBook, a Blizzard, and the TV tuned to TLC. That's my kind of party. And I'm loving it.

• Fact: I am a sucker for any show on TLC.

• Fact: Two of my favorite TLC shows are Toddlers and Tiaras and Virgin Diaries.

• Fact: Tonight on Virgin Diaries, this guy named Skippy talked about how he collects his belly button lint. He picks lint from his belly button and puts it in a jar. And keeps it on a shelf in his bedroom. His bedroom is in his parents basement. His bedroom that is in the basement of his parents house has a poster of The Osmond's on the wall. He's 34. And his Mom goes out with him as his wing man. She even has a t-shirt that says "Skippy's Wing man". And he doesn't understand why he can't find a girlfriend...

• Fact: I don't even think I've ever had belly button lint.

• Fact: I can't get over it. I don't understand. The lint this guy accumulated looked like it came out of a dryer vent. That's disgusting and I feel like he is doing something wrong if he's having that kind of accumulation.

• Fact: One of my favorite Toddlers and Tiaras girls, besides the famous MaKenzie, is little Miss Alana.

If you're not familiar with Alana, please watch this short two-minute video clip to catch you up to speed. You won't regret it. Or maybe you will. Pay special attention to her mom's face towards the end of the video. It's one of the best parts, in my opinion.

 

• Fact: Alana, AKA "Honey Boo Boo", is getting her own reality show on TLC called Here Comes Honey Boo Boo. It premiers August 8th. I can't wait for it. It will be a nice Back to School Eve show to look forward to. 

•  Fact: My senior citizen neighbors have been concerning me a bit lately. They were driving their van around  their backyard the other day. I never could figure out why. My main concern was that they were going to run over my air conditioning unit as they drove between our yards. Today there's been a half-full bottle of hot sauce sitting on the lid of their trash can. Maybe they're confused because I sure am. 

• Fact: I got my hair chopped off today. I feel brand new. I tried the whole 'I wanna grow it out and see how long it will get' thing. Well. I let it grow and grow. It just got uglier and stringier and uglier. I've hated it lately. Now it's gone and in the trash can at the salon. The majority of my life, I've had short cuts or a little bob and that's the way it shall remain until the end of time. I'm already scheduled to go back in two weeks to get it taken up even shorter. I'm glad to be back to normal. Short hair is better suited for my face.

The before:

The after:

And yes, my sunglasses are crooked. Every pair I own become that way. I end up bending or breaking them in no time. I also have a crooked smile. At least the sunglasses and smile help balance each other out, right?

I should probably end this post now. Before I decide to over share or upload any more pictures of myself. Have a great weekend, friends!