Literacy Loving Gals: Currently

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July 2015 Currently & 1 Year Blog Anniversary!

It's July? My goodness, the summer is going so fast. I'm linking up with Farley over at Oh Boy 4th Grade for my second July Currently. Thanks for hosting, Farley!

Listening: I'm on the porch listening to my hubby mow the lawn, while watching my kiddos play in their sandbox. Having a little down time for a quick blog post is my kind of start to the morning.

Loving: I'm am absolutely loving the idea of being in Las Vegas for my very first TpT Conference next week! Back in March, I decided to venture out and learn from the best TpT *teacherprenuers* out there.

At the time I registered, I didn't know anyone attending the conference. Since the week of the conference will be my 7th wedding anniversary, my hubby decided to go to Vegas with me to support my teacher endeavors, while extending the stay for a mini anniversary vacation. Woohoo! However, after a fun Chicago Blogger Meet Up this past weekend, I'll be meeting up with a small group of new friends at the Venetian. I can't wait!

Thinking: I can't believe it's been a year since I started up Literacy Loving Gals! Today is my 1 year blog anniversary. Shall I say, Blogiversary? Last year, on July 1st, I attended a blogging PD hosted by Michelle over at BigTime Literacy. During the PD, I linked up for the very first time with Farley for July Currently. I also began Michelle's BigTime Blogging Challenge, which she just started again today! I've learned so much from those in the social media world and have met some very talented people through blogging. I'm glad I took the step to attend the PD and enter the Blogosphere!

Wanting: Relaxation and reading are hard to come by, since I'm busy with the kids swimming, painting, camping and so on. I wouldn't change my time with the family for the world, but it certainly would be nice to have a little more relaxation in the sun. I have a feeling I'll get to do that next week, since my parents will have the kids while my hubby and I are in Vegas! :)

Needing: Ugh, I'm needing to pack, but I have no idea what to put in my luggage. My friend is in Las Vegas right now and warns me the weather is in the hundreds even in the middle of the night. Yeowza! However, every restaurant or indoor area is freezing cold because of the air condition. I guess I'll just pack some sundresses, swimsuits and sweaters! ;)

All Star: I'm an All-Star addict... of learning, that is. I love seeking out new strategies and techniques to make me a better qualified Reading Specialist. I can't help myself. Perusing blogs, attending conferences, reading and retweeting articles on Twitter, etc. is nearly a constant in my life. I am currently reading Jennifer Serravallo's The Reading Strategies Book and will be hosting a Book Study with the #ReadingStrategiesCrew. It starts August 3rd right here on Literacy Loving Gals!

Anyway, I swore to my husband, I'd take time to relax and let loose a little for our anniversary spent in Las Vegas. He really wants to go to visit the Pawn Stars shop. Of course, on my vacation I'll still be learning at the TpT conference (because I'm an addict of learning). I guess I'll be getting the best of both worlds. :)

Happy July!

May Currently: Word Work, Wish Lists and Touchtronic Letters, Oh MY!

Happy May! I loved waking up this morning feeling rising temperatures, seeing a bright sunny sky and hearing little birds happily singing. Ahhh, just the way I like it. What a beautiful welcome to the month. It's also a great day to link up with the fabulous Farely over at Oh Boy 4th Grade for another edition of Currently. Thanks for hosting!

Listening: I take pleasure in listening to my students work collaboratively with one another while participating in word work activities. They have come a long way since the beginning of the year. I'm so impressed with their progress. We've had fun reviewing blends and sight words this past week. The kids love playing Pop for Blends to practice beginning blends. I found the plate idea for word work on Pinterest. (You're the best, Pinterest!) :)

Loving: I love Teachers Pay Teachers. My collection of goodies to support my Guided Reading groups sure has grown over the past few years, thanks to TpT. I delight in creating TpT products for my students and sharing them with teachers, but when I don't have the time to create, I definitely support my fellow TpT sellers by spending, spending, spending. I'm grateful for you, TpT sellers! Anyway, I've been trying to organize my baskets this week, and have come to the realization...I need more baskets and shelves! (I haven't shown you my other shelves, since I'm still trying to organize those.)

Thinking: I can't believe it's time for the F&P Spring Benchmark Assessment already. Our fantastic Literacy Coach, Courtney, prepared a testing schedule, as well as organized the F&P assessment boxes to pass out to the classroom teachers. Starting next week, I will be joining Courtney and (my former blogging partner) Nancy, in assisting the teachers with the testing of 500+ students. Benchmark testing, here we come! :)

Wanting: Ever heard of Junior Learning Touchtronic Letters? I hope to acquire those for my little friends! I'm seeing posts blowing up all over Social Media this past week. I'm learning from teacher bloggers and Instagram friends how wonderful and engaging they are for students. I think I am going to have to add those to my Amazon cart!

Needing: (I'm needing Touchtronic Letters, but I'll pick a different one.) I'm needing to become a super hero. Is that possible? If I were a super hero, I'd be able to accomplish my want-to-do list in a fraction of the time it would take the average person. I usually finish my to-do list filled with household chores in a timely manner, while my want-to-do list sits on the back burner (scorching itself). One thing I want to do is read...uninterrupted ...for more than ten minutes per sitting. I have many titles of professional books I desire to read. I've purchased (and loved reading) Beyond Leveled Books and Teaching for Deep Comprehension.

But recently? My "wish list" of professional books has grown...very quickly. Nonetheless, my time to sit down and read them is almost nonexistent.

The reasons my time is almost nonexistent are ones I wouldn't change for the world. I get to teach adorable kiddos all day and then get to come home to very sweet twin super heroes, as you probably already know if you follow my blog. There doesn't seem to be room enough for one more super hero in our household right now. I guess I'll put my decision to become a super hero on the back burner, too. :)

Summer Yes, Hopes and Dreams: I certainly am looking forward to summer! My YES is learning from professionals at the Literacy Retreat 2015 in June, and of course, experiencing TpT 2015 Conference in Vegas in July for the first time!! I can't wait to meet some of my Social Media friends there!

My HOPE is to do lots of vacationing with my family in many various places around the states. My DREAM is to read books uninterrupted for more than 10 minutes per sitting, as I mentioned above. ;)

Thanks to Kimberly Geswein for the fonts and to Farley for hosting another Currently!

Hello, March. I'm Feeling Lucky! March Currently

Ahhhh, March. This month always brings along a few bonuses: longer days, warmer weather, Spring Break and leprechauns! Because of these, I'm always happy to welcome March. Anyway, the fantastically fab Farley is hosting another Currently. I'm linking up to share #widn and to find out what my blogging friends are up to on the first of this month.

Listening: In the background, I hear my kiddos playing with one another on this sunny March morning. Lately, *Super Heroes* is the name of the game in this household. Ever since we checked out Super Hero ABC from the library, they've ditched the princess and pirate costumes (for now)...

Loving: I recently ordered Beyond Leveled Books from Amazon. I've only just begun reading it and am already loving the book. It explores the uses and limitations of leveled texts in primary reading instruction. It's a very easy read and includes a good deal of practical ideas, as well as sample mini-lessons that are worth putting into action.

Thinking: Yay, the time gets to *spring forward* next weekend! Even though we'll lose an hour of sleep, the thought of knowing spring is near makes me happy. When the sun still peeks above the horizon after 5 P.M., I know warmer weather is on it's way.

Wanting: It's fun being an Irish gal, especially when I live 20 minutes west of Chicago. I'm wanting to celebrate my Irish heritage on March 17th. I love heading into the city to watch the parade and see the river being dyed green. It's something I've done with my family and friends ever since I was a kid. It'll be a nice tradition to start once my own kids get a little older.

Celebrating St. Patrick's Day in school with the students is entertaining, too. When I taught Kindergarten, First and Second Grade, I loved *brining a little magic* into the classroom. The students' faces spotting chairs tipped over and little green leprechaun feet all over the room was priceless. Now that I'm a Reading Specialist, it's not quite the same, since I don't have my own classroom. However, I do love reading and discussing St. Patrick's Day themed books with them. A few of my favorites are below.

Needing: I'm needing a vacation and am ready for Spring Break to arrive...STAT!

Spring Break Plans: My husband and I are both teachers, but unfortunately our breaks don't coincide this year. Even though this saddens me, I am looking forward to some time to ??? while my husband and kids are at school.

Okay, okay, all kidding aside. For all those out there who know me, I can't allow myself to do absolutely nothing. Most likely I'll spring clean the house and do a little closet organizing. After that, I'll surf some remarkable blogs for classroom ideas and continue to read the professional books I purchased on Amazon and checked out from the library because...

Well, happy March and don't forget to link up with Farley!

Currently December with a Cyber Monday (& Tuesday) TPT Sale!

Hello December and Cyber Monday sales! Welcome. Time to link up with Farley over at Oh' Boy Fourth Grade for another Currently!

Listening: My little ones (3 years old) just saw The Polar Express movie for the first time. It was #priceless #familyfun! We popped some popcorn and turned out all of the lights to get the full *movie effect*! :)

Loving: I love this time of year. Reflecting on the reason for the season is always a good thing.

Thinking: I'm thinking how wonderful the idea is of giving the "Gift of Reading" as a way for my kiddos to countdown the days until Christmas. I can't wait to watch them each unwrap a new book for us to read before bedtime...starting tonight! :)

50 books wrapped and ready to go!

Wanting: I want so badly to check out the Cyber Sale over at TPT for some great RtI and literacy activities for my students, but haven't had time...just yet. By tonight, my online cart will be filled! Don't forget, my TPT store is also participating in the Cyber Sale and is up to 28% off today and tomorrow.

Needing: After unpacking all of the Christmas boxes and decorating the house yesterday, we have a slight mess in the kitchen. All of the empty boxes are now waiting to be placed back down on the shelves in the storage room. My husband is having a little holiday party at our home on Tuesday night to celebrate his last class before he receives his Master's Degree next week (YAY!). Needless to say, we need to get the house visitor ready!

The garland looks like it needs a little adjustment. Lol

Giving: Many times throughout the year, my husband and I assess what we own and what we truly need. Once we had twins, our house began to burst at the seams with "stuff". Boy, loads of things come with having twins! However, we are so very fortunate to be given hand-me-down clothing, toys and books from friends and family. We are so grateful to them for giving, giving, giving. So, in return, we give back and pay it forward to those who need it most. We are starting a tradition with our little ones to donate our lightly used toys to those kids less fortunate. Right now they are still in the stage of "I need that!". My husband and I know it's going to be a process throughout the years. Our greatest hope is to raise grateful and giving children, so they may pay it forward one day, not just during the holiday season.

Our favorite donation store.

Head on over to Oh' Boy Fourth Grade to link up with Farley for your December Currently!

Happy December!

November Currently

I'm linking up with Farley for November's *Currently*. Even though Halloween just ended yesterday, Thanksgiving will be here as quick as a wink! November is a good time for self reflection and giving thanks. I have much to be thankful for in my life. Taking time out each day to count my blessings keeps my world in perspective. I can't believe how fast the school year is already going by and I'm a year older as of this past week. Time sure flies. I guess it only flies when you're having fun, so that means I'm having fun...always a bonus.

Listening: My kids had their first *real* Halloween this year and had a blast, even though it was snowing a bit, 37 degrees and windy. At the age of three, they finally understand the Halloween excitement of going door to door to receive FREE candy if they say "Trick-or-Treat" and "Thank you". It's fun listening to them going through their candy baskets with the "Ooh!" and "Whoa!" sound effects.

Loving: I'm loving the fact my family is supportive, thoughtful, generous, kind, forgiving, etc. This list never ends. I'm so lucky to have them. Even though I'm grateful for them year-round, November is a nice month to give them a special *shout-out*! ;) XO

Thinking: When I think about my husband, I smile. I'm so glad to have married my best friend. For my birthday, he surprised me with a little dining adventure. We restaurant-hopped for the different courses of the meal. It certainly was a wonderful evening. :)

Wanting: My husband and I are both teachers. Each year we head out of town with the in-laws on vacation over Spring Break. I'm really wanting my spring break to match up with my husband's, but that's not going to be the case, unfortunately. This is the first year, in quite a few years, we don't have the same Spring Break schedules. His school has break in March and my break falls in early April. Oh well. Maybe we'll get something planned for the summer vacation-wise. :)

Needing: Hello. My name is Colleen Noffsinger. I am a book addict. When looking through Scholastic book order forms, I feel I need almost every single book in the catalog. Does this happen to you? I've apparently passed this trait onto my own kids as well. We circle, circle, circle all of the books we *need* to read during story time in our home. Even though the majority of the books can be found at the library, there's something about having them on the bookshelves in our home to read whenever we fancy. Being able to purchase the books is just another thing on my *grateful for* list...

Reading: My kids' favorite book for the past month was Just Say Boo! Even though a new month started and Halloween ended, it was still read at story time today. :)