• Teaching

    Substitute Checklist for Teachers!

    I first started substitute teaching in 2000. I got my own classroom in 2001, I always tried to make sure my room was set up easily for a substitute, since I had some interesting experiences myself. After almost 20 years as a teacher, I’m back to subbing. The world of teaching has changed a lot in two decades, and I’m seeing a lot as a substitute. I’ve put together this checklist for teachers. Its purpose it to make sure a teacher’s classroom is prepared for a substitute. The more prepared the teacher is, the smoother the day goes. This benefits…

  • Family Life

    Santa Clarita-Opoly!

    We have so many versions of Monopoly. When the boys were little, we always played without the houses and hotels, just so they could learn the gist of the game. Now that they’re older…..it’s game on! Jeremy got Santa Clarita-Opoly right before we moved. It was in storage for a little while, and we decided on Easter to get it out and have some fun! It was pretty fun to play a game that goes along with your hometown. Being a 3rd grade teacher, I taught Santa Clarita History for many years. I was a little surprised at some of…

  • Teaching

    Teaching VS Subbing

    Twenty-six months after stepping out of the classroom for maternity leave, I have returned. I’m not in my own classroom, though. I’m subbing. Being a substitute isn’t new to me. I did it when I was in school for my teaching credential and Master’s Degree. But, that was 22 years ago! It’s really crazy how much the classroom has changed in two decades, mostly because of technology. So, how did my first day back go? It went well. The teacher left me well written plans. The students were pretty good. It was really weird to walk out at the end…

  • Family Life

    Taken Back in Time

    Do you ever hear a song, recognize a scent, or see something and it instantly takes you back to a different time? The scent one is strange. One time I was walking and was taken back to my dorm in college. It was a plant growing nearby. It was the same as ones outside my dorm building. One inhale of a faint scent and I was walking the pavement at Cal State Long Beach. Last week we introduced our toddler to The Wiggles. I put it on and walked into the kitchen. Suddenly, there was ticking and The Wiggles needed…

  • Family Life

    We used to play chess before we had children. Then the kids came and grew and I’d find chess pieces in with their toys. Some pieces seemed to be lost forever. Fast forward several years. Joey got this game for his birthday. It is a really good game. There are two sides to it. The easy side teaches your children how to play the game. Each player picks a card and has to move that piece. The card shows and explains how to move it. If they can’t move that piece, or that one was already captured, play moves to…

  • Teaching

    50 Products on TpT!!

    A few months ago I decided to try my hand at being a seller for Teachers Pay Teachers. Since I have so many resources I’ve created over the years, I thought it would be a breeze…..yeah, no. There’s a process for creating the resources you wish to sell. And, the fact that thousands and thousands of teachers are selling on the site, means there are SO many products for buyers to sift through. After many, many, many hours (mostly after everyone’s gone to sleep!), I just got to my 50th product that I’ve uploaded and have on my TpT store!…

  • Family Life

    Road Trip — Part 2!

    We crammed a lot in during our last three days on the road. There’s just so much to see in this amazing country of ours. Honestly, if you’ve never taken a road trip with your children, you need to. Our first stop was Dodge City. We’d been there before, but it’s got some really neat history. The boys got deputized by the marshal. I was bummed they took the schoolhouse out. The last time I made the boys all sit at a desk while I stood up front ‘teaching’ them. The next day we stopped at Royal Gorge in Colorado.…

  • Family Life

    Vacation

    The younger four boys, my mom, and I took a vacation to see some family out of state. The boys were great, and we had so much fun doing many different activities. First was the splash park. We weren’t sure how the Jacob would like it. He loved it! It was really fun to watch him get soaked all while cracking up. We took a trip to the zoo on a day we thought wouldn’t be too hot……The tiger was up walking around, and the lions were both sleeping right next to the viewing glass. We got awfully sweaty, but…

  • Cooking with the Cooks

    Pancakes!

    Want your kids to be able to make their own breakfast? Want them to make YOU breakfast?! With Jeremy’s video tutorial on how to make pancakes from scratch, that’s exactly what they’ll be able to do. Yes, you’ll have to deal with some mess in the kitchen, but letting them experiment will be worth it in the long run. (Note: The way the video was edited makes it look like the sugar and baking powder are doubled. They’re not. Just add 2 tbsp sugar and 2 tsp baking powder.)