Feel Good Friday

Happy Friday!  Here's what I'm feeling good about today....

After being sick all week, I'm feeling a whole lot better today.  Not 100%, but I finally feel like I'm getting there!
Today is my 21st wedding anniversary!  
I have a lunch date with my husband at Portillo's.  I have a dr. appt. this afternoon, so I get to meet him for lunch beforehand.
I'm playing bunco tonight with my girlfriends.
My older son's first hockey game of the season is tomorrow.  I love hockey.  I love everything about it.  I love his team.  I love the families on our team.  I love yelling.  It's so much fun! 

This is me, but throw in a bunch of hockey stuff......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qR3rK0kZFkg

How about you?  What are you feeling good about today?  

Have a great weekend.  Make good choices.

No Blog Thursday!

No blog today, just the usual round of general announcements.  

CNN Peeps - You have a quiz tomorrow.

Today is Thirsty Thursday!  Lemonade will be available at both exits today after school.  The first week we sold out of cups, the second week, we sold out of lemonade.  This week, we should have enough of both for everyone!

Tomorrow is Dunkin Donuts Friday!  

Just Sayin'....

Maverick and your posse......

Winning Wednesday

What was the last good thing you won?  Prize?  Mean game of Uno with your Grandma?  Soccer game?

I don't really win much, but I play the scratch off tickets.  Every Monday (during the school year only) I buy $5 worth.  If I win, I get more tickets the next day.  If I lose, I'm done.  I think the most I've ever won was $30.  Sometimes I can get to Friday with my winners, sometimes I'm done on Monday.  I didn't play on Monday since I wasn't here, won $2 yesterday and then nothing today.  So...I'm done for the week :(

How about you?

I have a good story about winning, but am going to choose not to post it here.  Ask me to tell the story in class....

Turn It Up Tuesday!

What (school appropriate) song puts you in a GOOD mood?

I'm pretty easily entertained and there are a TON of songs that put me in a good mood.  The Joker by the Steve Miller Band.  It brings back fun memories and it always makes me smile!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgDU17xqNXo

What about you?

Monday!

Good Morning!  As you have probably noticed, I'm not here today. Fever/chills/sore throat last night. I was down for the count. Yuck.  I'm feeling a bit better this morning, but still like garbage.  I'll be back to fill your day with sunshine tomorrow..ha!

Half day today!  Yay!  BE GOOD FOR THE SUB!!  If your name is written down, you can expect some detention time with me before school.

Here is the plan for today while I'm gone.  

NOBODY LEAVES THE CLASSROOM TODAY!

Multimedia 1/Multimedia 2/Business Management - CNN Student News and today's blog question. Once you finish with that, find something quiet to do until the bell rings.

Yearbook - Blog, work on assigned spreads, work on October calendar.

Production - Sorry, Tuesday crew.  No news broadcast tomorrow, so you don't need to film today.  My iPad with the teleprompter app is with me, and there won't be enough time to edit something when I come in tomorrow morning. We can use whatever "special" you had planned for either next Tuesday's broadcast or for the Friday show.  Use today to work on your broadcast this week and the Friday show.  NO need to leave the classroom.  You can work in the room planning today.

Today's blog - Tell me about your weekend!  Was it good?  What did you do?  Friday night we went out for dinner for my birthday, then had friends over.  Saturday was filled with the usual...flag football, hockey and baseball.  Was going to go low key Saturday night, but wound up going to our friend's house and we had a "YouTube Patio Party".  They brought their big screen out on their patio and we basically watched music videos from the 80's and SNL skits.  Not going to fib, it was fun!  Sunday was busy, but not anything exciting.  Religious Ed, Mr. Cal had a couple of softball games, dinner with my in-laws.  They head back to Arizona for the winter this week, so we said our good-byes.  

What about you?

Remember - Be good for the sub.  Do you work. Enjoy your half day today.  I'll see you guys tomorrow.

Feel Good Friday! Birthday Edition

Happy Friday, Peeps!  It's my birthday, so it's automatically a good day!

Birthdays are fun.  I try to make a big deal about them, because it's "YOUR" day.  Everything should be great your birthday and you should get everything you want.  I know that sounds a bit rainbows and unicorns of me, but it's how I roll.  

Do you have any birthday traditions?  Do you get to pick dinner on your birthday?  Do you get to pick a cake?  In my house, the Birthday Fairy comes (delivers balloons and decorates house) and we have birthday cake for breakfast.  There is also the "Birthday Box".  It's just a Ninja Turtles box that gets filled with gifts.  That's what our family does.

Growing up, I always got a big jar of olives and a bag of dried apricots.  Those are fave things of mine and my mom always wrapped some up for my birthday each year.  My cake every year was confetti angel food with pink frosting.  My mom passed away almost 21 years ago, so that really doesn't happen anymore.  Last year, my friend Michelle recreated this on my birthday and it was the sweetest thing.  

Tell me about your birthday!  Do you have any traditions?

Would You Rather Wednesday!

It's ONLY Wednesday.  Doesn't it feel like this week is dragging??  I totally feel like it should be at least Thursday! 

Today's WYR.....Would you rather find true love or $10 million?  

Call me shallow.  I don't care.  I'm all about the Benjamins when it comes to this.  I really think I could deal with a true "like" vs true love if I were loaded.  I really think I could.  Maybe at a different point in my life I would have thought differently, but not now.   



P.S.  I can't get enough of this Bitmoji thing.  Please excuse this behavior. I'm sure you're sick of the pink dress by now.  

National Anthem Protest

Colin Kaepernick of the San Francisco 49ers sat out the National Anthem a couple of weeks ago in protest of police brutality against people of color.  

Thoughts?

I have mixed feelings on this.  Here are my general thoughts....

• I don't disagree with his right to peaceful protest.  
• I do disagree with him protesting at "work". 
• I disagree with the NFL for allowing this.
• I agree that there are crappy cops out there that do use brutality against people of color
• I do NOT think that of the majority of police officers.
• I do think that some people put themselves in situations that lend themselves to scrutiny.
• I do believe in white privilege.  Not in the sense that I have privilege, but in the sense that I have no idea what it is like to be a person of color.  

Motivational Monday

I've got a case of the "Monday's".  I'm just not ready for today.  Don't get me wrong, I did a ton of stuff this weekend to be ready for today.  However....I'm just not there.  Bummer.  

How was your weekend?  Mine was fun!  Scarecrow making, fall fest, fall fest after party, flag football, baseball, hockey, etc.  Good stuff!  

Tell me about yours!

Feel Good Friday!

Happy Friday, Friends!  Lots of things to feel good about today!

Just the fact that it's Friday is reason enough to be in a good mood.  I dig weekends.

Cubs clinched the division last night.  

Fun weekend plans.

HOCKEY starts! (not NHL, but my kid's team)

What are you feeling good about today??

Random Thursday Reminders

No actual blog responsibilities on your end today.  Just know that this weekend I will be doing a blog check.  Remember that this is a summative grade.  Don't screw this up!  

For those CNN peeps, there will be a CNN quiz tomorrow.

Yearbook will be selling Dunkin Donuts tomorrow morning outside my room.

Lastly, today marks the first "Thirsty Thursday" for Bobcat, Inc. (my Entrepreneurship). We will be selling tall glasses of pink lemonade by the exits when the bells rings.  Only $1!

Would You Rather Wednesday!

Today's big question.... Would you rather be a doctor or a lawyer?  Why?

Lawyer.  Hands down, no question.  I've always said that if money, life, responsibility, etc. were no object, I would live in the French Quarter in New Orleans and go to Tulane University to study law.  I've always wanted to study law.  I don't actually want to practice law.  I just want to say I'm a lawyer.

How about you?

Tasty Tuesday!

Breakfast!  What's your fave breakfast food?

I don't like eggs.  Gag.  

Toast, bacon, hash browns and fresh fruit.  Maybe a bit of OJ. That's a weekend breakfast.  During the week I will have an English muffin most mornings.  How about you?

Marvelous Monday.....

Alarm didn't go off when it was supposed to this morning, so everything seems rushed.  I don't like it when that happens.  Especially on a Monday.

Pretty decent weekend for the Cal's.  Friday night we finished the season one of Stranger Things.  Have you watched this??  You MUST!  So good!

Saturday was full of flag football, hockey and baseball.  I scored some free tickets for Brad Paisley, so us and the BFF's headed over to Tinley for the evening.  Super fun concert.  I'm not a huge fan, but know enough to sing along and be entertained for the night.  Country artists are so fan-friendly.  At one point, I was less than six foot away from him.  Way cool.  I tried to upload video, but the file is too big.

How was your weekend?

Another week is upon us.  Hopefully the weather will be better and it won't be so hot in the building.

Have a great day!

Best Friend Friday!

Who's in your circle?  Who's your BFF?  Who are you "tight like Tupperware" with?   Why?

I've got lots of great friends.  I'm super lucky.  If I had to pick one,  I would say it would be the Freemans.  We do lots together and I'm happy they are around. We call ourselves "The Freelominos"  We host an ugly sweater party together each year.  Here is a picture from last year.  Good times.....

Bimoji Test

Fun activity today!  Make an emoji of yourself.  https://www.bitmoji.com/  Have fun with this, but remember this MUST remain school appropriate.  You will earn yourself a visit with Mr. Akerman if it doesn't.  

What's Good Wednesday

Today is a good day.  Wanna know why??

We are already half way through the week.
We have an early release today.
I can get some work done in my quiet classroom.
Mr. Cal has a fantasy football draft tonight, so I'm taking my boys out for dinner.
There is supposed to be a nice storm that rolls through tonight.
The Cubs are on.


What's good on your Wednesday?

P.S.  Happy Birthday, Jade Stolzenbach!

Tuesday - Hot, Hot, Hot!

Yikes, it's going to be HOT today.  Even my room isn't going to fare well in the building.  Hopefully they will let us go early either today or tomorrow.  We shall see!

How was your weekend?  What did you do?

Friday night we had a fire and had some friends over.  Saturday Mr. Cal and I headed up to Wisconsin to see Jimmy Buffett in concert.  Super fun!

Sunday we had a family party and then friends of ours were hosting a chicken wing cook-off.  Good times.  Yesterday, we hosted a fantasy football draft and had friends over for dinner.  I also managed to watch the first episode of Stranger Things on Netflix.  Have you seen this?

Lastly...the magic number for the CUBS.....10

CNN Student News - How to study for the Friday Quiz!

So, it's Thursday.  Tomorrow is the first CNN quiz of the year.  How should you prepare??  Here's a guide on what to look for when studying.

I should say this - as long as you pay moderate attention during the news broadcasts during the week and invest maybe 10 minutes or so looking over the transcripts, you really should be fine.  I don't ask crazy, obscure questions and I don't try to make them difficult.  I promise!

CNNSN produces their shows a day in advance.  Usually, by 6PM or so, the next day's episode is available.  CNN puts out their own quiz on Fridays as well.  You can always get some good review by looking at those.

When I write the quizzes, I basically just browse the transcripts from each day that week.  Click HERE for CNN Student News.  Scroll through the page and find Archives (on right side of page as you scroll down).  Click on Archives and you will be able to access each show from the week in this area.  There is a link to each day's transcript within that day's page.