i do not love coloring with markers

so, remember how i am having my students publish books-expository text? (but then, how could you forget? i've mentioned it so many times! sorry!)...well, last year i made a book when they did to model and they love reading it (it was about my first haunted house-scary, boo!). this year, i decided to write another for them because i know they will read it, and it's always good to have mentor texts on hand for them-here is a preview (just the pictures, not the writing); i decided to write about my favorite place, the bay islands, and it is dedicated to heidi and margo because they are the two i used to to the cays with!

view from the porch, and snorkeling around the island

fishing (i didn't mention that my friend's mom said that the key to catching the fish was rum and coke...and playing vball with the islanders was a blast!

nothing beats sleeping out on the dock at night listening to the waves lapping against the sand and looking at the stars, and last but not least even on a rainy day, there was plenty to do-with music and puzzles

 so i think the kids will have fun reading again. the thing i really wanted to do was fill the pages with color because what i noticed is that they are afraid to fill the page-their sense of space is not well honed. they had to be done in marker, so don't judge! (and i didn't spend a lot of time on them because i just wanted to get them done-kinda like the santa cakesters i made; when i want to get something done, i am not a perfectionist).

last purchases done today! i found these great fleece blankets at salvation army and i didn't see a price on them, so when i got to the front and asked the gentleman at the register, he said 99 cents...so i went back and got more!

there were 2 in each packet! score.

so i was able to get some stuff together for tomorrow night-this is a part of it...

i was also able to put together these bags of fun-i was really excited that i had so many lakeshore bags-they have the reinforced handles and they are solid.

also while i was at the salvation army, i found this great fleece...it is lightweight, and it reminds me of one that i had awhile back (which has long since been misplaced or left somewhere), so i'm glad i got it washed up and am wearing it-so comfortable! i was looking for something that i could wear with my gray sweatpants...all of my sweatshirts are also gray, which just does not look good together-looks like a coordinated sweat suit (which, i might add,  i do not own).

well, i think i had my pony tail in too tight because i have a headache now, so i am off to get some excedrin,
julie