Relax-Just Do It!!

Today I'm linking up with A Grace-Filled Classroom to talk about how teacher's relax!  Now, if you asked my husband, he'd totally tell you I don't!  He'd say I work too much, I'm on the computer too much, I just am "too much"!  Now, I beg to differ!  I do know how to relax-SOMETIMES!  Anyways, here a few ways I like to relax!

Today, after a crazy week of computer stuff, I decided to do one of my most favorite activities to relax-SEW!  I am currently working on a Kwik-Sew pattern of a dress.  I have never used Kwik-Sew before and I was really nervous about how this dress would fit. 

I took this picture during the time that I was totally nervous that I would NEVER wear the dress!  The pre-complete dress just didn't seem to fit.  Then, I got past the not-put-together stage and tried it on and it ROCKS!  I'm actually thinking about using it for my first day of school dress!  Even though some of this can be frustrating, it is very relaxing.  I do love to press the edges to the crispness that it takes to make it truly lovely.  I love the successful feeling of a finished garment.  I love the hunt of the fabric search, the brainstorming of the finished product.  It really is a completely amazing, relaxing process from start to finish!  Each year I post the dresses I have made. You can see the last two years here and here.  

Another way that I relax is to knit.  I haven't been doing it long and I am so glad that I did finally learn.  I was at our County Fair volunteering in a booth in the Craft Tent.  Each day there were ladies there just knitting.  I talked to them a few times and they were very nice and encouraging towards learning.  My last night of volunteering I told them that I wasn't going to leave until I learned! They were totally excited for me to stay and learn.  That night I picked up how to knit and PEARL!  Yes, there is a difference.  It was really fun!  Since then I have completed a scarf and I am slowly completing a prayer shawl to use when I am in Church or school and get cold.  

This is my favorite spot in the whole world! Doesn't it look like a Monet painting!

As far as a whole family event goes, camping is our true relaxation!  In Florida it is too hot to camp in the summer.  We head out in October for our first camping trip to Fort Wilderness (a.k.a. Disney).  This trip is relaxing a different way!  We spend lots of time with our Church friends.  It isn't until Thanksgiving, or sometimes Christmas, that we hit the real relaxation.  We LOVE our State Parks and this is when we hit those up.  We get our camper set up and hit the trails!  My younger son and I hit the trails and bike till our bike butts hurt!  My older son and husband hang out and enjoy the campground and people in it.  This is the most amazing way to relax!  I long for this time all year!  

From my love for the camping outdoors, I found another great way to relax-Birding!  It started with simply taking nature shots to then needing to learn the names.  Plus, my sister got involved in Eagle Watch, and, bam-the two merged!  So, to get away from the rat-race of day to day life, about once a month we hit the local hot spots to check on our eagle babies and, if we are lucky, some other awesome birds, such as the redheaded duck that come to our area. Again, we have to wait until it cools off for the birds to come, but once they are here, it is a great way to relax.  

This was an amazing day of birding in the "not wild"!!

One thing that I never thought would come out of relaxing is a TpT product.  When I was teaching first grade, I wanted to help my students understand the nature they were seeing around them.  From this, Bird Migration:  What Birds Do When They Fly South was born!  

Why not!  I was able to use the pictures I took while birding and, then, learned more about the birds I was watching!  It was really a fascinating product to create!  So, I challenge you, what could you do with your hobbies to create!  To teach!  To inspire!  Leave me a comment sharing your ideas!  And, check out some of the other great posts on the Link Up also!  

Friday Fun Again!

Yes, I'm taking the easy fun way out and doing a quick Five for Friday Post by Doodlebugs Teaching!  So, here we go!  

I was able to survive the week with a minimal voice!  This weather wiped my voice out!  The kids were really great and helped me throughout the last 3 days to be successful in communicating our needs!  Today one sweet girl said, "Mrs. Santello, you sound so much better!"  It lasted for most of the morning, and then I was back to a frog voice!

I know, what a horrible picture.  But it was the best I could do on the notice I had.  You see, I didn't have my long lens with me and they needed this picture-fast.  In that nest was a eaglet with what is called a scissor beak.  That means it would eventually die if left in the wild.  I was texted to go take this picture because it would determine if they would climb the tree or bring a bucket truck to save that baby eaglet.  She is now in the hands of a vet who has completed surgery and gives all hope that she will recover and live back in the wild as soon as she can.  That, my friends, makes this a great picture!

Have you seen this story?  This is a great story!  Now, I know many of you are saying, "WHHHHHHHAT!" but it is a great story!  My kids are totally into vultures now!  So, between #2 and #3, I bet you can guess what I like to do!  But, really, this is a beautifully written and INCREDIBLY illustrated story.  The colors are vibrant and extremely well done!  Now, about vultures-did you know that if it wasn't for them the human race would be riddled with diseases!  They are built to beat disease while cleaning up our world of carrion-the word I used with the kids!  We learned all kinds of interesting facts today and then went outside to look, because there is ALWAYS vultures flying around our playground (is that a sign!)   Of course, today-NOT ONE!  Right before we went in one finally showed up!  Needless to say, we will be looking for one again on Monday!

We've been working hard on our Love Monsters in a Jar for Valentine's Day!  Their stories are really cute and they are coming out great!  I will need to start them earlier next year, but it is still a lot of fun!  I have Love Bugs and Monsters in my class.  One is named Sugarcrumb Plum!  So cute!

It's a town!   Today my content teaching partner and I created this little beauty!  All of the children in both classes created a building for the town.  We created the layout.  Their faces were so great when we brought them up to see it after specials.  They were amazed.  What are we going to do with it you ask?  Create a map and map key.  They will zero in on their building and the two or three beside it.  They will draw this on their map and create a key.  Today we talked about birds-eye view.  They were the birds and they got to look down upon the map!  I will be adding the directional signals so they can correctly label their maps with a compass rose!  So excited to see how this goes!  I'll update you on it!  

So, that's my Friday Fun Again!  I think I should have titled it For the Birds!!!