It's Five for Friday Time!

I am super excited to share with you my aha! moment while I've been on maternity leave working on some new (and revising old) TpT products.  Are you ready?

Are you sure?

It's revolutionary!

It's so simple...you might read it and then think "Why didn't I think of that?"  If you say this, leave me a comment so I can say I told you so!  Just kidding...

Okay, here it is - when you are in PowerPoint simply use the bottom notes text box to type in the artist of your favorite clip art, digital papers, or frames that you are using.  

(insert aha! moment here)

This way you don't have to stop creating or figure it out after the fact (I may have been guilty of this a time or two...or ten. Use those sticky notes for something else!  I know I am always losing them.  Or wonder what it references.  This is the easy way to do it.  Especially if you are like me and take too long to finish a project or work on multiple things at a time.  Or spend what seems to be hours picking the perfect colors or frame only to forget who you used later.  Then when you create your credits page just read your notes and then delete when you have added all the appropriate artists. Super simple.  Are you in love?  Here's a helpful picture to remind you. 

And you can also use that note section to track a brainstorm for another page idea for your work.  I know, brilliant right?  How do you track what artists you are using if you are a Tpt-er?

After a very long wait (because I'm indecisive, super indecisive) my new blog design is thisclose to being finished.  It should be up in the next day - or maybe Monday at the latest.  Which means I'll have my Facebook fan page up and running too.  So all 5 of you can get lovely status posts from me and my other aha! moments as they happen...and maybe some cool freebies if I can find the time to make them.

Here is a sneak peak at what you'll find in the new design...created by my longtime friend Casey Cook.

I am moving to a new school and a new grade this year.  I was able to go check out my new class, meet my teaching partner and colleagues, and tour the school.  I know I'm on maternity leave with my oh-so-adorable baby girl, but can I just tell you I am super excited to get started?  I am a bit of a nerd I guess.  I like working.  Seeing those little kindergartners on the second week of school made me miss being in the class.  I am anxious to see how different it is teaching in KG (for the UAE) and I would love to be able to brainstorm some planning ideas.  Because I don't know about you but I don't want to start teaching after everyone else is a month in and show up on day one with no plans. Even if I have a teaching partner.  But because I have a teaching partner it makes it a bit difficult to plan with her when I am home.  Any ideas for me?

Mr. Doodlette has a mini-vacation coming up as the country celebrates Eid.  We are trying to plan our first family trip (not counting the traveling to Abu Dhabi or Dubai since that is only an hour on the road).  In the running are Oman, Jordan, or Turkey.  I'm hoping Turkey doesn't win.  It's a lovely country but I've already been twice.  I want a new stamp in my passport.  I've been to Oman too - twice as well but didn't see much and certainly didn't stay overnight.

I need a haircut.  Bad.  As in, haven't had one since December.  I know, right?  I need one bad. But how do you choose a hairstylist when the salon windows are covered over so nobody can see and the women here cover their heads? Which means you can't say, "I love your hair.  Where did you get it cut?" because, well, you can't see their hair.  Problem.  I might have to travel to Dubai or Abu Dhabi and go to a fancy-schmancy, waaaay overpriced spa just to get a haircut.  Or take the scissors to myself like I did to create my bangs in kinder. Desperate times call for desperate measures people. I'm just saying.

Currently September...Already?

Where did the time go?  My baby girl is already a month which means maternity leave is more than half over.  Nooooo!!!!

Today I am linking up with Farley of Oh Boy Fourth Grade for my first ever Currently.  Hopefully not the last either ;)



Listening...

to my newborn snore.  It's the cutest sound!  I read online somewhere that newborns sound like little pug dogs and it's true.  I'm in love with listening to her so I currently have the TV sound on mute.

Loving...

my amazing hubby.  He's been so kind, generous, and loving since the baby's been born despite my out of control hormones and super crazy moments.  I've been finding it hard adjusting to my new life as a 24-hour-no time is my time Mom.  Mr. Doodlette has been pretty great being understanding of it all.  Best, he always asks me what I need so whether it's hugs or food he's willing to give/bring it to me.

Thinking...

about blog posts, including this one as I write it.  Planning my next posts and trying to be proactive about blogging.  I figure if I start now and develop the habit while I have a little time it will be easier when I'm back in the classroom.  I'm also thinking about my ever expanding to do lists, but that's another story.

Wanting...

more time.  More time for blogging, more time for creating, more time for planning, more time for cuddling (both with hubby and with baby), more time with family.  Just more time.

Needing...

sleep and a shower.  Not necessarily in that order but if I could get both daily it would be a bonus!

3 Trips

Maldives, Paris, Germany.  

Oh, the Maldives.  Who doesn't want a relaxing beach vacation?  I'm a little upset and jealous that some of my UAE friends have planned a trip here for our next break and I wasn't invited.  Hello?!  Just because I'm a new mom doesn't mean I can't go on a short vacation.  Heck, even joining them for 2 days would have been nice.

Paris.  Yes, the same friends (I am seeing a trend, are you?) went here this summer.  I couldn't go as I was pregnant and on the no-fly list.  But the first time I go I want it to be a romantic getaway with Mr. Doodlette.  I can just picture the cute little bistro and us sipping coffee and eating croissants.

Germany.  I've always wanted to go to Germany during Christmas season.  Two years in a row I thought it was going to happen but it hasn't.  Maybe for 2015.

What's your Currently?  Link up with Farley and join in.

Let's Start at the Beginning

Welcome!

My blog is currently undergoing a face lift so I thought maybe I should start like it's the beginning of my blogging adventure.  Which it sort of is because even though I think about blogging to the point of an obsession, I don't put much on here very often.  I hope that will be changing this year. That will be changing this school year.  Inshallah.  (God willing in Arabic)

The Beginning

I went through a pretty rough year in 2011.  I won't share all the details (I feel embarrassed still about the whole thing and a little ashamed).  Basically I started a new school, a split grade, AND a new department - gifted education - which at the time was my dream job. 

So I thought. 

It was the most stressful position I have ever held in my 16+ years of working - including babysitting jobs at a very early age (in case you're trying to add up how old I might be). My principal did not like the gifted department (little did I know until after I was placed - which my district mentor knew but placed me there anyway - yes, I'm not sore about it at all) and proceeded to "pop by" my classroom on a daily basis to evaluate me.  Daily, folks.  Daily.  Oh, the stress.  I would plan, prep, and stress every night to make sure things were perfect.  I would practice/rehearse my lessons.  I met with the district coaches and my district mentor to go over my terminology.  Did I mention I taught at two different schools?  All this stress was primarily from one school - basically a part time gig.  The other school?  Love!  And the principal loved and supported me.  Even at my most lowest days when I cried in her office (very unprofessionally) and sought advice about the other school.

Long story made shorter...I ended up walking away mid-school year.  I just couldn't take it anymore.  I wasn't enjoying my job.  My eczema (a skin condition I have) flared up uncontrollably from the stress.  I decided no job was better than this job.  I still miss those kids and the staff from the two schools.  If it wasn't for that pesky boss...but it led me to where I am today.

United Arab Emirates - Teaching Abroad

That's right, I teach in the UAE.  If you are not good with geography, that is the same country as Dubai.  It's near Africa and Saudi Arabia.  Even though it is in the Middle East *gasp* it is perfectly safe.  In fact, I feel safer living here than I did in my stateside home of Phoenix, Arizona.  There are definitely ups and downs like any job or any place you call home.  

I ended up teaching abroad because I was at my rock bottom.  I was super broke, finding a teaching job mid-year absolutely impossible.  I was working through a temp agency barely above minimum wage and not able to afford the bills or food for the fridge and my dog.  So I thought "what do I have to lose?" and applied for an overseas teaching job.  The rest is now history.

Join me this year as I share my experiences over the past two years (heading into year number three abroad!) and my new journey moving forward as a new mother of an adorable baby girl at a new school and a new grade level.

I missed Vegas this past summer as I was still in school.  Oh yeah, and eight months pregnant and on the no-fly list but I've been catching up on what I missed through A Burst of First's awesome Vegas linky.  Find it here. One of the things I've read over and over is to find your niche.  Mine has been staring me in the face since last year at the Vegas I Teach K conference when everyone was floored when they heard where I flew from and where I teach.  

So I am updating my blog to reflect this little tidbit about me.  I am an overseas teacher living and working in the Middle East.  And I don't speak the primary language of my students and parents (Arabic).  Just a few words here and there but not enough to string a sentence together.  

What topics and questions do you want to hear about in upcoming blog posts?

Oops, Whoops, and Sorry

I think about my blog All.The.Time.  Seriously.  But you wouldn't know it to look at my blog because there are never any posts!  Life happens and pregnancy has gotten the best of me.  I am always so tired! 

Here in the Middle East we are still (still) STILL in school.  Ouch.  We have one more week and then have to report back August 24th.  Two days before my due date.  Hmm...I hate missing the beginning of the school year so we'll have to see how that works out.  But the kiddos have stopped coming to school about 3-4 weeks ago (honestly I've lost track I've been so bored at work with nothing to do) so it has given me motivation to think about my blog and my TPT store.  I've come up with some goals for before the baby comes to hopefully get on the right track for the coming school year.

First order of business is I just purchased a new, custom blog design. I'm so excited!  I've spent the past two days researching companies and looking at portfolios trying to decide if it will be worth the money.  Not to mention reading how-to tutorials to see how easy it is to do it myself.  But looking at my favicon and my blog button (designed by yours truly) I really think I need to bring in a professional. By the time school starts I should be ready to rock and roll!

Next year I have requested a transfer to a local school.  I really, really hope my request comes through as it means no more three hour (no, that's not a typo) daily commute at the crack of dawn to reach work.  But, hey, at least my employer has provided me with a fancy yellow school bus to ride to work in style (yes, no kidding).  I am hoping to be at a kindergarten school in the fall (called KG here).  Cross your fingers for me!  Otherwise I will be moving from first to fourth which will definitely be challenging.  Either way stick with me and I will show you the crazy ins and outs of teaching not only overseas but in a Muslim country.

Five for Friday Linky!

Since I haven't blogged in FOREVER, I am going to cheat a little.  Here are five things I thought about blogging about since the summer and never did.

Directed drawings.  I saw Doodle Bugs' directed drawings packet, read up on starting Writer's Workshop with a drawing unit, and jumped on the bandwagon.  I picked several freebies I found online and created a worksheet to match.  They came out cute but the writing was on the sad side.  We have some work to do!

How-To writing with Oreo cookies

I loved this project and it came out super cute.  Unfortunately I don't seem to have many pics of the final project but I do have some of the kids devouring their cookies.  Because I teach second language learners I wanted to make it as simple as possible.  We stuck with only four ways they could eat their Oreo.  I'm hoping to find the time to put together a mini unit for this soon.  As they say in Arabic, in'shallah.

I'm expecting!  So it has made me very tired and unmotivated to work after work.  Hopefully things will change a bit now that I'm in the second trimester but I fully expect things to then disintegrate again once the little one comes.  But maybe I will surprise myself.

Measuring fun with Skittles

We had fun during our measuring measuring non-standard units using skittles candy.  The best part was getting to eat for clean-up!  Of course I threw in a little sorting for some extra practice.

I have worked really hard on creating a positional words unit that works for my students.  I had purchased one last year on TPT and it just didn't work for me (or them).  I wanted a super simple streamlined design that the students could really get.  When I found these cutie penguins I just knew I wanted to feature them.  I plan to have the unit up and running in my TPT store by the end of the week so stay tuned if you like what you see.

In an effort to increase my blogging and organization, I downloaded a super cute blog organizer.  Best of all, it was free!  My favorite kind of product.  You can get yours from Everyday Enchanting here.