Cue the Balloons and Streamers!

Congratulations!  If you are reading this right now, you are alive!  That is a beautiful, wonderful thing that we sometimes take for granted!  So, I felt compelled to take a moment to put that out there.  We've been learning a lot about what it means to be "made in God's image" in church, and this week, our family lost a 101 year old family friend, so everything has caused me think a lot about life in general.  Life is so far from easy, and I've experienced some very dark patches that I shudder to think about, but more than anything else, life is precious.  Life is exhilarating.  It's a blessing.   It's also fleeting, and I just want to live my life with my eyes wide open, soaking everything in, loving everyone in my life, and being grateful for every single moment!   God has blessed me beyond measure in so many ways, and I am forever grateful for everything---the good times and the not-so-good times.  :)  He is so good!

When I started blogging, I never imagined that I would be sharing my inner-most thoughts and beliefs with you all.  I just thought I'd share some teaching ideas here and there, and that would be the extent of it.  Over time, I've shared some highs and lows with you all, and it never ceases to amaze me that people I've never even met in real life celebrate with me and offer support in my darker moments.  I cannot even begin to articulate how much that means to me, but know that your support is what keeps this blog chugging along.  I sincerely hope that you are able to find something useful for your own kiddos, because at the end of the day, that's why I do what I do.  I hope that I can continue to cut some time off of your planning, and I hope that I can encourage you all the way that you encourage me to keep working to reach my potential.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart!  :)

With that said, I just want to explain that I have no idea how my blog will evolve over the summer.  I am hoping to tackle some Pinterest projects and other crafty/hands-on ideas.  I'm also planning on tweaking some Social Studies units to share with you all (in particular).  I have a lot of ideas in my head right now, and I have a feeling that I'll be unrolling a lot of new stuff this summer.  I really try to blog more globally, and I try not to shove a bunch of units down your throats, so please forgive me in advance.  I am going to try to cram as much work into this summer as possible, and I want to be able to add units as I create them so that I can finish up my last grad class this fall and have a "normal" life outside of school, blogging, and TpT.  I want you all to know that I create because I have a need.  I don't create just to create or sell, because I honestly don't have time for that!  I just don't want anyone to misinterpret my productivity as greed, so I want to be very forthcoming!  :)  Of course, I plan on sharing quite a few freebies over the course of the summer as well, so keep checking in for those too!  I have a few on the burner... simmering... if you will.  :)  I tend to be spontaneous when it comes to tangible projects, so who knows what I'll come up with this summer.  I never know until I get struck by lightning in a store and just HAVE to make something right then and there!  I promise I will try my hardest to balance it all out!  I have lots of plans... but plans are like shifting sand sometimes.  We shall see!

With that said, I did upload two resources on TpT probably 2-3 weeks ago!  I have no idea when I added them for sure!  :)  Anyway, I created resources that I used with my thirdsters to review the three branches of government.  They were having a tough time remembering the duties of each branch, and I had to come up with something else since we had blown through everything I already had!  Ha!  So, to make a long story short, I created a resource to complement a School House Rocks video.  If you're interested, you can check out the file HERE!  Feel free to grab a few hula hoops (or large paper circles), and popsicle sticks, and get your learn on!

If you're interested in the School House Rocks video and the lyrics that inspired my resources, you can find the lyrics for FREE...HERE!  The lyrics definitely help the kiddos understand the song a lot better.  It's very... 70's... and a little difficult to decipher if you don't have the text in front of you.  It's totally a great mnemonic device though... and it's a super cute video too!  I definitely recommend the lyrics if you plan on using it with your kiddos though.  {Here's a peek at one of the pages...)

If you're interested, here's the super cute video to accompany the lesson/freebie file!  Enjoy!  :)

Lastly, in lieu of my "Live every moment like it's going out of style" mantra and my mushy-gushy "I love my followers" post, I'm extending the EasiSpeak giveaway for one more day!  The winner will be drawn tomorrow night after my class!  :)  It's not too late to seize the day!  Carpe Diem!  If you want to play along and join in the fun before time runs out... you can find my original post HERE!  Have a fantastic evening, friends!