Ta-da!!!

Hey ya'll!! If you haven't noticed yet- we have a NEW DESIGN!!!! I'm over the moon for it and as always Megan from Bird in Hand Designs and I Teach. What's your super power? worked her magic and it's AMAZING!!! You all have to visit her blogs especially if you are need for a blog design!!! Don't mind me as I swoon over here for a while!

Sunday Scoop!

I don't know about you, but it's been a crazy weekend with the holiday so it's nice to check out what I need to do for the upcoming week and see what all of my blogging friends are up to. I'm linking up with Teaching Trio and their Sunday Scoop!!

Have: I have to get on track with planning my sister in law's bridal shower. I'm super stoked about it and just need a day to shop for it all. So being hopeful, I brought my files home from school to organize and clean them out- let it be known that the files have been in their boxes in my garage since the last day and have gone untouched. (Don't judge) I need to get back on track with my Tone It Up program and running again- after little guys birthday party I fell of the wagon. I have to lose this baby weight almost a year later. Whomp Whomp! 

Hope: So much I hope to do. I hope to get the kids' rooms organize and start purging. Love to purge- the kids....not so much! I've finally decided to take the jump and start my own TPT store. I hope I can have some time this week to get it up and running. We will see.

Happy: I have to say that like all momma's I love my babies, but often take time with them for granted. I can't wait to spend this week with my oldest at playdates, watch her at her swim team meet and hang out with my two littles. Love them! 

What are you up to this week? Link up with Teaching Trio and the Sunday Scoop!!! Have a great week ya'll!!! 

Currently- July

JULY?!? Already? I say this every year when we hit July, but I can't believe it's here already. It's just crazy and sad at the same time. Let's hope it slows down. Oh Summer I love you! 

Today I'm so excited to be linking up with Farley from Oh' Boy 4th Grade for the July Currently. 

LISTENING: Oh Cammy and her crazy shows. For some reason she likes watching Barbie- Life in the Dream house. Hey if it keeps her busy right? 

LOVING: I don't know how it happened and it doesn't happen everyday, but my sweet 2 year old and 10 month old still take 2 naps a day. It's crazy, but I love it. I use the first nap to do things around the house and second nap to guess what ya'll....lay around. haha shocking I know! I do nothing for an hour or two. Crazy!! Obviously right now I'm using it to blog.

THINKING:  I'll be honest and say I'm a mascara lover.....always have been - like put on 3 different types of mascara a day to get my lashes perfect. So it was no surprise when I joined Younique just to get 3D mascara for free or cheaper. They just announced that they are introducing a new and better mascara called 3D+. For the mascara loving girl- I'M EXCITED!!! LIKE JUMP AND SCREAM EXCITED. I'm lame ya'll....LAME! 

WANTING: For the longest time I have had teammates tell me- "Oh Marisa you need to start your own TPT store. I would so buy from you." and I laugh and say, "Oh yea that would be great, but I don't have the time or money." But I really want to do it you guys!!! I just am scared that 1. no one will want to buy anything. 2. I won't be creative enough. and 3. it will be a HUGE flop. It's a dream, but I don't know if I'm brave enough to do it. 

NEEDING: need I say more? I need the beach. 

ALL-STAR: Oh my friends....if you want it straight and without sugar come on over and ask me. I'll tell you like it is and I don't mind being the total "B" friend who doesn't BS you. I don't say it to hurt your feelings- I say it because I care. You want to know if your boyfriend is a loser- I'll tell you. Does that outfit look cute? I'll let you know it might not match. I'm that friend. It has its ups and downs, but it's who I am. 

Thanks for checking out my Currently July.  Make sure to stop by Farley's Blog Oh' Boy 4th Grade to read about other bloggers and what they are currently thinking about. 

Happy Summer! 

Tell all Tuesday: Flash back

What teacher doesn't like to talk? Haha I know I do....if you couldn't tell from my blog. So I couldn't help but follow My Day in K's and Teach.Talk.Inspire Tell all Tuesday post!! It's such a great way to connect and learn about other bloggers. 

This week we are taking it back old school {because I'm so cool, if you want find out I'll show you the way- Sorry a little "Whomp There it is" for you} It's Summer Flashback with pictures!!!! I I love flashbacks and summer!!! 

Let's get started!!!! While it might sound lame- I don't have any summer pics of myself as a kid like Diana did from My Day in K. So instead I'll share pics from summer with my sweet babes when they were actually babies. 

Cammy's 1st Summer

This is by far my favorite picture of her with our pup. We miss him, but he loved her more than anything. 

Our first official Summer with Cam was spent at home and in San Francisco with Mike's grandma. We had the best time there and my heart was so happy. I would live there if I could ya'll....for sure, no questions asked, for the rest of my life. 

Summer 2010

Obviously her floaties did not stop her from munching out. That summer we spent most of our days at the pool, munching out and in Port A. 

Summer 2011

One of my favorite summer trips was heading to the Golf Shores in Alabama with my family. And when I say family I mean aunts, uncles, cousins, parents....the whole Garcia clan. It's one of my ladybug's favorite memories. 

Summer 2013

Our summer was all about baby brother arriving in 2013. 

Summer 2014

One of my favorite memories as a kid was swim team. So the obvious choice for Cammy was to join.....wait for it....SWIM TEAM!  She's a natural like my sister and she loves it. It doesn't hurt that she has her Daddy's competitiveness. 

Summer 2015

You'll notice there is another little person in the pool who looks like her big sister. Yup, last summer I was preggers and there she is in all her glory- Miss Revvy Michelle. And wearing her sister's old yellow ladybug swimsuit no less!! 

Summer is my favorite time of year because it brings the focus back to what matters most in my life- my family. I have to admit- I loved this little stroll down memory lane. Crazy how much life changes through a few years. I can't wait to see your flashback summer pics. Head on over to My Day in K and Teach, Talk, Inspire and share your favorites. 

Bye ya'll!! 

How to {Rock} as a New Teacher

We've all been there....our 1st year....not sure what to do or if you'll even survive. Let's be honest- my 1st year had many tears, a whole lot of mistakes, and some great memories. There are always things we wish we would have known our 1st year as a teacher so when I found Teaching with Crayons and Curls blog and linky party- I couldn't help but want to join. 

Heck going into my 8th year I could still use some tips. 

1. Always ask for help! There is no shame in asking for help or for someone to sit with you and explain things. I wish I would have done this more, but I can tell you now as an "old" teacher that I am impressed and love to help those that ask for help. 

2. Procedures: Plan your procedures and how you want your class to run and then teach them as soon as they walk in the door. I literally spend the first month and a half teaching my kinders procedures. What works for another teacher might not work for you so always keep an open mind on trying something different. Keep it consistent though- don't give up if it doesn't happen perfectly. 

3. Relationships are one of the things that my mom always taught me as the daughter of a teacher. No one is below you and everyone can help. I've become best friends with people on other grade levels, the specials team, secretaries,

and the custodians. People will do incredible things for you if they see you are genuine and willing to help in return. The most important relationship is the one you have with your students- it's always important to stay stern, but let them know they are loved. It's amazing what your kids will do for you when they know you care.

1. Staying late: It took me my entire first year to learn that sometimes staying late isn't always worth it. You often will be so tired you get distracted and do not end up getting as much stuff done as you planned. Do not stay late at school every day. It's not worth it and it wears you out. I pick one day a week to stay later than usual and have a plan in place for what I want to knock out. I close my classroom door and get to work. It's helped me and made my family happy to see Momma before the sun goes down. 

2. Perfection: The first thing that you have to realize is that it will not be perfect. In fact, it might be far from. Trying to be the perfect teacher will outright drive the love for teaching right out of you. As long as you try you best and learn from it, your kids know you care and they love learning- you have succeeded. 

That leads me to my advice: I have spent some years trying to keep up with the "super teachers". You will learn the ones- who seem to have the best lessons, the cutest class, leave early and still have everything ready the next day. Fact is- it's impossible. You have to stay true to yourself and doing what is best for your kids and yourself. Is it bad to team up with "super teachers"....HECK NO!  My best friends on my team are "Super Teachers" and we work together and do things together all the time. But I will tell you I don't try to compare myself to them or try to do everything like they do. Trying to be like someone else or take on their teaching style can mean your kids might miss out on the amazingness that is you. Learn from your team and the "Super Teachers",  take some of their ideas and make them your own. You'll be happier that way. 

Most of all remember if your kids see the love you have for teaching- their love with grow for learning. Good look new teachers. You'll be amazing!! I hope this helps you in some way. Now head over and link up with these amazing ladies! :) The advice I've been reading is amaze!!! 

3-2-1 Teacher Bio {Weekend Warriors}

Gasp....I actually blogged twice in a few days. Shock and awe ya'll....I know. You can now pick your jaw up from the floor.

So I'm nerdy and have always followed Deirdre at A Burst of First, but for some reason I always miss Weekend Warriors. So this month I finally get to participate and they want to get to know everyone, which I love because it's such a great way to connect with other amazing bloggers and reconnect with everyone.

Summer so far has been great and I love that it's given me the chance to get back to blogging and concentrate on doing something for me. I'm excited to get to know other blogs and share some facts about my crazy life.  :)

The notes guys....the notes. I don't know why, but  I have this thing where if we are sending notes or forms or anything- they have to be cute with fonts, clip art, and borders. I feel like what you send home and how it looks can say a lot about you. It could be true and it could be wrong, but I have issues and have to fix something if it's not how I feel it should be.

I'm old....because I keep forgetting how I taught something the year before. Either that or the year is just so crazy I forget to think about how I did it previously and look back at the notes I wrote. Because let me just tell you, I write notes about everything when it comes to lessons (like what to change, what to do differently) and I know I'm not the only one like this, but man I forget sometimes. #old

Oh the regular me....so many things I could share, but I had to find somethings that were not obvious. It's a sad fact that my house is definitely not as cute as my classroom and in fact it's a hot mess with toys on the floor, junk on the counters and sometimes {wait for it} unfolded clothes in the laundry basket for days. I'm organized at school...not so much at home. It drives the hubs crazy.

Speaking of the hubs- he's a dork. I'm allowed to say that because I say it with love. You would never know that the big tough MMA fighter and coach I married is a total comic book and anime nerd. He had Dragon Ball Z shirts when I met him college you guys....yes the same Dragon Ball Z that your kids and students might watch. {smh} So it should come as now surprise that when it came to choosing names for our kids, he went to his comic books, video games, and Anime. Here's the proof:
Camryn: Cammy for short named from the video game Street Fighter and it's character Cammy.
Grayson: named from Batman's sidekick Robin (he has more than one Robin) who is named Dick Grayson hence the name Grayson.
And last but certainly not least......Revvy- named from a girl in a Anime who wears an outfit that I particularly am not a fan of, but IT IS....WHAT IT IS.

You can judge me now....Crazy I know.

A girl can dream......it's a big dream living in Texas, but a dream none the less.

So there you have it....me in a blog post. Hope you enjoyed a peek into my silly life. You definitely have to stop by A Burst of First blog and link up- you don't want to miss this fun!!

Oh my word!

Oh my word is right! It's been more than a year and another kid later since I've blogged. What?!?! Yes....seriously ya'll. It's been a year. So much has happened since I last kept up with my blog. It seems like last time I was apologizing for not blogging because I had just popped out my sweet Gray- who just happened to turn 2 last week!!!

Well, here I am again....apologizing- for being a total slacker. I'll try not to write a novel, but I can't make any promises ya'll! 

The last 2 years have been well crazy to say the least. Here's a run down of the haps:

1. Revvy 

She was definitely a surprise to us. We didn't plan on having another little one right away, but we were so blessed with her. I wouldn't change a thing. She's my little sugar bug and I'm over the moon for her. She's now almost 10 months. (Wishing time would slow down)

from her newborn session 

9 months old...that nose kills me- it's so cute!!

2. Kindergarten....here she comes! 

As if having another baby wasn't crazy enough- my 1st baby started Kindergarten. Can I tell you how big of a mind game it is being a Kinder teacher and having your child start kinder? So many expectations, worries, and lessons of letting go and being a parent- not a kinder teacher. Cammy bloomed in Kinder and the once a little girl who refused to read with Momma was reading like a champ and loving school. She did an amazing job and had a wonderful teacher. 

3. Did I mention I was pregnant? 

To say she was a surprise is an understatement! So of course with all surprises was the obvious situation of timing. Our timing was crazy for Revvy to arrive. She was due the 2nd week of school!!!!  Believe it or not ya'll this was the first time I had a baby during the school year and needed a maternity substitute! So as you can imagine- I was a hot mess trying to plan for being out the 1st month of school. Did I mention I'm a control freak?!? Yea....talk about stress and anxiety out the waa-zoo!  I was lucky enough to last the 1st week of school with my new babes and then that Friday morning I was admitted into the hospital for a c-section with my last and final sweet baby. (I had my tubes tied for health reasons, but that's a different story for another time) 

The year starting that way definitely made for an interesting year and sadly I must say it was one of my hardest years in all of my teaching, but I had an amazing team by my side that made it so much easier to survive. 

See that girl with the big belly in the colorful dress- yea that's me surround by one of the most amazing teams ever. 

4. My Superhero needed his own hero

I'm not one to hold back and I've always one to be honest on my blogs- so here it goes. January of 2014, we found out my sweet Daddy has Stage IV colon and liver cancer. I cannot tell you how much I've grown to hate that word since my grandmother died of breast cancer when I was 20, but it's taken on a new feeling of sadness since my dad was diagnosed. 

So my superhero who once solved everything for me, now needed me to help guide him through the journey that is called cancer patient. 

A lot of my time and focus has been on my dad and Momma while they go through this crazy journey together. It definitely takes a toll on my dad, but also my mom. I'm happy to say that he is now in remission and with God's grace we are praying we can maintain it to keep it at bay so he can enjoy life a little bit longer. 

5. 2 years and a whole lot of wonderful

My sweet boy who took me to my blog hiatus now has turned 2. He's a little firecracker of wonder, curiousity, love and smiles. Did I mention laughs and charm? Because this sweet boy is a charmer and total trickster. He says the craziest of things that make you giggle and he can charm his way out of time out like nobodies business! We call him "Sugarboy" for this reason. He's full of sweetness. 

I'll quit boring you with pictures for now. Look for another blog about that fitness thing....you know what happens after "Fitness whole pizza in my mouth" I'll be linking up with Queen of the First Grade Jungle for Working it Wednesday!! XOXO!