Five for Friday Linky Party

It's the end of another week!
And Christmas break is HERE - WOOT WOOT!

I'm linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching  again 

to share my Five for Friday!

Speaking of Doodle Bugs Teaching, 

I loved her ornament craft that was posted last Friday so much, that I tried it with my class too. 

I pre-cut the strips of paper and put them in plastic baggies to make it a little more manageable for the kids.

Once we were finished, we laminated it and thread it with ribbon so they would hang on the tree.

So thanks Doodle Bugs Teaching for another great idea!

It went right along with what we've been learning lately and 

also goes perfect with our Measuring Trees...

Another ornament we made this week was from...
You guessed  it!

(I'm telling you-I am an addict!)

This one was more challenging than it looked. 
I found the ornament balls on Oriental Trading. 

One bag of metallic shred was enough for the whole class. 

But it was really hard for the kids to get into the ornament. They loved it none-the-less.

We used a hot glue gun on the 
eyes and nose so that they won't pop off in the future. 

This was the first time some of the kids had 
heard of a hot glue gun...one girl even backed up 
really fast when I picked it up, lol! I assured her 
that nothing was going to shoot out of it!

My Christmas tree is up and ready...

We always put it up the day after Thanksgiving. 

Each year, we take the four kids out to pick out their Christmas wrapping paper. 

They know that on Christmas morning, they may only open the gifts that are wrapped in the paper they chose. 

 This year's hottest gifts under our tree?

Let's just say Lalaloopsy dolls and Batman toys 

will be overtaking our home, haha!

My kids' school has a Christmas Bizarre for the 

students to shop at. This year, we decided to have 

our children buy for each other there instead 

of for mom and dad.

They brought them home to put under the tree on Wednesday. Our family opens up sibling gifts on Christmas Eve (right after a quick Happy Birthday to mom).

Wednesday night, I did what any mom would do...

I PEEKED!

The presents I saw that my kids had picked for each 

other brought tears. Now for those who don't 

already know, my school aged children are 3, 4, & 6. 

Yet, they really took into consideration what each 

other would want and picked things that I know the 

others will absolutely love.

Touching to see that despite all the fighting they do, somewhere deep inside, they truly do care for each other.

I celebrated my birthday with my class this week! 

I'm a Christmas Eve baby...
born during a blizzard in Northern Wisconsin. 
The doctor had to come to the hospital on snow skis, no joke.

And I blessed my parents with a whole lot of me-
I was 11 lbs 14 oz.
Yup! Go ahead and read that again-it's true!

So this year, I picked out my birthday present early. 
Thanksgiving DAY early.

Here's what I ordered:

I'm super excited to get it...
I'm not even sure what to do with it first!

I love playing games, so I'm sure that's where I'll start.
Now...to just find some place quiet that I can go.

Well, there you have it-

Happy Friday! Enjoy the weekend!

~Til next time