A Kindergarten Smorgasboard First Day Back Adventure!

We did it!  We walked down those halls and into those classrooms and made it through the first day back!  How was your day?  How were rules and procedures?  Overall, we had a great day!  Everyone was still dazed from a lack of sleep (including the teacher....my nap time came and went but it wasn't peaceful...we fought, the nap and I...but the nap lost. ANGRY ARMS!)  The kids were excited to be back and were excited with all of the new changes!  However, this is how my morning started:

Picture it.  The green mile (that's my hallway...the longest one in the building and I am at the far end...no, keep going...keep looking...see me?  I'm waving...yeah!  That's me...way down there!).  Here come my monsters...one...two...three, four...all sweet and all greeting me:  "Good morning Mr. Greg!"  Smiles.  Hugs.  Happiness.   And then "Gayle" of "Oprah" and "Gayle" fame arrives.

Gayle:  Uh, what's your name again?!  I forgot your name.
Me:  (giving her the stinkeye) I'm not telling you...you remember me.
Gayle:  Um, no really, I forgot who you were.

Yep.  2 weeks away and I'm forgettable.  So much for a lasting impression.  Ego:  CRUSHED!

Moving on!  Here is one of the exciting changes in our room!

NEW CHAIR POCKETS!  Aren't they great!?  One of the first grade teachers sewed these for us!  AMAZING!  And she wouldn't even let me pay her.  I had to give her a ride home today.  Um, she lives on the road to my house!  I love the purple color (matches my room well!!)

But what i really love about them is that we can get rid of our book baskets on the table and keep our book bags in our chair pockets!  It looks so much more clean and less cluttered!

You might have seen this floating around Pinterest (AKA Teacher Ideas Heaven!) but when I clicked on the picture, there weren't a lot of details.  Well, I am a details person and I need clear, explicit instructions (just ask the Mister!).  So I decided to whip these up for my classroom and share some of my conclusions with you.  

GLUE SPONGES!  The kindergarten smorgasboard way!

A regular sponge.  I got mine for 10 for $1 at the Dollar Tree!

Plastic containers (with lids!)  Again, $1 at the Dollar Tree!

To make the sponges fit the entire container, I used one whole sponge and cut a second sponge in half.  

Sorry I forgot to take pictures of the next step, but I poured one whole bottle of Elmer's glue into the container and set the sponges on top of the glue.  I added a little water to the spongers and put the lid on.  I also tried pouring the glue all over the sponges in one...just to see.  I could see the glue being absorbed through the sponges throughout the day.  Hopefully tomorrow we can put them to the test!

Today we made hats to ring in the new year!  These are so cute!  They are from my friend Maggie at Maggies Kinder Korner!

We also practiced counting down today!  

As we were working on counting down, I saw one of my monsters using her problem solving skills!!  How smart?!  Don't you love when they figure this stuff out?!  

And of course we made our new year craftivity!  This is my favorite one!  I think this person had a wild new year celebration! 

And it's the first official silly hat of 2013!  I know you've missed them and have been dying to see me in a silly hat, so here ya go!

Shirt:  Macy's (don't buy it for you man...it is not male chest friendly if you get my drift!)

Pants:  Gap (they're shiny shimmery!)

Vest:  Target

Shoes:  Skechers

My new years projects are available in my  New Year's creation!

And now some sad news from Monster's Inc:

Our beloved class pet, Pinky The Wonder Hamster has gone on to the big hamster wheel in the sky!  She was 3 years old (hamster life expectancy is 2 years!) so she had a very good life.  This happened at my house so the monsters think she is in retirement at my house!  We will be getting a new  hamster this week!  Or guinea pig....hmmmm!

RIP Pinky!