Beach, New Curriculum, and Giveaway Help!

Unfortunately, vacation does have to end...


I just enjoyed a week in the awesome, lovely, and this year HOT Corolla, NC on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.  This is most definitely my favorite place on earth.  


How could you not with a view like this??

I was very fortunate to have my parents and brother's family come with my family this year.  We rented a house for a week and had 3 kids under 4 running around, 1 Shih-tzu, and 6 adults (3 of which are teachers!).  Too fun!!  I did do something on this trip that I never thought I'd do....

I climbed 214 steps to the top of this 162 feet tall lighthouse.  Did I mention I don't like heights??

Not to sound like a wimp, but I could not move from the wall of the lighthouse...that smile??  Totally fake.  I don't want my daughter to know how scared I was as I crawled up the open steps of that lighthouse (yeah, my hands are tingling as I type!)  Surprisingly, I was okay at the top on the catwalk...climbing up the steps, not so much.  Going down was worse because I could SEE through the steps.  At least going up I looked up as I went!  Sheesh....

My hubs took this picture.  I couldn't look at it until we got back down to the bottom.  Again, I have no shame in saying I'm a wimp.  

The view from the top....
We could see the house we stayed in...and I actually texted my sister in law and we could see them out on the deck!!  Too cool...a little bit :)

My little beach bum :)  She wouldn't touch the ocean, but she loved the sand and seashells!  The little girls thought they were mermaids!  Shirts and dolls later...they really could be!  I see a 3 year old's birthday party theme here :)

Wild Spanish Mustangs on the 4x4 beach...how beautiful!!

Wish I were still there!!

Well, as of yesterday, my beach high is gone...vanished...POOF!

My breath of fresh air was completely sucked out of me.  I had two 3 hour trainings yesterday for Math and Reading.  I was feeling fairly optimistic about my upcoming school year until 3 new things were thrown at me.  I mentioned before that my math block would be implementing math stations (no problem) but the mixed messages from trainer to administration was FRUSTRATING!  First they said 4 stations and small group in an hour block (time??? 12 minutes??) Then they said whole group and 3 stations (15 minutes each) and then back to 4.  What the world!!  I so love getting mixed messages!  Grrrr........

Question:  Has anyone used the Making Meaning and Making Meaning Vocabulary program?

My school has decided to implement both programs and parts of the Daily 5 in our 2 hour reading block.  I think it'll be a good program, but I hate that we are implementing 3 new things all at once....very overwhelming!  Just curious if anyone has used it and what their thoughts were.

Well, on to the giveaway!  

Before I went on vacay, I was sooo close to hitting 150 followers... and I surpassed!  Thanks to all my awesome followers who are more awesome than I :)

I'd like to do a giveaway...I've got something I want to do, but is there anyone who would like to help me?  Would like to do a giveaway this weekend!! Leave a comment or send an email :)