A Snowy New Year!

In mid-January, Seattle got its annual snow fall!  Due to bad weather conditions, school was cancelled an entire week.  As a teacher, I loved the unexpected break!  My days were spent cozy in doors getting projects and school planning done, watching movies, sipping wine and also going on snow walks.  One day we had freezing rain which left ice everywhere...I of course enjoyed talking photos.

(Ran into one of my students on a walk)

New York, New York

Near the end of November, I had the amazing opportunity to visit dear friends in New York City!   I love this city and find that each visit holds new and special experiences.  Close friends from South Africa, Richard & Heather Van zyl Smit, and their two boys Timothy (4) and Oliver (2) were staying in NY for 6 months while Richard was doing research.  It was a joy to stay with them in their tiny flat and explore the city by day.  Of course I saw musicals and visited museums...all my favorite things!  Here are some fun photos from my time:

Sitting in the fall sunshine and enjoying the view of the Brooklyn Bridge

Metro rides and fun city public art

Saturday afternoon in Central Park!  The fall leaves were amazing!

Watching the ice skaters and taking a ride on the famous merry go round 

One of favorite locations in the US: Times Square!

So excited to see one of my favorite singers Harry Connick Jr. in the musical On a Clear Day

Enjoyed a Sunday afternoon at the Museum of Modern Art.  I love watching people in museums and how they look at art and interact with the space.  Little do these strangers know they have made my blog!

Radio City Music Hall and Rockerfeller Center

Oh yum!  Just looking at this photo again makes my mouth water!  These cupcakes are amazing...I hadn't been to the Magnolia Bakery since 2000, so it was nice to treat Heather and the boys to American cupcakes on my last morning in New York!

What a treat!

Joy of Teaching!

How do I sum up the last 4 months of teaching in the 'Caterpillar' room at Sweet Pea Cottage?  Basically I love my job and it was such a joy to step into a lead teaching position this past September.  I have an amazing assistant named Savanna who has become more then a co-worker, but a dear friend.  We laugh daily and support each other in difficult moments... for kids can be so unpredictable, emotional and out right passionate (thats why I love them so much)!  As I have always done, I have my camera nearby to take photos of kids, to document art projects, and to preserve precious memories.  Savanna is also an amazing photographer so it has also been fun to see pictures of me teaching.  I hope the series of photos below can give you a whirlwind snap shot into my daily life!

September:

One of our first days of school (notice the shorts and sundresses).

One of my favorite days in September!  We spent the whole month studying the life cycle of butterflies (for we are the 'Caterpillar' classroom).  This day we were looking at the chrysalis stage and I wrapped up the kids in toilet paper.  They were so still and waited with anticipation until it was time to burst forth as a butterflies!

We also studied doctors and nurses and acted out lots of imaginative play in the classroom!

October:

A shot to see more of my classroom...

Harvest Decorations...love this time of year!

Silly Pumpkin faces

Getting ready to carve pumpkins!

Halloween!

My teaching partners - Me, Savanna, Cara & Amy

(of course I am wearing an old bridesmaid dress...thanks Hen!)

The kids were so excited!  Everyone wore their costumes to school and then we had a parade with their families down the block to trick or treat at local businesses.

 November:

November brought learning about turkeys, pilgrims, native americans, and thanksgiving.

Savanna took this shot...leading calendar in circle time...I bet one of the kids is making me laugh (they are hilarious)!

Pilgrim hats and turkey cards

Helping a boy draw his family portrait...he was so excited!

One of our amazing music teachers, Miss. Amber!

Kids dressed up for a pow wow!

December:

I was so excited to decorate my classroom soon after Thanksgiving!

Decorating the tree

We spent a week looking at stories about mittens.  The kids loved acting Jan Brett's The Mitten (I didn't have a large glove so the kids, as different animals, squeezed under a rug)

So many fun winter crafts!

Each week we study a different country and in December we were in Scandinavia...so the week we were in Norway I came in as a special guest dressed in my mom's bunad!  The kids loved it.

 Savanna came as an Elf the day of our Holiday Concert...we also dressed the kids up as Rudolf as a surprise for the parents.