Someone's been playing with her Silhouette!

Me, me!

I'm not sure if I have mentioned it, but I got a SILHOUETTE for Christmas! Wahoo! For all of you who do not know what this gloriousness is, it is a paper/vinyl/vellum cutter. You can type any font from your computer and it will cut it out for you. Shapes, most def. It's so nifty for fun crafts and school projects! Here's part of what I've done today:

Nate and I finally used the last of our wedding gift cards (from 1.5 years ago) to purchase a few more pop-top containers. They are the best! We bought two to hold our types of cereal... You can see that we are children... Nate's choice: Captain Crunch Berry. My choice: Lucky Charms. Holler.

Not that we obviously wouldn't know our own types of cereal, but the labels are cute :) And it's a free font I downloaded from Kevin and Amanda's blog (Howser font).

EEEEEEE!!! Isn't Chloe's crate so much cuter now?! If you know Chloe at ALL, you know she is a deserving of a crown, at least in the way she acts. Total princess material :)

And our new, little ol' Oliver :) He got a bone with his crate. He's pretty simple (except when he is actually IN his crate... crying and whining... poor guy).

I used the same "Howser" font because it is so dang cute! I glass-etched bowls for their food/water, and I used a different font for those, so I'll try to take pictures of those later.

Tonight we are having a lock-in for the youth at the church to ring in the new year! A night full of food, games, and teenagers... all night... should be fun! Everyone have a safe and happy new year!

A little bit of Christmas and a surprise...

Back to share a few pictures from our very Merry Christmas with family and friends :)

There was lots of playing with our 2 year old nephew (pictured here with his dad... and Nate is striking a pose...?)

And lots of snuggle time with our little baby!

But a fun "gift" we received when we got home...

A new pup! This is Oliver :) He's an 8 month old Shih Tzu and we received him from a family who was not-so fond of dogs... he is the SWEETEST pup ever! He and Chloe have already become fast friends and like to follow each other around the house. He is not crate trained, so that is the only "hardship" we have with him for right now. He is super sweet and loving, and we are so glad Chloe has a friend to play with now!

This was NOT staged! Who ever thought our little, excited Chloe could lay still long enough with ANOTHER dog and take a nap?! Not I. It's amazing!

Merry Christmas from the Johnsons!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, from my family to yours!

We are spending time with Nate's family before heading out to spend time with my family :) It's such a blessing to be able to have flexible jobs where we can take time to visit our family that lives far away. Thank you God for the birth of Your Son, the true meaning of Christmas and why we celebrate.

"What hope we hold this starlight night,

a King is born in Bethlehem.

Our journey long, we seek the light,

that leads to the hallowed manger ground.

Emmanuel, Emmanuel.

God incarnate, here to dwell.

Emmanuel, Emmanuel.

Praise His name, Emmanuel."

(from our church choir performance, "O Holy Night")

New Blog

Hello all! I am now creating an additional blog simply for Kindergarten! Now I can have home projects (at my blog www.chrissyandnathan.blogspot.com) separate from school projects, which is definitely a-okay with me!

Starting in the new year, I will begin to post about daily/weekly projects (with photos of COURSE), as well as activities and ideas I have borrowed or come up with to further learning.

(This blog is in no way affiliated with the school I teach at currently or where I have taught in the past, as well as not affiliated with my past/current students. This is a place for me to record ideas and projects that have been done so I can share with fellow teachers as well as learn from them!)

I can't wait to share! 
Welcome to WILD about Kindergarten!

Holiday Kindergarten Activities

I am back (from my last post here discussing school and my ideas, many of which came from April Larremore) WITH PICTURES to share a few of the many holiday activities we did in our class this week!

We illustrated Christmas trees and went on a "hunt" for ornaments: "Shiny ornaments given to me, how many are on the tree?" Number identification, 1-1 correspondence, sorting/classifying, and counting skills.

We also used foil as a pretend cookie sheet and created an addition problem with two different types of "cookies": "Holiday cookies on my tray, how many will I eat today?" Addition skills, counting skills, sorting/classifying.

Using the students' hands, we traced and colored to look like Santa! Actually, it's easier with paint, but alas, our school's paint supply (and my own) was slim. Also, the students' made a pattern around the border (AB, ABB, AAB, etc).

One day that we were doing snowman activities, we made snowman heads and created a sentence about what our snowman could do. Next, the students' cut each word into its own rectangle and put the sentence back in order. The words colored in yellow are word wall words. I thought these turned out adorable (and I also was able to leave them up on the walls once I left for Christmas break because snowman = winter = staying up in January!)

This one is just for fun/looks in your classroom! Each student (and myself) created a stocking and we hung them around our door frame! It was fun to see each students' interpretation of a Christmas stocking :)

REINDEER TOAST! Yum-O! My students' love fun snacks and anything involving FOOD on the CARPET?! How fun! We talked about sequence as we made our fun snack: gotta love that integration!

What have you done to celebrate the holiday season?

TWO WEEKS OFF!

Yes, I finally have reached the epic point in a teaching year... CHRISTMAS VACATION! We all have been waiting for this day since August :)

... hence why I haven't posted in almost two weeks! This week was "review", ahem fun holiday activities with my kiddos! Each day was a different theme with various activities integrating literacy and mathematics. I took pictures, but... umm... I'm lazy to upload. I know, WORST blogger ever.

Lots of the ideas that I used are on my cooperating teacher (from student teaching)'s blog: her name is April Larremore. Even if you don't teach, but you have kids and are looking for fun activities, there are all SORTS of amazing ideas she has!

As far as home life and decor/crafting have gone, it has been a whole lotta nothing... Getting my kids' ready for holiday activities and programs has been my focus since before Thanksgiving! Now that all of that is taken care of and finished, I am back on fun home improvement and fun times with the hubs. Of course, all of these things will be updated on the good ol' blog (as soon as I get enough motivation to upload pictures)!

Simple and EASY Christmas Wreath

This is officially the EASIEST wreath you will ever make. Simple.

 

First, go to your nearest HobLob or ornament supplier and buy a big ol' thang of ornaments! This had about 35, I think. You could always purchase various ornaments... but this whole thing was $5. So... your choice :) This package had ornaments that were the same size, but you could definitely throw in larger and smaller sizes as well. I stole borrowed this idea from Sarah @ ThriftyDecorChick, just looky here!

Before I even started creating the wreath, I took Sarah's advice and hot glued EVERY topper to the ornament. Just put a round glob o' glue around the topper and pray the topper stays on. I didn't have this problem, but Sarah said they WILL fall off if not hot glued. I took her advice and it was a-okay for me!

Next, you need a wire hanger. Preferably one that will let you bend/twist it. We mainly use plastic hangers, but we had a few wire ones from the dry cleaners. These were not very bendy... Therefore, you will also need a hot/strong husband combination who will partake in your crafting schemes. Love that man! You need to untwist the top of it to make it straight. This is where you will mold your wreath by creating a circle/oval/whatever shape you want your wreath to be. Obviously, circle/oval is the way to go. 

After messing fixing your wire, this is where the easy/fun begins! String on those ornaments! Any color/size order, and then you can twist and shape it as they go on. I had a combination of glittery/shiny/patterned ornaments, so I just created a pattern as I strung them on. 

Once your done, get your hot/strong husband to twist the wires shut to enclose the circle-shaped wreath.

 

Voila! Easy. Cute. Affordable. Doable.

I didn't like the white wire showing through the ornaments, so I bought some gold/red ribbon to "wind" through the ornaments (also known as shoving ribbon here and there to cover up the wire). I also used that same ribbon to tie a loop (which is where the wreath hangs from the wreath hanger).

I spray-painted a wooden "J"  to hang in the middle, and it is so adorable! If I were to do this project again, I would add a)varied ornament sizes, and b)a few red ornaments. My ribbon has a splash of red in it, so it works (our Christmas decor is reds and yellows).

Pardon the iPhone photo, but this is what the wreath looks like with the other Christmas ambiance around it lit up at night. It's so purdy :)

Head over to Sarah's blog to check out other GREAT Christmas decorating ideas!

Advent calendar to-do today: Mail Christmas cards (that is, if Wal-Mart has them ready)!

DIY Advent Calendar

Hello all! Happy holidays! So, so glad it is officially December and the month of Christmas! Us December babies l-o-v-e this time of the year.

This year, I decided to create an advent calendar to countdown to Christmas. I've seen lots of variations of advent calendars all over blog-land, and there are SO many different ways to create one! Ones with gifts, bible verses, pictures, etc. I wanted to create an advent calendar that has a different "Christmas-y" thing to do each day. I think it will be really fun- especially when we start having kids!

First off, I cut 25 squares in different neutral colors (with pops of red). I cut pieces of twine measuring about 1 foot-ish, just long enough to wrap around the square. One dot of hot glue in the middle to secure!

I did that to all 25 squares, then hot glued them all (one dot in each corner) to a piece of cardboard (twine sticking out).

Earlier, I had typed out my 25 "Christmas-y" things to do and cut them in strips. I used photo sticker squares to stick the strips to my colorful squares...

The purpose of the twine is to tie each strip like a little "present"... also to hold down the paper, because it kept sticking out! I think it looks adorable... like 25 little presents just waiting to be opened for Christmas fun (cheesey? no? oh well)!

Since today is Dec. 4, the 4th box is opened. Our fun thing to do: look back at Christmas pictures from previous years! It is always fun to reminisce...
 

Easy. A little tedious. But super cute. Happy holidays!

I linked up at Tatertots and Jell-O along with all sorts of Christmas fun! Check it out!

Christmas "Mantel"

Yes, yes. We don't have a fireplace. Therefore, no mantel.

However, we have a lovely bookcase/buffet/shelving unit from Ikea that pretty much fits the bill!

 

Last year for Christmas/my birthday (25th/26th), pretty much my entire family conspired behind my back and got me the complete Willow Tree nativity! Wahoo! All I need is the creche, and Nate's Mimi told me she's getting me that this year. Sweet!

 

Since the complete reason for Christmas is to celebrate the birth of our Savior, there is no better mantle "decor" than that! Holla! The Willow Tree nativity is gorgeous and so beautifully handcrafted. If you do not have a nativity and would like to invest in one, I highly recommend it!

Behind the nativity, I nestled a bunch o' gold ribbon, just for kicks. It adds some ambiance I think. Also, we have our red stockings that we got from my aunt the Christmas before we were married. A couple of frosted/glittery gold ornaments to hang with them and they are all set! I also created a simple banner that reads "Believe" with card stock and twine.

 

A simple, but sweet Christmas mantle for our 2nd Christmas as husband and wife (and puppy)! Check out Layla's blog at www.theletteredcottage.net  for a Holiday Mantle linky party! Happy Holidays!

Thanksgiving Memories

The five-day "break" I received last week was very. much. NEEDED.

Quality time with the hubster. check.
Seeing lots of family for a long period of time (vs. a weekend). check.
Reuniting with friends. check.
Lots of laughs. check.
No work. check :)

Here are some pictures from the fantastic Thanksgiving holiday. So much to be thankful for :) Thanks be to God for all He has given us!

 (isn't our princess adorable?!)

We (my parents, grandparents, uncle, Nate, and I) got to Skype with my brother's Kindergarten class in S. Korea! Of course, it was 8:15am vs. our 5:15pm, but it worked :)

Love having my "sister" at our family events! Truly shows how her family is a part of ours! Thank goodness for our parents' BFF relationship.

All the gorgeous ladies in our family

My sister from another mister, girlfriend-cousin, soon-to-be cousin (just got engaged) and cousin! LOVE them.

The fellas: cousin (who just proposed to "soon-to-be" cousin), another cousin, the hubster, and cousin (boyfriend of "girlfriend" cousin) :)

Expect a post this week about a new Christmas wreath I made, courtesy of Thrifty Decor Chick!

Give Thanks

It's Thanksgiving week, everyone!

Many teacher friends are off for the entire week. Our school, however, had school today and will have school tomorrow. WOMP.

It's been fine though- today, we wrote using our word wall words, watched Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving, created Pilgrim faces with paper plates saying what we were thankful for in a word bubble, worked in centers, created a Thanksgiving recipe book, and watched a video about how the first real Thanksgiving happened. Oh! And counted by 2's and 5's. Lots of random things.

Tomorrow, K-4th grade will read "Stone Soup" and create a community pot of stone soup. At lunch, we will have our Thanksgiving feast (basically an "assigned" pot luck meal for the kids). I'm excited: my boys are dressing up as Native Americans and my girls are dressing up as Pilgrims. They're going to be ADORABLEEE. And then we will be watching "Pocahontas" in the afternoon :)

We are so excited to have FIVE DAYS OFF TOGETHER. Whaaattt! We are excited to reunite with family and friends, and have fun eating LOTS of food :)

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Count your blessings, name them one by one.

Count your blessings, see what God has done.

Count your blessings, name them one by one.

Count your many blessings, see what God has done.

Operation Christmas Child

If you have never heard of Operation Christmas Child, it is such an awesome ministry. Please please PLEASE go to their website!

This project is through Samaritan's Purse (website linked above). During the fall season, you can pack a shoe box with toys, candy, coloring books, etc for 2-4 year olds, 5-9 year olds, or 10-14 year olds. These boxes are sent to distribution centers where they are then divided to send out to poverty-stricken countries in the world. Once delivered, the children who receive the boxes also receive a Bible track in their native language. It is an awesome ministry and shows the love of Christ through a simple gift in a shoe box.

Here's some pictures of us preparing our boxes this year! We have already decided this will be a tradition in our family, especially when we have kids.

All the items we got for our kiddos! Puzzles, various toys, coloring books, toothbrush/paste, soap, hair accessories, and candy!

Our boxes all packed up nice and neat :)

Sealed and ready to ship out- with the appropriate labels, of course!

The deadline for our boxes at our church was today, but I'm not sure the "official" deadline. There is ALWAYS next year, especially if you want a fun project to do with your family that benefits others and shares the love of Christ, which is what Christmas is ALL about.

Kinder Fun with Pumpkin Parts

Quick post about a project my kiddo's did involving pumpkins :)

We (as in me) carved a pumpkin, which the kids' voted on the type of face it would have (eyes, nose, mouth). Afterwards, we watched a video about how plants grow (they did that while I carved). Afterwards, they took turns pulling the seeds out (disgusting).

I took the seeds home for roasting, then took them back to school the next day so the kids could sample them. I mixed my seeds with butter and seasoned salt (delicious). Out of 17 kids, only 4 didn't like them, so that's pretty good for a 5 year olds' opinion.

THIS is the project we completed:

We discussed the parts of a pumpkin, then made each part with construction paper. The kids matched the label to the correct pumpkin part. They enjoyed it and now know the parts of the pumpkin!

Catching up to do... Halloween

I just now uploaded pictures from Halloween... whoops :) Better late than never, right?

Our precious little girl dressed up as a ghost :) She just can't handle those crazy costumes that dangle, go on heads, or have skirts... She likes to eat those. Oh silly Chloe.

Sam and I at our booth at our church's fall fun fair! We were in charge of pictures :) via a Polaroid camera. Remember those? Man oh man, brings back memories...

Like this :) every time we would take a picture of a child in their costume, they would say "Let me see!" and would want to look at the back of the camera (like a digital) to see a preview. They didn't understand the picture printed out! So we said that the film was "magic" and it would show up in a few minutes. Good times :)

My Hips Don't Lie

Dear Hershey's Corporation,

Thank you for creating these little pieces of amazingness:

http://www.eyeoncredit.com/ebay/kisses-candy-cane-10oz-ebay.jpg

They are ooberly delicious and I have eaten about 5 or 6 in the past 30 minutes... I thank you. My hips do not. Perhaps Chloe and I will take a walk this evening.

Love,
Chrissy

Home-What?

Home Goods. Yes, I FINALLY found one in the Houston area. After reading and reading and reading and READING about everyone and their mothers going to Home Goods, finding amazing finds at Home Goods, I said, "NATHAN, we've got to find one!" Luckily, we did that last night.

 

We were in the Katy-Houston area doing some Christmas shopping (yes, we started!), and a light buld went off: look Home Goods up on my iPhone map! That little tool is amazing. We followed the directions and voila!

First up, their glassware selection. I am a SUCKER for glass vases. Arrange them in a group of three, have it as a centerpiece with some flowers or other vase filler, lovelyyy. And all the colors/shapes/sizes, thank you very much HG.

Next, BASKETS. I am a huge fan of baskets. Have an empty space? Put a basket :) adds awesome texture and hidden storage if needed. I'm currently in need of four square baskets for our dining room "buffet". The selection was fun to sift through!

Did I mention that HG has amazing prices? Not sure if you can tell in this picture, but this clock is ginormous. GINORMOUS. And also $25. What?! We may have to go back. That clock would look lovely in our living room :)

The lamp selection was awesome! Lots of different bases with different colors, as well as many-a drum shade (which makes my heart smile). I really liked this blue and brown one (those are our bedroom colors), and you can see a small portion of the massive lamp selection in the background.

This is where I found my gem: this lamp. Yes, kind of looks like an egg or a bird cage, but my eyes lit up when I saw it. And the price tag made it oh-so much more lovely:

I've got some plans for this baby. Stay tuned to see what I come up with!