JUMPIN' INTO THE HOLIDAYS - A PEEK AT THE PAST TWO WEEKS

I know I always seem to start off a post exclaiming that time has flown by. Well, today isn't any different except that these past two weeks were extra zippy. Seriously folks. I looked up and we were already rollin' into ANOTHER Friday. I love those kind of weeks. It usually means it was a grand run . . . and it certainly was for the sweet bunch in Room 18 ;)  

On that typical "Dolling" introduction, here is a little look-see at a few of the fun things we found ourselves wrapped up in . . . 

THE GOOD OLD GB MAN
There is just something about the Gingerbread Man in December.  He always seems to kick off the holiday just right in my classroom.  It's a way to ease into the holidays without "pegging" the Christmas excitement too much too soon :)  

We read oodles of stories, wrote our hearts out, completed a little GB science and found ourselves mixed up in tons of other related activities. The kids were in their element . . . and let's face it . . . I was too :)

We just had to make Fact Family Gingerbread Houses!

The activities in Amanda Richardson's GB Pack were flawless!

A little GB Man Science?  Um . . . yes please!
Thanks Always Kindergarten.  This was a huge HIT :)

Gotta love this oldie, but such a goodie.
We made our GB Adjective Cookies
They absolutely nailed those describing words.

A little GB Man taste test was in order too.
I always use this amazing FREEBIE from Teaching with Love & Laughter.

HOLIDAYS AROUND THE WORLD
We kicked off our Holidays Around the World Studies with Hanukkah during that first week of December.  My students were all smiles and loved everything I dished their way. In true Dolling form, we cooked a "cheat" version of potato latkes and it took me roughly 15-20 long as all get out minutes to realize that I had the griddle on warm instead of 350 :P  #palmtoforehead

We hit up all of the European countries last week and the kids gobbled it up. Thanks to Rachelle from What the Teacher Wants and Lyndsey from A Year of Many Firsts, we had everything we needed to learn all about holiday celebrations in those beloved countries.  

We also have been slippin' in a little integrated math too.  I whipped up a Draw & Solve packet that goes along with celebrations around the world.  It's filled with facts and rigorous word problems.  The kids are loving them!  

If you are doing Holidays Around the World, be sure to check out YouTube for Rick Steve's Christmas in Europe videos.  Be sure you preview them first as some of them talk about wine and/or are heavy on the church side of things which can get sticky in public school. However, I ended up using most of them as I decided I would respond to any heat with a, "We are simply learning about traditions." France and England are particularly wonderful . . . the Paris shots make me tear up a little.  Sigh . . . such a sap over here.  Just type Rick Steve's Christmas into the search bar and most of them should come up :)

Next week we will be transitioning out of Europe.  We are rolling into Russia, Mexico, and Australia before heading back home to our beloved USA. I cannot wait to show them what I have up my sleeve . . . 

I absolutely adore this class.
So, I am pulling out all of the stops this year!

HOLIDAY FLAVORED EVERYTHING
Here's a quick little picture walk of a few other holiday-flavored activities that we tackled last week or that are "penned" into next week's lineup.  

My Sweet Story will hit on Friday during fun holiday rotations.
This kids always love making silly stories and droppin' that peppermint.
Check this freebie out HERE.

Speaking of peppermints . . .
We learned about Compound Words last week!
This CP Word Craft is on the ticket for Monday.
The kids are going to flip :)

These Christmas Sunnies will be all the rage come Wednesday.
It's the perfect addition to our Australia holiday studies.

CH WORD WORK
We made /ch/ word chains . . . they LOVED it :)
I loved it too - low prep is awesome!

PARTY PLANNING
In an attempt to totally immerse myself in the Christmas Spirit (and possibly give myself a heart attack in the process), I decided to co-plan our school's Holiday party.  Here's the quick backstory on this one.  I was sitting with one of my teaching besties and asked if our campus hosted a party (if you follow me, you know that this is my first year at this school).  Well, I'm sure you can guess the answer to this one, but just in case you didn't figure it out yet . . . I heard her utter, "Um, they haven't had one in years!!" Our eyes immediately locked and you could read what the other was thinking.  You've got it . . . we subconsciously yelled, "LET'S GET ONE GOING AGAIN!"  

We are so dorking out on this thing.  From room flow, invites, and background mixes to poster-sized welcome signs and cute table decor, we are in full on party planning mode. The budget is next to nothing, but we managed to get a jazz band for the first hour, a photo booth, and the venue donated . . . HOLLA! It's going to be a swell shindig and it just feels good giving back this season.

Yep . . . we have officially jumped all in on this one.  

PicMonkey helped with the invites and the awesome Welcome Sign!

I have been working on my music mix for days . . . 

U gotta know your crowd and set the mood :)

ENJOYING THE LITTLE THINGS
Although I catch myself getting a bit worked up now and again when I am not working round the clock, I have given myself permission to sit back and enjoy the little things this December.  My health has taken a turn and I am struggling to keep up . . . cue sad face #endometriosissucks.  I'll be honest here . . . it is VERY difficult for me to let go (as I know it is for so many teachers out there). However, backing off is a necessity from time to time and the holiday season is a great time to let down a bit.  

With this said . . . the blog and the TPT shop has gone a bit dark as of late. Instead of working on new ideas, I put up two trees last week. We took the time to hang lights and we bought our very first wreath (cue to horns).  The Christmas carols have been on repeat round our place . . . I am all about Perry Como, The Rat Pack, good ol' Bing, and the Carpenters. Oh, and the hubby and I also go on driving dates at night. We pack the dog into the truck, grab a cup of tea or hot chocolate, turn the seat warmers on high, and drive around looking at all of the holiday lights around town . . . it's pretty magical :) What are you doing to enjoy the season?  

On that note, I am off to prep a little for school, work on door prizes for our party, and wrap some Christmas gifts. Those trees need something under them and I can't find any more good hiding places for the packages that have been coming in the mail :)

Sending oddles of Holiday Cheer your way! Wishing you a great run at school this next week. Big hugs to you :)