Three Things I've Learned This Summer

It's officially a month until "back to school" time. Wow - this summer flew by! I hope you had a relaxing time and made some awesome memories. I'm linking up with Mrs. Miracle's Music Room to share three things I've learned this summer.

1. Cherish Your Family
    My husband and I having been trying to start a family since we were married two years ago. This summer was especially difficult for personal reasons. However, it made me see who is there in my life. I am so blessed to have my mom. I couldn't have made it through the month of June without her. It should be common sense to me, but I learned to cherish my family and those around me. Someday, I hope my husband and I's dream of starting our own family can come true. When it does, I want our child to see the amazing love and support system around us.
   
   
2. Naps Rule!
   I love sleep. I am not kidding. If I don't get 7-8 hours during the school year, I'm a mess. I also sleep until noon on the weekends. This summer, my cat and I were best friends. We had our napping schedule down so well that if my piano lessons went long, she started to droop. I'm really going to miss our kitty snuggles when school starts up again.
   
   
   
   
   
3. Never Stop Learning
   In between napping, I did attend a great professional development workshop. It was all about singing games! Not only did I learn some new games, but I also reviewed some favorites with new twists. The networking and sharing is always great, too. Stay tuned for a blog post later this week on a great "Back-to-School" singing game that will appeal to your older elementary students!
   
   

What did you learn this summer?

10 Things I Want to Do This Summer

IT'S SUMMER!

Summer is here! Wow - it feels like the school year flew by at times and drug on too long on different days. Please read my previous post and link up to see some of the highlights of this year in my music classroom. Today, though, I am linking up (I love linking up with fellow bloggers - I've done it a lot lately!) to share 10 things I would like to do this summer. 

Mrs. Jump's Class

1. Family time! 

      Adam and I got married in October. Since it was during the school year, we didn't get much of a honeymoon or a lot of down time to spend together. He will still be working over the summer, but we will only have one schedule to work around for once. Plus, our cat, Eleanor, has been awfully lonely these last few weeks of school. She deserves some much needed cuddle time!

2. Clean and organize

       At this time last year, we had closed and just moved into our new house. I've changed decor several times, but our home really needs a deep clean and organization of everything. We still have some boxes that haven't been touched since we moved in. It's not my most favorite thing in the world, but once I get started, I can't seem to stop until it's done. Time to break out the Swiffer!

3. Catching up on some TV

     TV is my thing - I cannot give it up. My favorite HBO series is ending this summer - "True Blood." I'm not usually one for gore and blood, but I love this show for some reason. I haven't missed a season, and I will be sad when it's all over. Hopefully my question will be answered after all of these seasons: Vampire Bill or Vampire Eric?

4. Reading

        I love reading. However, I love it so much that it keeps me up at night. I get stuck in a book and don't go to sleep until it's finished. That is why I love summer! I can stay up late and read without having to worry about school the next day. I have a long list of reads this summer, so I will be frequenting the library and Amazon.com a lot.

5. Learn!

       I can't wait to travel to Branson in a few weeks. I'll be attending a 3 day workshop put on by Denise Gagne and Artie Almeida, plus a few other great educators. This workshop is going to be amazing! I already own several of the resources available from these individuals, but I can't wait to see them in action and learn new strategies for my classroom. Plus, I've never been to Branson or on a mini vacation by myself. I hope to see and meet many wonderful educators, too.

6. Plan

     I love planning. I seriously think I could be some kind of planner in another life. Last year, I purchased an ErinCondren teacher planner and fell in love. This year, I bought mine as soon as they came out. They are colored coded, personalized and just so awesome! Here's my previous post about everything included in the planner: http://msmusic4life88.blogspot.com/2013/08/ocd.html

This year's planner has my new married name and lots of dots!

7. Exercise

     I really want to be more active this summer. I love our YMCA and with being an elementary teacher, piano teacher and church musician, it's hard to find a regular time to workout during the school year. Summer, though, is completely different. I love water aerobics and ZUMBA, so I can't wait to get back to those classes on a regular basis.

8. Shop

    I know, I know...I have no money, but I can't help shopping. It's a vice and seriously, I'm a girl - we love shopping! There are so many fun things to shop for in the summer, too, like showers, weddings, holidays, BBQs, pooltime, etc. Even window shopping is fun this time of year! 

9. Sleep

    

    Do I need to say more with this one? Haha! I know we all need different amounts of sleep, but I swear, I sleep nonstop during Christmas break and the first few days of summer break. It's nice to curl up with the cat and just sleep the day away, especially when the weather is rainy. I hope you all get the much needed sleep you deserve!

10. Relax

   This one is huge. I have a nervous stomach and am always stressed for some reason. It's really bad for my well being and for those around me. I want to take time to relax and figure out some strategies to use in the coming school year. I've always been busy and stressed, but sometimes, it's just ridiculous how much I let it control me.