Atmospheric Awesomeness!

Today was the big day that I've been nervous about since our week of pre-planning back in August...it was my day to give the teacher devotional during our Wednesday facutly and staff chapel. I don't know what it is about speaking in front of adults, but it is definitely a fear of mine! You'd think being in front of my students all the time, I'd be able to naturally wing it...uh no. It doesn't work that way, not for me anyway! I had been mulling, worrying, and praying over what to share with a room full of my successful, spiritual, and educated co-workers most of the year. A couple of weeks ago I had a nasty experience with someone being all up in my grill you know...and well...the Lord used that situation to help me come up with my devo...The Bible does say..." In everything give thanks..."
  The devo may not seem like a big deal to a lot of you, but to me it was like my life was dependent upon conquering this. Half of the people in there I've seen before but couldn't even tell you their names. I had butterflies all night and rehearsed out loud like 5 times no joke! My hubby decided it'd be a good idea to zone into a video game for a while, but I found him laughing, interjecting, and corrrecting me more than he'd like to admit! I felt really good about it come this morning. Yesterday's post included a little about what I shared!

 Fortunately, for me...it's over...whew! Glad to have that behind me! 

Today we reviewed the Layers of the Atmosphere. Something new to me...if I learned about these in school, then I definitely was writing notes to my BFF's or doodling my boyfriend's name! I was that girl.
Shocking news for some of you, but I had NEVER heard about these...yesterday as we were reading in our text books together, I found myself super confused so I found an idea on Pinterest where a homeschool mom took a ballon and her kids used dry erase markers to do this. Ain't nobody got time for that...so we blew up balloons and used some standard black sharpies and added our own twist! 

 I think they had the most fun blowing up the balloons....although I had 3 girls who just didn't have enough hot air in them and couldn't do it! I've always wanted to do the "How to Blow up a Balloon" writing, so I may have to do it now! While everyone else was working on a review worksheet, I had 6 at a time come up and work on these.

This quality is terrible...I had a really clear pic but I had a "photobomb" in it! 

Some are hiding...but here they are with their finished project!  

This atmospheric awesomeness ended their day with a whole different shade of happy, and I definitely learned something new! I feels so smart now!

We were crazy busy today and unfortunately didn't manage to get in our Shape Poetry lesson :( Tomorrow is another crazy busy day with a water safety program, and 3 specials...and we won't be in school on Friday...bittersweet :) We have so much to learn and so little time! 

I also have some more you will be "green with envy" posting to do...

This morning, when I was relieved from that devotion, I walked into my classroom and on one of my student's desks is this adorable BIG TOP cupcake cake. I thought to myself, great someone had a birthday and I forgot...no card on their desk...no balloon from me to them...so I didn't want her to think I forgot and when she walked in I said "Happy Birthday Sweet Girl!"

She begins laughing and says "Mrs. Stewart...that's for you, it's not my birthday!" 

You can imagine my surprise...how sweet right...and literally! My birthday was over spring break and I never expect them to remember...but she did...and was celebrating with a belated adorable birthday cake....

But wait...there's more....

I delightedly get over to my desk and see all this....

I. couldn't. believe. it. 

How thoughtful right...

Two gift bags, a wrapped gift, an apple, chocolate bars, and a diet mountain dew!!!

If you're anything like me, you love wrapped presents so I couldn't wait to open them up....

A mustached mason jar cup with a red and white striped straw, a teacher sign with an apple and a tiny mustache inside...perfect combination, to the far right is a beautiful apothecary style jar (that I love), an apple (it was good!), mustache sticky notes and vintage tape, a card with 2 movie passes, etc...

Some of this was from my two fifth grade team members too! Is it safe to say that I have the best class and team ever?! Because I do...they are incredibly thoughtful and like this all the time, not just on birthdays...I also have a really great room-mom...and that can make all the difference in the world! I am not ready to move these kiddos on...seriously the last two years, I have had the "World's Greatest Students"...it could be that the last two years, I've had a circus classroom theme?! I think not....it is the Lord blessing me! This belated surprise came on the perfect day considering that I was running on 4 hours of sleep if that!
SO...Blessed!

Here's a pic with my new sign up..I couldn't wait to see it up and shining! 

"I have been blessed...God is so good to me,

Precious are His thoughts of you and me.

No way I could count them,

There's not enough time.

So I'll just thank Him for being so kind!

God has been good...sooooo good! 

I have been blessed!"