Goodbye 2021 - Hello 2022

 I do a year in review each year.  It is fun to think back from year to year.

I recently found some cool statistics about my blog.  So I thought that I would share them here:

Here is my views - I am really curious why I saw a HUGE spike in October.  I was off Facebook from October 2 - December 30 because I was hacked.  Most people that I keep in touch with are on this social media platform.  I tried Instagram but didn't get the followers and clicking links in Instagram is a challenge.  I use Twitter but often forget to post there or really check it!

So here are my page views for the year:

Top 3 posts was also fun to look at...Bone Bridges is an old post that was my top views until it was trumped by Goblin in the Notch!  Plus my yearly New Years post!

So more about the past year. 

I picked ENOUGH as my word of the year from 2021.   I think that this fit the continued pandemic lifestyle.  I was doing enough...

Last year, I also started two podcasts which are progressing but fell way behind...but I focus on progress...I am doing ENOUGH!

In the Bible in a Year, we are on day 195 out of 365.  This is restarting tomorrow...but I am going to just keep trucking along on the 2021 version until we finish then decide where to go next!  You can learn about it here - Bible in a YEAR

Plus I was listening to the Diary of St. Faustina read by another blogger.  I made it to day 186 out of 365.  Same theory - if I was better at using earbuds - I might be farther along - but on a quiet Saturday morning listening is not always easy.  These are just excuses - but I am doing ENOUGH to learn about Divine Mercy and my faith through this journey.  Diary of St. Faustina

SO WHAT IS MY GOALS FOR 2022 and what am I working on.  

First, I am going to focus on creating a more permanent record of my social media posts.  I don't want to share too much yet!  This might be a bit too big of a project.

Second, I need to pick my ONE WORD!  You can learn about this from my 2020 post New Year 2020.

Here is some of my words from the past:
2021 - ENOUGH

2020 - ENGAGED
2019 - CREATIVITY

2018 - PATIENCE

2017 - TRUST

2016 - FOCUS

SO ARE YOU READY FOR THE 2022 WORD?  SO AM I!  

MEMORIES - I am going to be focusing on recording memories for myself, my family, and my students.  I think that we need to find ways to create a legacy in a technological world.  

Part of this is saving my MEMORIES from facebook since 2009!

One important thing is sharing how to keep your facebook account "safer" from hackers.  I learned this a little to late.  Basically, you can have some trusted friends/family who can go in and help you retrieve your account if it gets hacked or locked.  

I created this screen shot to show you were to find this hidden security GEM!

DO YOU HAVE A WORD PICKED FOR 2022 yet?

De'STEM'ber

 I love the idea...but wow is it a lot of prep, set-up, and clean up.  You will find many of the links on last year's post De'STEM'ber 2020

4th grade is doing paper circuits...these are so cool but work best done one on one! Here is a link to my resource - Makerspaces Holiday Cards

3rd grade did tessellation trees...pictures to follow and kept working on simple machines.  Now they are creating marble runs!  This is going so well and I have just the right amount of tubes...plus lots of boxes!

2nd grade made holiday bookmarks last week and gingerbread houses this week. 

1st grade is working on upcycled trees!  These allow for scissor practice (desperately needed), following directions, and more.

These are so colorful and fun! 

Kindergarten created my favorite little reindeer...plus we watched sci show kids on reindeer facts!  

love the eye lashes

I need to find 1 more cool K/1 plan to wrap up De'STEM'ber...

Traveling Mural is colored and ready to mail...plus we got our 1st 2 pieces back!

Jingles adventures 2021

 Every day or two...I will share Jingles latest adventure  :)

November 29th...Genesis 1:26-31...creation of the world...here is our Jingles update

Day 4...December 1

Jingles took a pretty hard fall on Tuesday...so here is our solution 

note might need revised  ;)

Bowl with cotton balls and ice packs...plus an apple  ;)

Today is Noah and the elf is building a boat puzzle!

Today the Jesse tree depicts a tent...so Jingles built a blanket fort!

blanket fort/tent

they are hiding underneath  ;)

Today did not have a great connection...so they are just hanging around ;)

Sunday's December 5 was a ladder for the Jesse Tree...so out came this doll ladder.  No elf picture on it...

Monday December 6th is St. Nicholas Day...so they are looking at the shoe treasures fondly!

Yesterday was Moses and a basket...so Jingles hung out in our onion/catch all bin in our kitchen.

Wednesday December 8th brings the 10 Commandments...now 11 ;)

Then we have Ruth gleaning wheat...so into the flour bucket for Jingles 

My husband created an awesome skiing accident yesterday morning  ;)

Jesse tree ornaments 

I need to catch up Jingles adventures!

This was to go with David battling Goliath

...his marshmallow ammunition was eaten and the battle scene attacked  ;)

The image was a dove...so we had all of them flying.

I missed the Tupperware boat this week.  Cadia declared that I was crazy for creating this scene...not the elf!

Today starts O Antiphons which was totally new to me.  Think of the song...O Come O Come Emmanuel.

So this was fun...minus 11 PM drop of the cheerio box while the believing 8th grader was still partial awake from a nap!

O Antiphons explained

Well not every day is epic in the life of the elf...here are a few more snippets and updated pictures.

Here is our updated Jesse Tree from Holy Heroes.

O Antiphons...it should make an O

Jesse Tree as on 12/21

Breakfast time...green pancakes for green day at school!

Jesse Tree, advent, holiday traditions.

 I am sitting here on a gorgeous snowy morning.  Thanksgiving has waned and Christmas season is approaching. 

This blog post is more a personal post not a STEAM related post...religion is discussed...proceed with this in mind.  

My family has an "elf" named Jingles.  He is just a stuffed animal elf with a jingle bell in him.  YES a jingling bell that rattles quite loudly at 2 AM!  He has developed some friends over the years...like Merry Mint Pup and another little doll.  Each year he has a theme for his adventures...Games Reindeer Play and Making Magical Memories were the past two years.

This year's theme  is JOY - Jesus first - Others second - You last!

I hope to find some ALMOND JOY bars or JOY eggs later today as part of the introduction.

What are some of our plans or added adventures?

Well - we are doing a few family activities - like a color-able advent wreath.  This is from @Catholic Icing.  It was a dollar to download - but looks awesome and love helping out a fellow blogger!
Here is link to her printable - Advent printable link

Second, we are trying a Jesse Tree.  The challenge with this is that it changes year to year.  I printed several versions and tried to figure out which one our church was using...but decided on Holy Heros for three reasons...
1) it has a colorable option
2)It has the related reading on the ornament - no double printing or organizing at 2 AM
3)It starts on Day 2 which is a non school day and a quiet home day.  

Holy Hero Jesse Tree

Basically, you add one ornament each day with a symbol related to a bible story in preparation of Christmas.

So my husband is printing some items off and finding Jingles.  I have a "Jesse Tree" ready to hang tonight (I will be re-posting after adding pictures later tonight!)

Not sure what other fun Jingles will embark on but he is on Jesse Tree duty every night...

I hope to read the book that we got from Sunday School as well!  

Our goal is slow down and enjoy our time with our family. 

Hang on tight - 16 school days!!!

November 2021

 I feel like I am taking my reader/blog followers on an emotional roller coaster.  But that is just what this year has been.

The second week of November was a SUPER successful book fair.  It exceeded normal sales by almost $2000.  No extra zeros!  This means almost $4000 in new books and STEAM materials from Scholastic.
The students worked on watching a few shows on PBS learning media.  K - 2 watched Hero Elementary.  3rd and 4th watched Compact Science on chicken wings/buffalo wings and sponge candies as well as working on the traveling mural!!

This is so close to done, but a few sections were left for absent students or just not completed during STEAM/library time.

Unfortunately, this project was put to a STOP by virtual learning.  YES...we had to transition to remote learning for the past week and the week before Thanksgiving.  

I am doing a new K - 2 lesson based on Peter Reynolds book called "Our Table".  

3rd and 4th grade are continuing with EduTyping and Kodables.  It seems to be a challenge for the students to find and watch my introduction video then complete two 10 minute activities.  However, I could not really continue simple machines or electricity virtually.

Mrs. Fonzo and I are finally discarding ALL of the books from Seneca High School library as we help it undergo a MAJOR transformation.  

Here is short LOOM video of this progress...Loom - Seneca Library

I am super excited for DE"STEM"BER again.  K is going to be making a tree craft, 1st is going to be making an upcycled tree, 2nd grade are making paper bag gingerbread houses and corner book marks, 3rd grade are going to make marble runs out of upcycled materials, and finally 4th are making light up cards with paper circuits if I can get the materials in from Amazon in time.

There is so much fun to come...I hope to finish the mural, continue to document the changes in Pumpkin Jack, and get ready for 3 fun weeks of DE"STEM"BER.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Plus today - I realize that we are half way through the Bible in a Year...okay Bella and I are way behind but forward is a direction.  I talk about this podcast in this blog post last December.  New Year New Start

Here is a link to the podcast...https://bibleinayear.fireside.fm/day-183

I am also making progress on St. Faustina's diary - I am around day 165!  Again - slow and steady :)