Hatchimal Printables for Christmas Morning FREE

    

     There it is, folks.  The HOTTEST toy of the 2016 Christmas season.  And guess what?  It's SOLD OUT everywhere.  I've seriously been stalking zoolert.com for over a week now and I just can't seem to beat the hundreds of other moms when this thing briefly comes back in stock.  So what's a momma to do?!  This is the one toy that my 6 year old just can't stop talking about and it's the one toy that Santa won't be able to deliver....until after January at least, according to the manufacturer's website.
     Well, I've come to terms with the fact that there will be just a smidge of disappointment on Christmas morning.  There will be plenty of other toys but there just won't be a Hatchimal.  And that's ok.  To alleviate the disappointment, I've decided that Santa will just have to write a letter explaining why the Hatchimal wasn't under the tree.  See, my kids love getting toys but they also LOVE getting letters from Santa.  We do this every year to explain why Santa comes a few days BEFORE Christmas.  We always travel to visit family and it's just not practical to drag all the presents with us on a three hour road trip.  So Santa comes early and he always sends a letter letting the boys know why.  And guess what?  They love it!  They love getting a special note from the big guy in red.  So, the idea came that maybe they would feel better about the Hatchimal if Santa sent them a note explaining that the eggs just weren't ready to hatch yet.  Ta da!  Problem solved.  I also made a Hatch Certificate that they can fill out once it arrives and finally hatches.
     I know I'm not the only one with this dilemma this Christmas so I'm sharing my Santa letter with you AND the Hatch Certificate.  It's totally free and editable - just click the image below.  All you have to do is download the Word file, change the names, and print it out.  I like to print Santa letters on pretty resume paper so it looks really authentic!  Once it's printed just stick it in the kids' stockings and you're all set.  I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and I hope the Hatchimal dilemma doesn't dampen all the joy of Christmas morning.  From my family to yours......Merry Christmas!

Teachers Pay Teachers Sale 2016!

    
     If you haven't already heard - the Teachers Pay Teachers Back to School sale is happening NOW!!!  According to my TPT statistics page, over 1000 people have my Word Work pages on their wishlist.  If you are one of those 1000 then now is a great time to move that packet to your cart and make the purchase while you can save 28% off the list price!!  Back to School just isn't the same without a good bargain....especially when it's on a product as handy and helpful as those word work pages!!  Sight words have never been so easy.....


Click on the picture to pick up the packet before it's too late!

 

Have fun shopping (I know I'm going to!)!!   

I Quit Blogging to Become a Pancreas

So I almost called this entry “Blogger, Not a Blogger” because it’s been so long since I’ve written anything. I don’t have a ton of followers so I’m sure nobody really noticed that Primary Treasures fell off the grid. Well today, I’m back. I’m back to explain where I’ve been and what I hope the future holds.




It all started when we decided to add a little bundle of joy to our family. When I got pregnant with Hutson I decided to take a break from Primary Treasures and TPT. When you are your own boss you can take whatever leave you want or need, right?! Since I work full time on top of having a family I figured it would be hard to keep it all going so I took a break from the blog. As soon as Hutson was born I would be right back at it….creating awesome resources for elementary classrooms! Right? Wrong.



When Hutson was 4 weeks old (you know the age….only sleeps in 2 hour bursts and CRIES. A. LOT.), our oldest son, Jackson, got sick. Really sick. He started sleeping all the time. And he was constantly asking for water and running to the bathroom every hour. It became such a problem that we started writing down how often he asked for a drink and how often he was using the potty. He was 5 years old and had been potty trained for a long time so when he started wetting the bed every single night we knew something just wasn’t right.





At Hutson’s 4 week check up with the pediatrician we mentioned Jackson’s symptoms to see if we should be concerned. At most, I thought he may have a kidney infection. Our super awesome pediatrician, Dr. Shawn Reathaford at Pediatrics of Florence said he wanted to do a simple urine test to see if Jackson’s blood glucose was ok, just to rule out a few possibilities. When he came back with the results, we could tell right away that something wasn’t right. He said that Jackson’s blood glucose was registering higher than their machine tested….over 500. To be 100% sure, he performed a finger prick and the results were the same. I’ll never forget the words…., “Your son has Type 1 Diabetes.” We were immediately sent to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital where we spent 3 days trying to learn how to become Jackson’s new pancreas….because his old one just quit working.

I’m not going to lie. It was awful. Granted, I had a 4 week old baby and was still recovering from a C-section so I wasn’t in the best condition to handle another major life change. I cried every day for about 2 weeks. It was just too much. As moms, we want to fix everything and this was something that I just couldn’t fix. And I somehow convinced myself that this was my fault. I’m responsible for everything he does and somehow I let him get diabetes. I felt like I had failed. It took a long time for me to understand that Type 1 Diabetes is an autoimmune disorder and it’s not caused by anything you eat or do. You’re literally born with the genetic marker and it’s just a matter of time before it’s “triggered.” A nurse at the hospital finally told me exactly what I needed to hear. She said, “You have to stop this. Jackson’s attitude about his diabetes depends on your attitude. If you keep crying then it’s going to have a negative effect on him.” She was right. I hadn’t thought about it but if I wanted Jackson to tackle this head on and be strong then I was going to have to do it first. So, I pulled it together and over the next few months my husband and I learned how to be Jackson’s pancreas.

So if you don’t already know, diabetes sucks. It’s really complicated to manage. We check Jackson’s blood sugar every three hours to make sure he’s not too high or too low. If he’s too high (and hasn’t had insulin in the last three hours) then we calculate a correction dose of insulin and give him a shot. We also count carbs at every single meal and we use that number to calculate how much insulin he needs for the food he just ate. Right now he gets one unit of insulin for every 25 carbs that he eats….or drinks. That’s right, even drinks have to be calculated. Carbs are carbs and whether they come from food or beverages they can send his blood sugar through the roof. We also have to watch him closely when he’s active. He’s 6 years old now and like most kids his age he likes to run and jump and just play. For Type 1 diabetics that can mean a drastic drop in blood sugar. So, before he’s going to be active we have to check his blood sugar and depending on what his number is he may need to be given some carbs to keep him from dropping too low during the activity. Whew. Did you get all of that? And that doesn’t even cover the long acting insulin that we have to give him before bed every night or the special steps we have to take when he gets sick. Or when he has a growth spurt and we have to adjust all his doses because with each growth spurt his insulin needs increase. It’s. A. LOT.

Now that you have the basics, let me follow with this….it’s doable. If I could take it away from him I would, but I can’t. My husband and I make the best of it and we make sure Jackson’s attitude isn’t affected by ours. He never sees when I start to get overwhelmed or feel defeated. Sometimes we do everything right and for unknown reasons his numbers are off the wall. It’s frustrating and scary. If I need a good cry, my husband takes over and I take a time out to get it out of my system. And that’s ok. With everyone’s efforts, Jackson is a very normal kid. If he wants to play football…and he is this year…..then we let him. If he wants to try basketball, we let him. I refuse to let this crappy disease decide what kind of life he gets to have. He will be healthy. He will be happy. And he will be active. And cupcakes…he will have cupcakes!!! (occasionally…with the appropriate insulin dose…)





And now that we have a decent routine with the baby and Jackson’s diabetes, I am jumping back in to Primary Treasures. You’re going to be hearing more from me! What does that look like? Well I have no idea. I guess we’ll see!! Welcome back….to me!

Back to School Sale!

The BIG Back to School SALE for 2014 has been set!!  TPT is offering a bonus discount when you shop using the promo code BTS14 on August 4-5.  Morning Work, Literacy Centers, Alphabet Mats, RTI Data Collection - it's ALL going to be on SALE so mark your calendars!  Click the picture below to head on over to TPT to get your wishlists ready!!

Teachable Moments

Photo courtesy of Microsoft Clip Art.

Like most teachers, my husband and I try to schedule any routine doctor’s appointments in the summer so we can avoid using our sick days during the school year.  I’ve always said that my sick days are not truly for me anymore – nowadays they are spent with Jackson when he gets sick.  So the more days I can save, the better. 

This week, we all made our way to the dentist for our routine cleanings and check-ups.  Nothing spectacular, right?  Not for us at least.  But to my four year old, going to the dentist is quite a theatrical performance because it's still somewhat new to him.  And pediatric dentists pull out all the stops, don't they?!  From elaborate murals on the walls to the fun made up names for the utensils - it's quite a show!  For my little guy, his favorite part this time was getting to pick out his new tooth brush.  He “oohed” and  “ahhed” over the selection before finally choosing one with Lightning McQueen on the front.  While he was getting settled in the chair the dental hygienist threw the toothbrush, a tube of paste, and some floss in a bag and set it on the counter. After she zipped through the cleaning and the doctor gave him a clean bill of health, we went home.  It was a pretty uneventful trip, until Jackson stumbled onto the floss that they threw in with his Lightning McQueen toothbrush.    

It was hours later when it happened. My son remembered his new toothbrush, found the little bag and dumped it on the floor (because everyone knows that was the fastest way he could get it out!).  He scooped Lightning McQueen up in one hand and the floss in the other.  "What's this?" he asked.  At that exact moment, I had two choices: dismiss his innocent question and usher him to the toy room so I could have a few moments of quiet or take the time to explain to him what he had discovered.  I'll be honest, after a day at the dentist and a trip to the grocery store I was really tempted to just dismiss his question.  But that little teacher voice in my head screamed, "This is a teachable moment!!!"  So I sighed, took the floss and my son to the bathroom and we spent the next 20 minutes talking about floss.  What it is. What it does.  How we use it.  Why we use it.  He really had some good questions and I’m glad I took the time to let him ask them – even though I was beyond ready for a break.    

Kids are always full of good questions - we just have to take the time to listen and answer them in the moment.  If you catch their curiosity in the moment then you have an opportunity to teach them when they are genuinely engaged and interested.  When the moment has passed, their enthusiasm will normally pass with it so take advantage of the moment.  

Those teachable moments are priceless - both at home and in the classroom.  Don't be afraid to scrap the lesson plan (you know, that plan you spent hours perfecting?!) to take advantage of the teachable moments when learning is truly authentic.  And never forget that your little ones are learning everything for the first time - what is old and monotonous for us is new and exciting for them.  Like floss…which in my house is now the coolest thing since sliced bread.    :)