Thirteen in '13

Highlights from 2013

A blog was born!

Regina and I started this blog this summer.

It's been a lot of fun "hanging out" here together...

...even though we've never met face to face!
Crazy huh?
And we've only spoken to
each other 1 time on the phone....
That's it!
...and it felt like I was 10 years old
meeting a pen pal for the first time.  Ha!

It's our 1 Year Anniversary!
Angela just reminded me
of that the other day...
she messaged me on TPT
one year ago over Winter Break 2012.
We've come a long way!

If you want to use our countdown flags

for your classroom or for you blog,

highlight them and click control "c",

then click control "v" to place it

somewhere such as a PowerPoint.

Learning how to text.
You realize EVERY reader under
30 just re-read that line right?
Your children are in the
other room saying "OMG!"

I know, it's pathetic....
it took me until 2013 to learn
how to type a note on my phone.

Honestly, the only reason I can now text

is because of Angela being so far away

and NEEDING to hear from her

immediately when I was trying to figure out

picture placement for our blog this past summer.
I think she just called me an enabler.

I always seem to get hand-me-down phones

and I’m never quite sure what to do with them…

so if I can dial out, I’m good.

Or at least that was me in the PAST.

NOW that I’m TEXTING,

I’m thinking I NEED a phone for

pictures, voice recording, video…….
Hmmmmm….2014 needs to be a good year!
Queen Chaos wants a new phone! 

Oh.My.Golly.

How did we ever teach without Pinterest?
I'm not even kidding.
There are so many awesome video clips
that I can share with the kids at a moment's notice.
My monthly boards keep growing.
Don't have a certain book that you really need?
Just go to youtube.
There'a a good chance there's a clip
of another teacher reading it for you.
CHA CHING!
I'm still working on Pinterest being
allowed on my school computer...
maybe 2014 will be my lucky year!
I'm sorry but that's ridiculous!
Teaching is hard enough on it's own.
Why tie your hands over such an
incredible resource?  GRRR!
Oh, WHY don't The Powers That Be
understand that I have LEGIT teaching
needs for all of my pins???
You know SOMETHING is amiss,
when your student teacher tells you
that the colleges are telling students to
use Pinterest in the classroom to teach,
and then she's banned from doing it when
she comes into your classroom.
Hmmmmmmmmmm.....
Something's not quite right!
Maybe the university
needs to speak to the school.
Prepare future teachers
with every possible resource.
They're gonna need it!

FINALLY figuring out how to make
my own clip art on the computer.
I have absolutely NO desire to do so.
It wasn't easy.
But you're good at it.
I mean, people, check out all
of the artwork on our homepage.
Yep, it's all her!
(Not ALL of it...but quite a bit of it!)
It took me a year and a half
to finally figure out how to do it!
Yes....I'm slow, but tenacious!  
Drawing clip art is still VERY
time consuming,
but it can actually be fun
(did I just say that?)...
and it's my "go to" when I feel like
I SHOULD be working,
but my brain is mush
and I don't have a
coherent thought in my head. 

*AttaGirl Funnies by Angela Furgal AKA Fairy Funtastic*
If you see this pinned somewhere else...know that you saw it here first!

ALERT: This is going

to sound so corny.

I like to make people laugh.

I have so enjoyed making these

ecards for our blog.  My head swells

a bit when I see them get re-pinned

a couple hundred times.
ANGELA....you HAVE to remember
to put your credit underneath
your ecards....or it's going to be
a DEFINITE problem for me when
I claim that my blogging buddy CAME UP
with these funny sayings that teachers
at my school are pinning!
I did think it was hilarious
when you overheard a discussion
about one of the cards that I made.
Small world!
I'll not only be known for being spacey....
but also de-LOO-sion-al.
There's only so much even MY
reputation can take!
Alrighty...There!
Look up!
I did it for you!

Creating *AttaGirl Funnies* name
for my modest, blogging buddy who ALWAYS
forgets to give herself proper credit.
Oops!
BTW, I used her initials to come up with that name!
Side note: Angela...you HAVE saved that name
already on blogger, right?
Ha!  Haven't even considered that.
That IS how we ended up
with Fairytalesandfictionby2
instead of just fairytalesandfiction
for our blog name....
I'm STILL not over that, can you tell?
Luckily, the "by2" fits us just fine.
The "by2" is perfect.
I make the FREEBIES on the blog,
but Teachers of the World...be honest....
it's her funny remarks
that have you coming back!
Am I right?
I'm pretty sure I hear
a collective "Yup" out there!
Awww....thanks.
Like I always say,
you're the meat and potatoes
and I'm just the sprinkles on top.
Don't believe me?
Compare our TPT stores.
Enough said.







Teachers pay Teachers is all that 
and a bag of chips!
I've been a customer for years and 
started selling in 2012.  
I love the community of TPT.

It's all about helping each other out.
Teachers Pay Teachers has been
a FABULOUS addition to my life!
Thank you TPT!
You give me a place to "house"
all of my creations, and an easy way
to download them at work on days
that I'm teaching by the seat of my pants!
There should be a red, EASY button
with the initials TPT on it for teachers!
Hold on a minute....
Voilà!

 If you want this Easy Button...
just highlight it and copy (control c),
paste (control v)
it on your own blog! 
It also led to this blog
(click here to see how).
I'm looking forward to the first TPT
conference in Vegas this upcoming summer.
WOOT WOOT!
Oh my gosh!
I can't believe that we're actually
going to meet this summer!
Face To Face!
I know right?!
I'm the short,
You realize that at 5'8
and married to a 6'3 big guy
with a 5'9 11 year old
and an 8 year old who will 
surpass me in no time
that one of the first things
out of my mouth will probably be...
"OMG!  You're so short!"
No offense my vertically challenged friend. 
pleasantly plump lady
Really?  Do we need to go there?
I mean the weight on my license
is a bold face lie.
Not a little white lie,
a bold face
"would never stand up in court" lie!
Whatevs....it is what it is.
I'm over it.
with masses of black, crazy hair.
Although, I do have to say
that my daughter told me the other day
that my hair has gone down
to normal-sized hair now.
She was looking for me in a crowd
and typically all she's ever had to do
since birth, is to look for THE HAIR.
She couldn't spot me right away,
because my hair has flattened.
It's called--having babies!
No one ever tells you
the wear and tear it does on your body!
True that sista!
Motherhood also kills brain cells.
Just saying...
Ha! My mother-in-law always says
that brain cells go out with the placenta!
It is soooo true--
I used to be soooo much smarter! 
Having said all that...
look for the short, pleasantly plump lady
with normal-sized, black, crazy hair,
and average brain cells!
Can't wait!

I have surprisingly really enjoyed
blogging this year.  I know...
I'm jumping back to Angela's number 13...
but honestly, I bounce around in ALL
of my conversations...
even the ones I have in my head!
(Did I just admit to that?)
Uh, you got nothing on me!
My nickname at school is Squirrel.
Not.even.kidding.
When we started this venture,
I SERIOUSLY wasn't planning
on writing very much...
I can't tell you how many times
I warned Angela that she would
have to carry the writing piece
of the blog (I would do the artsy side of it).
After teaching every day, then going
home to 4 kids...I really didn't
have the energy to say
anything about anything!
Boy, was I wrong!
Writing has ended up being
a huge, mental release.
Laughing at my crazy antics,
and Angela's "Angela-isms"
has gotten me through a
VERY stressful year!
Blogging=Therapy



 


The following is a quote 
from a sermon from our
pastor this year:
Healthy things live.
Living things grow.
Growing things change.
So change can be healthy.
But it can also be scary,
even if it is necessary.
Our short people switched schools this year.
Their former school just wasn't a good fit for our family.
The new school was scary at first.
But looking back, I think it will be one
of those turning points for both of them.
...exhale.
Queen Chaos' personal quote:
"A little change, can make a whole lot of sense!"
Get it?
Buh-duh-bump!

Learning how to use Google Docs....
I know that there are several of you out in
cyber world who are thinking:
FINALLY, woman!
What was wrong with you (that would be me)
using something as complicated as
4shared.com????
Note To Self:
If I have to write out a complete
paragraph of instructions explaining
how to download FREEBIES....
it's time to find another method
to share my madness! 

This is our son and his dog, Jack. 

Our son has wanted a dog for.ev.er.!

So on his 11th birthday,

we I finally gave in.

At 43, I'm tired and old.

I'm done helping things pee and poop 

in the middle of the night.

...especially if it means leaving

my warm bed to go outside
in the freezing Midwest cold!

(Just keeping it real people)
You get the Good Mom Award for 2013!
At least you gave him a pet at age 11...
No Pets Allowed in my house. Period.
Children are the only 
living things I can focus on.
In college I had TONS
of plants that I doted on.
They were beautiful, green, and healthy.
They traveled with me from apartment to apartment.
I even had them when I was a  flight attendant,
and they STILL did just fine.....
until I became a mom.
Every plant was dead
within the first year of motherhood.
I was so exhausted from being
peed on, pooped on, spit up on,
and never sleeping....
that it didn't even phase me
when I threw the last plant away
in the dumpster. 
That was 18 years ago.
No plant (much less a pet) has
entered my house since then.  

My daughter, Karate Ballerina,
Uh, she's gorgeous!
graduated from High School!
I STILL can't believe that I'm old enough
to have a child in college!
Since we're the same age,
even I can't believe it!
My first baby is almost a grown up!
She got a full, academic scholarship
to a State College and is doing great!
Good golly, Miss Molly, check out all of those cords!
Tell her to rock on with her bad self!
I'm so proud of her!
...And YES she is MY biological daughter...
people used to think I was her nanny when
she was little.  She looks like her dad,
my genes just softened his features for her!
I guess this means that
I've turned into a real,
full-fledged adult this year.
Wow!
Who would have ever thunk?

...this by far outweighs everything in 2013... 

I mentioned this in Fridays "Five for Friday" 

post but it's definitely worth mentioning again.

We've finally figured out that Dyslexia

is the reason that reading, writing, and spelling

have been an absolute nightmare for Abby.

So this beautiful blue overlay has made

reading attainable...and dare I say...enjoyable

for her for the first time ....EVER!
She has a long way to go but 

slow and steady wins the race.
 
Wanting to use my cute, turtle clip art?
I'll share it with you! 
Just highlight it, copy (control c) and paste (control v).
Our motto for the year?
 NEVER Give Up!

2014 Here We Come!!!