Hi there. Happy Monday. So, it is around 4 am in Denver, Colorado and I woke up with a start. I FORGOT TO BLOG said my panicked brain! So, here I am blogging from the hotel lobby, as my computer is not liking the hotel internet service for some reason. Which is really a bummer, becuase I had some awesome pictures to share from my trip this far. I will post them tonight from my sister's house. Yes, I will be blogging tonight and tomorrow night. I will also pick up after break on Tuesday and Wednesday. It is just habit, and I love to do it. I also want the kids to see into my personal life with pictures and slide shows. So, please share the next few posts with them as well. I don't want the sub to have to deal with code words at school, so for now we will use the old internet system. If you read this blog post, email me the code word DENVER to ericksont@billingsschools.org and your child will earn $50 upon my return. I will keep them all in my inbox and pay them on Thursday.

So, Sunday morning we loaded up the car and were on our way. This was the first really long trip that I have done with my children in the car. I had often heard and seen on TV the children asking their parents, Are we there yet? But, I thought they were just exaggerating. Um...no! Beau must have asked me that question at least a million times in an 8 hour span. Em, maybe half a million. :0) Let's just say that Zach and I were awfully glad when both children fell asleep for the last three hours. Overall, they did great! Do you ever wonder how our parents took long trips with us in the car without electronics? Em was glued to her Nook and Beau to his DS and portable DVD player. What in the world did we do on tirps as kids? I remember playing games like I spy and the alphabet game out the window, but my goodness we must have drove our parents out of their minds. Maybe, that is why my family never took a lot of long road trips. :0)

Yesterday, we went to the Denver Zoo. Wow! What a treat that was. It was 80 degrees out and nothing but blue sky. We saw all sorts of animals, many that my kids had only heard of. I even got to see a polar bear and an arctic fox! Right up our ally for our Arctic Unit. We all got sunburned a little on our faces, and I can see my tan line on my feet from my flip-flops. Spring has sprung here! We ended the day by going out to lunch/dinner. Do you ever feel as if the food tastes better in other places and new resteraunts or is it just me? We went to Ruby Tuesdays and it was probably one of the best meals I have had in a long time. I had ribs. They were melt in your mouth delicious! Then, back to the hotel for some fun in the pool. We did cannon balls (yes, Ms. Erickson can do one heck of a cannon ball!), twist turn jumps, and I taught Emma and ZACH how to do a somersault in the pool by just using their arms. We had a ton of family fun!

Today, we take off to North Carolina. Tickets were $800 each from Billings, but only $277 each from Denver! What the heck. So, kids if each ticket was $277, and there are 4 of us flying, how much did I spend on airline tickets? Email me thier answer for another $10 bonus. I can't wait to see my sister! The last time we spent time together was under very sad terms, so this time we plan to just hang on the deck, watch the kdis play, and do our favorite thing...talk about everything and laugh our heads off! Emma is excited to play basketball with Rhett and jump on the trampoline. Rhett, is my nephew. His mom is the sister that I lost last summer. He now lives with my sister and her family and is doing surprisingly well in life and school. At home, I skype with him every Sunday and we study his Science. It is the only subject my older sister doesn't like, so I said I would love to tutor him in this area. We have great talks, and it is just time that I get to spend with him one on one to make sure he is doing ok without his mom on Earth. It is also a time that I can bring up stories about his past to help keep the good memories alive. Beau is excited to see cousin Madi. He loves to play with her. Uncle Will is also a favorite of Beau and Emma's. He spoils them with love and hugs. As for Zach, he does not really like to fly...so that is the only focus for him right now, getting on the plane and back off. :0)

That leads me to you! The sub is ready to go today. Mr. Brown has everything he needs to have a normal school day. I also went over all the plans with the kids. Kids know that they have a regular spelling unit thsi week. I forgot to post the words on the blog, but the test is not until the Wednesday they get back. They will need to bring their books home to study the words. I will try to post them soon. I do believe that you can fine the words online under learning links on the Bitterroot home page. We are on unit 27...I think. Ask your kids or see the planner today for the page number they did their assignment on. They should be able to recognize the words if they see them after doing today's assignment. Kids will continue with Balto. Kids will also watch a movie on the Iditarod that Mrs. Yasenak left for us next Wednesday. They have all bought in already. Mrs. Hankins has the puppy chow (thanks LeeRoy!), and kids may bring a drink of their choice. It can not be larger than a regular sized bottle of pop. We had a few kids bring the jumbo size last time, and they were asked to put it back in their bag and make a better choice next time. Hopefully, they will do so. I will remind kids about sodas again on Tuesday. In math, they will continue review all of their skills. NWEA Map testing will begin when I return. It is three days, three sessions: Math, Reading, and Language. I will help your child set a growth goal before the test. We expect kids to make a certain amount of growth on each test. The tests are on the computer, are graded imediately, and we are given the results right when they end. This is the test I love because it directly reflects what they have learned in this academic year with me. I know that they are all going to do great and blow this test away!

Grade reports went home on Friday for Quarter 4 grades. As many of you saw, grades have slipped due to lack of fourth grade effort. It is now time to step up their game. They are future fifth graders at this point. The excuses are done, and now they must show what they know at all time. This especially includes grammer skills, spelling when they know the word or have a reference to do so, and neat handwriting. I have cracked down on these by marking work incorrect when I can't read it or when I find myself trying to decifer what they are saying. Kids that rush through their work and give our D or F effort, will now earn a D or F. They know how serious I am about this, as we have had many a talk about it. An error here and there is normal. I do it too. But, to have an entire paper sloppy or full of simple or silly mistakes is not going to happen and pass anymore. It won't fly in 5th grade, and it is time to get into that mindset. Please sign and return the report to school. Kids know that it must be in the classroom mailbox upon my return or they will miss recess until I receive it back. I want to make sure you are seeing my communication to you directly about your child. Thanks for your support on this.
Ok, time to catch that plane. Have a wonderful Monday. Remember tomorrow is a half day and kids are out at noon. I also want to send out a huge hug to Rhys, who is having his tonsils removed today. You are going to do great kiddo! Lot's of ice cream and popsicles in your near future! I also hope that Ramey is back at school feeling great today!

Have a good day!

Love,
Ms. Erickson