A Few of My Favorite Things...12 in '12 Linky

Oh, this is a fun one! I am linking up with Kristin and Hadar for this cool 12 in '12 party.

The idea is to list 12 of your favorite things from 2012. 

I have decided to use a few prompts from the Linky Party list and add a few of my own TOPs from the past year:

#12 Top Book Read for Enjoyment:

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

(Just love the author's style)

#11 Top Professional Book Read:

Pathways to the Common Core by Lucy Calkins 

(she is one of my TOP educators to idolize)

#10 Top TV Show

Dance Moms and just about anything on TLC

#9 Top New Thing I Tried This Year

Blogging and creating products for TpT.

#8 Top Blog Post

 Looking back on my short blog career, I have really enjoyed the Currently linky parties. Not only do I have fun filling them in myself and connecting with other bloggers to read theirs, but it has turned into a wonderful monthly writing activity that my students do. 

#7 Top Gift I Received

Without a doubt my MacBook Pro! I LOVE my laptop!

For Mother's Day I was given a Brighton "Mom" bracelet. I'm very sentimental, so anything about my kids I just cherish!

#6 Top Accomplishment

This one goes back to #9. I am very proud of myself for venturing out on this blogging/TpT journey. It keeps me very busy, but the connections I've made have been so valuable. I'm happy that after 20+ years in the classroom I can still feel motivated and excited about teaching!

#5 #4 Top Son & Top Daughter

I have always been proud of my 2 kids, Dane and Lily. First of all (and yes I'm bragging) they are both honor roll students, both love school, both are funny & kind. 

Dane is in middle school this year and it was scary at first for me! LOL! He just rises to every occasion. He takes band everyday and has learned 2 instruments. He is now in the All County Honors Band. He has taken up water polo this year and attends practice 4 days/week. On Thursday, we are putting him on a plane to Colorado Springs to attend the Olympic Development  Program Winter Camp. He will be there for 5 days playing water polo and attending classes. This is the farthest (we are in South Florida) he has been from me! BOO HOO!!

Now my Lily (4th grader) has her wonderful accomplishments, too. Honor roll, student council officer, math club and literacy club member. Outside of school she dances (no I'm not a dance mom! LOL). She attends practice 2 days/week and has many dance outs each month. Her latest and greatest was dancing for the ABC taping of the Disney Christmas Parade. We traveled up to the Magic Kingdom on Nov. 28 and and participated in a parade and the taping for ABC.  Lily's dream is to be a Disney dancer so this was the thrill of a lifetime.

If you watch the parade on Christmas morning she is in the cast of Newsies...a new Disney Broadway play. 

#3 Top Photos

Lily dancing at Disney. Watching her come down Main St. was awesome. Watching her take part in a TV production was even cooler!!

#2 Top Goals for 2013

To continue to provide incredible opportunities for my kids (when we can)

To continue to work on blogging and TpT

Ok I'll say lose weight but  I won't! LOL

#1 Top Word

FORWARD