Thursday, February 26, 2009

Week in review

So Clarkdale was a big hit. Everyone loved the Dr. Seuss project, and everyone wanted to buy my wife's collection of books! I had to tell um-teen people 'they're not for sale.' We've still got plenty of Dr. Seuss stuff, but it's going fast. We've been shipping it to Florida, Arkansas and all over the place. (Why can't anyone in Arizona find our web site as easily as people 2,000 miles away?)

I've spent the better part of the week entering descriptions of products into our web site. We're getting there!

The landlord has decided to replace the shingles across the front of our store. Yeah!! goodbye disintegrating orange ceramic tiles! It should look nice when it's all done, but they've been blocking off the entire parking lot to do it. I promise we ARE open!

Next week is the big annual trade show for the school supply industry, so I'm off to Dallas (yee haw!) I'll be checking out all the new products for this year and scoutin' deals for all our teachers. It's a real picker-upper to get away for a week and have a change of pace, so I'm really looking forward to it.

Our son discovered that the bulbs in our front yard are popping up! yippee!!!!! I really like spring - almost as much as summer. If the bulbs are coming up, that must mean it's time to get out the shorts!! Maybe I need to go bump the thermostat up a few degrees first.

Friday, February 20, 2009

Suess Art Project

Last night we created the sample of our Dr. Seuss art project that you create using the lesson plans I wrote up last week. I think it came out really well. Our son — who has very ticklish feet — was a good sport, and I'm amazed that we got such good foot prints with all the giggling going on.

The project might look complicated, but it's really not that bad since you only do a little piece each day over the course of two weeks. For example, one day you glue on a picture of somewhere fun (for Oh, The Places You'll Go). That's it!

If you haven't already, be sure you download our lesson plans and patterns for the entire unit.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Boxes - again

This time it's 40 boxes full of paper. Construction paper, butcher paper, tissue paper, lined paper, sentence strips, tablets. If you've ever been to the grocery store late at night, you know goblin creatures crawl down from the ceiling and, with their beasts of burden, pile boxes in the aisles and restock the shelves. Okay, maybe they're people not goblins and maybe they're forklifts, but you know what I mean.

Anyway, that's what our store looks like right now. Chart tablets in the chart section waiting to go out. Tissue paper in the art department, butcher paper ready to go on the rack. All these boxes are scattered here and there. I guess I should get to it.

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Dr. Seuss lesson plans


My son and I have been sharing a cold experience all week. We must have picked it up together some time. But in the midst of the sniffles and coughing, I've been able to put together lesson plans for two weeks worth of activities correlated to Dr. Seuss books.

I love Dr. Seuss's books!

One of the lessons requires the teacher to cut out little fish (One fish two fish, red fish blue fish). You can't just use Dr. Seuss's fish artwork because it's copyrighted. So I set out to draw a fish that looks like Dr. Seuss but isn't Dr. Seuss. I had a blast (even if it was not on the to-do list for the day). It's fun to be an artist every once in a while.

We've got copies of the entire lesson schedule at the store, and I'll be making samples of the projects this week (yeah! more art!) or you can download them from our web site at www.azlearningbug.com/seuss.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Code Breakers from Mindware

I realy like the products from Mindware. We just got a new order in today and one of the books is called Code Breakers. Looks like loads of fun (even though my dad will keel over dead at me calling anything remotely mathematical "fun").

Here's one of the puzzles. It's from the level A book, and it's number 25 out of 150, so it's a pretty easy one.



Click here for the solution and explanation (but promise me you tried it on your own first).

Sunday, February 8, 2009

State lawmakers coming to Flagstaff

The time is lousy - who isn't working at 10am?? But if you can go, we'd strongly encourage you to attend and support education.

If you go...

WHEN: Monday, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

WHERE: High Country Conference Center (NAU north campus)

WHO:
State Rep. Rich Crandall, R-Mesa, and other members of the House Education Committee

WHAT: Education Committee informational hearing

Locals can speak with state lawmakers and hear from northern Arizona education leaders Monday when a special meeting of the state House Education Committee convenes in Flagstaff.

Flagstaff Unified School District Kevin Brown, Northern Arizona University President John Haeger, Coconino Community College President Leah Bornstein, Coconino County Superintendent Cecilia Owen, and others will speak at the informational session, which will take place at the High Country Conference Center. Citizens can also ask general questions about education in Arizona.