Five for Friday, 1 week of December down!

Two weeks to go! This past week was a long and tough one. Getting back in to the swing of things after a week off was tough. 
I heard lots of moaning and complaining about doing work. Yikes, we still have a half a year to go. So by Friday, I was wiped out and crashed, I was asleep before my boys! 
My Five for Friday post is slightly late, but I am linking up anyway. As always, thanks to Doodle Bugs Teaching for the party!

Complaining. Whining. Yuck! Seriously, I reached my capacity to listen to it. 
So, I turned the tables a little and whined a bit so they could hear what it sounded like. It resulted in some giggling, but many caught my point. 
I also had them imagine what it would be like if I did the same thing when my boss asked me to do something or I had a request from their parent. It also meant we had that reality talk about school=work, and if they don't gripe all the time, school can also equal fun. Hopefully next week will be better. I am trying so hard to inspire, the apathy is driving me bonkers!

We are still working on fractions. Wow, it is going slow. With the common core and the push for understanding fractions at depth, it is harder. I have kids who know how to find common multiples to find common denominators but are struggling with the fraction tiles, fraction strips, number lines, and the rectangular models. I am pushing, encouraging, modeling, and being patient. We are behind our recommended time frame, but they need the extra time so I will keep giving them the time. It also means I am busy creating notes and work to help them catch on. 

Hopefully I will have the packet completed soon, so I can share. I am creating and revising after each lesson based on what is working and not working. Each day has resulted in a slight modification after seeing what they are grasping and what they need more help on. 

I still need to take pictures for our family card. It is not my boys' favorite thing to do, so I might end up using this silly one of them. 

They are such cute little nerds. Daddy had his Christmas outing with his crew and returned with prizes for the 3 of them. The youngest loves them, since he does not wear glasses {yet} like his big brothers. 

I have had to deal with anxiety galore from my oldest this week. His teachers and I have bonded {and laughed} over the stress that kid places upon himself. He makes these scenarios up in his head and negotiates all sorts of things, then when he lets himself down, he totally crashes. 
Turns out the elf has brought on some major issues, "I cannot be good enough, and with him watching I will never get anything." Oh boy!
Imagine the added stress when a classmate snuck his elf to school, and brought it to lunch telling those around him that his elf was watching them. Another bonding moment for his teacher and I!
His reading/writing teacher purchased the most adorable item from TPT and she quickly learned about his major anxiety over Santa. She diverted the issues well, and despite being his own worst enemy, he produced this awesome paper! {If you know the teacher creator let me know, and I will give proper credit.}

Oh my, this is so cute!

All I want is a go kart and ipod touch, but I am not sure I have been good enough 

Yep, "Have I been good enough?" My heart breaks a little. 
Of course he has, and Daddy is actually picking up the go kart now, shh! Of course Daddy is in on the go kart, he cannot wait to play himself! He is super excited that his son is old enough. 
Yep, this mom needs to make it big on TPT, I have 3 little boys and 1 big boy who love electronics and toys! I guess I should start playing the lotto too. Ha ha!
This week has been loaded with anxiety about the holiday and grades. I want him to do his best, do not expect all A's or even A's and B's, but less than that in his mind is not good. He failed a Social Studies test and actually told me I should punish him and not let him go to his weekend birthday party. I would never punish for failing. He was so convinced that his life was over that his best friend begged to go to talk to me. Really? Oh man! So we will continue to work with him and help him see that perfectionism is not good for anyone. 
I am still learning how to parent and mold that kiddo. It is tough when they have misconceptions and harsh self-talk. Poor guy is his own worst enemy, it is so sad that he struggles with learning and thinks he should be perfect. He is so smart, yet cannot see it or believe in himself. 

How do you know you are a grown-up? You get excited over a new appliance!
After weeks of contemplating which washer and driver to purchase, and scouring ads for the best prices, we finally made our selection. On Friday, our early Christmas gifts arrived. A new washer and dryer and we love them! 

This weekend's plans, wash as much laundry as I can! The other set was 15 years old and not working so well. With 5 in our house we do loads of laundry, it is nice to have a larger machine to wash more at one time and it gets everything so clean! Might even see our electric and water bill drop a bit. So worth all the research! 

Hope you have a splendid weekend. Don't forget to check out the other posts at Doddle Bugs Teaching!