ZONES Party of 5... Meet Olivia

My turn!
I'm Olivia and it is my turn to take over ZONES Math for 2 weeks to celebrate the #ZONESpartyof5 !
You'll get to know more than you ever wanted to know about me and hopefully love it! <3

{ Olivia: Top 10 Random Facts }

1. I strive to be an organized person.....strive......my desk, my home, my car are typically in a crazy state of chaos.  I love things to be tidy, I just can't seem to keep it that way.  I just keep trying....
2. I have three boys (9, 7, and 5) and ​​​they are "all boy" (at least that is what people tell me).  I am a very real wife and mom and will tell you what life is really like at our house in any conversation.  Did I mention that even the dog is a boy???
3. I productively procrastinate (thanks to Christi for that perfect verbiage for what I do!).  If I have a large task that I don't want to tackle or seems overwhelming, I bake or cook like a crazy woman.  I have been known to prepare 9 freezer meals in one afternoon.  If I get angry, I clean.  I mean scrub the house.  So if you catch me cleaning, you may want to beware.
4. My extended family is large, my immediate family is small.  I have 22 first cousins and 36 (and counting) cousins once removed (I had to look this one up - these are the children of your cousins).  However, I only have one sister who is not married and has no children.  My husband has one sister, who is not married and is currently fostering one child. My children are growing up loving their second cousins as firsts.  Family is important to me.
5. I cut my family's hair.  It started as an expectation by my husband that since I had worked part-time as a receptionist at a hair salon, that I should know how to cut hair.  (Not exactly how that works)  I had a stylist friend come over and teach me the basics of a clipper cut about 5 years ago.  I have been cutting the boys' hair since.  YouTube is an amazing resource for this by the way! I am still not great at it.....
6. I have just survived a major home remodel.  My husband and I purchased my grandparents home and completely gutted it out and remodeled it.  My husband did a majority of the work on his own, as a crew of 1.  It was quite a journey, and truly tested me in many ways.  I am so thrilled with the support we have received as well as the finished, well almost finished, product.
7. I love to take pictures to document my family's adventures.  I am not great at photography.  I lack an artistic eye or any vision.  However, I do love to take a lot of pictures, share them, and document them forever.  I have kept up on a website documenting all of the pictures of each month for the past 9 years of our lives.  I then share the updated website with friends and family.  I believe that this may just be a self-imposed obligation, however I take joy when a loved one comments on a recent picture or takes time to look at and respond to my pictures.
8. I try to "take one for the team".  I am not very extreme in anything I do.  However, my husband and boys are.  I have gone camping, am a pretty good fisherman (thanks to my dad), run 5Ks, raced dirtbikes, etc.  all for the sake of family fun.  I try to be a good sport about it all :)  I also try to show my boys the example of a strong woman.  I overheard one of my boys talking with the neighbor boy the other day.  I was working on assembling a piece of furniture.  Boy:  "Wow!  Your mom is putting that together herself?"  My son:  "Yeah, she can do lots of things, she's good at lots of things"  It made me so proud!!!
9. Friendships are very important to me.  My friends help me through life's struggles, and also help me celebrate and laugh during times of joy.  My friendships keep my heart full.  When I look at how I spend my free time, I notice how I prioritize these friendships.  I choose to enjoy a meal, go on a playdate, or carve out time for a phone call with friends as the best use of my time.  
10. I am talkative and wordy.  Can't you tell?  I often will say too much or share too openly.   If a picture tells 1000 words I will also try to describe it using 1000 words. People also tend to share with me.  My husband often comments on how often the cashier will share personal stories with me. :)  I love it! 

My Favorite Resources

*  My colleagues - I have gotten the opportunity to work with some amazing educators.  I find they have a wealth of knowledge and information that they are happy to share, if you take the time to ask them for it!
*  Pinterest - my go-to for lesson planning.  Have you checked out our Pinterest boards yet?  Pinterest has given the organization and means for teachers to share great and successful ideas with each other! I will share some of my favorite finds over the course of my two weeks!!
*  The Resource Journal - I know, it is not TECHNICALLY the resource you were looking for.  However, we teach our students to organize and use some amazing resources.  I love to look at the finished product at the end of the year and hope the students continue to find use in them (they are pretty amazing)
* K-5 Math Teaching Resources - have you seen this yet?  It is pretty great!  They break down the search by grade level and standard.  Then give ideas specific to your need.  This site is ESPECIALLY helpful when planing Notebook or Explore as it really works with a lot of concepts and manipulatives.