Mrs. McScrooge (and My Winter Bulletin Boards)...

Well, I'd like to say that I am still the Christmas Queen and that I've "decked the halls" of my classroom just like years past... but that would be a lie. With a late Thanksgiving and a mere two weeks of school before Christmas break (which is made even shorter by field trips and program rehearsals every afternoon), I just felt very very lazy that it would be an inefficient use of my time to trim up every corner of the room with decor that would only be seen for a few days. I know what you're thinking: "But Ashley, it's Christmas! Surely decorating for your favorite holiday is worth the extra time, even for just a few days."

To this I say, "Bah! Humbug!" (My classes are attending a stage performance of A Christmas Carol next week and, because I'm a big meanie, I'm making them read the book and be quizzed over each chapter- pardon me- stave.) So, call me Ashley McScrooge, but I only went with a few little touches of Christmas that can easily be traded out for something else when the cold, depressing, dreary days of the second semester are upon us.

I know, it should say "as fast as you can" but I decided to be politically correct since not everyone reads very fast. (Also, my students would probably take that to mean, "skim the story and forget half of what it says," so, you know, in the spirit of reading comprehension, this caption works. (Also, forgive my inexcusable lack of punctuation. I'll add it... eventually.)

I snagged this penguin set on clearance this summer and I think it's adorable. (By the way, I googled it and a group of penguins is called a "huddle." I think something with penguins playing football would be ah-dorable.) The caption may be a stretch, but hey... my letters and time were limited.

This cute banner was super cheap last year at Target... and no, I'm not anti-Merry Christmas! =) (Check out this hilarious post on the subject, though.)

Love Snoopy and my Christmas tree!

I've had this snowman/snowlady set for a while but I could never decide on a caption worth mentioning. I love how this banner turned out (and chose to ignore the derisive snickers of my students when they read it.)

Rudolph!

Jack-in-the-Box

Herbie!

This was definitely a labor of love since I had to project and trace each character, have my husband assist me in cutting them out since I'm incapable of handling scissors, and fill them in using my (at best) kindergarten-level coloring skills. I'm glad I worked on it over a period of a couple of weeks, though, because I really do love how it turned out. (By the way, if you don't get the caption, the jack-in-the-box is from the Island of Misfit Toys, Herbie the Elf wants to be a dentist, and well, obviously Rudolph wasn't Mr. Popular until he saved Christmas and all that.)

There it is... not my usual all-day haul but I think it's pretty cute for being so simple. And other than the tree, it can all stay up (holla!). (By the way, I know I don't have my nativity scene out... I prayed about it and decided that the Lord would still be pleased with me if I didn't sticky tack a biblically-incorrect paper depiction of his birth on my wall.) 

If you want to revisit a more festive and less busy time in my life, check out last year's Christmas boards. And if you have any cute ideas for the dreary lull of January/February, do pass them along. =)

God bless us, every one... even those without manger scenes. 

Ash