We went to HS conferences tonight, heard how amazing and loved our kid is, then came home and filled out his FAFSA... he applied to a college this week, and we have a school visit coming up too. Time, please stop passing so quickly... I am not ready for the next stage quite yet.
Tuesday, October 1, 2019
Sunday, May 21, 2017
World Read Aloud Day 2016
Found this draft from February of 2016...I still feel this way <3
Over the last few years I've slowly been submerging myself in the librarian & kidlit world. I want to know as much as possible and more importantly share as much as I can with my students and colleagues. It hasn't been easy. I can't understand why others aren't as ridiculously giddy with excitement over new books! author visits! Skype! Nerd camp! Twitter! read aloud day! Weeks! months! Book fairs! as I am. Is it because I'm just starting this journey and others have been in the trenches longer than I have? Is it wanting to keep the status quo? Is it just being overworked? Finding my 'tribe' online is the best thing to happen to me. They keep me excited about what I'm doing & where I'm heading. They are willing share ideas & their time, and their passion. This amazing tribe is filled not only with famous educators, authors & illustrators but regular people like me. I am grateful to all of them, although I probably come off looking like a stalker to many often ;)
Over the last few years I've slowly been submerging myself in the librarian & kidlit world. I want to know as much as possible and more importantly share as much as I can with my students and colleagues. It hasn't been easy. I can't understand why others aren't as ridiculously giddy with excitement over new books! author visits! Skype! Nerd camp! Twitter! read aloud day! Weeks! months! Book fairs! as I am. Is it because I'm just starting this journey and others have been in the trenches longer than I have? Is it wanting to keep the status quo? Is it just being overworked? Finding my 'tribe' online is the best thing to happen to me. They keep me excited about what I'm doing & where I'm heading. They are willing share ideas & their time, and their passion. This amazing tribe is filled not only with famous educators, authors & illustrators but regular people like me. I am grateful to all of them, although I probably come off looking like a stalker to many often ;)
And am continually amazed at what the power of connections can do... This week we are celebrating World Read Aloud Day...and my library will be participating, really and truly participating with educators and authors from around the country!! I can't get over it! What an amazing opportunity for my students! Thank you LitWorld, Andy Plemmons, Shannon Miller and so many others who have made this event possible, even for a beginner like me.
Saturday, March 12, 2016
My own little corner...
Since buying our new home almost 2 years ago I have thought about my own space...I mean I have more books than will ever fit into one room, and my amazing hubby is very sweet & generous in allowing me to have piles of them everywhere...but I'm talking about a library, study, reading nook, 'space' space. Today I am supposed to be finishing up 3 mid-term essays for history, but instead, I cleaned the house while the guys were outside doing yard work. After I cleaned and was in a mad fit trying to collect all of my homework and papers and binders and sticky notes from my various bags and piles to take to the public library, I realized I already HAD a space! Our extra bedroom in the basement! So, instead of immediately starting on my homework I made my own little study & work space. I LOVE our basement...it was one of the big selling points. It has huge windows and makes it feel like regular living space vs a basement. I moved an old desk-aka collect all the junk at the bottom of the stairs/toy room/bedroom shelf-into the bedroom, cleaned if off and out and hung some of my favorite pictures on the wall, as well as a sweet new poster I got from my last Scholastic book fair. I've got a salted caramel candle burning, my Cinnamon Spice tea, my Amazon music, and all of my books, papers, pens, and sticky notes. I haven't been this happy about a room space in a while....It's the little things ❤️
Now onto that mid-term! 😉
Friday, February 19, 2016
just a few nonfiction picture book favorites
This past fall I did the Picture book 10 for 10 and it helped get me back into blogging...
So, after seeing the posts on Twitter this week I was reminded about the Nonfiction 10 for 10! Of course it totally helps that I've read some AMAZING Nonfiction picture books in the last few months too. These are in no particular order...and yes...there are a LOT of picture book biographies. If nonfiction had been written like this when I was younger I think I would have been more likely to pick them up.
So, after seeing the posts on Twitter this week I was reminded about the Nonfiction 10 for 10! Of course it totally helps that I've read some AMAZING Nonfiction picture books in the last few months too. These are in no particular order...and yes...there are a LOT of picture book biographies. If nonfiction had been written like this when I was younger I think I would have been more likely to pick them up.
Finding Winnie by Lindsay Mattick and illustrated by Sophie Blackall
Like just about everybody else in the kidlit world, I love this book! I read it to 21 classes last week and I still get chills every time we find out who the little boy who visits the bear in the zoo is.
Like just about everybody else in the kidlit world, I love this book! I read it to 21 classes last week and I still get chills every time we find out who the little boy who visits the bear in the zoo is.
Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl's Courage Changed Music by Margarita Engle
The story is so powerful and the images and color so beautiful!
Just love it!
The story is so powerful and the images and color so beautiful!
Just love it!
I'm Trying to Love Spiders by Bethany Barton
My big, strong husband HATES spiders! So of course I had to grab this book from the library when I saw it...HILARIOUS!!
My big, strong husband HATES spiders! So of course I had to grab this book from the library when I saw it...HILARIOUS!!
Ivan: The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla
by Katherine Applegate
I adore The One and Only Ivan and when I discovered that it is based on a real gorilla I had to read more and this book is perfect!
by Katherine Applegate
I adore The One and Only Ivan and when I discovered that it is based on a real gorilla I had to read more and this book is perfect!
Swan: The Life and Dance of Anna Pavlova by Laurel Snyder illustrated by Julie Morstad. Absolutely breathtaking and heartbreaking story of the famous ballerina.
Water Is Water: A Book About the Water Cycle
by Miranda Paul illustrated by Jason
Chin. Gorgeous illustrations and the story is simple and basic.
by Miranda Paul illustrated by Jason
Chin. Gorgeous illustrations and the story is simple and basic.
The House That Jane Built: A Story About Jane Addams by Tanya Lee Stone.
When I was little my parents bought my sisters and I the "Value Tales" books and I always remembered the story of Jane Addams.
When I was little my parents bought my sisters and I the "Value Tales" books and I always remembered the story of Jane Addams.
Enormous Smallness: A Story of E. E. Cummings
by Matthew Burgess illustrated by Kris Di Giacomo
I didn't know very much going in to this book but I loved it! The illustrations and the quotes and the story...all of it. Just beautiful.
by Matthew Burgess illustrated by Kris Di Giacomo
I didn't know very much going in to this book but I loved it! The illustrations and the quotes and the story...all of it. Just beautiful.
Emmanuel's Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah
by Laurie Ann Thompson illustrated by Sean Qualls. Absolutely amazing story of how one man changed his life and the lives of others.
by Laurie Ann Thompson illustrated by Sean Qualls. Absolutely amazing story of how one man changed his life and the lives of others.
A Chicken Followed me Home by Robin Page
We are in our 3rd year of raising chickens and this would have been a great addition when we got them! :) This book has great info and bright and bold illustrations.
We are in our 3rd year of raising chickens and this would have been a great addition when we got them! :) This book has great info and bright and bold illustrations.
I'm having serious technical difficulties with pictures today, so if you click the titles you will be taken to Goodreads and you can see them there. Sorry about that :-(
Tuesday, February 16, 2016
Catchup week
I'm off work this week for mid-winter break...that means time to catch a horrible cold and to catch up on my 3 classes 😜 But SO grateful for a day with my guys yesterday just hanging out at home, playing board games, reading books, drinking tea & eating Chinese food. 😊
Saturday, January 23, 2016
Pity party
My first real college level English paper was due this past Monday and I don't think I've ever struggled with writing a paper like that before! I got my grade back and comments from the professor and I feel like a failure! Like I wanted to quit. Like I'm nothing. Not good enough. I'm beyond grateful for my husband and mom who fill me with encouragement to continue. Not sure I could do it otherwise. I'm struggling again this week...this is NOT an easy course!!
I'm still thinking those thoughts...I knew going into this college thing wasn't going to be easy but a 4+ page research paper due every Monday while taking 2 other classes, working and trying to be a good wife & mom is seriously taking its toll on me. I'm exhausted. I've been up past midnight two nights in a row. I'm emotional. I know there will be a reward when it's over but will I ever even get there?
Friday, January 1, 2016
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