Celebrations (SOL Day #7: 3-07-15}

Saturdays are a great day for reflecting on the week.  Oh, what a week it was!

1.  So many successful author/classroom Skypes that I helped facilitate for my school.  The students and staff will remember this experience for a long time to come, I hope!

2.  Last Saturday was the UW-Milwaukee Writing Project's Conference on the Teaching of Writing that I helped facilitate.  It was an awesome conference!

3.  On Tuesday, I had to go see an oral surgeon about a skin graft that I need to have on my gum.  I have been dreading this appointment for a long time, but I am celebrating my bravery in actually going to the appointment AND for scheduling the surgery for April.

4.  My husband went out to Yellowstone for a week of snowmobiling with his dad.  He came home last night.  I missed him!

5.  The clock is changing tonight.  I will gladly change one lost hour of sleep for one extra hour of light for many days to come.

Ten Tiny Things I Love {SOL Day #6: 3-06-15}

1. The sigh of my dog, Rosie, as she settles in for a snuggle.

2.  The delicate pink of the tulips on my kitchen table.

3.  The cup of coffee that I stopped to grab from McDonalds on my way home.

4.  Sitting around and talking with my daughter and her boyfriend.

5.  My new PJ's.

6.  Carry out pizza for dinner. {No cooking tonight!}

7.  Friday night, when Monday morning seems so far away.

8.  The beautiful icicles that are forming on a tree branch just beyond my front porch.

9.  Not realizing I had spent more than 25 minutes on the elliptical this morning.  (I didn't look at the clock once, apparently.)

10.  That on Sunday, we will gain one more hour of daylight in the evening.

Wise Words for Young Writers {SOL Day #5: 3-05-15}

"I am a writer because I was a reader."

"I like to plan on Post-its.  This way I can move things around when I need to."

"Would you like a sneak peek at my new book?  I can read you the first few pages...and it's not even published yet!"

"I was rejected 26 times before I got my first acceptance letter from a publisher."

"I received 36 'no' letters, before I received my first 'yes.'"

"I draft in this spiral notebook."

"Writers revise many, many times.  I rewrote my book about 25 times before it became the book you are holding in your hand now."

"As long as you guys keep reading, I will keep writing."

"Writing is messy.  Just look at this copy of my draft."

"My editor told me that it only takes one 'yes'.  Hang in there!"


These are the wise words that students at my school heard this week from Kate Messner and Jess Keating, two authors who were kind enough to spend a few minutes on a Skype session with our students.

Such valuable, valuable advice for young writers!

Unexpected Act of Kindness {SOL Day #4: 3-04-15}

Like many places in the midwest and northeastern United States, yesterday was a day of horrible weather.  What started as snow falling in the most ginormous flakes I have ever seen, turned to sleet and rain as the day wore on.  When it was all over with, we had about five inches of heavy, wet snow covering our driveway.

I was not happy.

My husband is out of town for his annual snowmobile trip and our tractor with the plow is broken. Our driveway is about 300 feet long, making shoveling it a daunting task.  My plan was to wait until the snow melted instead of shoveling. (Surely spring would arrive some time soon, right?) Before leaving for his trip, my husband tried to reassure me that him leaving during the first week of March was a safe bet that there would not be any snow.

He was wrong.

I had to head out for a doctor appointment in the afternoon.  All of the precipitation had stopped and since I have 4WD, getting out was not a problem for me.

When I arrived at my appointment, I checked my phone and saw this text from my daughter's boyfriend:

He was offering to shovel for me???  WOW!

When I arrived home from my appointment a few hours later, not only was my sidewalk shoveled, but the entire driveway as well.  Knowing that my husband was out of town, his dad even stopped by to help him.  

All I can say is...WOW!  (And my husband owes them BIG TIME! :)

March Snow {SOL Day #3 3-03-15}

Falling so quickly the sky is a blur of white,

Coming together in giant puffs

Hurling down snowballs,
             no longer just fluffy flakes

Slapping the windows

     Tap...

            Tap....

                   Tap....

Stopping suddenly.

.......Waiting......

Until the tapping continues,
        this time without the flakes.

Freezing rain.

A Reading Marathon {SOL Day 2 3-02-15}

This week kicks off Read Across America Week, the week when we celebrate all things reading!

I would like to say that this is my favorite week of the year, but really I celebrate reading and good books every single day of the year.  I don't think reading should have just one week set aside to be celebrated, only to return to its box until next year.  You can't do that to reading.

Last Friday, we spent the entire day reading in my 4th grade classroom.  I'll be the first to admit -- this could have been a little bit hairy-scary if it didn't go well.

Would the students be able to read for six hours?
Would they have trouble sitting still?
Would they get bored?
Would they "fake" read? (gasp!!)

Would I???

The students came in, got settled, and we set out reading.  We only stopped for our library special and for lunch/recess.  Otherwise, we were reading.

My kids decided ahead of time that they might need some snacks to help make it through the day so they brought in some healthy snacks like apples, bananas, and granola bars.  Here is what our Snack Center looked like at the beginning of the day:

As the day went on, I was really proud of my students and the awesome perseverance they showed.  They truly spent the entire day reading!

When they finished a book, I had them sign their name on our white board.  By the end of the day, there was hardly any space left for autographs!

It was an awesome, awesome day of reading!  All of my worries about things not going well went unfounded.  At the end of the day, they asked when we could do it again!

That is music to this teacher's ears!

So Long Winter {SOL Day #1 3-01-15}

The winter months are difficult for me, and each year seems to get harder than the last.

From about December 1st until February 28th, I pretty much keep my head down and run as fast as I can through the cold, dark days until I reach March 1st.  My weatherman calls these days "Meteorological Winter," the time on the calendar when meteorologists say that winter is here.  The cold, dark days and I don't get along.  I miss the colors and sounds of the world that are with me the other nine months of the year.  I miss the light.

On March 1st, that changes.

Today, March 1st, I woke up and put my March calendar up on the board in our kitchen.  I was excited!  Even though there is still snow on the ground and the temperature is a chilly 13 degrees, I can feel spring will be here soon.

This afternoon, I even opened my front door to let the bright sunshine in.  My dog, Rosie, did the perfect thing...she took a nap in the sunshine.  She is so smart, that dog!

If I listen carefully, I can even hear birds out at the bird feeder.  I haven't seen any robins yet, but I'm sure that I will see some in the next few weeks.

So it is with much excitement that I bid Meteorological Winter goodbye and say a great big HELLO to March and spring!