Memoir

Today I introduced Memoir to my kids and it went great. We read two stories, The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant and What You Know First by Patricia Maclachlan. We talked about what is in our own notebooks. My students know what it is mine so together we looked through it and came up with 3 Life Themes. Then students looked into their notebooks and came up with their own themes. Tomorrow we are going to look at 3 different chapters of Knots on my Yo-Yo String by Jerry Spinelli. Our focus is to look at why people write memoir before we begin writing our own.

My 3 Themes that appear most often in my notebook are

1)My family-my daughters and days from my childhood
2)Remembering who I am-thoughts I have about myself and how I am growing
3)When my eldest daughter received the diagnosis-Mosaic Down syndrome

Challenge #31~Today~

As I was getting my girls' dinner ready I saw a bird's nest and even though we had 8 inches of snow on Sat. and 60 degree weather on Sunday. I felt that Nature was speaking to me through this beautiful sight.

Today I am one step closer to being the teacher I always dreamed I would have.

Today I am reminded to pause and embrace the moment.

Today I believe my life journey is for a reason.

Today I hope I can make a difference in someone's life.

Today I can forgive myself for not being perfect.

Today ends.

Tomorrow begins.

A new to-day.

Inspired by Ruth's post on TWT.

Challenge #30~Down to the Wire~

Tonight as I was preparing my school bag and Emma's backpack I began to think about what I would write for my slice today. A sadness hit me. Full force.It could have knocked me down it was so strong. Soon this journey will end. My first reason for participating in this challenge was to help me get into the habit of writing each day consistently. In addition, I wanted a challenge for my students as they ended the genre study of essays and finished with the state writing test. I never expected to feel so close to a group of people so much that I am already missing our daily slices. I loved reading about our daily pieces of life whether funny, silly, melancholy, happy or sad. I felt a part of a writing group. I will admit at first I was nervous. I wasn't confident enough, but as I have looked at Ruth's posts this week I am reminded that I too need to just love myself for who I am. Just as the writers who participated in this challenge treated me with such respect, I should treat myself the same. Thank you to this wonderful group of writers. This has been a fantastic, inspirational journey.

Cheers to the Slicers of 2009!

Challenge #29

I don't win many things. In fact this week, I found out I didn't receive two of my grants that I applied for, but someone was smiling on me. I won a blog award~the Splash Award. Thank you to Thinking Aloud for this honor. The Splash award is given to alluring, amusing, bewitching, impressive and inspiring blogs. Upon receipt of the award, one must

1) Put the logo on your blog/post.
2) Nominate up to 9 blogs which allure, amuse, bewitch, impress or inspire you.
3) Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
4) Let them know that they have been splashed by commenting on their blog.
5) Remember to link to the person from whom your received your Splash award.

My nominees for the Splash Award are

1)Elizabeth at Pen*Ink*Paper for inspiring me to continue to write even though life sometimes interrupts us.

2)LiteracySpark is splashed with inspiration for showing others ways to use a writer's lens.

3) Trish at My New Normal for living a life so open that others flock to her for help at a point in their life they need to hear her words, touch her spirit, and receive her love. Thank you!

Challenge #28~I sweet~

"Bath-y time!" I call to Emma and Grace as I ran the water and poured in the "fairy dust" aka bubble bath.

I quickly undressed and put the girls in. I love watching them play. They have a great time. Suddenly Gracie looks up at me and says, "I sweet, mahmah."

I giggle and say, "No, you're ornery!"

She laughed and said, "I ahn-ree!"

Nana laughed from the other room, "Did she say what I think she said?"

Gracie replied with, "Yeah, I ahn-ree!!"

My Gracie-sugar and sweet with a WHOLE LOT of SPICE!!

Challenge #27~In Honor of My Class~

Journey of Writers
In honor of my class of 2008-9
LYS

The sea of faces,
Changes each year.
Each one unique.

I don’t know you yet,
But I will.
As we ride the journey together

You tentatively jump aboard.
This new day.
Days of writing, revising, and writing and revising.

Overcoming our fears,
Realizing we are all writers.
Growing one-by-one.

Fears abate,
Trust occurs,
Crafting our words.

This journey will take
a new shape at the end,
But do not fear,
For they will gently move you farther.

Celebrate with me
So we all can see
The journey of writers during a year.

Challenge #26~Disappointment~

I teach my children that writing matters. We write because we want to write and our thoughts are important.Today I feel worthless as a writer. I want to cuss, give up and just never try again. I failed to receive my grant to hear Ellin Oliver Keene.I poured my heart into the application. I poured out my dreams. My dreams for what works best in my classroom. And it was rejected. I know it isn't personal, but oh how it still feels personal.

I am a writer. My thoughts are important. Disappointment won't last forever. I will even see it again (hopefully not soon), but it still hurts. I am a writer.