So I got a delivery of yarn today from Debbie Stoller’s new yarn line, Stitch Nation. It feels pretty soft: bamboo and wool blend called Bamboo Ewe. So, there are 7 balls of a “sea glass” color that I’ll give away when I have my Great Big Blog Moving Party. Which is going to be as soon as my buddy Cynthia gets my new blog all spiffy like. Very soon!

I got the most delicious birthday letter from a student today. He taped candy to it, and folded it up origami-style. I feel like it’s a breach of confidence to post the photo of the letter for you, but here’s one of my favorite parts: I am really glad that you can teach my young brain once again with your 41 year old brain.Tee hee. Isnt’ that so special? I was his kindergarten teacher too. 41 is a great number to be as well as it is my favorite number. This kid is 8 years old! Third grade is amazing. I feel so lucky to be soaking up these wonderful students and stretching my 41-year-old brain.

Today I mentioned to some of my students that I would be writing in my “journal” every day, just as I expect them to write frequently in their author’s notebooks. One extremely capable little girl has been having trouble reaching the goal of writing four times a week. I told her how the last two nights I’ve woken myself up from a dead sleep to drag myself out of bed and write, just because I set that goal for myself. We’ll see if that hooks her.

Have I mentioned, I’m tired?

Today I got some interesting birthday presents. I got a vibra-slap. (Hey, it’s a musical instrument, shame on you.) I got an adorable Hello necklace. And I got a book of Langston Hughes poetry illustrated for children. Also, my students gave me “appreciations”  today, where they were invited to say what they appreciated about me. This is our birthday ritual. It was pretty funny that most of them started trying to say something nice and wound up saying some version of Wow, I had you in kindergarten and now I get to have you again, I didn’t expect it!

One student spoke in a truly articulate way, describing the type of books he chose to read at the beginning of the year that didn’t stretch him, and pointing out how I’d I pushed him to make different choices and we’d found a book he really liked to read. “So, thank you,” he said. It was actually rather challenging to get him to make that leap, and his self-awareness was pretty impressive. A few said they thought i made learning fun. Another started out kind of confusing and went on and on in what seemed an illogical manner and we all waited patiently for him to get to his point. He wound up getting across that he really has become someone who loves reading since he has been in my class, even though he has struggled with reading for a long while. Some gifts are worth waiting for.

Went to sleep and was woken up by my husband having a bad dream. I realized I forgot to blog. Now blogging from phone in bed

This will be quick, another dream. Last night I dreamed I was packing for a move. It had the feel of a semester end at college. But I didn’t know when my flight out of town was. The papers with that information were lost among the things I needed to pack. I had the feeling I’d already missed my flight. Then out of nowhere my dad showed up. I hugged him and cried and cried.

So what does it mean?

you threw your head back and laughed
easily
light bouncing off your curls
smile staying in the corner of your eyes

I hadn’t seen it in such a long time.

Well, I am 41 years old, thank you very much. In this new year of my life, I am resolved to blog every day, even if it is just one sentence. I want to write and make writing a priority.

This has been such a busy year, with me changing grades to third. Life has been hectic, but finding time to write really means taking time for myself and I am committed to giving that a shot.

Very soon, I’m going to be fancying up my blog and turning it into a wordpress blog. I am struggling to figure out how to move all my old posts over, so I hope that can happen. We’ll see.

I’m going to throw a little moving party to try to get back all of my faithful blog friends who got tired of waiting for me to post and found somthing else to read. At the moving party, I’m going to have some sort of fun contest and give away copies of the new Stitch ‘n Bitch book (they are sending me three copies!). I have also gotten a donation of Stitch Nation yarn that I will give away as well. I’ll keep you posted on that. I promise to have a fair and definitely not fixed contest.  Seriously, you can’t win just by sending me cupcakes and chocolate. Or, say, cinnamon sugar ring donuts. No, a latte will not get you yarn and a book. No sir, it will not. Ma’am.  

Thanks to my friends far and wide who sent birthday greetings yesterday. I hope to document an exciting (but not too exciting, right?) 41st year – thanks for being along to help me write the story.

Holla if you hear me!

Finally!

Ravelry folks, looky here: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/fertility-blanket

My “Fertility Blanket” — formerly known as “Georgia” — has just been published as of November 1, 2010. I’ll have three copies of the book to use for a giveaway contest on my blog. Details to follow.

Hooray!!!