Celebrate This Week-June 7, 2014

Every week, Ruth Ayres over at Discover. Play. Build. invites people to share celebrations from their week.  Please visit and consider linking up your own celebration. 

I have been away from regular blogging for about a month now. I am increasingly unable to balance the end-of-the-year-craziness at school with my own children's extracurricular activities and blogging, so something had to give. I am hoping to get back in a blogging groove soon. 

I hope you all have many things to celebrate from this week. Here are a few of mine from this and recent weeks. 

A Nerdy Announcement
I am not sure I have officially announced it yet, but a few weeks ago I learned that a proposal I submitted to NCTE, on behalf of my panel, was accepted! We will be presenting at NCTE this fall. I am still pinching myself and get nauseous just thinking about it. I get to present with my dear friend, Susan Dee and amazing authors Lynda Mullaly Hunt, Jennifer Neilsen and Leslie Connor! I KNOW RIGHT?!! Being able to work together with these incredible ladies whom I respect and admire is just thrilling to say the very least. Our session focuses on using literature from K-middle school to foster the development of resiliency and empathy in children. I am beyond excited!

It's About Time
Here in Maine it was a terribly long and exceptionally cold winter. Even though there are still mornings when we kick on the pellet stove, it seems that spring is finally here. Yes, I know it is almost summer, but Maine doesn't seem to realize that. The trees finally have leaves and there are flowers popping up in my garden. My family keeps a small vegetable garden plot at our town's community garden due to our yard's lack of full sun. We were able to put the seeds and seedlings in the ground and some are starting to peek out of the ground. 

Teamwork and Togetherness
Although we have a week and a half to go, things are in "wrap-up" mode at school. Yesterday was our 4th grade field day. This is an event the students and I look forward to all year. It was such a nice day to just be silly and fun with them and to encourage and congratulate each other. My voice is hoarse today from screaming so loudly during the tug-of-war. I love watching them together as they have become a tight-knit group who look out for one another. In the afternoon the students (and teachers) are so tired that all we can really manage to do is to watch a movie. We watched Disney's Frozen. Let me tell you that you have not lived until you have heard ten year-old boys belt out "Let it Go". 

Just Too Sweet
Lastly, I celebrate this special reading moment. I posted this video on Facebook earlier this week. My eight year old son, TJ, has autism and he loves certain books. He has a few he loves to read, but he seldom reads to anyone. My husband filmed TJ reading one of his favorite books, How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight. You can't make out many words, but I think you get the gist. I am so glad that we have technology to capture sweet moments like this. 

What Are YOU Celebrating This Week?