Slice of Life Post-Writing Retreat

Each Tuesday the amazing bloggers at Two Writing Teachers host Slice of Life Stories (SOLS). This is where bloggers link up to share anything they would like to share about what is happening in their lives. 

This past weekend I had the great fortune to attend my first writing retreat at a beautiful resort on the ocean here in Maine. This retreat was held for some New England contributors to Choice Literacy. The enormously generous Brenda Power was our gracious hostess during this incredible three days. 

This is the view from the patio of my room. Nice view for writing!

I had never been on a retreat so I did not really know what to expect.  It turned out to be a weekend filled with gobs of indulgent writing time, sharing our writing and getting feedback from others, talking with dedicated educators, eating (too much) wonderful food and more, and more writing time. I was heavenly! Having the dedicated, uninterrupted writing time was just what I needed. I felt spoiled and more than a little guilty.

These are some of the books we received during our retreat. I know right? *Pinches self*

I was excited to make some new friends and to meet my online friends Tammy Mulligan and Clare Landrigan (from Teachers for Teachers) "in real life". They were presenting at a Choice Literacy workshop for literacy coaches. 

At breakfast with Clare, Tammy, Kathy Provost, (me) 

and my nerdy Maine friend Justin Stygles.

I am so glad that I had this opportunity and hope to attend another retreat in the future. It left me feeling revitalized and excited to write more. I never talk about myself as being a writer, but after writing and connecting with other writers this weekend, I am beginning to start to see myself in this light and it is very exciting.  

Celebrating This Week- Parents, Performances and Publications

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. 

Again, I have had to take a break from blogging due to a very school and family life. This week I have many things to celebrate. 

Parent-Student-Teacher Conferences
This was conference week at school. Although it is a crazy, busy week, I really enjoy talking with families. Together, my partner teacher and I hosted 48 conferences! It is so nice to discuss the students' progress in school and just to look back on our year together so far. 

My Daughter's Play
Molly is in the cast of Beauty and the Beast Jr. performed by Windham Center Stage Theater. She is the Old Beggar Woman, a wolf and a townsperson. I love watching her up on stage. When she is performing with her friends she is so happy. She displays a wonderful confidence that I love to see.  

My First Article for Choice Literacy
I was thrilled to have my first article published for Choice Literacy this week. It is about using your own reading to model reading strategies. I was also fortunate to have Brenda Power from Choice Literacy visit my classroom on Monday. She is such a smart and respected educator and it was so nice to have her with us.

Sticking With It
I am happy to celebrate nearly three weeks without having any sugar. I began the Whole30 Challenge three weeks ago and really can't believe I have managed to stick with it. I am rather proud of myself and I feel great! 

What Are YOU Celebrating This Week?