Well, we survived the first day back. It was a good one, but we were all hungry and tired by the time we got home from school. It’s good to get back in a routine…at least that’s what I’m telling myself.
I saw this, and after a long day back to work, I had to laugh…
Anyway, I’m continuing on with the Bloganuary challenge…
…with this prompt today:
Before I jump into this post, I want to say, when I saw this prompt, I kind of rolled my eyes.
Last year, when I did the Bloganuary challenge, I felt like WordPress posed lots of great prompts.
I haven’t felt that way this year…but I’ve liked the “challenge” of posting every day, so I’ve shared my regular content as well as other prompts and some WordPress suggested ones.
So, I’m just going to roll with it because who doesn’t want to read about this sweet face?!
Also, I realized there hasn’t been much Homer content lately because, well, apparently when you are almost five years old, you behave…😆
No more stories of him running off (although, he still will if the front door isn’t shut all the way by accident), no more stories about him eating an entire cookie cake off the counter (but if there are crumbs on the counter, he will find them), and no more stories of him ruining pillows or shoe laces (but he will still snag a random item out of the trash can!)
Anyway, back to today’s prompt:
If we could make Homer understand one thing maybe it would be that we love him more than what’s probably normal? Actually, I think he probably knows that. We have so many nicknames for him, we all tell him goodbye when we leave, and of course he gets lots of cuddles…especially from Hadley.
So, really, I think I’d love for him to understand how helpful it would be for him to close the door when he comes inside. He asks to go out often, and then as soon as I sit down, whether it’s been three minutes or thirty, he comes inside only for me (or one of us) to have to go shut the back door. I guess we could probably teach him to nudge it closed…but it still wouldn’t be shut all the way.
Just a little dog owner “pet” peeve, I guess.
That minor inconvenience is worth it though! Just look at that face:
We feel lucky to have found Homer and have him as ours.
Well, the days have started to run together this week, but it is the end of the weekend…and I have another Bloganuary post.
It’s no secret that reading is one of my favorite hobbies. Today, I’m sharing a few fun book graphics and my answers to an “All About Books” prompt.
I like to think that I’m “lives in the book shop/library” and “the bookworm.”
Pinterest/ @idotdoodle
Via Pinterest, I found this “All About Books” prompt…and here are my answers:
C/o Pinterest @glammtemplates
Favorite book: I remember everyone talking about Where the CrawdadsSing, and for whatever reason, I put off reading it. Once I started to read it on vacation a few summers ago, I couldn’t put it down. I wish I hadn’t waited so long to read it. I think the movie is pretty amazing too.
Book I regret reading: Travis asked me once if I ever start a book and don’t finish it…and I told him I used to never quit a book, but now I do if needed. There are so many books that I want to read, so I try not to feel like I “have” to read a book. Anyway, Block Party was a “hot” book this summer, and I trudged through it. I should have stopped reading when I wasn’t enjoying it, but since it was pretty popular, I kept reading…and I wasted time I could have spent on a good book.
Currently reading: I’ve had All the Light We Cannot See on my list for a while, but I finally made it a priority to read because I also want to watch it on Netflix! I’m enjoying, but it’s a long book…so I hope I can finish it soon.
Books I recommend: This varies based on the person or situation…but the Class Mom series is so funny, and Elin Hilderbrand is the queen of beach reads!
A book I can always reread:To Kill a Mockingbird is one that I could read over and over…and do thanks to my job! haha You would think that I would have read this book in high school, but I never did. The first time I read it was right before I taught the unit my first year teaching. Now, over twenty years later, I can say that I’ve read it at least 12-15 times. The past few years, the students I’ve worked with have read the graphic novel version.
Favorite genre:I used to like chick lit and light, easy reads. A few years ago, I really started enjoying historical fiction.
Least favorite genre: I do not like sci-fi or fantasy…books or movies.
Buy or borrow books? It’s pretty rare for me to buy a book. Again, since there are so many I’d like to read, I’m ok with being on the wait list at the library until it’s my turn to read a book. I do love buying books from time to time though.
Write a book someday? I don’t think that’s something I desire to do. I like being the author of Show Me and Sweet Tea. 😉
Pinterest @becauseallthebooks
What’s the best book you’ve ever read?
I will post this template from @glammtemplates on Instagram today. I’d love to know your answers…and don’t forget to tag me in your responses.
How is your weekend going? We had a busy day yesterday, but we don’t have much on tap today. I’m ready for a bit of downtime.
I’m continuing with my Bloganuary posts…
…and sharing about…
When I was little, I loved my Madeline doll based on the Madeline children’s book. The main character lives in an all girls boarding school in Paris, France.
The first pic I found of me with my Madeline doll is at my second birthday party.
I carried that doll everywhere…so much so that I think my mom had to “repair” it at some point by sewing a few parts back on…an eye or arm, maybe? Then, eventually, I even got a new one to replace the original.
Madeline and I logged a lot of time together and many memories.
When the kids were little, I got the Madeline book for Hadley and read it to her often.
I wrote this Let’s Lookpost a couple of years ago about Love Languages.
“Acts of service” continues to be the best gift I can receive…especially from my immediate household. haha
I still really appreciate help picking up, doing the laundry, unloading the dishwasher, etc.
Taking things off my plate is definitely the best gift I could receive.
As far as other gifts…
To be clear, I have everything I need. I don’t need material things. Of course, I appreciate the gesture and thoughtfulness of receiving a gift, but I tend to buy what I need.
That being said, I love cards. I’ve always appreciated a card, a written note, a sticky note saying “Have a great day” and more.
Travis is known for his “bubble letters” which I love.
I don’t get flowers very often, but I do love them!
Kind of like with the cards, I appreciate sentimental gifts…
Sorry to mention it again, but these pics of the kids were my favorite Christmas gift this year. They were such a lovely surprise, and they were perfect!
A few years ago, Travis gave me this burlap print with our address and the year we moved into this house. It’s not anything I would have asked for, but it’s an example of something thoughtful that I see every day and love.
I also really love traditions like receiving two hanging ferns for the front porch as my Mother’s Day gift.
We went to Julep Farm because Trav gave me a gift card to the restaurant there. An “experience” is always a thoughtful gift.
The gift of self-care is always nice.
Years ago, Travis gave me a gift card to the med spa where I now go monthly for my facials. I appreciate having that 45 minutes to an hour every month to take care of myself.
He’s also given me gift cards for manicures/pedicures which I can always use.
Last year for my birthday, Travis gave me a gift card for a massage. Again, that’s not something I typically buy for myself, so I appreciate him “forcing” me to take a break and relax.
This year for Christmas another one of my gifts came in a cute gift bag…gift cards for a massage, dinner out, and a night at a hotel. It was all very thoughtful and unexpected.
Travis and the kids taking the time to think about me and tell me I can take a break and have some time for myself is beyond thoughtful.
So, the gift of self-care really is appreciated!
What’s the greatest gift you could receive?
I will have another post tomorrow — I’m sharing my recent Amazon purchases…buckle up!
Today I’m sharing my first “Bloganuary” post. Yesterday’s WordPress topic was “what colleges have you attended?”
At first I thought this topic might be boring, but then I realized that I had a journey/story for each part of my college career.
University of Missouri:
University of Missouri (KC):
When I graduated high school, I was really uncertain about where I wanted to go or if I even wanted to leave home.
My “homebody” tendencies started early, and I wasn’t much of a “risk taker.” I was really comfortable living at home, working part-time at a dentist office, and sticking with my surroundings. Ultimately, I decided to stay home and attend UMKC which is a smaller branch of the University of Missouri system. Looking back, I still think this was the right decision for me. I was able to ease into college while being in the comfort of what I already knew at home and work.
That being said, I had always liked the idea of going to a bigger college, and in the spring of my freshman year, I applied to University of Missouri-Columbia. (MIZZOU).
University of Missouri (Columbia):
My sophomore-senior years were spent at MIZZOU. Again, the timing really worked well for me. I’m glad I waited to go until my sophomore year. I lived in the dorm that year, so I was able to experience that. I do wonder if I’d gone to MU my freshman year if I would have joined a sorority, but I did make some great friends living in Jones Hall!
I always knew I wanted to be a teacher. My mom was a middle school Language Arts teacher for over 30 years. Also, I loved to read and always had great English teachers. So, I never once changed my major. I was always going to be a high school English teacher. I couldn’t wrap my brain around working with elementary aged kids (they seem so needy…haha), and I just felt like older kids would be a great fit.
I graduated in four years with a B.S. Secondary Education: English (grades 9-12) in May 2002. I feel very fortunate that I entered adulthood debt free thanks to my parents paying for college (and I helped a bit financially by staying home the first year, earning a few college credits while in high school, and even managing the front desk of my dorm as a junior to have free room and board).
I loved CoMo, and stuck around one more year for my first year of teaching.
Rank 2: University of Missouri
I moved to Kentucky after my second year of teaching and started my first Master’s degree after teaching for three years. In Kentucky, the pay scale is by rank. So, teachers earn more every year with experience, but they also move on the pay scale with their rank. With a B.S., it’s Rank 3 pay. One Master’s degree is Rank 2, and then an additional Master’s gets Rank 1 pay. In my district, there is also Rank 1.2 (PhD).
Anyway, I knew I wanted to start on my Rank 2 before we had kids. I was living in Lexington, but the University of Missouri had an online Master’s with a focus in literacy. Literacy had always been something I was interested in. I also knew that having that focus could be of benefit to me as I grew as a professional. I started that program in the fall of 2005.
All of the courses were online, but I really enjoyed having the flexibility of the program and there was no commute! I think I typically took two classes each semester, but maybe I took three one summer?
In May 2008, I earned my M. Ed., Curriculum and Instruction, Focus: Literacy which got me my Rank 2.
I’m so thankful for that degree because right after that, I took a job as a Literacy Coach in my school building and really enjoyed that work.
Rank 1: University of Louisville
The Literacy Coach position came about because the district I was in was a part of a federal grant called Striving Readers. It was a three year grant with partners at the Collaborative for Teaching and Learning in Louisville and the University of Louisville.
As a part of the grant, I had the opportunity to earn a reading specialist degree which would give me my Rank 1. I delayed the start of this work because Travis and I had just had the kids.
Then, my school was able to add an additional year with the grant. Knowing that it was “now or never” and this degree would be paid for, I realized I should go ahead and take advantage of this opportunity. I started working on the degree when the kids were about a year old…I think!
That time period is a blur, and it was a lot of work…but much like my Rank 2, all the courses were online, and I had such great support from my mentors at CTL and U of L.
I enjoyed working on the courses and completing each Capstone. I’d much rather write a twenty page paper than take a test!
In May of 2012, I earned my M. Ed., Reading Specialist, May, 2012, Rank 1 through U of L.
Again, that degree is one of the main reasons I’m able to work as an interventionist today. Both of my Master’s degrees have really led me to wonderful opportunities, and I appreciate that I’ve been able to work in my school in a capacity besides as a traditional classroom teacher.
I know college isn’t for everyone, but I always say that no one can take away your education. Also, through the years, these degrees have enhanced my knowledge and expertise as well as allowed me to better support my family and my future.
So–those are the colleges I attended.
I’m still a big MIZZOU fan, but I can’t cheer for the U of L Cards in my house…haha
I will cheer for the CATS with the rest of the fam.
Hello and happy Sunday! Well, we went from cold temps to temps in the 50’s yesterday…and then this upcoming week looks a little messy. Yep. It’s definitely the end of January.
Yesterday’s Bloganuary topic was: describe your perfect birthday cake.
Well, we are cookie cake people, and we are also Bundt cake people.
I did not grow up eating cookie cakes for my birthday, but now I think everyone knows that’s the expectation. I’m sure I’d had a cookie cake before, but I think we started buying cookie cakes for celebrations in the summer of 2010. My brother was with me at Sam’s Club and saw the double decker cookie cake. He said we should get one because it was June and his birthday combined with Father’s Day for Travis…like we needed a reason to justify it. haha
For years, we just bought them at Kroger, but then for quite a few years now, we’ve gotten them at Great American Cookie.
We are so lucky because we have a friend who makes cookies and cookie cakes too. They are delish.
This year, Travis got my cookie cake from Insomnia Cookie. It was so good…and I liked how small it was because I have zero will power when it comes to cookie cake! Plus, it was the right amount of icing.
See…we are big cookie cake people!
Love a cookie cake.
So, this prompt got me thinking about the kids’ birthday cakes through the years. For their first couple of birthdays, I had a Lexington and then KC party since we were in KC for Thanksgiving. Then, from the ages of 4-10, we always had two parties: one for their friends and one for family. I know it may sound crazy, but I just didn’t want to force family to come to Chuck E Cheese or have tons of kids running around our house since they have a November birthday.
The year they turned 11 was Covid 2020, and I had already told them that around that age they were getting older and too busy to keep having two parties. So, we’ve naturally just gone back to one party with friends…and who knows how much longer that will last.
Anyway, there were quite a few years that I made their cakes…and while I would consider myself novice and cake decorating, it was always fun.
1.
When the kids turned one, we had family over. My friend’s sister decorated cakes on the side, and she made their smash cake and cupcakes that were laid out in the shape of a one.
When we went to KC for Thanksgiving, my mom made them big cupcakes as smash cakes too.
2.
My mother-in-law decorated cakes for years and years when Travis was growing up. So, when the kids turned two and we had a “Oh TWO-dles” party (Mickey Mouse Clubhouse), she made their Mickey and Minnie cakes for their party.
Again, when we went to KC, my mom tried her hand at fondant, and made a cute Mickey cake. We also did cupcakes with Oreo Mickeys.
3.
When the kids turned three, my mother-in-law made their cakes again. The kids were very into the Sprout Channel and all of those shows. She made Chica from that channel as well as Calliou for their cakes.
4.
When the kids turned 4, I was inspired by my friend’s sister who made the one year cupcakes and smash cake. Also, thanks to Pinterest, I made a Curious George and a Hello Kitty cake for the family party.
For the friends party at Chuck E Cheese, I made the Thomas the Train and Elmo cake. These were some of my favorites that I made.
5.
When the kids turned five, I made Frozen cupcakes and dirt cupcakes for their indoor pool party with friends. For the family party, I made a Frozen cake and construction cake. Props helped make the cake even better! When I was looking through photos, I found this one with brownies that I guess I made on the day of their actual birthday. So many sweets in November!
6.
When they turned six, I made this football cake for Hayden and Power Rangers for Hadley.
7.
For the kids 7th birthday, they had their friends party at a tumbling place, so I made cupcakes and then bought the cupcake toppers off Etsy. For the family party, I ordered this gymnast made out of fondant for Hadley’s cake, and then made a football/baseball/basketball cake for Hayden.
8.
When the kids turned 8, they actually had an outside birthday party with friends. It was a mild early-November weekend, so we made dirt cups instead of cupcakes. Then, closer to their birthday, for the family party, I made a volleyball cake for Hadley and KC Royals (#8 Mike Moustakas) cake for Hayden.
9.
For their 9th birthday, the kids requested ice cream cake from Baskin Robbins, so that’s what we got for their (bowling) party with their friends.
This was the year that life caught up with me, and I realized it would be easier to let them pick out cookie cakes for family parties. It was fun seeing what designs they chose. Of course, Hayden loves basketball, and what girl doesn’t dream of going to Paris and seeing the Eiffel Tower?
10.
For their 10th birthday, they talked me into a slumber party (girls upstairs, boys in the basement!) We went to an indoor place for them to run around and play soccer and volleyball. Then, we came home for pizza and cookie cake before movies and bedtime.
Hadley’s slumber party cookie cake was perfect, and Hayden wanted Homer on his cake!
This was the kids’ last year having a family party, and I was going to order a Bundt cake. That being said, we had quite a bit of cookie cake left, so I just bought the kids each a mini cake then we had the leftover cookie cake with family.
11.
November of 2020 Covid was still rampant. We took advantage of online learning and had an outside birthday one Friday afternoon in November. Again, I picked up mini Bundt cakes, so they wouldn’t spread their germs (which honestly seems like it should always be that way…haha)
Then, I just picked up one cookie cake after realizing two cakes were too much the previous year.
12.
After going to a trampoline place with their friends, we got pizza and had cookie cake. Then, on their birthday, my brother and his family came over for Bundt cake.
13.
This year was much the same as last year. They went to Activate Games with friends and then we got pizza and had cookie cake.
On their actual birthday, we had a nice dinner out, and then stopped by my brother’s house to share the Bundt cake.
That was a fun walk down memory lane. I’m big on birthdays and always want my family, kids, and friends to feel celebrated!
I noticed on my WordPress home page, they have “daily writing prompts” — I don’t think this is the same as Bloganuary because these are different than the daily suggested topic emails.
Anyway, one of them was: write about your first name: its meaning, significance, etymology, etc., so that’s what I’m doing today!
I know a bit about my name, but for a “refresher,” I hit up babynames.com
My dad chose both my name and my brother’s name.
Well, “Jennifer” is currently #493 in U.S. births. Guess what number it was in 1980? …#1. (and for few years after that) When I was younger, I would occasionally wish my name wasn’t Jennifer since there were always a few in class with me. My dad would say, “Well, how was I supposed to know in January of 1980, it would be #1 for the year!” 😂
He chose my brother’s name, Connor, after reading the book Trinity. At least Connor was a more uncommon name. It didn’t become more popular until later.
In 21 years teaching, I’m pretty sure I’ve never had a Jennifer in class, so clearly it has fallen off in popularity.
In high school, my friends started calling me Jen, and that kind of stuck with most. A few family members still call me Jennifer and so do people I don’t know. And…I’m Jen with one ‘n.’ I figured if I was going to shorten it, might has well have the one ‘n.’
some other facts:
Origin: English
Meaning: fair, soft
Jennifer is originally a Cornish version of Gwynhwyfar
**I just learned that the name became more popular after the main character in the novel and movie Love Story in 1970.
Famous Jennifers: Jennifer Lopez, Jennifer Garner, Jennifer Aniston
While I’m talking names…
*update* after reading this post, my dad called to provide a few edits 😂 Apparently, he liked the Celtic version of Jennifer which means: white wave. *My bad.
Naming your kids can be difficult and even more so when you are a teacher. There are definitely names that Travis suggested that were an immediate “no” because of a kid I had in class.
Honestly, I didn’t really have a list of names I liked before I got pregnant. The only name I really thought we might use was Harper. I love that name, and it’s a nod to the great Harper Lee. Travis said, “no.” I was annoyed.
Once we found out we were having twins, I did have a few combos in mind: Cooper and Carter if we had two boys, but I also liked the name Hayden…and liked the combo of Hayden and Cooper. Travis loved the name Addison, and I liked Ainsley. He was kind of iffy about Ainsley, but I think he would have gone with it. (As you can see, Travis almost had stronger opinions than I did about names!)
At around 14 weeks, we found out the twins were boy/girl and for a couple of months, we really thought we were going to go with Cooper and Addison. I remember that people had opinions which surprised me. I’ve never really thought twice about what others name their kids.
Anyway, the summer of 2009, I started watching a reality show called “Southern Belles Louisville,” and there was a girl on there named Hadley. I’d never heard that name before, and she was a sweet girl. I just mean if she was an antagonist on the show, I probably wouldn’t have liked the name. I mentioned that name to Travis and he liked it but wasn’t all in. I told him to watch the show for a bit, and he ended up liking it.
Then, we decided to double down on the H’s…and go with Hayden and Hadley. Again, I remember people wondering about the name “Hadley,” but I really liked it.
The kids’ middle names were easy…we used both of our dads’ middle names. Hayden is Hayden Joseph after my dad, and Hadley is Hadley Rae after Trav’s dad.
So that’s how their names came to be!
I can’t imagine them being anything other than Hayden and Hadley now.
Anyway, I just thought that was an interesting topic to share…and now I have a little history on my name and the story of their names to look back on with this post.
What’s the meaning behind your name? Did you like your name when you were a kid?
Happy Saturday! I’m keeping up with the Bloganuary prompts…
One of the Bloganuary prompts this week was …what’s a color that fits your personality and why?
Y’all, the first thing that popped in my mind was gray. 😂
I didn’t think of gray because I’m moody…well, not moody all the time. Haha
That being said, my personality isn’t outgoing/bubbly like I think yellow would be. I’m just more mindful, cautious, conscientious. You know, gray.
I just try to blend in. I guess I could have been khaki as much as gray. I don’t need to stand out or be “loud” like bright pink or red, for example. Gray is more subtle, and I think I am too.
I’ve always just kind of hung out on the peripheral until I’m comfortable in a situation whether it’s at work or in a friend group. Once I’m comfortable, I reach out or speak up.
I feel like gray goes with everything. Gray can go with navy or khaki but it also matches bright colors too. So, I think that kind of goes with my personality. I’m adaptable and can fit in wherever…but on my own terms, I guess.
I feel like there’s a lot to “unpack” here. 😂
What about you? I think this is so interesting. What color fits your personality and why?
Hello! I hope you had a great Saturday. I sure did. It was a pretty lowkey regular Saturday with some birthday fun last night. More on that later this week.
Yesterday, I wrote about books that have changed my life…
One of this week’s Bloganuary prompts asked about memorablegifts.
Here are a few:
First of all, I’m spoiled because Travis is a great gift giver. I give him gloves and handwarmers for when he works outside. He gets me photos of the kids. *sigh*
The first thing that popped into my mind was for our first Christmas as a married couple, I opened a little blue box from Tiffanys —he’d gotten me silver heart earrings. I still wear them and love them.
While I was pregnant with the kids, I remember feeling miserable and sitting in the chair with my feet propped up on the ottoman. He came in with a gift bag. I opened it, and it was a David Yurman bracelet. I swear I’m not fussy about jewelry, but I appreciate that he’s given me things that are timeless and I wear often.
The first Christmas we lived in this house, he gave me this sign that now hangs by our front door. It has our last name (obviously) and our address with Est. 20014 because that’s when we moved in.
When the kids were in 3rd grade, I opened up the sweetest pic of them (and a few others). This one sits on our mantel. I had no clue that he’d has these photos taken.
We are lucky because Trav’s brother is an exceptional photographer! I cried when I saw these. (And then laughed as Hadley recounted Travis taking them to Target for shirts —which I had seen in their closets and thought was odd…haha and keeping the photos a secret.)
Before Homer, we had two Boxers, Shiloh and Scout. Shiloh was older by about a year and a half. When Scout was 10, he passed away unexpectedly, and then we still had Shiloh. For Christmas, I opened up a box with this sweet bracelet. It has our anniversary, the kids’ names, and Shiloh and Scout engraved. I cried.
This Christmas was no different. He had this photo made/framed from Smallwoods.
While these were for the kids, I had no idea he was getting them. When they opened them and I saw them, I cried. #cryingisaChristmastheme
I love them so much.
This Christmas, I asked for perfume because I was running low. I’m not really picky about perfume, so I suggested Travis choose one that he liked (and still told him a couple of suggestions as ideas). Anyway, on Christmas, I opened up not one, but three perfumes. I love them all, but what makes them more special is that he took Hadley with them, and she helped him pick them out.
I got: Juliette has a Gun, Daisy Dream, and Perfect by Marc Jacobs. I love them all and just rotate day to day.
Last night, after dinner, the kids and Travis gave me their gifts. I wasn’t expecting it, but Travis gave me some new earrings while the kids gave me this jar with slips of paper to use throughout the year. Hadley led this charge, I’m sure, but I appreciate that they all gave ideas like “cup of coffee, watch a tv show as a family, and my choice of takeout.” Both gifts were so thoughtful…and unexpected.
Happy Happy Saturday. See, Saturdays get an extra “happy” when it’s also your birthday.
I’m continuing on with some Bloganuary posts this weekend because I’ve really been enjoying writing about what pops up…
One of the suggested prompts this week was: has a book changed your life?
While of course some books immediately popped into my mind, overall, my first thought was: reading has changed my life…
From the time I was little, I remember reading.
Both of my parents are readers. My dad always had a stack of books on the side table by his recliner, and my mom was the one to take us to the library.
In the summer, we’d go to the library pretty often, and we’d always complete the reading challenge…
Around 4th grade, I have memories of reading in my room. I had a little cozy corner (I started making things “cozy” early on!) where I’d sit and read.
I also loved my school librarian, Mrs. Jones. She made reading so much fun. A favorite elementary school memory was when I was in the intermediate grades, some of us would get to help on our class visits and scan books out to our classmates and then tidy up the libary.
Of course, there was the school reading program…
Ahh…I remember those Pizza Hut coupons like it was yesterday.
I feel like I naturally introduced reading to the kids. Even when they were babies, I’d rock them, read them a book, and then put them in bed.
In the summer, it was always a weekly activity to take them to the library. They’d sit and listen during story time, make a craft, click around on the computer, and check out books. The library was a great way to burn a couple of hours once a week in those hot summer months.
My mom, after she retired from teaching after 31 years, worked at the public library for ten more. She even did story time with the little kids, and we’d join her during our summer visits to KC.
Just like when I grew up, during the elementary years, the kids would complete the library summer reading challenge earning free books and stickers instead of pizza.
Hayden’s my reader. I will never forget listening to him read chapter books for the first time. Most nights, I would sit with him in bed, and we’d take turns reading pages of the Magic Treehouse series. There were many nights that I thought he was sleeping only for me to go to bed at 10:00 and see his little lamp light still on. I’d encourage him to finish a chapter and then turn off his light because he needed his rest.
Hadley always preferred shorter books and graphic novels.
She was a serious reader as a toddler…haha
I wish she enjoyed reading, but I think some of it is her attention span. She’s on the go, and it’s hard for her to settle in and focus. That being said, she loves a theme…and “Character Day” in elementary school was always her fave.
Reading through the years...
I loved Madeline.
I remember asking for Babysitter’s Club books, and even buying them as they came out one by one.
In 7th grade, we read Where the Red Fern Grows with Mr. Freeman, and I cried.
My dad gave me Tuesdays with Morrie when I was in high school, and I knew it would be a book I’d read time and time again.
I bought Cliffs Notes for every Shakespearean play I read in high school. Even as a high school English teacher, I dread teaching Shakespeare.
One of my favorite courses in college when we read one “classic” young adult book per week and created a lesson plan. I remember classmates grumbling because we “had” to read one book a week…but I couldn’t wait. We read Chocolate Wars, The Outsiders, The Giver, and more.
I hadn’t read To Kill a Mockingbird until I taught it my first year teaching…and couldn’t have loved it more. (*Side note: I wanted Hadley’s name to be Harper, but Travis nixed that suggestion from the start. That being said, we did have a dog named Scout!)
As an adult some recent books that have stuck with me…
The Giver of Stars
We Were the Lucky Ones
American Dirt
Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive
Where the Crawdads Sing
I feel like I said, “I remember…” quite a bit in this post, but I have such fond memories of reading, connecting with a story line, empathizing with a character, and having the best feeling of not wanting a story to end.
Reading has changed my life in more ways than I can count.
showmeandsweettea.com 