Rambling

I am SO ready for preschool to start so I have some quiet writing time during the DAY when I have half a chance of thinking! I have tons of half-started ideas, but no time to work on them. The good news is that the kids are going to bed earlier since the elementary school is back in session now.

A's second grade class is using the new Harcourt (2005) reading textbooks. She brought hers home tonight. HOW COOL! The stories are by major authors and illustrators, great multi-subject tie-ins, author and illustrator bios, writing instruction. WOW! I never had such awesome books. This is the first time I've seen any of our textbooks, so I'm experiencing all that wonder and excitement that comes with having a reader and writer in school...using real books! So, before I go to bed, I'm skimming the whole book...just in case it doesn't come home again. (Anyone who leaves their book at home tomorrow loses their whole recess! GASP!)

Last night was back to school night. The night where the parents go to school and sit in those little chairs and hear about the curriculum and expectations for the year. They were short a room parent, so I volunteered. The teacher said I can take S and K with me to the parties. We received the district's handout on the curriculum.

Right before I left for the meeting, I had an email converstation about non-fiction writing. Writing non-fiction sounds like a good idea, but I just never feel I have those deep, scholarly ideas that non-fiction books require. So, I'm reading the curriculum sheet and EUREKA! It's full of story ideas! It listed each subject and what the kids were expected to learn in that subject. Instead of just listing that kids would study liquids, solids and gasses, it explained what they should learn. Obvious? Maybe. But, it looked like someone handed me a list of 20 + non-fiction story topics to research!

Another A brag: she was one of only 3 kids in her class who got all 18 words right on the spelling pre-test this week. And, she came home and FORCED me to sit still so she could read to me from her textbook. If you remember how much we struggled learning to read last year, you'll realize what a big deal this is. So, she received five extra "challenge" words. And, after tonight's study session, has all those down too! YEA! (Oh, she's already talking about entering spelling bees like our very-close-to-being-a-national-champ neighbor girl---who will also have an article published in Jack and Jill this year as their National Spelling Bee correspondent!)

I've also recently become OBSESSED with finding a way to help promote the work of Kansas authors and illustrators. More on this later. I have a big research project planned for September...and I'll need lots of help from all my writer friends!

Oh, and I almost forgot--we started that website inspired by the Perfect Man book. We're publishing it to our home network for now. A has decided to put her photography there, "and, don't you think I should put a new game up there each week too?" she says. Right now, we're using Front Page because that's what I have. Does anyone know of a kid friendly photo editor, or even some web software that's more kid friendly than FP?

Do you ever listen to the Hit List on the cable system's digital music channels? I'm in such a summer party mood now. Not good for 10 p.m. with hours of work left!

Life is good. With so much to do tonight, why am I still blogging?

Bye.