Right Now

{reading} Romeo and Juliet. I have to teach it in a few weeks and I’m reading it with quite the flutter and trepidation in my heart. Those poor kids. But I have to say, I think Shakespeare got it right when he decided to make them fourteen instead of Brooke’s  Romeus and Juliet, who are sixteen. What other age group understands this sort of ridiculous passion then middle schoolers? Also, is it mean that I’m teaching the story in February? Love is rough kids. It makes you do some crazy things. You could die. Happy Valentine’s Day.

{keeping track of} the things I’ve been making for my Create365 Project.  It’s easy for me to mark off the days when I’ve written a blog post or started an essay, or even made lesson plans.  What I’m pushing myself to do though is create outside of my boundaries. So each morning, when the girls and I are frantic trying to get out the door because someone isn’t wearing the shoes she wants to wear, and another gal forgot to pack her lunch, and another one can’t find her keys, I have been trying to be aware of what I can create in those moments. I can create a frenzy in two seconds. That’s easy. What’s been difficult, and what I’ve been trying to do, is create peace and make the girls laugh in those moments. It’s a much better ride to school when I can do that. I also washi-taped a  garbage can, started latch-hooking, set up a reading corner in our bedroom, made Jesse an anniversary picture with each of the names of the streets we’ve lived on the past sixteen years, baked banana-crunch muffins and a candy bar pie.

{excited about} being asked to give a talk for an upcoming banquet at Washington Christian Academy, the school where I teach. I don’t want to jinx myself, but I am having so much fun writing this essay. I love me some public speakin’.

What should I wear?

{also excited about} being a part of a new website called Makes You Mom. If you click on the link I shared, you’ll see my name under “Contributing Writers.” No big deal. I’m up there with Laura Brown (she’s the publisher), Laura Boggess, and L.L. Barkat.   (It’s actually a huge deal: Barkat’s book, Rumors of Water, is one of my favorite books. Her words influenced me to think about how to be a writer and a mother, and begin thinking about graduate school.

Thanks for reading!

2008: Jesse and Hadley watch Sesame Street like Joey and Chandler.

2009: Hadley uses a glue stick for the first time and Harper sits in a swing and I swear is thinking, “Who the HELL invented this dumb ass thing? Get me out of it.”

2010: OH!! A trip to Colorado to see my college friends!  That was fun (hi Christina, Alison, and Valerie!!!).

2011: Just click on this link to see the first picture. It’ll be worth it. Also, check out one of the coolest apartments in Baltimore. I want to live in a warehouse turned apartment. That would be awesome.

2012: Taking out the trash. This is a favorite of mine.

2013: Watching Obama getting sworn in. I ought to read this one every day.

2014: I talk to Annie Dillard.