Keeping the Kleenex Close

After hearing this story on NPR on Sunday, I can't get the song out of my head.


Oooh child.
Things are gonna get easier.
Oooh child.
Things'll get brighter.
Ooh child

Things are gonna get easier.
Oooh child.
Things'll get brighter.
Ooh child

Someday we'll get it together and we'll get it undone
Someday when the world is much brighter
Someday we'll walk in the rays of a beautiful sun
Someday when the world is much lighter

I'm feeling so lost these past few days.
The box of Kleenex is never too far from my reach. I wish it didn't have to be.

Places are opening up and yet I'm not sure I am ready to go anywhere.
Every hour the news changes.  For the worse.

Four book birthday parties this week. A National Doughnut Day raffle happening now with doughnut deliveries by me on Friday to the winners.  Is it frivilous?  Maybe? But it makes my students smile and we could all use that right now. I know when I see them on meets I grin from ear to ear.

Every Monday morning I begin with a read aloud in Mrs. Kosinski's first grade class.  This week I chose, Smriti Halls's I'm Sticking with You (illustrated by Steve Small). Love it. Bear and Squirrel are friends and do everything together until Squirrel wants a little space. Somehow it hit a nerve. I read it before the class and cried. I thought I got the tears all out.  Nah. Maybe the kids didn't notice the frog that showed up. Tari, like Squirrel, is ready for a little more room.  But unlike Squirrel, she won't be coming back. Breathe, I tell myself..."Who shares their very last chocolate with me?...We fit together like bugs in a rug. Like jam in a doughnut..." I'm going to miss her so much. Good thing the tissues are huddled just under my elbow.



On another note, check out this free download from Smriti. It's a beautiful picture book with a message we could all use right now. "Dark days may shake us. Worries creep in. With dragons to duel. And battles to win."

However you can, fight the battle. Protest. Read. Donate. Write. Talk. Paint. Listen. Express Yourself. Vote. Love. We're in this together. Things are gonna get easier. Things'll get brighter.

In the meantime, keep your Kleenex close.

Make New Friends but Keep the Old

Can you believe tomorrow is May?  Where did April go?  In normal times, we would be putting the finishing touches on our Gala planning.  Fifth graders would be finishing up their artwork.  First graders would be sharing the timeline with older students.  Third graders would be helping me transform the library into an event space. Kindergartners would be proudly gluing the last pieces onto their research boards. Every day a fact about Loren Long would be mentioned on the morning announcements.  All I would be thinking about would be May 14.  The only thing I wouldn't be worrying about yet would be my dress.  Too soon for last-minute-me. The earliest I would begin my desperate search would be next weekend.

Not all is lost, though. Stay tuned.  I have many ideas to make that day still special.

An Old Friend

But speaking of Loren, check this out 👇

Tonight on Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, she read Loren's There's a Hole in the Log on the Bottom of the Lake. How cool is that?!

Activity sheets with music, lyrics and more  to pair with the book were also posted.  Love it!

New Friends

I met Loren back in 2015. Today I "met" well, they didn't really meet me but I fell hard for them via Facebook and Instagram live events.

At 10:30, Raul the Third read his Vamos! Let's Go Eat! He was so much fun and made us all hungry!  I took copious notes of the places he recommended in the Boston area since my cousins live out that way.  First there was Tenoch and the Painted Burro both in Somerville, MA. There was some other place in Medford, MA that I didn't catch and Bowie Bakery in El Paso, TX. Si! I was paying attention! Oh, you didn't know? Today's post is part restaurant recommendations compliments of Raul the Third lol.

Speaking of the restaurants, check out this mural by Raul at the Painted Burro. Now I want to go there even more.  Hmmm...I think Raul needs to come to Castleton and inspire some wall painting like Rafael Lopez did last year....

Raul was so great. He read his book. Played with a tortilla 👉and drew for us. I even followed along and I am not an artist one bit.

This activity guide from Versify is amazing! It has a recipe, coloring page, hand puppet cutouts and even a matching game with Spanish vocabulary. I'm hooked!  Will you be my friend, Raul?  If you say yes, I'll promise to treat you to a taco of your choice!

Since it's all about the food in this post, here's the recipe for Mexican corn (which I personally love!)

At 11:15 (and this is embarrassing to say), an unfamiliar author, read two of her books aloud on Instagram Live.  If you read this in time, maybe you can watch it.  She was so sweet and I want her to be my friend asap! She mentioned she has at least one teenager so we can definitely swap stories about that over coffee (or something stronger lol).

Smriti Halls was so genuine and real.  First she read her book, Elephant in my Kitchen!  Who knew it would be a book we could have read last week to celebrate Earth Day! What a clever surprise at the end!  Definite purchase!

Then she read us the best seller, I Love You Night and Day.  Good thing she did.  Up till then, I hadn't cried yet today.  I couldn't help myself.  The kids and I all agreed that we want to read more of Smriti's books. I am putting them on my to purchase list.


Next week she is having a book birthday for I'm Sticking with You. This one also sounds perfect for today's times. I wrote in my notes, "Bear wants a bit more space."  Period. As much as we love all the people we live with, I think we can all relate.

So I'm ready to get tacos with Raul the Third and coffee (or?) and sweets with Smriti.  Wine and dine them so speak so they can't say no to Castleton and of course, tons of leaps. Hey! Loren has taken many leaps and promises he will come to Castleton when it is safe. So, please, Raul and Smriti, won't you come into my world, too! xo