Bookish (and not so Bookish) Thoughts

 

In the last two months since I posted on of these I've been busy! Most notable was our trip to Zion and Bryce Canyon NPs for spring break. I'm a forest kind-of-girl, but I loved a new adventure (I've been to Zion one other time, but specifically for the Subway Hike, which is on a different side than where we were this time). The first day we were there we had a lot of rain and snow, which we hiked through, and the other two days were perfection. Typically we go to Yosemite this time of year, but after the insane amount of snow this winter I didn't feel like attempting the water-logged park. I rescheduled for the fall, which will be a perfect break when the time comes. 

Sawyer and I also went up to the Bay Area to visit my sister for a weekend and had a great time. My mom joined us for a few hours, too, which was an added bonus.

That same weekend my other sister had a baby! She was still in the hospital when we were nearby, so I didn't detour to visit (they were only allowed one visitor the whole time!), but, honestly, newborns are a little boring. I rather go this summer when she's smiling and they have their routine a little more worked out. 

I went to an event at LA Public Library recently with Emily St. John Mandel and it was so good. She's so quirky and intelligent, without an ounce of pretention. She mentioned the fact that occasionally people tattoo lines from her book on them and how it was flattering, so I stayed in the signing line for the second time EVER to show her and have a book signed. She took a picture and put it on her social! If it had had my face in it I may have been slightly horrified, but more than anything it was just a testament to Daniel Winter's amazing skills. 

It really is the season for literary events! I am going to see Cheryl Strayed this week and Saturday is the LA Times Festival of Books. I have my panel passes ready to go for a few friends and I- I can't wait. (Sawyer is going to Disneyland with his best friend that day, which will be his first real big outing away from us, so it's good that I have something to distract me... I trust the family COMPLETELY, but what if there is a natural disaster and he gets separated and- you get the gist). 

My students just finished reading Macbeth and it was such a great experience this year. I really worked to vary the different ways we consumed the text (group, independent, audiobook, teacher read-alouds, and film) and the kids seemed to get SO much from it. I have incorporated all those elements before, but most days we were doing ALL forms, so the periods just flew by. I can't believe that we finish this play in the next week or two and then move on to our last work of the semester (which we'll have to hustle through, because....)

... there are only six weeks of school left! I cannot believe it! Except, I kind of can. This summer is packed full of travel and fun. I am so thankful I submitted our passport paperwork back in February (we go to Europe in mid-July), since it sounds like things are getting pretty crazy. I'll be nervous until I have both in my hands, but at least I didn't procrastinate. 

Sawyer's birthday is soon- he's going to be nine already! We have lots of fun things in store for him and the fact that he's not wrapped up in it makes it even more tempting to spoil him. We don't really do parties for him, but an art-lesson company that his school contracts through is going to do a project with his class and we have a special weekend away planned, too.