Thank goodness summer is coming. I have lapsed in my writing a bit, putting it to the back burner during this stressful month of June. Still, today I had several reminders of how wonderful writing is, and how much I am itching to get back to it, in more plentiful and meaningful time frames. Summertime affords me that luxury.

I am moving my classroom, yet again this year. It is like those Dos Equis advertisements, "Stay thirsty my friends," but in my case it is "Stay packed up my friends!" I did leave many things boxed up from my move last year from third grade to fourth, figuring I'd be shuffled around once again this year. Low and behold, I ended up being left in my fourth grade level this time, but still, I am moving rooms. Figures. Part of me just wants to ship the already packed boxes on down to the new room, but then another part, today, started to go through and hoe through once again, thinning out books. That is when it occured to me how very many childrens' books there are out there. You could go either way with this thought. I mean you could say there are so many out there who needs one more, and in my moving frenzy I might agree with you. But instead I am going to say, heck, what is one more! There has to be room at the table for me.

Then, I came home, and realized both my kids had brought home their writing folders/notebooks. Gwynn, my soul mate of writing, brought home the most beautiful folder, filled to the brim with beautifully written pieces, and readily handed it to me wanting me to read it all RIGHT that very moment! Devin, on the other hand, absentmindedly left his 7th grade writing prompt journal on top of the dog kennel, in the laundry room, where I, furtively, read it. It was such a peek inside his 13 year old mind. He is such a centered kid, with such great ideas, and, even though we annoy him at times, he is so bonded to us, regularly writing about how much he values his family, and in particular Tim for the time he spends with him. (I figure in, most often, as the person who cooks him good food!) I was struck by his insight and, once again, was floored by the power of the written word.

I am thankful, tonight, for this, and thankful for the summertime of writing that is ahead of me.