Honored

So lately I've been feeling a bit dissatisfied with the lack of cool programming, TEKS specific lessons, innovative tekkie projects, amongst other things (mostly work related) not going on in my library... Feeling overwhelmed with opening a new school (like I can never get caught up), worried that I'm just not doing everything I set out to do this school year....everything that I know my superiors were hoping for (based on my interviews)...

For example, it's National Library Week and did I plan anything? Not one measily little thing...I always had HUGE events during this special week in the past...so what's the deal now? TAKS testing is coming around again and I really had planned on getting the kids into the library for some FUN TAKS review...have I gotten to it? NOPE. And it's not like I've not been doing anything, I've been super busy, just not doing some of the great things I had planned.

So...why does my blog title read "Honored?" Well, much to my surprise.....today at our staff meeting, all of these feelings (all on the surface) suddenly went "POOF" when my principal announced that my staff selected me as a C-FB ISD V.I.P. ! (I guess they really do like what I'm doing, even though it's not enough in my mind.) What an honor! (And our acting superintendent was there to hear about it!) So, what does that mean exactly? I get recognized at a school board meeting with my peers present, have dinner with the big guys, get a cool plaque, and even get honored at a Texas Rangers Game....way cool! There is nothing more rewarding than being honored by your peers..your colleagues, especially when they are the ones you feel like you've been neglecting!

**Something off topic, but related to the library...one of my fifth grade classes came in today for a mini-lesson and project idea session on their upcoming book project using a historical fiction novel. I threw together a quick guide describing the genre and several booktalks via PPT, with the hopes of convincing them that learning about history through fiction could be really interesting. Well, as soon as I explained their project and told them the genre they'd be working with, I had several grunts, moans, and frowning faces. One in particular caught my eye...Paul (I adore Paul!) He had this look on his face that said, "Seriously, Mrs. Snead? You've got to be joking! I do not read about history, it's B-O-R-I-N-G" with an extra "awwwwwwww" thrown in to boot! It stopped me in the middle of my lesson...and right at that moment, I guaranteed Paul that he would find at least one book in my booktalks that would surely change his mind about historical fiction. (Doubtful, he shook his head "No" and I set out to prove my point.) I continued with my presentation and went quickly through about 15 novels, listening to "oooo's and ahhhh's" (excited ones!) and watched them make mental notes in their heads as to which ones they were going to grab from the shelves, but I paid special attention to Paul's reactions...and sure enough after hearing the synopisis for The Notorious Izzy Fink by Don Brown, I knew I'd had him, HOOK< LINE< and SINKER! He was the first out of his chair and bolted to the shelves to get his hands on that book. Will he be a satisfied reader? Who knows, but I do know that I made him stop and think about it long enough to capture his curiosity...we'll just have to wait and see! I've got my eye on you, Paul!**

Stuff like that.....that's what makes being a librarian meaningful!

Thank you to my colleagues for believing in what I do and stepping up to the plate every time I want to experiment with a new project!

Motherhood

You know how being away from your loved ones sometimes brings you closer to them? Last week I was away at TLA in Houston for the week while Jerry was the Mama...Although I talked to my babies every night before they went to bed (I have to talk to Ethan about his day, it's our special daily ritual), I longed to see them and hold them and I really missed our special bedtime rituals. I swear that Carson grew an inch or two while I was away and all of the sudden what used to be "his" word for "airplane" suddenly became "airplane", plain and clear. I missed listening to him describe the sky in "his" words. I missed him pointing to each of us and saying our names, "Mama," "Papa,", "Bruba (brother)," and "Jucha (Rusha)." I missed Ethan asking me about my day and about my kids at school. I missed looking at them in their eyes and telling them to have sweet dreams and that I would see them in the morning. I just plain missed them!

Being away from them made me realize how important the simple everyday rituals are to me...how much motherhood really means to me. Sometimes, I take for granted that they are children and will grow up so quickly. I do so by spending too much time working and worrying about getting everything "just so"...it's time to live my life for them and not for work. (Thanks, Kelli...)