Celebrate National Reading Month! Start with Dr. Seuss

It's National Reading Month! And the month always kicks off with a Happy Birthday shout-out to Dr. Seuss.

As I mentioned in my snow-day post last week, there is reportedly a new Dr. Seuss coming out, What Pet Should I Get?  In anticipation of the book and to burn some snow-day time, my little one, Nat, wrote her own version of rhyme about selecting a pet.  She let me share it with you, but wanted to do so in her own handwriting, along with her cover of the ever-popular Cat in the Hat (above).

I also want to say "thanks!" to the National Education Association (that's your teachers, or at least some of them) for a 25th Anniversary edition of Oh, The Places You'll Go!  I received my first copy years ago as I graduated from the University of Delaware, a gift from my dorm assistant.  As a high school teacher, I gave copies to graduating students and even read it aloud in class (don't believe the myth that kids get too old to read to - nothing like reading Dr. Seuss to 17-year olds.)  Since one copy already sits on my shelf, I'm passing this one on to a local elementary school principal who I've worked with as a volunteer in our county PTA.  He's never been my own child's principal, but in visiting his school and meeting with him, I know he has a great energy and spirit and commitment to making his kids successful, including a STEM lab in his school, college visit field trips and an undefeated basketball team, so that they will have many options for the places that they will go.

Happy reading!

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Currently… Taking Advantage of a 2-Hour Delay

Last week, I was crossing my fingers for a snow day. It was my tired mother’s plea for the closest I’m going to get to a vacation for a while.  On Tuesday, we got one.  Then a “no after school activities” day and – here’s a new one – a Saturday snow day where everything, most importantly, my son’s swimmeet, was cancelled.  Today, we have a 2-hour delay.  It’s easy to laze about for the extra time, but here’s how I’m making the two hours productive.

Sleep in just a little bit. The kids would love to sleep an extra two hours, but that really throws off their schedule. And then our whole scramble awake, sleepily get washed up and dressed, rush through breakfast, forget our lunchbox and run out the door routine gets pushed back two hours. So I let them sleep in a little, about an hour for the high schooler since she (we) get up so dang early on a regular day.

Get a few chores done. The extra time in the morning is great for getting in a load of laundry, cleaning rooms, taking out the trash.  And finding those papers that are due back to school today.

Rhyming. Dr. Seuss’s birthday is March 2 and his family is releasing a new book, What Pet Should I Get? in July.  Writing a Seuss-style rhyme is a fun way to fill the morning (and shhh…work on writing skills and creativity).  Inspired by The Guardian posted rhyming challenge.

Cooking breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  With the extra time this morning, I cooked grits (yumm!) and bacon for breakfast, made spaghetti for lunch, and have already started dinner.  The collards are on the stove, the roast is in the oven.  These were going to go in the crockpot while I was out today, but I’m cooking them the old-fashioned way since I’m home a little longer.  Imagine – dinner might hit the table before 8 pm.

Writing. An all-day in-school event was cancelled due to the delay so that opens up my day until this afternoon. Here’s to making these found hours productive.

What do you do with your 1 or 2 hours school delays?

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