Enjoying the Holidays #IMWAYR December 16, 2013

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme began by Sheila at Book Journeys as a way to share what you read and/or reviewed the previous week and what is in store for the upcoming week. It's also a great chance to see what others are reading. I first learned about it at Teach Mentor Texts. 

Last week, I hosted my annual "Christmas Card" to the community. I hosted a Family Reading Celebration filled with story-times, crafts, special guest appearances, and lots of families. It was lovely and so much fun. I found myself dreading to write my It's Monday post so I took a mental vacation from writing. I am taking a partial mental vacation today too. With so many distractions lately-work, projects, presentations, Christmas shopping and holiday parties etc. there are not enough hours in the day to meet the demand. so I can either stress out or give myself permission to enjoy the moment. I choose the latter and I feel so happy with my decision. Life is enjoyable and stress free. I am still crazy busy with my two jobs and committee meetings but I am not letting it control me. 

I am focusing heavily on reading and reviewing the books on the Texas Bluebonnet Award master list 2013-2014.  I am reading aloud all the nominated picture books, helping my students finish up their Bluebonnet Book Club projects, and dropping big hints to Bluebonnet Trivia Contest questions. I made it tougher this year. Students have to read five of the nominated titles to vote in the electronic voting process but to receive an invitation to the Bluebonnet Breakfast, they must read eight books and compete five book projects. Students have a full year to reach this goal. 

Assemble your own dinosaur activity.

Here are some really good resources for Barnum's Bones

Want to learn more about Barnum's Bones, check out Tracey Fern's author website

Barnum's Bones Teaching Guide by Tracey Fern

This is such a terrific biography about a boy named after the famous circus entrepreneur  P. T. Barnum who grew up with a passion for fossil hunting that eventually led to the discovery of the world's most famous dinosaur-the Tyrannosaurus  Rex. What a flamboyant and debonair character he must have been. Snappy dresser, dancer, and with a nose for finding fossils. The students thoroughly enjoyed listening and asking questions about Barnum Brown and fossil hunting. They made excellent connections to what they were learning in science. We will be using the "Assemble your own Dinosaur" activity that Webb Elementary librarian, Lisa Trevino shared with me at one of our Librarian Meet Ups. She is a really cool librarian and she always has great ideas to share. 

I also read many holiday themed books this week. Here are some favorites:

Snow Bunny's Christmas Wish was predictable but we all still loved it because it turned out the way we wanted it to. Sometimes, predictable is OK as long as we are satisfied with the way it makes us feel.  

Time to go watch the Survival Finale and flip back and forth to Masterpiece Theater's Downton Abbey season 3. I can hardly wait for the January premier of season 4.