Every Weekend Should Be a Three-Day Weekend: Feeling Accomplished And Ready for the Months to Come

I left the twins at home. Chitunga went to work after I dropped him off at the train station. I went into the office and I said, "Let me at 'em."

By them, I was referring to the piles and piles and piles of papers all over my office: stacks of data, copies of articles, compilations of thought, and ideas for new writing projects. The trouble has been, however, that teaching, providing profession development, grading, service, and committee work has gotten in the way. This fall, however, I am free of all this and I can write!

Funny that I'm the Director of the Connecticut Writing Project and yet I have little, if any, time to write. The sabbatical will be a gift indeed and I can't wait to nerd out behind the keyboard on a daily basis.

So much of my work has been physical: in front of K-12 teachers and their students, running around town stocking up on supplies for this or that event or conference, and running our summer programs. That is why I got physical with the material yesterday and spread my materials in three open classrooms and amongst several bins I brought for the job. I sorted and categorized the materials I saved for the pieces I hope to write (besides the book I want to begin with Chitunga.)

In the meantime, after this week I have four more weeks of teacher institute to lead and another five weeks to host almost a dozen young adult literacy labs.

AND more importantly (in the meantime), Happy 4th of July from my home to yours. Not sure what got into Abu, Lossine, and Chitunga, but they brought their patriotism out on the 3rd (as well as confessionals about shaving...43 years olds and I'm still learning). I do know, though, that America means much more to me now that I know their histories and their respect for our nation.