“Then my heart with pleasure fills
And dances with the daffodils.”
―
There are two places that I simply must visit in late winter and early spring when things begin to bloom. These are Magnolia Plantation and Gardens located in Charleston, South Carolina and
“Play is the highest form of research.”
―
One of my favorite times of each school day is recess.
As the demands of the academic program have become more and more rigorous for first graders during my tenure, recess is one thing that has remained constant. Recess is a time when kids can be kids. I am always so amazed at the abundance of energy that
“I love spring anywhere, but if I could choose I would always greet it in a garden. ”
-Ruth Stout
Although the calendar does not show that it is spring, signs of spring are all bursting forth where I live in the Carolinas. Daffodils are breaking through the surface of the soil, pink blossoms are covering the trees, and
“I like to compare the holiday season with the way a child listens to a favorite story. The pleasure is in the familiar way the story begins, the anticipation of familiar turns it takes, the familiar moments of suspense, and the familiar climax and ending.”
―
Holiday celebrations are such a big part of first grade. It seems there is
“You can’t crawl back in the dollhouse–
You’ve gotten too
big to
get in.
You’ve got to live here
Like the rest of us do.
You’ve got to walk roads
That are winding and new.
But oh, I wish I could
Crawl back with you
Into the dollhouse again.”
―
The dollhouse has been in my classroom for years now. It is a favorite choice for my students when we have indoor recess. It has seen many hands and has lost a door and pieces of furniture along the way. The lack of perfection doesn’t deter the students from selecting the dollhouse as a place to spend quality time.
I thought the dollhouse would be an important picture to include in my project 900 Days of School in which I
“It always rains on tents. Rainstorms will travel thousands of miles, against prevailing winds for the opportunity to rain on a tent.”
―
Two years ago, during the winter, I took a huge leap (for me) and joined some great friends and fellow photographers on a weekend primitive camping trip to Capers Island. That weekend turned out to be one of the best experiences of my life. I wrote a post about that trip upon my return. If you would like to read about it, you can do that here.
Last year, I was greatly anticipating joining the same group to spend another weekend on the island. Unfortunately,
“We should all start to live before we get too old. Fear is stupid. So are regrets.”
―
Last night, as the lunar eclipse show began, I sat working at my computer. I had a list of reasons why I was not planning to photograph the eclipse. These reasons included:
But…
“Skiing combines outdoor fun with knocking down trees with your face.”
―
This past weekend, my family and I finally went on a ski weekend that we have tried unsuccessfully for one reason or another to take for the past three years. This year, it finally worked out. We packed the car Friday, after work, and headed to Snowshoe Mountain, West Virginia.
This trip was especially important to me since
