a little leopard, a lot of books

tee, Gap

jeans, Banana Republic Factory Store

leopard print belt, thrifted 

necklace, eBay

     It's been much too long since I wore this necklace. I added the leopard-print belt because it seemed to go well with the mustard/goldenrod color in the necklace.

     I've listened to some really great audiobooks lately. The last one I finished was "Operation Yes" by Sara Lewis Holmes. I had read the book this year, and really enjoyed it - it's a great story about the power of art, and the positive changes that a teacher can trigger, and its setting in an elementary school which serves kids from military families reminded me of the school I work for. One great thing about the audiobook is that the reader's voice really captured the North Carolina setting, which only added to my enjoyment of a familiar story.
     Currently, I'm listening to "The Age of Miracles" by Karen Thompson Walker.  This is the first audiobook that I've listened to "cold" - I usually read the book first, then listen to the audio version.  I've always hesitated to encounter a book for the first time in audio form, partly because I derive so much more enjoyment from absorbing a story from a printed page vs. by ear. I also think I am much more of a visual vs. auditory person, but using audiobooks seems to be balancing things out. Walker's book has a great premise - the main character, Julia, is 11 when humanity figures out that Earth is undergoing what's called "the slowing" - the slowing rotation of the planet leads to increasingly longer days and nights. This results in all kinds of interesting effects - the birds are the first to succumb, and crops begin to require exceedingly expensive greenhouses equipped with lights that keep the plants alive during long periods of darkness. It's not what I'd call a fast-paced book at all (which I suppose is fitting, given the premise!) but I think the author captures really well Julia's loneliness and the travails of middle school.

return of the maxi

essential tee, Gap

necklace and INC skirt, Macy's

     Sorry for the slightly blurry face, but at least my outfit appears to be in better focus. ;) After languishing in my closet for a while, this maxi skirt is getting some use! So is this navy tee, which has also been surprisingly unloved. Is there anything better than pairing up two underused items of clothing for one outfit? Well, besides brownies, and true love, and a fresh pile of library books ... 

    Speaking of books, my class has reached a milestone - we just started the last read-aloud of the year! Previous read-alouds we enjoyed were "Silverwing," "Gregor the Overlander," and "The Golden Compass." It was a close race between the sequel to "Compass" and "Frindle," but "Frindle" edged out the competition, mostly because I pointed out that it would be tough to read a 326-page book by the end of May, while they had an excellent chance of hearing all of the much shorter "Frindle." At home, I've just started diving into "Daughter of Smoke and Bone," and have been enjoying it so far. I like to read before bed, and have been going to bed a little later than planned because I have trouble putting it down.

     Time seems to speed up as we approach the end of the school year. We're just about done with state testing, but I plan to spend a good part of my weekend putting together a mandatory binder about my math instruction and student data. The binder is just one component of a slew of new state-wide requirements for teachers. While I think the requirements need streamlining, I have to acknowledge that I've learned a lot from being required to look closely at my students' performance.  

P.S.: When I titled this post, this song randomly popped into my head ...