Ten on Ten: July 2010

It's Ten on Ten time again.  Ten pictures over ten hours on the tenth of each month. I love this project.

Today was a hectic day so it was fun to document. Can't wait to see what everyone else shot today. If you haven't joined in, I hope you will next month.

2nd coat of paint

Breakfast

Groovy swim meet

Backstroke

Wrong Turn

Class

Research

Dinner Games

Big Ballerina's funky new fabric

Sweet Dreams, Good Night

Resolution #2: Check

I was searching online for a local photography class a new friend recently mentioned. I don't know what she was talking about because it's not listed anywhere on their site. Hate when that happens.

Buuuuuttttt, check out what I found instead....

Children's Picture Book Writing Workshop

This hands-on workshop introduces basic information about the craft of writing for children and will also delve in the business of publishing children's picture books. Participants will develop a picture-book manuscript, get feedback, and work to strengthen the story with revision. The workshop also provides an overview of the editing, illustration and publishing process. Students should bring their imagination along with their favorite children's book for discussion. 

A 6 week session beginning June 5
Open to: writers of all levels of experience 

I couldn't believe it. Months ago I searched for local writing classes and came up empty. Then, BAM! This bad boy flashes across my screen. You know me and signs. It must have been meant to be, right? What are the odds?  I mean, c'mon. I meet this new friend. I happen to ask her about her camera. She happens to mention these "mystery" photography classes. I happen to try to find them. The class session happens to start just when BSD will be starting vacation so I don't have to worry about child care. Blah, blah, blah.

The course description sounds comprehensive. I hope it's worthwhile. I've been hanging out on some really amazing writer's blogs (here, here, and here) so I'm feeling pretty smart that I know what's up. This will be me....

I'm going to know all the answers. I'll be the overachiever. I'm going to blow them all away with my brilliance and creativity. They're going to ask me to teach the next session.

Yeah, right. 

This is more likely....

I'll gather up my pathetic scraps of paper with ideas and quotes and slink into the room. Wondering who the other students are. What their "level of experience" is. Am I going to be the only one who's never completed a full manuscript? Do all of my ideas suck? Are they going to all head over to the coffee shop after class to listen to poetry readings, smoke clove cigarettes and laugh about "that mom who thinks she's going to write a children's book?"

At least I can complete the first assignment. There are a ton of picture books that I love. I just need to pick one favorite. Oh, and since I don't smoke, I'll get a cool beret so maybe my classmates will let me tag along after all.

Resolution #2: Check

An Author Came to our School

On Friday, I took the Little Ballerina to a school family night. It was advertised as an evening of storytelling by a "famous picture book author." While I thoroughly enjoyed it because she spoke a bit about being an author, the Little Ballerina and the rest of the under-7 crowd, and their parents, were not as enthralled.

I'm guessing this had a lot to do with the fact that our school advertised this as "an evening of storytelling," and what we got were lessons about writing. While the lessons were valuable, (to me as an adult) they sailed over the heads of the intended audience. Again, I'm sure this was the PTA pulling one of their famous bait and switches on us, and not the fault of the author. (As a 4 year PTA board member veteran, I should not be surprised, but I always get sucker punched by this fact at least once each year!)

So...here are a few bits of advice from a parent and former teacher for those who do school visits. (StoryQueen, if you're reading, I'd love your comments on this.) They probably seem insanely obvious, but after what we experienced, they may not be.

1. Introduce Yourself - Yes, you may have already spent the day at the school and the kids may already know who you are, but the parents don't. 
2. Know Your Audience - I'm assuming the PTA will tell you the age range of the students for a day visit, and it should match up with who is at the assembly. But, if you are there in the evening, you can't be sure what ages will show up. So, be over prepared. Have stories, lessons or activities ready for younger and older audiences and go with the one that matches the majority of your audience. 
3. Tell A Story - If you've been promoted as a "storyteller," please tell a story. If it's one of your own, even better. 
4. Engage the Audience -  If you can, have the group chant, sing, clap, move or repeat after you during the storytelling. If you can, bring audience members up to be part of the presentation as well. Ask the kids questions. Whatever works for you to get their attention and keep it.  
5. Work Out Who Will Take Care of Discipline - Unfortunately, there may be times where some children become unruly...and the parents of these little angels are nowhere to be found. Either be a master at drawing wandering attentions back into focus or make sure someone from the school will have your back and step in. You shouldn't have to stand up there, continually raising your voice, to be heard above the chaos. 
6. Have Your Books Available for Purchase - Even if you've sent home fliers ahead of time for families to buy books, bring extras along with you. If you don't read any of them to the audience, at least have them on display where families can see them and look at them. Be available at the end of your presentation to sign them. 

I hope this post is received in the spirit in which it is intended. In no way, am I saying that authors are incompetent and need my advice. Who the heck am I?!?!? Just someone who thinks that maybe someday she might like to find herself in front of an audience sharing something she wrote. And, if that day should come, these are just a few of the things I'd like to remember.

The Power of a Good Story

I spent the morning in the Little Ballerina's Kindergarten class helping out with the Fall Frolic which is secret code for Halloween party minus the costumes. Halloween is strictly taboo these days in the public school sector lest we all be branded heathens and witches.

The party celebration consisted of fun learning centers all with a Halloween theme. Taking full advantage of the fact that I've "been there done that" with my Big Ballerina, I scoped out the centers and raced for the one that most interested me....the picture books.

I recognized a few of the books, one being a great read aloud, but decided to try the ones I didn't know. I tried out 3 different titles on 3 separate groups, but they just couldn't compete with the other centers. The stories were sweet, but they were lacking that extra something, that "IT" factor, that makes them stand out from the rest. Even with my Little Ballerina's endorsement when her group arrived (That's my mom. She's a REALLY great reader!), these books weren't cutting it. After the first few pages I found myself reading to the backs of heads looking longingly over at the next center where they would drop ghosts and sort spiders.

Refusing to give up my belief that a good story is just as captivating as floating or sinking pumpkins, I picked up the tried and true picture book, The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything, and began to read. Sure enough, it wasn't long before I had my young charges clomping, clapping and wiggling along with me. We were having a ball and now the other groups were peering over at our table to see what fun they were missing. 


The timer rang signaling it was time to move on to the next center. My group looked over at their teacher with sad faces. "Can't we stayyyyy?" they begged. Mrs. Rose turned to me and said, "They're mesmerized!"

YES! Sweet victory! 

My chest puffed out a bit and visions of being crowned the next StoryQueen danced in my head. When I came back down to earth, I knew it wasn't ME that had captured their attention. It was the power of a good story. 

I Spy....

Hidden in the littlest ballerina's (aka The Kleptomaniac) playroom can you find?

- a pair of pink Tweezerman tweezers (my eyebrows will be forever grateful)

- one 1/4 carat diamond stud earring (I really don't want to pierce my nose to have a use for the other one)

- an old sippy cup of milk (it's either that or a dead rodent causing the stench in there)

- one purple dog leash (left behind from the last time she held Ruby hostage to play Barbies)

- a tiny pair of sharp silver scissors (the clumps of blond hair she cut from her head with them don't count)

- one $35 DS game (Mommy has a headache listening to the big ballerina whine incessantly about its disappearance)

- one baby molar (the Tooth Fairy needs it back)