The big move is getting very close, and a little frightening. When I think about it I have to take a quick deep breath. It's not like I don't know what to expect in Sioux Falls, but maybe more because I do. I'm picturing myself in my new house, and loving that, but everything else is sort of blank. Like I've said before I get pictures in my mind that go with words, and when I think of "new job" and "new friends" and "church" it's all blank. I recognize the uneasiness though, after moving so much, as a mix of excitement and anticipation. There's always the hope that the blank space will be filled by something better than you would have guessed. I can't think about it any more right now though.

I finished reading Gathering Blue a couple nights ago, and loved it. I was hesitant to pick it up because the title sounded to me like it would be a dog book, and that it would have the normal dog book plot: dog is found in a sad state, nursed to health, does something amazing to endear itself to owner, and dies. Ick.

But, there are no dogs. Well, one, named Branchie, but he doesn't really enter into the plot. Anyway, if you liked The Giver, I'd highly recommend it. If you haven't read The Giver, read that one first. I have to say though, the end of Gathering Blue disappointed me. Though Lois Lowry is of course entitled to writing her own ending, I would have done it differently. There is something just so unsatisfying with Kira staying in the Council Edifice, especially after the gruesome description of the leg braces on the singer. Has anyone read The Messenger, which supposedly completes the trilogy?

In other book related news, I had a great teaching moment today. I know I'm doing something right when the kids don't want to stop reading. We're reading Freak the Mighty in 7th grade, and at one point I decided I wanted to have the kids just listen to me read for the rest of class. They're not great readers, and so I wanted them to just hear the story for a while. I asked them to close their books, and they freaked out. Seriously, they were like "noooo!" and "It's just getting so good!"

That was great. When they finally all had them closed and I told them I was going to read to them, there was a sigh of relief. And this afternoon, after school I found a girl sneaking a book out of the box so she could read it during study hall. It was a great moment.

My kids also promised to reenact the scene where Freak and Max parade around the classroom chanting, and scare the teacher until she hides behind her desk. They said they want to do it to the new Language Arts teacher. I've made them promise to let me know how it goes.