Joy to the Fishes

"Joy to the world/ To all the boys and girls/ Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea/ Joy to you and me." - "Joy to the World" by Three Dog Night

Today was our first field trip of the summer! We went to the aquarium, the girls' choice, and had a great time. They both got a kick out of petting the sting rays and we saw two seals kissing. How do you respond to a four-year-old's question of why would anyone, even a seal, do something so yucky? I got some great pictures too. I'll try and add one to my post later since I forgot my USB cable at home. Grr! I will also use a picture or two for a gift I making for them. At the end of the summer I will present them with a scrapbook that will have a photo from every single day we spent together this summer, which I think they'll really enjoy. It will be a fun project for me too!

Guess what? I have passed my love of writing on to another generation! The six-year-old I teach is an excellent writer (I know I may be biased, but I think this kid has a natural gift!) and she wants to write reports and stories about everything! It's so cool to share something so special with her. She wants to write a book with me this summer, so I think we will start working on a collaborative picture book (me and both girls) after they get back from their grandparents' in a few weeks. I bet that will be quite a bit different from working on my Willow novels! Wish me luck!

Ah, my Willow novels. I was just thinking the other day how much Willow has grown throughout this series, from starting off as a scared but determined 17-year-old, pregnant and alone, to the strong woman and mother she has become four years later. I wish she was real. We could grab a cup of her favorite vanilla cinnamon coffee or a spicy tamale from Paco's Tacos and hang out at the beach in Santa Elena. Okay, enough silly daydreaming. I can see the end in sight for book four, which is bittersweet. I always get just a little sad when a book comes to an end, even though it's a huge high to finish a novel and it gives me a great sense of accomplishment. It's kind of a mixed trip I guess. I know exactly where the rest of the story is going now, and I hope to get some writing done this weekend. Only five work days left until my two week vacation though, and then the writing will really take off! I can't wait!