Hello, friends!
As usual, I am struggling to post on time… which is why we are almost 3 weeks late on our April update. This time of year is always busy in school, no matter what age or grade you are. Let’s get into it!
to create
I expressed last month that I was struggling with my novel. Still true! Actually, I have struggled so much I decided to put it on pause. The restructuring that I’m thinking of doing is going to take some major creative energy, which I do not have right now, especially after all the edits, reoutlining, and drafting I’ve done on this story in the past couple years. I’ve gotten to the point of feeling more dread than joy when I think about it, so I’m taking a break to refresh my creative well. When I’ve gotten some distance and feel excited to think about it, I will make my slow return, starting with an evaluation of the structural changes, then a new outline and new draft.
To refresh my creativity, I’m currently developing a fantasy YA series–a vastly different direction from my literary historical fiction stand-alone. Despite the genre of my most recent WIP, fantasy is actually my favorite to read and write, and YA is my preferred age. This particular story has gone through many iterations and changes for easily the past 10 years that it has lived in my head, and recently I feel like I nailed down the direction I want to go with it. Over the past year, I’ve been quietly brainstorming and visualizing, via plotting and Pinterest boards. Now that I can give it the attention it deserves, I’m diving into the world building and character crafting. I’m having a lot of fun with it, just going with the flow of casual inspiration. Hopefully I’ll even be able to start drafting soon, because I am itching to tell this story.
One blog post from last month, with a combo March and April stories coming soon (I hope).
to work
April is basically a warm-up for testing in May. At the beginning of the month, we had FSA Writing and 3rd Grade ELA. We all got to go through the testing process a couple times, before cracking down the following month. Testing is super boring for teachers, since you can’t do anything but stare at students and maybe read parts of the test to them if they have accommodations. Other than that, it’s pure boredom.
In other news, I officially passed the ELA 6-12 exam, as I got my writing scores back at the beginning of April. I was very relieved to pass, since I pride myself on being a writer. It feels good to have that certification under my belt, even if I don’t use it immediately. At least I know I am capable of passing (especially since I later learned that test has a 57% pass rate).
Due to a new potential opportunity at the school, I also had to sign up to take the Elementary Education K-6 exam, which encompasses 4 subtests on ELA, math, social studies, and science at the elementary level. More on that in May.
to live
April 2&3: Early Easter
Since Ray’s sister, Sydney, decided to abandon us in April, in favor of staying with their dad in North Carolina for a month, we had an early Easter celebration. This featured a dinner (and dog birthday party) with their mom, followed by a brunch with their dad, before the two packed their bags and their dogs and drove north. Not sure what any of this had to do with Easter, aside from some chocolate eggs at dinner, but any event that involves either a dog in a party hat or Keke’s Breakfast Cafe is a win for me.
April 4: Maple’s first Easter
Becoming a bunny owner this close to Easter was a pretty bold move. Stores are covered in cute bunny decor for the holiday and obviously I want it all. One essential item we had to purchase was an Easter basket for Maple to get cute pictures in. Did he want to eat the basket? A little. Was he a challenging model to work with? Somewhat. Were the pictures worth it? 1000%.
April 6: Vaccine second shot
I got my second shot of Moderna at the beginning of April! As we know, shot #2 is much more difficult than its predecessor. Ray and I both got our shots and took the following day off work. And it’s a good thing we did.
Ray was much more pitiful than I was, since she woke up with a 102 fever. I was able to get us breakfast and take care of the animals before my fever/fatigue hit. Fortunately, we got plenty of Vitamin Water and microwave meals at Publix the day before, immediately following our shot. We both basically slept all day, with her fever progressively going down and mine going up, then back down. But we managed to eat meals and drink fluids, which was the most impressive part. By the end of the day, we were fine and able to work the next day. Still, quite an adventure.
April 18: Epcot Flower and Garden Festival
I used one of my 3 remaining days to go to Epcot this month! I love Epcot, it’s just such a relaxing vibe, while still being entertaining. Ray and I started at the Seas pavilion for some aquarium viewing, then made our way over to Living with the Land. Orange Bird sippers were a must (especially since the drink was Divine). We stopped by many lovely topiaries and flowers on the way to the World’s Showcase. We always spend the most time in France, Morocco, and Japan, so we took many cute pictures. We enjoyed a Margherita flatbread in Italy, and bubble tea/lemonade in China. Then we went to Mousegears for the festival merch, since there was plenty of Orange Bird and Figment goodies. The day ended with a ride on Nemo and an obligatory Joffrey’s trip. Day 2 of the 4 day pass was an all-around success.
Thus ends April! By the time this posts, I will have to immediately begin on my May reflection, I’ll already be well behind on my Stories of March and April post. Will it be a triple combo? Only time will tell.
School is winding down and I am so very ready for summer. Tell me about your spring in the comments!
That’s all for now. Thanks for reading!
Jayda Louise 