End of February reflections

Life has been busy.  I had my birthday last Friday.  My very last one in my 30s.  That seems strange to me.  I do not feel what I always thought 40 would feel like, nor do I feel like I look 40 in the same way as the generation ahead of me looked like at 40.  Regardless, I guess I have one more year to be young and fabulous.
Natalie has her field trip today for her project based learning assignment in 2nd grade.  I love, love, love this unit they are doing.  It is based on disabilities; they are learning to celebrate differences and have empathy.  All of the teachers are reading Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper as a read aloud.  Out of My Mind is a wonderful book that I would highly recommend for kids of all ages and adults as well. The main character has cerebal palsy and can not communicate on her own, but she is literally trapped in her head.  She can not tell anyone all that she knows until a smart student teacher realizes that all she needs is a communication board to demonstrate what she knows.  There are heartbreaking moments in the book, but it is an important lesson for all of us.