Going to sleep...

"Would you like me to get the fairy dust?" I asked. My sweet daughter looked up at me from my arms, smiled, and nodded. Her eyes began to shine in the dim light of the room. She was two years old and had a sweet and loving disposition. She seemed ready to for anything and at night time, while I was rocking her to sleep, I could truly believe that magic was in the bedroom.
"Okay. Let me get it from my pocket," I started the nighttime ritual of pretending to dig in a pretend pocket for the fairy dust I would use. I held up my hand so Jessica could see that it was full of fairy dust. She looked up as I began to sprinkle it across her face, "Sprinkle! Sprinkle! Sprinkle! Sprinkle!"
Sometimes she would help me by sprinkling her own hands across her face, trying to imitate me. Tonight she just drank her milk from her sippy cup, content to let me sprinkle.
Soon the fairy dust was gone and I began to sing,
"Your eyes are getting sleepy,
Your eyes are getting sleepy,
Your eyes are getting sleepy,
Good night good night good night.

Your eyes are getting sleepy,
Your eyes are getting sleepy,
Your eyes are getting sleepy,
Good night good night good night."

Not surprisingly, Jessica whispered, "'Gain!"
With a smile, I reached in my pocket for more fairy dust. Three more times and her eyes began to glaze over as sleep stole across her face. I rocked her for a minute more, marveling at the miracle I was privileged to hold in my arms.
"I love you sweetheart." I whispered.
"I wove you mommy." She replied faintly. Her face settled into peaceful slumber. I kissed her forehead and set her in her crib gently.

Writing

Recently I have decided that I want to become a published writer. Nothing fancy or big like "Twilight Series" or "Harry Potter" or even "Fablehaven", "Percy Jackson", etc... It would just be neat to see my name in print and to have something to show my family, friends, and (most importantly) to my kids. I may not know a lot about the process of getting a book published but I do know that the first step, at least, is simple. The first step is simply, to write.

When I taught 6th grade I told my kids over and over that they needed to write, write, write, write! And, this last year, one of my students told me about her blog that she keeps up. She does a blog for her stories. This students is an AMAZING writer and I LOVE reading her stories! She updates about once a week and sometimes does sequels or continuations of the previous week and sometimes her stories are all in one. So, she is my inspiration and this blog is, in part, dedicated to her. Thanks Katy for helping me get started! :)

Anyways, I have decided to try and follow Katy's example by posting a story, or a piece of a story, at least once a week. I am currently working on my first little ditty and will post it this Saturday. Keep in mind that these are not fully crafted pieces. They are the artistic 1st (or 2nd) attempt. I plan on honing my writing skills over the next little while until I find a story idea that I feel I will be able to shape into a book. I am excited for the possibilites this blog will bring. :)

The name of my blog is "Stories for Jessica" and Jessica happens to be my daughter. While I am positive that we (my husband and I) will have more kids, she is currently the only one and I am starting my stories for her... If you happen to be reading this blog - enjoy!