Winners - Hispanic Heritage Month Giveaway

Congratulations to the following amigos, who have each won a set of five books!

1. Estela
2. Confessions of an Overworked Mom
3. Ali
4. Sarah
5. Mary Ann DeBorde

Winners have been contacted by email. Thanks for participating! Enjoy your books!

Overwhelmed and ocupadísima

Some of my fellow twitterers and bloggers (who happen to be educators) have posted "I'm still here!" updates. It seems September has brought its customary rushing around to many folks, me included.

It is comforting, in a way, to know I'm not the only one with an over-heaped plate. That doesn't help me with my to-do list, though. Someone mentioned "mapping out" what one has to do, before setting out to do it all. That's exactly the habit I need to develop. I'm known for signing up for more work - chairing committees, organizing events, writing articles, presenting workshops, starting up new projects - only to become flustered when I can't get to everything properly.

Before the piles of paper get too high, before the projects become too numerous to keep track of, before I fall behind in my work and start making mistakes, and before I lose sight of the fact that I am a wife and mother first - I have to sit down and take a look at everything I've committed myself to. I'm not one to drop what I can't do. I just have to do a better job of managing everything.

So, I want my readers to know - I'm still here, bear with me please. I'll soon get everything under control and will get back to blogging regularly.

Hispanic Heritage Month Book Giveaway

Hispanic Heritage Month is observed September 15 through October 15. I'm excited to kick off this month-long celebration with a book giveaway on behalf of Hachette Book Group. There will be five winners, who will each win a set of five books.

The books in this giveaway are:

1. Zumba® By Beto Perez , Maggie Greenwood-Robinson
2. Evenings at the Argentine Club By Julia Amante
3. Damas, Dramas, and Ana Ruiz By Belinda Acosta
4. Tell Me Something True By Leila Cobo
5. Amigoland By Oscar Casares

To win a set of books, please answer the following question, and comment here by October 15. When you comment, please leave an email address or link to a site where you can be contacted. Winners must be US or Canadian residents. No PO Boxes please. Winners will be selected and announced on October 16th.

So...
What notable Hispanic, past or present, do you want to know more about? Why?

Back to school we go...

First day of school tomorrow - and I'm not sure I should even bother going to bed tonight. The night before the first day has always been sleepless for me. I end up laying there, wide-eyed, tossing, turning, making lists in my head, giddy and nervous.

I also tear up a bit on this night every year - about the end of summer, the end of free time, over the beginning of what is always a stressful season, and the realization that I might not have spent enough quality time with my son. It's always my regret on this night. He's growing and changing so quickly. Jeans and sneakers up a size. Mind and personality... amazing, curious, beautiful, quirky. There's heartache in watching him.

Before this treasure went to bed tonight, with his own mixed thoughts of what tomorrow will bring, he came to kiss me goodnight. "Thanks for a great summer Mom. I had the best time with you. Thanks for everything."

This kid. He ties my heart up in knots.

My Back-to-School Wordle

Wordle is an exciting tool. I plan to enlarge this one for the bulletin board outside my room. I hope we'll be allowed to access the site in class, so my students can use it. Make your own at http://www.wordle.net/!

His Running Shoes

This’ll be tedious –
I know
you have a hard time
making up your mind
I drag myself to the sports store
For the eighth year in a row
I used to pick and choose
What you’d wear on your feet
To school
“These are cool” I say
Noting the reasonable price-tag
“These seem light and comfortable”
when the very washable mesh fabric and darker design
Catch my eye
But this year you’re drawn
To black with yellow piping
Crazy combination
“You’ll grow tired of these fast” I mutter
You try them on
Even have your dad tie them for you
Even now…
Big boy with long legs
You jump to your feet, bounce in place
Feeling the cushion, the give, the flexibility
Things I must learn to be –
You pretend to run around the shop
Testing how swiftly you’ll run
As I watch your feet grow at heart-pulling speed

Qué se puede decir

Todo lo sabe Dios,
las cosas pasan por algún motivo -
frases habladas con el intento
de calmar y
buscar razón en los eventos de la vida.

No te aconsejo nada,
me quedo callada.
Solo te miro y
me siento a tu lado –
pasando mi mano por tu frente
te alcanzo los lentes
te tapo con una frazada
te lo contesto el teléfono.

No diré algo que no me convence;
mejor no tratar de explicar lo que duele.

Aprieto tu mano.
Te preparo una taza de café y
me siento a tu lado –
así logro
decir
lo que no puedo.