It was a warm sunny day. My husband and I went off to look for monarch caterpillars for my classroom. We drove to a spot that had provided for us before. The patch of milkweed by the sea was holding a bumper crop this year. We found five caterpillars in less than five minutes.
On our return, we stopped at a local store to purchase a new terrarium as mine from the year before had broken. Terrarium and cover in tow we departed the store chatting about the upcoming week. We got in the car and began to drive out of the parking lot. There at the end of the parking lot was a lonely shopping cart. It was parked in such a manner I knew it was a runaway cart.
A runaway shopping cart…my mind immediately went to my writer’s notebook sitting on my end table in our living room. I needed to jot that thought down…a story for my kids.
I started silently plotting…what did it run away from…why did it stop…how will it get back…what will keep it from running away again? I am not only trying to read like a writer…I am beginning to think like a writer. That is what I want for my classroom kids. I can’t wait to begin tomorrow!
The runaway shopping cart! Perfect start! Now I would have grabbed my camera to capture it!
ReplyDeleteHave a great year Wanda
Bonnie
Shopping cart and caterpillar hunt. It's pretty cool how once I started writing (almost every day) my mind goes to story starters the way my slippered feet head to the coffee pot every morning!
ReplyDeleteI love this glimpse into those moments when we are just itching to write something down!
ReplyDelete1) Your post made me think about this dead monarch butterfly I found in my garage today. It's belly-up. Even though it's passed, it still looks beautiful. I'm hesitant to sweep it away back on to the grass, but I suppose that's a better burial than throwing it in the trash.
ReplyDelete2) Your writing evolution is awesome. I tend to read the world with the eyes of a writer.
SAS
I've had so many moments like this one since I've started my writer's notebook, too. Crazy how that works!
ReplyDeleteAnd I love the story idea...it might be a prompt in my classroom veryyyyyy soon!