Dear Joy,

Hi there.
I hope you're well. I imagine you in your kitchen, doing the dishes, maybe listening to some music, or telling M that joke I just told you about the barbers in a small town. There's that weird East Coast/West Coast awareness that our lives are out of sync even when we find times to talk. I know I'm supposed to be sleeping, but I haven't been sleeping at all well lately. I'm usually the type to pass out when my head hits the pillow, but nowadays everything is up for grabs.

I'm writing this as a first entry for our new blog. I have some big questions...
Can I use your real first name? (I'm ok using mine, but don't feel obliged...this can be edited.)
Do you want to find some clever acronyms for the people in your family? (I like using Z's initial, but I'm fine using the full names of the cats).
What will we find to talk about?
Who's going to read this?

At the moment, I'm typing on my cute little 'puter. (I don't remember if I told you, I bought a netbook when I went back to school last semester. I named her "Charlotte" because she's tiny, black, and literate and she climbs the web!) There's an empty bottle of Sam Smith's Imperial Stout next to me with my Curriculum Studies Reader. (I had intended to do some reading from the 19th and early 20th century tonight, but ended up talking with old friends instead.)

I'll give you my top reasons for starting this blog:
1. I miss your point of view on childhood, and children and the world. I loved working in a classroom with you and still remember the first conflict we had about having a word chart up on the wall. You totally convinced me, but I fear that I may have really overwhelmed you with my forceful words. Almost immediately in that conversation I thought "At last! I've met my match. I'm working with someone who thinks hard about what we're doing, and has strong feelings, and isn't always sure. This is going to be fun!" Now I work with wonderful people but I also always try to imagine what you'd think if you were here.
2. I'm working very hard to bring families deeper into relationship in my classroom. I feel really strongly about closing the gaps between teachers and parents and I love the idea of such an open conversation.
3.I miss you!
4. I want to hear as much as possible about your dear little girl... I loved meeting her this fall and want to know more than is available through regular channels.
5. You're a great writer.

That seems like reason enough to me!

Love,
Kendra