Dear Kendra,
How flattering your reasons for wanting to do this are! I, too, remember that first conflict. True, I was not used to a co-worker with such passion, and a commitment to pushing me to defend, and ultimately rethink, my thoughts and ideas about best practice in the classroom. And I admit to feeling uncomfortable with it. Do you remember, though, that after a while, I came back to our classroom--a musty church basement, which we so vehemently tried to imagine was nothing short of a classroom from the pages of the child development texts we are both familiar with--and thanked you. I also think we hugged :)

And here you are again, pushing me out of my comfort level. Me....the woman who can barely muster the courage to speak in front of a group of familiar friends and colleagues...blogging?! I have to say, only you would stay up until 1 am and get this started. A stay at home mom, a year and a half away from a classroom, needs an intelligent pen pal who is studying education and working in the classroom everyday (ie. you). I only hope I can prove to balance your letters with an equally enlightening and stimulating perspective. Especially since I have to write during my daughter's commonly too short naps!

I just did a quick spell check, and i typed pen pal as penpal. Funny, the first suggestion from google for that word, or lack of a word, was "penal" which of course I skipped over the idea of a penal court system or something like that and thought of a man's penis, which is, naturally, penal too, right? oh, and M's wheels didn't have to turn at all when i asked him which barber in a small town he would visit.

I guess I should leave my husband and child's names anonymous in this blog. I'm fine with my first name, and my dog's full names too. This will be interesting, fun, and maybe we will learn some things! Did you tell Z about your ipod/ipad Bostonian dilemma?

Love,
Joy