Melissa Forney's blog

Second grade teacher, Gisselle Mendez, made these gorgeous teaching tools from my idea for Vocabulators. Kids can now use these delightful tools to help them find other words for Cool, Pretty, Yummy, Winter, Fall, and Big. I am always encouraged to see teachers make my teaching strategies their own. Go, Gisselle!

I love my precious grandson, but please, make no mistake

He keeps us running everywhere each moment he's awake

His crayons grace the table, his toys festoon the floor

And everywhere you try to sit are racing cars galore

His fingerprints adorn the wall, his shoes cannot be found

And both our little poodles have taken to high ground

But I will share a mystery, a secret you must keep

He almost sports a halo, when he is fast asleep

Once again, my friend, Maureen O'Neill, who teaches a class of 3rd and 4th graders in West Palm Beach, Florida, has created a memorable educational experience for her students. After they finished reading The Astonishing Journey of Teddy Bodain, she took them to The Little Red Schoolhouse and let them experience life in the 1800s firsthand.

Becky Reynolds, one of my best friends, is also my pastor's wife. Sunday at church, she played the piano and I played the keyboard, as we usually do. She was taken to the hospital early the next morning for chest pains and is now in the coronary intensive care unit. It looks as though she is going to be alright, but I am reminded once again at how our lives can change in an instant. Make sure you've told those you love how much they mean to you. Make sure you have a right relationship with God.

To know Rick Forney is to love him. I am blessed to have one of those husbands who loves to go shopping, watches movies with me and cries in the sad parts, laughs at my jokes, helps me plot upcoming novels, rakes the leaves, mops the bathroom floor, sings bass in the choir, honors his mother, loves the children and grandchildren, stays up late, eats ice cream with me at midnight, and encourages me to live life to the fullest. What did I do to deserve this man?

I had the time of my life on Friday. Seminole Springs Elementary, Eustis, Florida, held a Whoop de Doo in honor of finishing the book The Amazing Journey of Teddy Bodain. I was invited as a special guest, to partake in a discussion, dancing, and an outdoor feast. The children dressed as characters from the book.  This is a day I will never forget, and I'm sure the kids will remember it for a lifetime. Here Tristin Reich, dressed as Ethelbert the dog, joins me for a picture.

The students in Marlo Gordon's 4th grade class work on writing satchels that go along with my historical adventure novel, The Astonishing Journey of Teddy Bodain. Oh, to be a kid again! Each item in the satchel teaches a different aspect of becoming a successful writer. Where was this when I was a kid?

Heather Blanton, 4th grade team leader at South Woods Elementary in Hastings, Florida, implemented one of the ideas from a recent writing workshop I taught. She helped her students fold and glue brightly colored cover stock paper to form Vocabulary Fans. At the top of each strip they wrote an ordinary word. Under that word, they wrote other words that have the same meaning but are much more mature and interesting. For example, under the heading, Pretty, they added the words: gorgeous, ravishing, lovely, exquisite, handsome, beautiful, stunning, etc.