And the Green Grass Grew All Around

Today was the day.  No more writing, no more coloring, no more printing and binding.  Today we feasted on the fruits of our efforts.

Instead of packing markers and lined paper, Lindsay and I toted around our new book- 22 copies in total.  We shared the book with the lady at the front office, the teacher next door, and of course, the co-teacher of the class- all who gave excited, positive feedback.

When Lindsay and I walked into the classroom, there was a surprise waiting for us.  Clipped to the white board were two giant green hearts, one for each of us, expressing thanks with the signatures of all the students.  There were also a few "I love you" notes written on the giant hearts.  To add to sentimental feeling, we were greeted with hugs when the class walked in.

After hearing that today was to be the day we would read the kids their book, the teachers arranged to have the preschoolers join in on the presentation.  While we waited for the little, little ones to come, Lindsay and I sat in the front of the class while the children sang songs.  There was a song about oceanic food chains and another about a pizza.  Then there was the song "The Green Grass Grows All Around", a song from our own elementary school days so of course Lindsay and I joined in, adding hand motions as well, hand motions the kids quickly adopted.

Then the preschoolers arrived and the reading began.  This is the first time the kids were presented with the story as a whole and were able to see the work of their fellow classmates.  They delighted in guessing where the cat would travel next and discovering who drew the picture.  All of which was followed by polite applause.

After the preschoolers had traveled back to their own classrooms, the kindergartners gathered around us for a group photo.  And then came the announcement, we had copies for each of the students to take home!  8:40 was fast approaching so Lindsay and I left behind a copy of the book for all the kids to sign and eventually give to Mr. Ziebarth for making this whole experience possible. 

As we left the school, Lindsay and I posed out front with our green thank-you hearts, thankful that we had the opportunity for such a splendid experience.  But this was not our last visit to Demille.  Our high school summer begins a week before theirs so we've been invited to come back during their last week of school to have some fun with our little authors.