Making Family Memories

So while a lot of teachers were off in Vegas at the TPT Conference, My family and I went on our first true family vacation in about 9 years! We've had little weekend getaways here and there, but not a true long vacation. We headed back to Long Island where my husband and I are from. We saw family (my cousin and his) went to the beach, the city, Adventureland (a small little theme park that I went to a lot as a kid) toured our home towns and Montauk Point.

One of the things I have been really thinking about as I was reading Unshakeable was the chapter on being authentic. I plan on sharing my memories I made with my students this year. I am going to use these photos and memories in my writing and teaching of writing. Think about the phrase "A picture tells a thousand words" . These personal photos evoke emotion and laughter for me. Think about having your students bring in their own photos that they can use in their own writing. P.S. Please don't mind my daughter's silly faces, she loves hamming it up for the camera.

New York City! We hit every toy store, walked by the Empire State Building, went in to St.Patrick's Cathedral, Central Park, Museum of Natural History and The 9/11 Memorial. Oh and Pretzels of  a cart and Pizza in Penn station at Roses Pizza!

My son wanted this picture taken because there is a double decker train behind him in the window.

Need I say more. Nothing like diner food. Definitely missing this in Florida!

Veteran Memorial on Long Island

My cousins and their kids at Adventure land, using one of those selfie sticks!

We ran into one of our other cousins while we were there.

My kids with their kid-cousins!

First of all, we live in Florida, and if you live in Florida you know that there are like no hills at all. Second, our grass is that thick St. Augustine grass. So this was like heaven for my kids. They must of done this a dozen times are more!

Got to try at the Panoramic setting on my phone from the top of the light house.

My husbands cousin and his wife (we haven't seen them in 9 years, yikes!)

We ate at a little cafe called Bliss, is was so nice to sit at the picnic table with my family looking at the gorgeous Hydrangeas!

My daughter has read the whole Percy Jackson Series and the Heroes of Olympus. We had to stop here because this is where part of the book has based it's setting, although it's nothing like the book at all.

This is one of my favorite shots, we are all in the frame, yet doing our own thing, with the light house and boulders in the back!

I debated on sharing this photo, I hate how I look (keeping it real) but I love my son's expression and my teacher finger. We were about to head back down the winding staircase of at least 200 stairs. There is a small ladder section here. We had my husband go first so that way if my kids fell he would be there to catch them.

LOVE

Tomorrow will be 14 years of marriage. He still makes me laugh, especially when I stress of over school stuff. I highly recommend a spouse who can make you laugh at all times.

I love bridges, the structure, design, everything! This is the Verrazano bridge. It leads you from Brooklyn to Staten Island and was our route back to Florida.

Bye Bye NY!