Yesterday was full of wonderful news and exciting phone calls and many, many kind emails. (Thank you all for those!) There have been many emotions–mostly of the elated and joyful variety–and I can’t seem to lose this smile.
Thankfully, I have my kids to keep my feet on the ground. When they arrived home from school yesterday I was finally able to let my excitement bubble over. I began shouting before the bus was out of sight, “TRACKING TRASH was given a Boston Globe-Horn Book honor award!” We shared high fives, talked about celebrating, and spent some time gazing at the award website.
“Clementine! Clementine is going to be at the award banquet?” This came from my youngest, who is five. She spotted our favorite cartwheeling redhead from across the room.
Me: “Um, no. But the woman who wrote CLEMENTINE—her name is Sara Pennypacker—she will probably be at the banquet to accept her award.”
Youngest: “Does she have kids?”
Me: “I don’t know.”
Youngest: “Can we meet them?”
Me: “Um, I don’t know.”
Youngest sighs in frustration because her mother knows nothing.
Middling, pointing to the cover of ESCAPE!: “Will HE be there?”
Me: “Houdini? No, he’s dead. But Sid Fleischman, the man who wrote ESCAPE! should be there. He’s the one I told you about … the one who did magic tricks at my writing conference last month … remember?”
Middling: “Will he do magic tricks at the award banquet?”
Me, wondering: “I don’t know.”
Middling, after a moment of deep consideration: “Maybe you should learn some magic?”
Me, swallowing feelings of pure panic at the thought of an acceptance speech … and hoping my oldest will change the subject: “What about you, bud, any questions?”
Oldest: “Yep. What’s for dinner?”
So, there you go. Grounded. But very, very happy!
