Need a Prompt (Day of Blogs ’08 #43)

OK, had to consult the Day of Blogs Writing Prompts for this one:

If you won the lottery what are the first 3 things you would do with the money?

I would:

  1. Pay off any debt that I had (at the moment I am lucky enough not to have any, but I’m still technically a dependent on my parents since I’m still a student – but that runs out on my birthday next year, so this will probably be changing soon).
  2. Allow myself to buy one really awesome thing – new car, amazing home entertainment system, down payment on a house . . . something.
  3. Invest the rest.  I’d need a financial counselor to help me figure out what the best way to do this would be, but I’d definitely want the payment plan on the money so that I would receive as much as possible (since I’d be investing it).

This post is for the Day of Blogs 2008! I am blogging for Children’s Literacy Initiative. For more information about what I am doing, please click here, or you can sponsor me!

Introducing My FurBabies (Day of Blogs ’08 #14)

Rachel @ Blog-Wise is blogging for PAWS Atlanta, and she’s posting stories about people’s pets.  I thought I’d take a break from writing about literacy related things and introduce my pets (which is also #31 in the Day of Blogs Writing Prompts)!

My kittens just turned 1 year old last week.  They’re brothers, and I adopted them from AARF.  A vet who works with AARF found them (along with their sister) in a box at her front door one day.  The vet kept the little girl and gave the boys to AARF.  They had a very hard time finding a home because they are very attached to each other and AARF really preferred that they be adopted together.

My Christmas present from my parents this year was a pair of kittens.  I looked at several shelters before I met my babies.  Once I heard how much they needed to be together, I knew that they should go home with me.  I wanted an orange kitten, so I was a little sad that they were both black and white, and with such angular (part-Siamese) faces.  However, now that I’ve had them, I know that was so silly!  They are so incredibly loving and well-behaved.  They love each other and they think the world revolves around me, LOL!

I named them Oscar and Miles after the jazz musicians Oscar Peterson and Miles Davis.  I can’t imagine having taken any other kittens!

Oscar!

Oscar!

Miles!

Miles!

Kitten Snuggle!

Kitten Snuggle!

This post is for the Day of Blogs 2008! I am blogging for Children’s Literacy Initiative. For more information about what I am doing, please click here, or you can sponsor me!

Are you ready to stay awake?

I participated in Blogathon 2006, but things were too crazy last summer for me to try and do it again (moving, applying for grad school, new job, new boyfriend . . .).  I decided I wanted to participate again this year, because I really did enjoy it last time.  I got all excited, I went to the Blogathon website . . . and saw that they’re not doing the Blogathon this year :-( !!!  They’re taking a year off to make 2009 awesome.  I was sad, but then I saw that there’s an “unofficial” Blogathon that will be happening in its place.

So, this year I will be participating the Day of Blogs 2008!  The crowd’s a bit smaller, but it’s still for a great purpose, so I’m in!  This Saturday, July 26 (at 9AM EST) I will begin blogging every half hour for 24 hours.  Bring on the caffeine!

This year, the charity that I have chosen is Children’s Literacy Initiative.  Anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE reading (I mean, I double majored in English and theatre – that’s a lot of reading, LOL).  I have hundreds of books at home, and I’m always reading something.  I attribute my passion for reading to my early childhood experiences with books, mostly from my parents and my teachers.  I’ll share more of my personal experiences during Day of Blogs, but know that reading is something I am quite dedicated to, and believe every child should have significant exposure to.  Children’s Literacy Initiative doesn’t just support childhood literacy – it trains the teachers of pre-K through 3rd grade students who will work with these children on ways to effectively reach them and grant them a fulfilling education.

Children’s Literacy Initiative Mission Statement

Children’s Literacy Initiative works with teachers of our youngest children to transform instruction so that all children become powerful readers, writers, and thinkers.

From their profile on Charity Navigator:

Children’s Literacy Initiative (CLI) was founded in 1988 to enhance the opportunity for children from low-income families to enter school ready to learn and, once in school, to be successful in learning to read. CLI works to increase children’s literacy skills and to foster a love of reading by providing professional development for teachers of pre-kindergarten through third grade students. Our programs are designed to provide training in the most effective literacy practices and include quality books and materials for creating a literacy-rich classroom environment. CLI is involved in large projects in the public school systems of Philadelphia, Newark (NJ), Camden, Baltimore, and Boston, as well as training in several school districts in Pennsylvania.

Please consider sponsoring me for Day of Blogs. Donations can be received through Network for Good via the link at the end of each post during Day of Blogs (or by clicking HERE) or you may click through the widget on my sidebar.

There are all sorts of answers that you can find on the Day of Blogs website, but as always, feel free to contact me if you have any questions!

This post is for the Day of Blogs 2008! I am blogging for Children’s Literacy Initiative. For more information about what I am doing, please click here, or you can sponsor me!