So, while I was taking a hiatus from this blog, I was still traveling and visiting schools. There were so many amazing ones that I feel obligated to share about them, even though it is rather belated.
For example, all the way back in February, I celebrated the Lunar New Year like this:
First, Chinese Spring Greetings met me at the door:
And I did my thing with some cute students, seeing different age levels a time:
![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UH4YPrZQL8s/VVJP2DRrc4I/AAAAAAAAQqs/M8jxlmxDrTo/s320/me_md5.jpg) |
look how short my hair was! I haven't gone for a haircut since it was first cut because of the novel. You know how athletes sometimes have "playoff beards?" I have finish-the-novel hair. |
But after I finished, ALL the students started to stream in--each holding special projects they had done inspired by my books:
![](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ALnLbkqdumE/VVJaDROojmI/AAAAAAAAQrY/nSmxLqQbF1k/s320/IMG_6674.JPG) |
I thought this was especially clever--a dragon noisemaker! |
![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j6XZ71SrFfw/VVJaDaoKUeI/AAAAAAAAQrU/ktTb2k4tNtI/s320/IMG_6691.JPG) |
Students made dragons out of paper cups and then taped streamers to one end and cut a hole in the other. When they shouted in the hole of the cup, the streamer flew out. |
![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CCYQH-hVVvM/VVJPzcNK7JI/AAAAAAAAQqQ/8OOGB2_eF3o/s320/md_celebration.jpg) |
Chinese rattle drums! |
![](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gQ4-XvCiUJE/VVJP04FRlaI/AAAAAAAAQqU/VYsKvrrbkfY/s320/md_celebration_lantern.jpg) |
paper lanterns |
And why were the all there? Why to see the dragon, of course:
![](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zF6vHeHqX90/VVJP1cwaWqI/AAAAAAAAQqY/pcddYYG58TQ/s320/md_parade2.jpg) |
each student made their part of the dragon! |
It was an awesome dragon parade!
And a great way to start the Lunar New Year!