I spent pretty much every moment I could outside this weekend. I watched my daughter and son play together which, due to their vast age difference, doesn’t happen very often. They were playing in the sandbox creating, and then destroying, sandcastles. It was a snapshot of their childhood that I consider myself very lucky to have caught. Moments like that are gone in a flash. I think this summer will be one of the best!

I will also spend my 39th birthday on Thursday doing what I love the most – traveling around and telling stories! Hopefully it will be beautiful and I can spend all day enjoying the weather, telling tales and then retreat to home for some cake. Sounds perfect to me!

Onto what is happening this week:

This week’s schedule:

• Wednesday:  Cedar School @ 10:00am & 12:30pm
• Thursday: Little Learners @ 10:00am & 12:30pm
• Thursday: State Street Early Learning Center @ 6:30pm
• Friday: Little Learners @ 10:00am & 12:30pm
• Saturday: Pine Fest @11:30am
• Sunday: International Fair at Bay Farm Montessori @10:15am

Both Saturday and Sunday’s shows are open to the public and are free to attend! So make a note to come and enjoy yourselves! Please check the Upcoming Shows page for more information on all of these shows.

Places I will be visiting this week:

1. Hanover
2. Billerica
3. Quincy
4. Plymouth
5. Duxbury

Hope all the Mothers out there enjoyed their day this past Sunday! As you can tell by the inactivity on this site I had have non-stop stories to tell! I was all over the map last week going from Walpole to Falmouth – then to Bridgewater and to Dartmouth! Like I said, I was all over the place! I did enjoy a bit of down time this weekend, mostly spent with my family as we enjoyed the beautiful weather we were having. Even more so, I was out birding almost every day and catching a peek at all the summer birds returning from their winter homes.

Now that I have a moment to spend in my office, here is a peek at what is happening this week:

This week’s schedule:

• Monday: Bright Horizons @ 10:00/10:30am
• Wednesday:  CNK @ 10:00am & 1:00pm
• Thursday: CNK @ 10:00am
• Friday: Wachusett Community College Child Care @ 10:00am
• Friday: Triumph Head Start @ 2:00pm

Please check the Upcoming Shows page for more information on all of these shows.

Places I will be visiting this week:

1. Bedford, NH
2. Pembroke
3. Gardner
4. Taunton

I am not sure how anything can top last week!  While telling stories in Norwell at the Science Center I spotted a pileated woodpecker – one of the largest woodpeckers has to offer!  I will post pics later, but I also saw Age of Ultron and thought it was incredible!  The whole family then took a trip to NJ to visit family and for me to have a chance to work at Zapp Comics for one of my best friends in the world during Free Comic Book Day.  If that weren’t enough I met Mike Mills of R.E.M. (Check pic of the week this week!) on the way home!  It was too much to handle!

But, it’s back to work now – and I have a few schools to visit this week!

Here is this week’s schedule:

• Wednesday: The Learning Ladder @ 10:00am
• Thursday: Lil’ Munchkins Preschool @ 10:00am & 10:30am
• Thursday: Wooded Acres Preschool @ 10:00am

Please check the Upcoming Shows page for more information on all of these shows.

Places I will be visiting this week:

1. Hanover
2. Scituate
3. Kingston

Kids are headed back to school today and I am hanging out with the littest one here at home.  Antone and I are enjoying a lazy Monday at home!  I am going to the Science Center this week in Norwell and it’s one of the many schools I visit annually.  I also get a special treat of entertaining the children that head to Carver’s Kindergarten this fall!  Alexandra attended this event last year – and now we get to see the new crop of students as Lex heads to the first grade!

And, let’s get real here: Avengers 2 comes out Friday! How can anyone think of anything else?  Avengers: Age of Ultron is out this week!

Here is this week’s schedule:

• Wednesday: Science Center Preschool @ 10:00am
• Thursday: Science Center Preschool @ 10:00am & 1:00pm
• Thursday: Carver Elementary School @ 6:00pm

Please check the Upcoming Shows page for more information on all of these shows.

Places I will be visiting this week:

1. Norwell
2. Carver

As a first time parent that is experiencing April vacation for the first time I am curious on what to expect.  My daughter enjoys school so much I have a feeling she is going to ask me if it’s time to go back to school about a hundred times.  I will have to disappoint her a hundred times by telling her, “No, you get to spend another day with me!”

This week continues to keep me moving with teacher trainings and library shows!  Make sure to check the schedule so you can make it to one… or ALL!  If anyone is crazy enough to meet me at every show I will promise a new show each time!

By the way, thank you to all who came out for the Week of the Young Child Fair!  Those of you who approached me and told me that you were there just to see me – well, that made my whole day, so thank you!

Here is this week’s schedule:

• Monday: YMCA Teacher Training @ 11:00am – 3:00pm
• Tuesday: Ventress Memorial Library @ 1:00pm
• Thursday: Hingham Public Library @ 2:00pm
• Friday: West Falmouth Library @ 11:00am

Please check the Upcoming Shows page for more information on all of these shows.  All the library shows are open to the public and should be a whole bucket of win – so come to a show or two – even if it’s beautiful!

Places I will be visiting this week:

1. Hanover
2. Marshfield
3. Hingham
4. West Falmouth

Just as I thought – last week lived up to all expectations!  I was so happy to see old friends and catch up with all of the people I see annually who is part of the Bridgewater Schools.  I can’t tell you how nice it was to not only see everyone but also to notice how happy everyone was.  Not sure if you out there heard but the George Mitchell school suffered a roof collapse with all the snow piling on it’s roof this winter.  Everyone I talked to said how impressed they were on how the superintendent handled the transition to the middle school.  It was like clockwork – and made as easy as possible.

As for me, I am beginning another super busy week full of shows!  I even see some spring weather ahead for the week so I am all that more excited to be out and about!

Here is this week’s schedule:

• Monday: Little People’s Country Day Care @ 10:00am
• Monday: Technology Fair @ PCIS @ 4:30pm
• Tuesday: Rainbow Preschool @ 10:00am
• Tuesday: Cottage Schools @ 12:45 and 1:30pm
• Wednesday: Rainbow Preschool @ 10:00am
• Thursday: Tender Years Preschool @ 10:00am
• Thursday: East Elementary @ 1:00 and 1:45pm
• Friday: WORD Inc. Childcare @ 10:00am
• Friday: Triumph Head Start @ 2:00pm
• Saturday: Week of the Young Child Fair at VOC @ 12:00pm

Please check the Upcoming Shows page for more information on all of these shows.  My only public show is the Saturday Fair in New Bedford – but it should be amazingly fun so please come on out!

Places I will be visiting this week:

1. Kingston
2. Plymouth
3. Sagamore Beach
4. Sharon
5. Falmouth
6. Taunton
7. New Bedford

This is one of my favorite weeks of the entire year – and while it may seem very uneventful on paper – I usually perform 5 shows a day for children ranging from Preschool all the way through 3rd grade!  It is a blast!  Looking forward to finishing this extremely busy week!

Here is this week’s schedule:

• Monday: Bridgewater Schools 9:00-3:00
• Tuesday: Bridgewater Schools 9:00-3:00
• Wednesday: Bridgewater Schools 9:00-3:00
• Thursday: Bridgewater Schools 9:00-3:00
• Friday: Bridgewater Schools 9:00-3:00

Please check the Upcoming Shows page for more information on all of these shows.

Places I will be visiting this week:

1. Bridgewater
2. Raynham

While I enjoy the lazy days with my son – there aren’t too many – my week is filled with shows, workshops and trainings!  My teacher trainings are especially fun because it’s a time that I get to really talk with the teachers and re-live the great days of when I had my own classroom.  I was just at a school recently of a teacher who had taken my training – she told me that it was the best and most useful training she’d ever been to.  She said “rarely do you go to a training and use what you learned the very next day.”  It was so fantastic to hear!

Final Preschool Building Stories in Kingston is happening this week!  Come on out and check out Wordless Picture Books with me. I have been told that the workshop is chockful of fantastic ideas and at the same time is a blast to attend!

Here is this week’s schedule:

• Wednesday: Brockton Library @ 10:30am
• Wednesday: Final Week of Preschool Building Stories at the Kingston Library at 2:00pm – This week: Wordless Picture Books!
• Thursday: Lil’ Munchkins Preschool @10:00am & 10:30am
• Friday: Little Discoveries @ 8:00am – Teacher Training!
• Friday: WORD Inc. Child Care @12:00pm – Tewacher Training!

As always, the Preschool Building Stories Workshops and Library shows are open to the public and all are welcome to join whether you have come to earlier session or not! Please check the Upcoming Shows page for more information on all of these shows.

Places I will be visiting this week:

1. Brockton
2. Kingston
3. Pembroke
4. Scituate
5. Brockton
6. Fall River

This week is a nice break from all the busy weeks I’ve been having – even though this week is still chock full of Big Ryan goodness! My New Hampshire trip went amazingly well, even with all the cold. It was fantastic to visit Greenfield Elementary once again this year – seeing the students who both remember me and the brand new students seeing me for the first time is such a joy! It’s always a great trip because I get to see my Aunt and stay in her beautiful home. She has plenty of birdfeeders set up and that’s nothing short of glorious for me! I saw a Red Poll for the first time in my life (pictures to follow) and the food was devine! Brockton’s Library first week was hugely attended and I look forward to going back again this week! Make sure to mark your calendars!

The Preschool Building Stories in Kingston is flowing smoothly now and I am excited to make puppets this week with the group! Pembroke Library continues to have a great turnout and we enter the final week there on Wednesday! Come on out and check out Wordless Picture Books with me.

Here is this week’s schedule:

• Tuesday: Laura’s Center for the Arts @ 5:00pm
• Wednesday: Brockton Library @ 10:30am
• Wednesday: Third Week of Preschool Building Stories at the Kingston Library at 2:00pm – This week: Making Puppets!
• Wednesday: Final Week of Preschool Building Stories at the Pembroke Library at 4:00pm – This week: Wordless Picture Books!
• Friday: Berrybrook Preschool @ 1:00pm

As always, the Preschool Building Stories Workshops and Library shows are open to the public and all are welcome to join whether you have come to earlier session or not! Please check the Upcoming Shows page for more information on all of these shows.

Places I will be visiting this week:

1. Hanover
2. Brockton
3. Kingston
4. Pembroke
5. Duxbury

One of my mentors once told me that traveling was nice – but your hometown is your bread and butter.  I know what he meant, especially when I do travel overnight away from my home.  This is one of those weeks – another extremely busy week – where I am heading to New Hampshire for a block of shows Thursday going into Friday.  While I’d rather be home, if I have to travel I am glad I’ll be in New Hampshire, one of the more beautiful states.  That will be closing out my week – before that I will be in Brockton for the start of a series of a three week set of shows!  Come on out to see me!

The second week of Preschool Building Stories in Kingston went much better than the first!  I am looking forward to continuing the workshop there this week.  Pembroke Library had another great turnout and we enter the third week there where we will be making puppets!  Let’s keep our fingers crossed for great weather!

Here is this week’s schedule:

• Monday: Smith Mills Day Nursery @ 10:00am
• Monday: Ridgehill School Teacher Training @ 6:30pm
• Tuesday: Smith Mills Day Nursery @ 10:00am
• Wednesday: Brockton Library @ 10:30am
• Wednesday: Second Week of Preschool Building Stories at the Kingston Library at 2:00pm – This week: Using Puppets!
• Wednesday: Third Week of Preschool Building Stories at the Pembroke Library at 4:00pm – This week: Making Puppets!
• Thursday: Bright Horizons @10:00/10:30am
• Friday: Greenfield Elementary School @ 9:15am
• Friday: Triumph Head Start @ 2:00pm

As always, the Preschool Building Stories Workshops and Library shows are open to the public and all are welcome to join whether you have come to earlier session or not! Please check the Upcoming Shows page for more information on all of these shows.

Places I will be visiting this week:

1. Dartmouth
2. Norwell
3. Brockton
4. Kingston
5. Pembroke
6. Bedford, NH
7. Greenfield, NH
8. Taunton