I don't use this blog, really... and if you want to know about my daily goings-on, you should visit JewishyIrishy.com, where you can find pictures of Mose (my amazing son) and regular rants and ravings.  Or, for little reviews of my favorite books for kids, you can visit me at kidliterary.blogspot.com.

But I do want to make a little post to mention that it's been a HUGE year for me.  I'm feeling insanely lucky, and I want to share my news.

Last spring I sold my first book for children, a picture book called "Inside the Slidy Diner", to Tricycle Press.  It was hugely exciting, and I couldn't stop smiling for days.

Then in the fall I sold my first novel for children, "Up and Down the Scratchy Mountains OR The Search for a Suitable Princess", to Random House.  Random House!!!

THEN I sold my first full-length collection of poems, "The Myth of the Simple Machines", to No Tell Books.  Zounds!

And just a few weeks ago, I found out that my fabulous editor at Random House wanted to publish my NEXT book too, a children's novel I'm working on right now, "Any Which Wall".

Can you believe all of this? It's crazy, I know.  And in some ways the craziest part is that I don't feel too much different. I know that sounds nuts, but it's true.

When I was in the 4th grade, my career goal was to "become rich and famous writing books for children."  And while I'm nowhere near rich or famous, there's something strange and amazing about waking up one day to find you haven't changed much since the 4th grade. 

And there's something truly incredible... when you've spent 23 years working at something, plodding along on your path...to wake up and realize it wasn't all wasted time.  That you were on the right road all along.  Your own road.

A lesson in patience, and in dreaming...