Slice of Life: Day 5--"Early Morning Light: A Goodbye Poem"

This month I am participating in the Slice of Life challenge sponsored by the Two Writing Teachers website and blog. Join me!

Early morning light

I've been soaking you up

Living each minute, extended

Appreciating each glance

Of your bright rays



Knowing that next week...

Daylight Savings Time

Will swallow you whole

Leaving me to drive again, alone

In darkness



Light that we've wished for all winter

Waited for

Looked for

Anticipated...

Gone.



One hour shifting

Makes all the difference

Between enjoying you

On both commutes

And seeing you briefly at lunch for the first time



My classrooms are without windowns

And I've loved having you

Morning, noon, and afternoon

I'll have to settle for the wait

Again



Watching as you slowly, but steadily

Creep towards my leaving time

Encouraging me

Reminding me

Summer is coming!

Slice of Life: Day 4-- "Scratch and Sniff Literacy"

This month I am participating in the Slice of Life challenge sponsored by the Two Writing Teachers website and blog. Join me!

I was working with two sweet first graders today in small group reading. The book was about ice cream and how it's made. We were all drooling over the vivid pictures and descriptions. Our giggles turned into wishes about how we'd all like to be at an ice cream shop instead of school. This led to one of the girls scratching the picture and smelling it.

"Yummmmmmy!!" she exclaimed, excitement filling her eyes. "It smells like ice cream!"

The second first grader scratched her book, smelled...looked a little confused, and then enthusiasticly concurred.

In case you're wondering, I had to try, of course. And...it turns out, if you concentrate, use a little imagination, and blend in some silliness---pictures of ice cream do smell like ice cream.

Scratch and sniff literacy. You should try it. ;)

Slice of Life: Day 3--"Snoozy Puppy on a Soggy Morning"

This month I am participating in the Slice of Life challenge sponsored by the Two Writing Teachers website and blog. Join me!

For those that have sliced with me before, you may know that I have a Golden Retriever named Yadi. He's named after the Cardinals catcher, Yadier Molina.

He is (of course!) special to me, but he is also a pretty cute kid in general.

One of his quirks is that he is not a morning dog. Every other Golden I've ever had has woken ME up to eat, to go out in the morning, or just to get some snuggles. Yadi...not so much.

My alarm goes off, and he's happy to take my spot in bed.

I eat breakfast, get ready, and before I walk out the door, go wake up my sleepy pup to eat and go out for the morning.

Today it was especially rainy and dark out, so when breakfast was over, he turned right around and walked up the steps to bed again. I didn't even get a second look. He was over the morning!

When I get home today, he'll be bouncing off the walls, ready to play, and eager for dinner, but for now...puppy snoozles in a warm bed it is!

Zzzzzzzzzzz......

Slice of Life: Day 2-- "Mouse/Bug Traps in the Doctor's Office??"

This month I am participating in the Slice of Life challenge sponsored by the Two Writing Teachers website and blog. Join me!

You read that right. Today I was alone in an appointment room waiting for 45 minutes, giving me lots of time to "take in the scenery", so to speak.

**Bonus: I now consider myself somewhat of an expert on the poster versions of the nervous and digestive systems, as well as hand washing, flu prevention, and other useful doctor-y things. Ask away, if you have questions. ;) **

As I, well, counted ceiling tiles waiting and waiting, I noticed something in the corner: a little cardboard box that I thought was only reserved for catching and torturing mice. BUT, it was small-ish, so maybe it was for bugs? I don't know. It felt awkward to ask that clarifying question when the doctor finally came in. He was really nice.

So now I'm left wondering: Did I pick up any bugs at the doctor's office today?

Not the virus kind, the creepy kind. Or mice?

It's a question that will probably remain unanswered for me.

Some things are just too awkward to ask, and honestly, do I really want to know the answer?

Nope. Nope, I don't.

Slice of Life: Day 1 -- "March, I Heart You!"

This month I am participating in the Slice of Life challenge sponsored by the Two Writing Teachers website and blog. Join me!

Awww....March 2020, I heart you.

Last year was a rough one, and I honestly can't tell you how much I've looked forward to writing this year. When I look over my posts from 12 months ago, I remember so vividly the icky feeling I felt most days...that uncomfortable, "things-are-changing-but-I-don't know-how" feeling that was the backdrop of every post I wrote. I tried to stay positive, but the taste of exhastion flavored every post.

I was house-hunting relentlessly, working side jobs like a beast to pay extra on home inspections and down payments, balancing a new teaching job in a new district, and struggling with a chronic health condition that just made life hard.

The contrast: This year I'm living in the dream home I never thought I'd find, thriving in the 2nd year of my job and loving it, and my health condition is more under control than it's ever been. I'm still working the side jobs (teacher life!), but it's more manageable when the rest of my plate is a bit less crowded!

Stress levels are down. 

Happiness is up.

Friendships are being revived, and new ones are blossoming.

I'm dreaming, again...not just focused on day-to-day survival.

I've found myself noticing things again. Observing. Watching. Listening more.

I feel like my senses have come alive, again, and with them, my heart.

I feel so. much. joy. 

And...I just can't wait to tell you about it, my dear slicing friends!

This is my 7th year (!!!), and there've been a lot of ups and downs over the years, but this community has sustained me for one month each year, despite everything. I think March is one of the difficult months to survive as a teacher...testing, sicknesses, spring fever, etc...but, as I've said before, Slice of Life saves March for me. As I record my moments and read about yours, I find the connections that I crave so much as winter breathes out its last few puffs of cold and warm spring breezes begin to blow.

--deep (slightly dramatic) breath--

March is here. Let's write. Let's connect. Let's share.

AND...If it's your first year, WELCOME! You're in the right place. We are so glad you're here!

Slice of Life: Day 29--"The Take-Out Trip that Turned the Day Around"

This month I am participating in the Slice of Life challenge sponsored by the Two Writing Teachers website and blog. Join me!

My roommate and I have been home, quarantined like many of you. When we have to go out, we make the most of it. Today, as we took my car around the block to keep the battery charged, we realized we hadn't been out in over a week.

Giddiness took over almost immediately.

We laughed. Hard. At nothing.

We sang "Don't Rain on My Parade" from Funny Girl at the top of our lungs with the windows rolled down.

We picked up take-out food and turned to drive home, giggling at nothing.

The whole trip lasted maybe 8 minutes, but it felt like we were letting out a breath we'd been holding for a week. It's been an easier afternoon and evening because of it.

It was something we would have done mindlessly before COVID-19, but today, this "normal thing" didn't feel "normal." It felt so precious. We came home and sanitized and did all the "new normal" things that come with a trip outside, but with smiles on our faces and happy hearts.

I'm so thankful.

Slice of Life: Day 9--"One of those days...."

This month I am participating in the Slice of Life challenge sponsored by the Two Writing Teachers website and blog. Join me!

One of those days...

Where hardly any of the to-dos got done

Nervous whispers filled the halls

Awkward attempts at humor

As we tried to alleviate some of the worry


One of those days...

When people lifted each other up

Kindness looked different

As we tried to find answers

To questions that we don't fully comprehend


One of those days...

You thought you were prepared for

That you made light of

So real possibilities

Could be ignored


One of those days...

When fear felt like a common bond

Frustrations were vented

Life couldn't be mapped out on a calendar

When the virus got just a little too close to home

It was one of those days.