Slice of Life Challenge Day 3 of 31

A snow day today was a gift.
Lazy to the max,
PJs, Pb & J's,
Fries, Giggles, and fun.

This pretty much sums up my day that was spent with my girls as the world awakened to a few inches of snow and ice.  I am thankful for a day that was slow.  It gave me a time to breathe.  Breathing in the time to renew and prepare for the week ahead.


If you too would like to join the monthly challenge, take a look at Two Writing Teachers. 

25/31 SOLC Routine

Back into our old routine,
break is over,
less than seventy days until summer.

We can make it!

SOL-Where is God?

Often in our lives we see God.  In rainbows. In a hushed silence. Or an unexpected phone call from a friend at just the right time.  However, this week has been one of those weeks that started with “Where is God?”  I’ve lost several loved ones in my 33 years and they followed an illness of some kind.  This week my loss was unexpected and shocking.  People shouldn’t be gone having lived only 36 years of their life.  People who are good people shouldn’t suddenly be GONE.   When I heard the news that my cousin had been killed in an automobile accident my mind began repeatedly saying Where is God?.  The same question echoed in my ears 5 days later as we attended his memorial service.  Where is God and why if he is so omnipotent did this happen?  Then I saw Him.  I saw Him in the waves of people who were lined up outside the chapel after it reached capacity.  He was there as I heard little cousins giggle and play.  I heard him in the words of my child say, “My Nae-Nae is sad and I want to go cheer her up.” Then running into Nae-Nae’s arms wrapping her in them as only a four year old can and planting a juicy kiss on Nae-Nae’s lips.  I found my answer.  No the answer did not take the pain of the loss way, but a little bit of peace fell for a short time. 

Slice of Life Tuesdays

How I've missed my time on the blog reading everyone's slices and stopping to ask myself, "Will I document this part of me today?"

Poetry is one of my favorite units of the year. As we wrap up our final week of test prep, I've begun to really allow the creativity to shine. We have been looking at the many different forms of poetry and today we focused on Haiku. After listening to a haiku in  my Community Class in Church on Sunday inspired by Psalms I decided we too would go looking for things to inspire our Haikus. I've often read Haiku Hike and allowed the kids to make watercolors then write the poetry, but today we went outside.  Granted it was not within a forest, but I really wanted them to notice their senses and the things around them.

As we looked upon the empty playground I said, "You know things look so different without 175 students running around.  What is this picture saying to you?"  Really I am talking rhetorically more to myself then to anyone in particular because of what it was saying to me, but a young man turned to me and said, "I imagine the Wild West, but without gun slingers."

"True, I believe a different competition is played somewhat like outlaws and the sherriff,"

His eyes light up!  "Can you imagine soccer in tumbleweeds?!"  He exclaims. Then he vigorously writes.

Isn't it important to listen to those little nudges of inspiration?

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10 Reasons I Should Write Each Day

10.  Writing each day allows me to try different types of genres.
9.  Writing each day allows for experimentation with words.
8.  Writing each day led me to conversations about my writing and others writing.
7. Writing each day provided me to look each day in the face and ask, "Will I document this today?"
6.  Writing each day stretched me as a writer.
5. Writing each day was easy on some days.
4. Writing each day was hard on some days.
3. Writing each day led to discovering truths about myself.
2.  Writing each day led to discovering more about others.
1. Writing each day became more about getting parts of me on a page and less about writing each day.

31/31

I don't win things. I'm okay with that.  I went to the dinner because a group of people were celebrating us--teachers.    A beautiful  dinner.  Wondrous words of perseverance.  Added bonus of give a ways.  And I won.  A kindle.  I tend to not buy things for myself and I hear a colleague whisper as I sit down, "So glad you won something for you, Mommy."  And you know I am too!

30/31

Dear Mother Earth,

Please return the sunlight! How I miss the beams beat, beat, beating on my skin.  Please STOP the rain and cold and wind. I do realize that rain brings forth the beautiful buds of Spring, but how I miss the warmth of the sun on my face.  You taunted me with one full week of Spring only to bring back the grey dreary days of Winter.  My children beg to go out with no coats and frolic in the rays and green grass.  I promise I will not complain about mowing the lawn or weeding the garden if you only, only, only you return the Sun.

LYS

29/31

Hi, my name is Lynnelle and I am a teacher nerd.  I am the one who has her PDSA already completed for the 2011-12 school. I am the one who LOVES to figure out what assessment tools to use. I am the one who reads at least 10-15 professional books a year. I am a nerd and and today I was able to sit and be nerdy all day while working with fellow staff members at "Unwrapping" the Standards with Larry Ainsworth.  It was a powerful day full of ideas and the realization that many of the things that happen in my classroom are best practices.  BUT the areas I need to work on which is establishing the BIG ideas and making sure  my students make those connections THROUGHOUT the school year is an area I need to work on.  So being the nerd that I am I have already begun working on what I will do with my next unit of study.  Bring on the inner teaching nerd!

27/31

What is love? Love looks many different ways. What about a love for a daughter? What does it look like? Yesterday at my house it looked like this...

Thank you Mom and Dad for giving up your ENTIRE Saturday to help me with a new ceiling fan plus two trips to Lowe's. Thank you for showing me for 33 years what LOVE  looks like each and everyday.  Thank you for the wonderful role models you have been for my two children. They are so lucky and blessed that they see you each and every day.  Thank you for loving me...as I am.

26/31

Went to my fellow slicers for inspiration for today's slice.  I hope you don't mind Ruth! Love this idea when I read it earlier this week.

I see Emma wearing her glasses watching Spongebob.

I hear Gracie has she clomps through the living room "dancing."

I feel the my body jostled as my girls jump on me instead of waking me up this morning.

I smell icky Dorito's that my family is snacking on.


I taste the sweet diet dr.pepper as the cool burn soothes my throat.

25/31

It's not often that a person has the opportunity to see yourself through someone else's eyes.  It seems today the Creator decided I needed such a glimpse.

"Ms. Snow, I realize we aren't quite ready for sharing circle, but I really want to share my poem with you, " A said.

"Sure, sweetie!" I lean forward and grab her notebook.

Ms. Snow is like a dandelion happy to see  me.
She works hard each day just so I know she loves me.
Glad she's there everyday.
This is my teacher.
Ms. Snow

My eyes glisten as I hand back  her notebook. "You have just made my day absolutely perfect."

Thank you for these moments when our hearts are heavy and are lightened by a few words from a 10 year old.

24/31

Why is it even at the age of 33 things that people say and do can hurt your heart? I've always thought that as I grew older my heart would be immune to the heart pains, but alas they are not.  Granted the hurt is not the same kind of a pain as if I was 17, but hurt it does.  Of course as an adult I would say it is more disappointment than anything.  I always hated when my  someone was "disappointed" in me, but it hurts just as bad to be disappointed in someone. One advantage to going through heart pains as an adult is I do know that the sun will come out tomorrow. A new day will dawn and as it begins anew so does my heart.

23/31

"Mommy! My balloon!" I hear Emma yell from the back yard.  We had watched Up after she came home from school and she was now pretending her balloon was flying her to exotic places around the world.  The balloon had rounded the corner of the house and she was running to it as fast as she could.  When I made it to her I turned and saw Gracie with the blue balloon in hand wind blowing her hair with a smile from ear to ear. "I saved it! Here!" she says to Emma.  Sisterhood in action.  Who knew younger sister would save the day.  Look out Wonder Woman.

22/31

My students and I have begun the poetry genre study. Students have been perusing various kinds of poetry with the purpose of answering "What is Poetry?  As we allowed the books to consume us our day frittered by and I was left without time for a sharing circle so on an exit card my students answered the question of the reading time. As I collected the cards and wished everyone a wonderful afternoon I set the cards aside and began my next session.  At the end of the day I looked at my collection and began making a Smart Board Anchor Chart.  Many of them were the same Poetry is short, poetry is white space, poetry rhymes and sometimes it does not.  However one student surprised me her idea of poetry is this "All those incomplete sentences. Those fragments are hard to understand, but they are packed full of meaning."  I couldn't have said it better.

21/31

What is Down syndrome? It depends on who you ask. If you ask a doctor, he or she may tell you it is the number 1 genetic disorder that people are born with.  Some people might tell you they were once pregnant with a child with Down syndrome because 90% of them are aborted before they even take their first breath. But, if you asked someone who has Down syndrome what do you think they would say?  My daughter has Mosaic Down syndrome.  She is almost 7 years old and I think if she had the words in her vocabulary she would say, "My life is no different than yours.  I am no different than you. I just happened to have an extra chromosome on the 21st chromosome."

If you were to ask me I would describe Down syndrome as this.

My child moves
at her own pace
She sees the real people
She has learned
to overcome many
obstacles
Her life has been
on display
as doctors
therapists
teachers
all tell her
what to
do to
learn
But her life
is FULL
Her love is
IMMENSE
You are missing
out if you don't
know her--
LOVE her--
She is special
but not
because of
an extra
chromosome
She is special
because
she's
EMMA.

20/31

As I reflected on my Spring Break and look at how much was accomplished I am realizing how much I have left to teach my 5th graders. I have spent 27 weeks with them and I only have 9 left.  I feel this way every year.  I hate to prepare them to move on. My job is a 36 week job though.  They only have me for one school year. But each year I find my heart not wanting to let go of them. You know the ones that run up to you at Reasor's when they see you outside of school and give you the warmest, bear hug!  My time with them is ending, but I know that it leads to a new door of fabulous fifth graders.  So tonight I remember the smiles, the giggles, the witty comments that echo in my heart with my current group. Tonight I figure out what remains of the standards to accomplish before May 25.  Tonight I figure out what I have left to teach them.  Good Night!

19/31

I am the oldest. I am the one who was/is bossy. I am the one who taught my "little" brother to do things when we were younger.  Now as adults I've come to realize how great little brothers really are.  Little brothers have the ability to make their nieces smile by just walking in the door. Little brothers have the ability to lay a new floor. Little brothers have the ability to find windows for my house. Little brothers have the ability to repair icky wood rot. Little brothers have the ability to climb 16 foot ladders without their knees shaking. Little brothers say, "I'm so glad I can  help you" when you say thank you.  I love little brothers who help out big sisters when they need it. Little brothers who are quiet show love by helping big sisters do things they cannot.  Thank you, Boo-Boo!

18/31

Second day of painting.  Today I was able to look at my house with it's fresh coat of yellow paint and sigh with relief that we are 1/2 finished.  But most of all I feel pride and thankfulness. My house looks beautiful even the neighbors marveled at it. Thankfulness that my entire family stepped in to help. My back may ache, but the reward is just around the corner...I can see it!!

17/31

Writers write.
Even though
My back hurts.
My fingers hurt.
My head hurts.

Yet I know writers write.
Today three of us
painted a fresh color
onto my house.

Words too can create
a freshness.
newness.
like the smell of new fresh paint.

To start again.
Renew
Much like an old house
with new paint.

16/31

Exhaustive Fun.  Beautiful day today in Oklahoma. I should have been painting the outside of my house. Instead I took the kids to the Jasmine Moran Children's Museum. Often times at the end of the day my brain feels fried, but today I believe exhaustion is fun. 

My girls were able to be fireman swooshing down the pole to save lives.
Today they were surgeons performing surgery.
My girls touched a baby in the  NICU.
Gracie and Emma were encased in a body bubble.
They walked in a castle maze.
Rode a sonic train.
Went on a dinosaur dig.
Drove a Model-A.
and flew a plane.


My hope is they believe they can do and be anything they want to be.  We are all exhausted, but holy cow was it exhilarating. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.