WHAT'S FOR DINNER? DAY 8 OF THE MARCH SOLSC! #SOL16

I am participating in the Slice of Life Story Challenge (SOLSC; #SOL16) 

hosted by Two Writing Teachers. 

Each day for the month of March I will be posting a "Slice of Life". 

Please feel free to stop back and check out my other posts here.

WHAT'S FOR DINNER?

"What's for dinner?"

"I don't know...what do you want?"

"I don't know."

The characters change...the words remain the same. Whether I'm asking my husband, or my son is asking me, or my husband is asking... You get the picture! 

Nobody knows what's for dinner. Nobody wants to take ownership of it. There is homework being done. There are video games being played or TV being watched. There is drawing, lego building, and tea partying, puzzling, or reading happening around the house. But there is no dinner.

I'd rather curl up on the couch & do nothing. I'm tired...Everybody's tired.

And yet, again, the refrain is heard...

"What's for dinner?"

"I don't know...what do you want?"

"I don't know."

Maybe if we just keep asking & wish hard enough, dinner will just appear!

Luck of the Draw. DAY 7 OF THE MARCH SOLSC! #SOL16

I am participating in the Slice of Life Story Challenge (SOLSC; #SOL16) 

hosted by Two Writing Teachers. 

Each day for the month of March I will be posting a "Slice of Life". 

Please feel free to stop back and check out my other posts here.

Spelling bees are inherently a game of chance. Tonight, my oldest went to the County spelling bee, having already won both his classroom and schoolwide bees. He has been visiting the library to study from the enormous dictionary, asking people to quiz him with hard words, and working to prepare for this competition.

Round 1 of the bee consisted of pretty basic words like scary, odor, and ruin...along with words I didn't even know. Not just not know how to spell, but didn't even know as words. My son got out during round 1.

The luck was not in his favor, and while he is feeling devastated right now, I couldn't be more proud.

MISSED- DAY 6 OF THE MARCH SOLSC! #SOL16

I am participating in the Slice of Life Story Challenge (SOLSC; #SOL16) 

hosted by Two Writing Teachers. 

Each day for the month of March I will be posting a "Slice of Life". 

Please feel free to stop back and check out my other posts here.

 

"Missed"

You've missed... 21 years of our lives
     ...marriage, births, deaths, moves, celebrations
     ...getting to know this family of mine

We've missed...having you here for Christmas

...your homemade gifts

...your caring spirit

...your being a part of our family unit

They've missed...having you as a grandma
     ...getting to know you more than through pictures & stories
     ...feeling your hugs, your care, your love

I've missed...being able to talk to you and having you respond

...hearing your voice and knowing you're there

...having a mom

...you

Happy birthday to my mom in heaven. She would have been 77 years old today.

Volunteering on a Saturday DAY 5 OF THE MARCH SOLSC! #SOL16

I am participating in the Slice of Life Story Challenge (SOLSC; #SOL16) 

hosted by Two Writing Teachers. 

Each day for the month of March I will be posting a "Slice of Life". 

Please feel free to stop back and check out my other posts here.

Today I spent two and a half hours volunteering at the local food bank with my eleven year old. Not exactly the typical way we would spend a Saturday afternoon. I know a part of my son would have rather been at home playing a video game. If my mind drifted, I would have been thinking of the errands and household tasks that I "should have" been doing. But instead, we were at the food bank. boxing and bagging up apples. We talked and laughed. We boxed and stacked, bagged and weighed. We cringed at the "bad apples". (at first my son was examining every apple...I assured him he'd know a "bad" one when he saw one!) I was proud of how hard my son worked, and before we knew it our volunteer shift was over and it was time to go. It was really a great afternoon. We came closer together, we gave back to our community, we did something good for others and for ourselves. I think we've come up with something new for our typical way we might spend a Saturday afternoon.

MOVIE NIGHT - DAY 4 OF THE MARCH SOLSC! #SOL16

I am participating in the Slice of Life Story Challenge (SOLSC; #SOL16) 

hosted by Two Writing Teachers. 

Each day for the month of March I will be posting a "Slice of Life". 

Please feel free to stop back and check out my other posts here.

Years ago I watched movies ALL THE TIME. Of course, years ago means before kids! It seemed movies came on the TV all the time, and I would just stop and watch. I'd pop in a DVD (or even a VHS), sit back and enjoy the show. I was a regular at the local movie theatre. My husband and I have different tastes in movies & he's not big on going out, so movies was often a solo activity for me. I didn't mind. It was calm, peaceful, relaxing alone time.

Ha! Calm, peaceful, relaxing alone time...ummm what's that again?! When you have 3 kids, that's not something you see much of. Life is different now. Not bad, just different. So, movies are different.

Trips to the movie theatre are few and far between and ruled by kids' movies. Luckily I love kids movies! =) TV at home is dominated by video games & cartoons. Every once in awhile I'll catch a movie on, but usually have to cut it short because we have places to go or things to do.

But every once in a while, we get a night like tonight. Our very own movie night. Dimmed lights, everyone snuggled on the couch, enjoying a movie together. 3 of us watched the whole movie all the way through the credits.

Sure, the lights are back up now, and multiple video games are being played. Back to the active, energetic family life. But for that moment we had some calm, peaceful, relaxing family time. Thank you, movie night!

"REMEMBER ME?" DAY 3 OF THE MARCH SOLSC! #SOL16

I am participating in the Slice of Life Story Challenge (SOLSC; #SOL16) 

hosted by Two Writing Teachers. 

Each day for the month of March I will be posting a "Slice of Life". 

Please feel free to stop back and check out my other posts here.

"Remember me?"

I have a love/hate relationship with that phrase. 

I was sitting at our local community center with my middle son, while the oldest was at swim team and the youngest was in ballet class. Suddenly, a tall, sweaty basketball player who had gone to get a drink veered over in my direction. He stopped in front of me, tipped his head, and with a hopeful smile said, "Do you remember me?"

I paused...smiled...and said, "I sure remember that face."

He told me his name, and I said, "Absolutely! That was a long time ago."

See, I used to teach 1st & 2nd graders. So, the problem is- there is usually a familiar look to the face, but they've grown and changed into these young adults. 

Give me a minute and I will recognize the young face in there. Give me a name and I will remember for sure. 

And then...the memories come flooding back. The other students in that class. The funny moments. The learning and growth they made. 

So, I hate that I can't automatically remember. But, I love that seeing them let's me remember. And I LOVE that they remember me, remember my class, and bring such great memories back to me.

Read Across America- DAY 2 OF THE MARCH SOLSC! #SOL16

I am participating in the Slice of Life Story Challenge (SOLSC; #SOL16) 

hosted by Two Writing Teachers. 

Each day for the month of March I will be posting a "Slice of Life". 

Please feel free to stop back and check out my other posts here.

Today was Read Across America day. My former school was having guest readers come and read to the elementary students, and I was asked if I'd like to read.

Really?! Would I like to read?! Do these people know who they are talking to?! If I could I would read and talk about books ALL DAY LONG!! I'm the one who rediscovered my reading love over the past few years. The self proclaimed "book nerd". The one who has a not so secret dream of becoming a teacher-librarian (if only our schools had those!!). The one who NEVER SHUTS UP about books!!

So, I said, "Sure, if you need me." =)

So, I was at the school this morning, armed with a selection of some of my favorite books. Ready to talk, share, and read with any kids willing to listen.

I was reading in first grade...no, transitional kindergarten...no, first grade...no, go to TK.
Okay...so off I went to the TK class. 5 year old excited readers!! And...MY DAUGHTER'S CLASS!!

She was so surprised to see me, and so happy to see that I brought some of her favorites.

I shared two Emily Arrow videos and read Be A Friend by Salina Yoon. It was great. The kids loved it, and told me I "rock"! They clapped and thanked me for coming.

I read to my daughter all the time, but I do miss the joy of sharing books with a classroom of kids. It was wonderful! If only it could happen every day...