Peeling the Paper

S.O.L. #25/31



        I don't know why she does it and it isn't a big deal to me. But it drives my
 husband crazy. Our 2 year old daughter......... peels all of the paper off of her
crayons before she uses them. 

         Just like any other house with youngsters, we have a tub full of crayons. 
Most broken, some only nubs. Rarely is there a full length, papered crayon complete
 with sharp tip.  She enjoys scribbling a few lines on various pages in her coloring
book.  She has just learned the art of tracing around the outline of the figure before
she attempts to color within the lines. 

        Honestly, I'm just thankful that she's never offered to use her crayons on
anything other than her coloring books or paper.  I'm glad that she is keeping
 herself entertained quietly. But my husband is annoyed everytime he witnesses her
 bring the papered crayon up to her mouth to unravel it. Or when he enters a room
and discovers tiny pieces of partial curled, primary colored, paper parts scattered
randomly under the Little Tikes table and chair. 

         I thought I had devised the master plan when I tried to entice her into picking
up the bucketload of crayons and paper pieces that had dumped out on the floor with the threat of....."Oh, Kaitlyn, come help pick up your crayons.  If mommy picks them up, they
are mine and I will put them up-- far, far away." She calmly, cooly and collectedly
 replied, "It's ok. I have markers!"

        Grrr! See why I don't even try?

             Guess I will just have to buy a DustBuster. :)

Forever and Always----Sister Love

S.O.L. #24/31

 

When my old sister decided to move to Arizona almost 3 years ago, I was so devastated I didn’t even want to think about it let alone talk about it. I knew I would be emotional even thinking about my closest sister not being here with me especially because I was nine months pregnant with my second child. My sister did everything with me and was even at the birth of my first child. She had been by my side every step of my pregnancy with this baby too. She helped me capture the most special moments by joining me at a peaceful serene lake setting with my 4 year old precious boy to take a few pregnancy photos.

 

She came rushing to my side when I called her at 4 in the morning to tell her it was time for this little bundle of joy to come into the world.

I think I was in denial until the day I helped her pack up her house and she set out on her 1,000 mile journey to find a new home. It has been three years. I think I was still in denial for the entire first year she was out there hoping she would come to her senses and move back here!

But now I have come to realize this thousand mile distance has actually helped us grow closer. I took a year leave of absence from teaching when my baby girl was born. I was remembering how to be a newborn mommy again but this time much harder because I had a four year old vying for my attention as well. Who do you think was “there” for me? My sister, of course! Even though she was all the way in Arizona, she was never more than a phone call away. She had all the time in the world to sit and chat with me offering advice, consoling my tears, decompressing my stress & fears.

My little ones made homemade cards, colored pictures, painted handprints and sent them to Aunt Tina all throughout the year. Aunt Tina, in turn, mailed little trinkets and gifts to each of my kids making them feel special. We shared many moments through a quick snap of the camera phone lens and picture message because sometimes "a picture is worth a thousand words." Heck sometimes, even though she was in Arizona, she knew more about what was going in our lives than some of our relatives here. She made a point to stay involved. She created the time to travel back to KC about every 3 months. Visiting lots of family but each trip making time to staying at my house intentionally sharing moments with my children.

  Piggy Back Rides

& Painting Piggies!!

As the kids got older, we started to Skype with Aunt Tina. It is amazing how close you can feel through Skype. They play peek-a-boo with each other & make silly faces. She sings songs with them, read books to them. Now my 6 year old is reading books to her. Both kids know how to click the green phone to video dial her and push the plus sign to snap a Skype picture. Skype has helped those relationship bonds hold tight.

  Receiving Precious Letters &Blowing Kisses

Tina- It is ok that you moved to Arizona.

In fact , I am thankful for the experiences that we have shared

because now I know...........

Forever and always

even thousands a miles apart,

you are always in my heart!

Love you Bunches,

your Little Sis XOXO

My sister & I on top of Mt. Lemon in Arizona!!

Coffee with my sister- 1,000 miles apart

S.O.L. #22/31

A simple sip of sweet, hot French vanilla roast coffee  from a special carafe can warm my heart and bring me closer to my sister.   My sister moved to Arizona from Missouri about 3 years ago.  It was an easier transition than I imagined because we have many ways in which we stay connected.  Oddly enough,  sipping coffee on Saturday mornings is something we do that reminds us of one another.  After the hustle and bustle of a busy week,  we may or may not have had a chance to connect during the week by calling, texting or Skyping.  But when Saturday mornings roll around, we both have a quiet moment of solitude each in our own homes 1,000 miles apart from one another.  

Early Saturday morning,  I quietly slip out of bed sliding on a warm shirt, cozy yoga pants and a pair of fuzzy white socks.  I tiptoe down the stairs and reach for my Arizona mug.  The one I purchased in Tucson, Arizona when the kids and I took a trip to visit Aunt Tina (my sister).   It has a warm desert scene including many cacti encircling the entire mug.  The streaming Dunkin Donuts French Vanilla coffee enters my mug as the splash of French Vanilla creamer swirls with the dash of sugar.  After opening the living room shades, I  settle into my big comfy sofa corner embracing the warm cup of coffee with both hands and closing my eyes imagining my sister’s view out her window in Arizona.  The warm desert sun’s rays warm my face even though they are barely peeking over the sturdy mountains on the horizon ----but oh so near. Peace and  joy  fill my heart because I can feel her love and know she is embracing her “Live, Laugh, Love” mug (the one I gave her for Christmas) in her home  half way across the country. .........And she is thinking of me.

Downhill

S.O.L. #22/31

We are  on the downhill side of this Slice of Life Challenge.  I am so glad that I just did it!  However,  I am not fortunate enough to have a ten day spring break like others to afford me more time to write my slices this last week.  I only have two days off. Enough whining! If I have made it this far, I can finish it out!

After reading a fellow slicers post today about finding a PLN with Twitter, it inspired me to write this post.  Because I feel the same way about the Slice of Life Challenge.  I have celebrated in all of your joys (new babies, getting comments from “real” authors) & and struggles( potty training, not so nice colleagues) & have gleaned SOOO much knowledge! I  have kept a Google Doc of books to read, ideas I’ve gathered, quotes I love  & added many new blogs to read on my blog.

It is like receiving Professional Development every night right in my own living room.  You know that excitement you get from attending an awesome workshop? Well, it feels like that everyday to me after reading everyone’s SOL posts.  It is similar to reading a professional magazine.  I can just peruse the posts/flip the pages until I find a title/article that interests me. But then I get to immediately interact with the author/slicer by commenting.  

It is so much better than Facebook (which is something that I gave up in order t have time to blog) I felt guilty spending so much time just “facebooking” Now for the last month, when my husbands enters the room and sees a computer on my lap and asks, “Are you facebooking?”

I can reply confidently, “No, I am blogging” (which everyone know is serious work! )

After March 31, I don’t think I will keep up blogging everyday.( It think I will try Michelle’s 10 year journal)   But I am planning to post on Tuesdays @  TWT.  I think I am actually going to miss it.  

The Boy Who Loved Words

 S.O.L. #21/31

 

WooHoo!!!  I saw someone mention the book The Boy Who Loved Words somewhere recently.  The minute I heard the title I knew I needed to grab the book and check it out for myself.  

I immediately checked our school library but nope, didn’t have it.  So I emailed our Primary (k-2) Elementary Librarian.  She had it and sent it home with my son last night.  I voraciously (That is a word from the book) read it as soon as I got home and it was  perfect!!!

All year long, my students have been gathering words to “expand our vocabulary”.

We study the vocabulary words that our reading series introduces each week.  My students squeal with glee (ok the boys don’t actually squeal) when they find one of our  vocabulary words in their own personal reading books. For the first semester,  we gathered these vocabulary words on a huge “I SPY my vocabulary words” poster.  They wrote the vocabulary word, the title of the book they found it in and then sign their name.  The kids filled this poster up quickly and loved it!  

Now for the second semester, I switched it up on them.  We are still word collectors but now we are gathering interesting, intriguing, new, important words in our own independent reading. The can share and write their words on our new “Word Collector” poster.  They keep a personal word collector page in their notebooks as well.  So you can imagine my excitement when I discovered a there was a book about a boy who collected words. Along with being a really cute story, it contained many new, tantalising (yeah that’s another one)  words!!! I hope it inspires my students to continue being word collectors and to have a purpose for their words. I want them to be awakened to words, notice vocabulary.  Eventually,  I hope to see them weaving these new words they’ve discovered into their writing as well.  The Boy Who Loved Words is a gem I know I will be ordering it for my classroom library to share with my 4th graders every year!!!

Note: I grabbed the word “mellifluously” from the book .  I swirled it around my head practicing its pronunciation all day.  Then would you believe while we were reading a fable from our reading series-------the word mellifluously was used?!!!! Weeeeee!!! (That is ME squealing!!)

Little Miss Teacher

S.O.L. #20/31

All I have ever done is take care of and teach children.  Even as a little girl, I knew I wanted to be a teacher. .  I was set up to teach too.  With a desk and all the office supplies you could dream of, I had classroom in every room of our house.  I even had a  huge 6 ft chalkboard with the uppercase alphabet strung across the top of it in  alternating primary colors. Having  14+ nieces and nephews I always had someone to be my student.  

When I was a middle schooler, my mom ran a daycare at the local bowling alley.  Since it was after the school day, in the evenings, I went to work with her often and was eager to be a “teacher” to those young children.  My mom claims I stood up on the table to create my own stage to entertain/teach all of the kids.

My very first job, right out of high school, was teaching 2 year olds at a local daycare. I loved it!! (all but the diaper changing:) It was here that my desire to become a teacher solidified.  Those precious little ones were sponges eager to absorb anything I put before them.  They mimicked all of my fingerplays and songs. They mastered their alphabet and listened intently as I read tons of picture books (the local library was next door) to them.  I realized my impact on little lives and knew that teaching is what I wanted to do.  I narrowed my college focus to elementary education.  Then reluctantly left my precious little ones at daycare to enter the school setting in order to determine if I was really cut out to handle elementary aged children.  I accepted a position in a school district as leader of the before and after school child care program.  I  attended college during the day and worked  with the school agers before and after school.   I loved it as well!! I took part in planning and preparing  many fun crafty projects to kept the kids busy, engaged and having fun after-school.   The program ran all day during the summers too.  So we went on my many field trips to lots of interesting places.  I soon recognised that I could handle the logistics and leadership of being in charge of 100+ students.  I truly enjoyed my experiences and  being with kids each and everyday!

Soon I graduated and  worked with two master teachers as a paraprofessional until I finally received a position teaching 4th graders!! That was 13 years ago and I am still with my fourth graders at the same school!!! Guess I am not smarter than a 5th grader!! I love teaching. Learning and Children are my passion.  It is also the only thing I know! Hope I never have to get a “real job”! I love my students!!!

High Tech?

                                                                 S.O.L. #19/31

When I was a young girl, we were one of the first to own a home computer.  That is probably why I was never intimidated by new technology.  In fact, my parents bought two computers and put them in the same room, his and hers! My parents are in their 80’s and they keep learning not intimated but invigorated by new technology.  My mom and dad each still have their own desktops computers.  Recently, my Dad got even got an  Ipad and mom has a laptop (btw thanks for letting me borrow it to participate in the Slice of Life Challenge this month)  They both have their own active email and Facebook accounts.  Dad drops pictures in Dropbox to share with family across the country. Mom even created her own Blog recently. These folks know how to keep up with the world.    It is because of them that I enjoy learning and embracing new technology---Heck, I can’t keep up with them!

As a 2nd year teacher, about 12 years ago, I  was offered the training and equipment to become an EMINTS teacher.  So for two years, I received technology integration training along with 12 computers for my students, a smartboard, projector, scanning & digital camera! This was a fantastic journey for myself and my students. It has changed over the years but the amazing part is the learning never ceases.  I am on the technology committee for my school district.  Our school has several Ipads and laptops and are in the process of implementing the BYOD (bring Your Own Device) program.  I can’t wait to find out where we will take learning next!