I would rather…

Today’s slice was inspired by a fellow slicer here, who had been inspired by two others!  One thing I love about the SOL Challenge is all of the different ideas I gain from others during the month.

I would rather…                                               instead of…

drink coffee                                                         almost any other beverage

be outside in the sunshine                               being indoors

read YA literature                                               most books written for adults

spend time playing games                                watching a movie

eat homemade chocolate chip cookies           any type of cake

watch the sunset                                                seeing the sunrise

play soccer                                                          any other sport

watch movies with happy endings                   action or suspense movies

spend money on travel                                     buying other expensive things

go the mountains                                               sit on the beach

 

Slices of life

Inspired by the reflection list poem here.

Ideas swirling–

Which to choose?

Read, read, read,

Searching for inspiration,

Reaching into the past–

Distant or not-so-distant.

Now click-clacking

On the keyboard.

Reread, revise,

Publish.

Connect.

Comment.

Repeat.

 

 

 

Looking at the calendar

Inspired by Fran McCracken’s post about her monthly goals after March, I decided to construct my own year-at-a-glance from April to February.

April: Read at least 30 minutes of fun reading every day.

May: Start a gratitude list and add to it every day.

June: Do something non-wedding-planning related every day–up until June 23rd, that is.

July: Spend time outdoors every day (in the pool, if possible).

August: Pull a weed every day (Fran inspired me…my yard could definitely use it!).

September: Watch a sunrise or sunset every day and snap a photo.

October: Do chin-ups or push-ups or box jumps every day.

November: Write a note to someone each day to let them know what they mean to me.

December: Try a different recipe or food every day.

January: Create a pile of items to donate and add to it every day.

February: (Try to) limit coffee to one cup of coffee every day.

And then there’s March…

Questions to spark conversation

Yesterday at Girls on the Run, the lesson was about making friends.  I love this lesson; it gets girls talking to other teammates who they might not typically talk to as they run their laps.

During the warm-up, the girls wrote two open-ended questions on index cards that they can use to spark conversation with another girl.  As they ran, they grabbed a new index card each lap and started a conversation with a different girl.  The conversations that ensued were so fun to hear.  I found myself learning surprising and fascinating information about many different girls.

It reminded me that the questions we ask those around us matter.  The questions we ask either show that we care or they communicate a “let’s-get-on-with-it” attitude.  The questions we ask give a window into our attitudes and perspectives at that moment. From the lesson, I took away a few thought-provoking questions to spark conversation with students or adults.

• If you could have any super-power in the world, what would you choose and why?
• What do you do to relax?
• What makes you unique?
• If you could travel anywhere in the universe, where would you go and why?
• What makes you joyous?
• What is your dream job and why?

These were just a few of the questions…the girls’ homework was to try a few outside of Girls on the Run.

I’m going to take on the challenge as well!

Currently

I started this post this morning, but the bell rang, so now this is a two-part slice!

Currently [before school]…

Listening to the relaxing guitar music coming softly through the speakers.

Watching students find their slicing spots around the classroom, smiling as they read other posts and fingers click-clacking away as they comment and compose their own slices.

Thinking about all the parts of the day and wondering if I made all of my copies.

Sipping the last few drops of my morning coffee, enjoying the rich taste of the Italian dark roast.

Chatting with my teaching partner as several more of our students come into the classroom.

Hoping the sunshine brings warmer weather all day long.

Currently [after work]…

Sitting in a comfortable armchair with my laptop in front of me, finishing my slice.

Smelling the mouthwatering scent of grilled chicken flatbread, ready for dinner.

Realizing I need to send several emails to families before it gets too late.

Rereading before hitting the ‘publish’ button!

 

 

Hiding kindness in the pages

Students came up with an idea today to write kindness notes on Post-its and put them inside books in our school library.  Although it was the end of the day on a Monday, the room immediately filled with energy.  They called out different messages to add to the list and began writing notes and drawing pictures to pass kindness along to other learners at our school.

The books now have notes inside their pages:

You’re amazing, strong, and kind.

Have a great day at school today!

Remember to breathe and enjoy the day!

You are awesome!

and so many more.

I’ll have to add some pictures later!

 

Sunday success

Though Sundays usually find me working on my to-do list and feeling like I don’t have enough time, today was instead filled with small successes.

• Finishing an eight-mile run this morning before church.
• Seeing the colors of the garden as I walked to my car.

• Bringing home two nice brown couches that some friends were giving away.
• Cutting down a tree in the front yard that has been on the to-do list for months.
• Finding Honeycrisp apples (my favorite) on sale at Sprouts.

Some days, it’s the little things.

Driving in the Rockies

Yesterday, we were driving through the Rockies for the girls soccer game.  Everything was going well until an hour in when we got a phone call.

“The pass is closed at Vail,” our athletic director said.

We were still two hours from Vail, so we figured the roads would open by then.  But as we got closer, the signs on the road flashed: “Pass closed.  Accident on road.”

That meant we waited for two hours, sitting in the bus, snow blowing sideways.  It was pretty, with the flakes drifting across the sky, but it was hard to enjoy when we had a deadline.  Finally, finally, we started moving.  The roads were okay, but we had some time to make up if we wanted to make the game on time.

Two hours later, we pulled up to the field.  After a 5-2 win, pizza at the hotel, and a coach debrief, I was exhausted.

Sinking into the giant queen-sized bed with a good book in hand, I was glad that the day was over.  Driving in snow, waiting for hours.  It was a “hurry up and wait” kind of day.  You never know what will happen when you drive through the Rocky Mountains.

Now, onto the new day.  The sun is shining, the sky is blue.  It’s a great day to play soccer!

I am…

Inspired by Alanna Parker’s slice and her sentence stems to help spark my writing!

I am a teacher with a blended classroom of third and fourth graders this year.  It’s been a hard year, but looping with my students has had its perks!

I keep birthday cards from year to year, small notes from students, and letters from friends in a drawer in my room, ready to walk down memory lane.

I wish I could return to Kenya and teach there again, experiencing all the joys and challenges of life in Africa.

I love curling up with a hot cup of coffee, a warm blanket, and a good historical fiction book.

I think about all of the changes in education recently and the situations my students face at home, wishing I could wave a magic wand and fix all of the problems.

I really need to increase my training miles for my half-marathon in May; getting up earlier is worth it as soon as the crisp morning air hits my face.

I need to finish addressing my wedding invitations and send those in the mail.

I should clean the painting supplies from the middle of the kitchen floor so that we can lay the wood laminate flooring this weekend.

I can make a difference, even when it seems hopeless some days.

I make my lunch every morning, packing the same four items: an apple, cheese stick, 3 pieces of turkey, and a LaraBar.

I always remind myself to breathe in the midst of frustrations, allowing my anxieties to settle and my mind to clear.

My night in sounds

Sitting at my computer after a long day, I read Katy’s slice here and got an idea for my own post.

Dishes clinking as the after-dinner dishes are put away.

The voices of the announcers from the Kentucky-Kansas State game coming from downstairs.

My brother’s voice alternating with my dad’s as my brother packs to go back to college after spring break.

Coffee dripping out from the coffeemaker in a quiet sound of anticipation.

The washer churning out its spin cycle from behind the laundry room door.

My fingers clicking away on the keyboard as I type my slice, letting the sounds of the night wash over me.