For the month of March, each day I am writing and posting a slice of my life, hosted by Two Writing Teachers.
Slice of Life Challenge #21 Day 31:
Easter Preparations
Mother, son, daughter,/
decorate, dye hard-boiled eggs-/
Easter traditions.
Of course there is always at least one egg casualty (see cracked egg above).
For the month of March, each day I am writing and posting a slice of my life, hosted by Two Writing Teachers.
Slice of Life Challenge #21 Day 30:
My Reader
Alaina scans the titles on my bookshelf. Her fingers run along the book spines.
“You have A LOT of books, Mom.” She's right. Buying books is my downfall. I have more titles than someone could probably read in a lifetime.
“I know. Too many. I’m trying not to buy so many and using the library instead.”
“What’s this one about?” She holds Kim Liggett’s The Grace Year.
“Oh, that’s a dystopian YA novel. I started reading it last year, but I must have gotten distracted. I remember liking it, but it is dark.”
“I’ll try it, Mom.”
Alaina dives into The Grace Year. She reads it in the car as we are running errands. She reads it at the kitchen table while she eats a snack. She reads me snippets of the book periodically.
“This book is SO disturbing, but I cannot stop reading it!”
“The ones you can't put down - those are the best kind! Just remember-it’s not a real story.”
She nods and returns to the book.
For the next few days, instead of her usual iPhone/iPad fixation, she’s immersed in this book. I overhear her tell her big brother about The Grace Year. (The even get in a bit of a debate about all of the disturbing books they have read and which one is the most disturbing.)
It's Spring Break, and my daughter is buried in a book. This mamma couldn’t be happier.
For the month of March, each day I am writing and posting a slice of my life, hosted by Two Writing Teachers.
Slice of Life Challenge #21 Day 29:
Cat Anniversary
They were brought over from across the street - me carrying Emma, Dave with Victor. It was the most simple cat transfer.
I found a place for their litterboxes in the basement. I set out their food and water bowls in the kitchen. We had a basket of cat toys waiting for them and even purchased a small scratching post for them.
We didn't see Emma for at least three days. Victor was cautious, but once he realized that we would provide him with food, he was eager to be sitting on laps and discovering new sunbeams in our house.
It's been over a year since we welcomed Victor and Emma into our home. Now Emma greets me at the door when I return home. She is often my shadow, eager for my attention. Each night Victor climbs up into my lap and purrs. I believe that they are living their best cat lives.
Little did I know that these two creatures would provide my children and me with so much companionship, curiosity, and joy. Rescuing these two felines was a welcome change. I am pretty sure that my children would agree.
For the month of March, each day I am writing and posting a slice of my life, hosted by Two Writing Teachers.
Slice of Life Challenge #21 Day 28:
Rollerblade Driveway Delight
My daughter has been begging for rollerblades for the last few months. She has been rollerskating a few times before, but not rollerblading. It's also been a while since we went roller skating, and we haven't had many opportunities to skate.
On Friday I had the good fortune to borrow several pairs of rollerblades from a friend - a fellow parent who knows that it's wise to try out something before you invest in purchasing it.
I have a flat and wide driveway, perfect for rollerblading. With knee pads, helmets, and wrist guards, the three of us put on our gear.
We all began a bit shakey, especially my daughter, who has had the least amount of experience on wheels. She fell several times and clutched onto my arm before she was able to achieve balance on her own. Soon, although a bit shaken, she was skating back and forth between the width of our driveway.
“I’m awful at this, but it’s SO fun!” She exclaimed.
“You are doing just fine. It takes practice.” I reassured her.
We spent at least an hour roller blading before we headed inside.
"Can we do this again, Mom?"
I nodded, thrilled that we could enjoy something outside together.
Lace skates. Find balance./
Rollerblade driveway delight./
Outside spring pleasure.
For the month of March, each day I am writing and posting a slice of my life, hosted by Two Writing Teachers.
Slice of Life Challenge #21 Day 27: Desks
Outside the classroom: fifteen desks hugging the concrete hallway wall. The desks have been sitting in storage during virtual and hybrid learning to ensure six feet of social distancing. Following Spring Break, students will be seated in desk pods of four with limited social distancing.
Another upcoming pivot.
For the month of March, each day I am writing and posting a slice of my life, hosted by Two Writing Teachers.
Slice of Life Challenge #21 Day 26: Delightful Surprise
Last Monday morning I peered into my wooden mailbox slot in the school office. I noticed a small envelope with my name on it.
I could barely wait to see what was inside and opened it before I even got to my classroom door. To my surprise, it was an encouraging note and sticker from a friend/colleague. Smiling to myself, I hugged the note and sticker close to my chest.
For the month of March, each day I am writing and posting a slice of my life, hosted by Two Writing Teachers.
Slice of Life Challenge #21 Day 25: Right Now
I recently saw this post on Leigh Anne's A Day In the Life. I enjoyed reading it and wanted to share my own list.
What I'm Reading - I'm notorious for reading more than one book at a time. I thrive on this. After reading a post about this book from Ramona, I ordered and began reading Alone Together: Love, Grief, and Comfort in the time of COVID-19. It's a collection of interviews, poetry, and essays. I am also listening to Searching for April Raintree, a powerful novel. This is the story of two Canadian Métis sisters who were raised in foster care for most of their young lives and deal with racism and exploring their identity as adults.
What I'm Writing - Aside from lesson plans and feedback on Canvas, I am mostly only writing daily blogs for the Slice of Life Challenge and journaling. At some point I would like to write more and publish. Lately this goal seems so out of reach.
What I'm Learning - I am learning that it is okay to be gentle with myself and continue to realize that life is a journey that I am still figuring out how to navigate. At school I am learning again how to be flexible as we pivot to our fourth learning model this year. Personally, although I haven't lost anyone due to the pandemic, I have been processing grief and trying to figure out how I want to spend my time and energy when the pandemic is over. Therefore, I plan to participate in Elena Aguilar's Bright Morning Feel Better Program.
What I'm Loving - Catching the sunrise is always a love. Signs of spring give me so much joy. Playing board games with my children is one of my favorite ways to spend time with them. My parents are now both fully vaccinated, and I am part-vaccinated; we can visit again! I adore comedy and laughing until my belly aches.
Thank you for this inspiration, Leigh Anne.
For the month of March, each day I am writing and posting a slice of my life, hosted by Two Writing Teachers.
Slice of Life Challenge #21 Day 24: FaceTime Chats
"FaceTime soon?" Steve texts me.
"Yes please," I reply.
"Ready now?"
"Yup." I find myself giddy waiting for his call.
I hear the familiar FaceTime ringtone and accept his call.
We began dating towards the beginning of the pandemic. For the first two months of our relationship, we didn't see each other in person. Since we live in different towns and have a bit of distance between us, we tried to stay connected in whatever way we could. We tried phone calls, but my reception was awful. We tried Google Hangout, a little bit of WhatsApp, and landed on using FaceTime.
Over our daily FaceTime chat, we talk about our day, tell each other stories, and can even show each other what is happening at our respective homes. I like that I can see his facial expressions and hear the inflections in his voice. At times, when one of us is tired or has something going on, our chat is brief - sometimes only ten minutes. However, we can easily FaceTime for an hour or more. These moments make me feel like a swooning teen.
Throughout the year, there have been many examples when I had a rough day with school or other events. Connecting with Steve on Facetime almost always brightens my mood. Steve continuously makes me laugh and smile. I can be silly with him, yet we can share incredibly serious things. I feel listened to, respected, and loved. It's reassuring when I can hear his voice and see his face. He's usually the last person I see or talk with before I fall asleep.
In the past year, he has become my best friend. I believe that our video chats brought us closer together and helped us stay connected. I couldn't be more grateful.
What technology tools have you used to stay in touch with loved ones during the pandemic?
For the month of March, each day I am writing and posting a slice of my life, hosted by Two Writing Teachers.
Slice of Life Challenge #21 Day 23: Eye Candy
The past weekend I went hiking at Cherney Maribol Caves County Park. Although this was not my first time visiting this park, I was in awe of its beauty, especially in the how the trees and crag intertwine.
Tree roots travel down/
Niagra dolomite - cliff/
line beauty wonder.
What natural beauty have you noticed lately?
For the month of March, each day I am writing and posting a slice of my life, hosted by Two Writing Teachers.
Slice of Life Challenge #21 Day 22:
Muddy Shoes
Muddy shoes: sure sign of spring.
For the month of March, each day I am writing and posting a slice of my life, hosted by Two Writing Teachers.
Slice of Life Challenge #21 Day 21:
Depending on When You Met Me
As usual, I am almost always late to the party. Thank you to Leigh Anne for this invitation. I have enjoyed reading other bloggers respond to Leigh Anne's invitation.
Depending on When You Met Me by Trina
Depending on when you met me, I might have been: a kid who played tag in the church sanctuary while her father prepared Sunday sermons, a piano player who had to be nagged to practice, a Girl Scout, a little sister who read her big sister's diary, a tenth grader who got to collect holy water from the Jordan River, a babysitter, a flutist, the girl who sold tresses of her blonde hair to a market vendor in Bolivia, the kid who got emergency surgery on her wisdom teeth two days before a trip to Germany, the girl who moved and switched high schools the summer before her senior year of high school, a hostess and waitress, a church camp counselor, a book seller, an university Information Technology Student Worker, a graduate of a English Education, a chaperone of high school students to the British Isles and later Australia, a teacher of middle school students, a graduate student who had to put her degree on hold when her baby boy was born premature, a sleep-deprived full-time working momma of two, a baker, a ukulele player, a secondary district literacy coach, a high school English and Alternative Education teacher, a mentor, a divorcee, a cat owner, a plant enthusiast, a woman who is learning how to sew again, a girlfriend, and a voracious reader and writer.
For the month of March, each day I am writing and posting a slice of my life, hosted by Two Writing Teachers.
Slice of Life Challenge #21 Day 20:
How Have You Grown?
In an effort to connect with my students in a postive way, I continue to begin my senior level classes with community building questions. At the beginning of March I wrote in this post about a different question I asked my high school seniors.
This past Thursday and Friday I posed this question to my students, "What's one way you have changed since you were a freshman?"
I expected most of my student responses to be light-hearted. Of course a few of them were oozing with sarcasm, like when *Mavis said, her eyes sparkling with smiles behind her mask, "I hate school even more." *Aaron shared, "I have bigger clothes." Eric's response made me chuckle: "I don't think that seniors are so big and scary anymore. " *Lizzie's made me smile when she said, "I sleep less." She followed this with a huge yawn and showed us her huge energy drink.
However, for the most part, my students shared meaningful insights with each other. Here are a few that stuck out to me:
"I am in better control of my emotions. I used to get angry and just leave the classroom in a huff. I hid in bathrooms. Now I know to breathe and calm myself down. I can get upset about something but know that I can still be okay."
For the month of March, each day I am writing and posting a slice of my life, hosted by Two Writing Teachers.
Slice of Life Challenge #21 Day 19:
Last Minute Request
"Would you be willing to write me a recommendation letter? It's for a scholarship." Her email inquires.
"Of course! What would you like me to highlight? When is it due?" I respond.
"It's due tomorrow. I am really sorry. I didn't realize this until today."
"I'll do my best," I reply, wondering how I will find the time to write a letter today.
She's a hard-working, bright student I adore. She's had more challenges before turning eighteen than most people should have in a lifetime. She needs this scholarship to attend post-secondary school. She needs all the help she can get. I needed to figure out how to write it in time for her. It was a request I could not turn down.
In between Parent Teacher Conference Google Meets last night, I pounded out her recommendation letter.
Recommendation/
letter request. I accept./
"It's due tomorrow."
For the month of March, each day I am writing and posting a slice of my life, hosted by Two Writing Teachers.
Slice of Life Challenge #21 Day 18:
Weekly Routine
I make my way down to our high school gym, where district staff members have the weekly opportunity to take an asymptomatic COVID test.
As I reach the entrance of the gym, Tom says hello, grins, and sprints ahead of me.
"I beat you!" He says, and I giggle. I love the spontaneity of his run. We enter the double doors of the Large Gym, careful to provide ample space between each other.
My playful mood instantly shifts. Health care workers are dressed in Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), including protective clothing, face masks, and gloves. Everyone is now somber and serious.
I stand in line while I wait my turn. My weight shifts back and forth a bit. I check my face mask and make sure that it is appropriately covering my nose and mouth.
"Have you done this before?"
I nod and hand my COVID Testing Program paper voucher to the health care provider. He hands me a small, sealed baggie containing a plastic test tube and paperwork. I hold my baggie and wait for the next step.
"Please state your name and date of birth," A different health worker requests. I share my information. She takes the bag from my hand and hands me a long swab for my nose.
I am already swabbing each side of my nostril before she can give me the standard instructions. My swab is placed back into the test tube.
"You should receive results back through an email link in two to four days."
"Thank you," I respond, leave the gym, and return back to my classroom.
Our district began providing optional and free asymptomatic COVID tests at our building a few months ago. I have been taking advantange of this optional convience (and peace of mind) each week. The first time I got an asymptomatic COVID test, I was so nervous. What if the swab hurts? What if I test positive? Will I be standing in line for a long time?
Taking a COVID test is no longer a worry for me. It is a quick test to take. It doesn't hurt. I know that if I test positive, I will take care of myself and do what I can to protect others.
I never imagined that taking a weekly medical test would be a part of my weekly routine at school.
What is a routine that you didn't expect that you would get used to this school year?
For the month of March, each day I am writing and posting a slice of my life, hosted by Two Writing Teachers.
Slice of Life Challenge #21 Day 17:
Rummikub Win
In the middle of trying to write a slice for Tuesday, Alaina runs into my bedroom, flings our family's Rummikub game on my bed.
"Mom, can we play a round?"
"Yes, let me just finish typing this sentence, and I'll be right there," I close my Chromebook and head into the kitchen. Alaina already has the game set up.
Sitting across from each other, we each select fourteen tiles and begin playing.
Alaina is intense when it comes to Rummikub. It's an hour without Netflix or Youtube. It's an hour without texting. It's an hour of just me and my daughter.
We talk. We laugh. We tease.
She wins a game. I win a game.
She breaks the tie to win for a second time and yells, "And that's how it's done!"
She delights in beating her mother.
"Aren't you glad you taught me how to play so well?" She teases.
Little does she know that I cherish any opportunity that I can get to spend time with her.
For the month of March, each day I am writing and posting a slice of my life, hosted by Two Writing Teachers.
Slice of Life Challenge #21 Day 16:
Searching for Slices
Have you ever had one of those days where you just don't know what to write?
Today I must have thought of six different ideas. I started writing. I stopped. I started writing again. I stopped. I just couldn't articulate the small moment I wanted to convey. All my slices seemed so...dull. Honestly, I spent more time generating ideas than crafting this post.
Some days are like that.
 |
| One of my many attempts at a slice today |
Start.Stop.Start.Stop.Start./
Generate slice ideas./
Can't find the right words.
For the month of March, each day I am writing and posting a slice of my life, hosted by Two Writing Teachers.
Slice of Life Challenge #21 Day 15:
Victor
Why must you always/
take my spot? Scat! You screech, hiss,/
...yet your motor purrs.
For the month of March, each day I am writing and posting a slice of my life, hosted by Two Writing Teachers.
Slice of Life Challeng #21 Day 14:
Pandemic Picnic
I gathered a loaf of bread, some lettuce, and mayo. I sliced some ham and cut several pieces of colby cheese. I placed the peanut butter, Sunbutter, and jelly on the counter and set out some butter knives. This spread should satisfy everyone.
"Is everyone up?" I yelled up the stairs at my children. "You have thirty minutes to finish getting ready, including that you each need to make a sandwich for your lunch. Get going!"
It was nearly 9:30; my fifteen-year-old and nearly thirteen-year-old emerged from their respective bedrooms.
"Okay Mom," I heard my son respond. My daughter trudged down the stairs, bed hair and all.
Ten minutes later the three of us were crowded around my small kitchen, reaching for items and assembling sandwiches on our kitchen table. We placed them in the small red Igloo cooler. I added several apples, sliced raw veggies and placed them in small Ziploc bags. I threw in napkins and handwipes. I closed the cooler and set it by the back door. I realized that we even had a bag of chips that we could bring, so I placed the snack beside the cooler.
"Do you each have a water bottle?"
There was more activity in our kitchen. My son filled his bottle. My daughter rummaged through the cupboard until she found her favorite water bottle.
Once we were set to go, we piled into my sedan, ready for the day's adventures. It was a forecasted to be a beautiful day. My children, my boyfriend, and I were meeting my parents at a park and spending the afternoon together.
Packing simple picnic lunches and eating at parks reminds me so much of my childhood. As a kid, we never traveled anywhere without have a cooler full of food. A gingham tablecloth could always be found in the station wagon, complete with silver tablecloth clips. I remember having so much fun playing in the park or playing frisbee or tag when we were done eating. I loved exploring.
I forgot how much I loved picnics. As a single parent, I soon realized that picnics were better for my budget. In addition, I found that it was less stressful to just find a spot to eat instead of waiting for a table or arguing about which place to stop. Picnics can be easy to prep and easy for clean up. We can decide what time we want to eat, how long we want to linger, and when it is nice out, we can enjoy the weather.
Of course I have missed going out to restaurants. However, planning ahead and packing a picnic lunch and eating in parks is something I want to hold onto when this pandemic ends.
What new habits do you want to keep?
For the month of March, each day I am writing and posting a slice of my life, hosted by Two Writing Teachers.
Slice of Life #21 Challenge Day 13:
Ninja-In-Training
"Want to play ninja, Trina?" Addy inquired.
"How do you play ninja?"
"You'll LOVE it. You get to be really, really sneaky. You can hide behind trees. You can jump from rocks. As long as you are quiet." Addy's eyes were bright, her face animated as she shared what play ninja looked like.
"Hmm...that does sound fun," I said and leaped from one rock to the next.
Addy darted behind a building, trying to sneak up on her brother and uncle. I followed her, trying to be as quiet as possible.
"When I get big, I am gonna be a ninja. A real one," Addy whispered in my ear.
"How will you train for that?" I asked.
Seven-year-old Addy rolled her eyes and saracstially answered, "ninja school, of course."
"But now, we practice," Addy said. She darted past the building, crouched down near a rock, and made her body flat on the muddy ground.
Addy winked at me and continued her ninja-in-training.
For the month of March, each day I am writing and posting a slice of my life, hosted by Two Writing Teachers.
Slice of Life #21 Challenge Day 12:
Emma's Greetings
Meow. Meow. Meow.
It's the first sound I hear as I walk through the door. I have been gone all day at work. I imagine this is Emma's way of saying, "I missed you!"
Meow. Meow. Meow.
As I sat down my school bag, Emma rubs against my legs.
Meow. Meow. Meow.
I scan the mail, turn on the oven to roast some vegetables, and unpack my lunch. Emma conintues to rub against my legs.
Meow. Meow. MEOW!
Her cries crescendo.
Finally, I pick up Emma, rubbing her ears and scratching under her chin. She nuzzles her petite face against my neck. I am rewarded by Emma's purrs.
"I missed you, too, Emma."
For the month of March, each day I am writing and posting a slice of my life, hosted by Two Writing Teachers.
Slice of Life #21 Challenge Day 11:
Blogging Reflections
“And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.” Sylvia Plath
Yesterday marked ten days into the Slice of Life March Challenge. Ten days means that I am nearly a third of the way through this daily blogging challenge. Although this is my fourth year participating in March's Slice of Life Challenge, this year I wasn't sure that I would be even get through the first week. Up until about a month ago I wrote only eight blog posts since the end of last March. That's right, eight. I kept up with writing in my notebook, but I just couldn't get into the rhythm of writing a post. School has also been especially challenging this year, and I have had a challenging time keeping up with all of the changes.
Writing and publishing for ten days straight is a celebration for me this year.
As I think about the last ten days of blogging, these are the things that I have noticed about myself as a writer:
What have you noticed about yourself as a writer during the Slice of Life Challenge so far?
F or the month of March, each day I am writing and posting a slice of my life , hosted by Two Writing Teachers . Slice of Life Challenge ...
