Slice #8 Woebegone Kind of Day

Missing You!

I've avoided writing this all day!  Sifting pictures for something else I came across these two shots.  I do not remember taking these pictures.  The little guy in the picture doesn't have a real gun, it's a toy.  I know this is controversial him having a gun, but where I come from it's a rite of passage. 

I spent time today just looking at these pictures and thinking about the conversation that they were having. Thinking about how much that little boy love his pap. I’ll never forget the time he walked away from me on the farm and headed up the hill.  I think I found him in the same spot. 

I wish, he was still here just for you.  If I could cry enough tears to build a staircase, I would!

Love and Miss you Dad!

I miss your Tuesday night call

No one else likes NPR like you

No one cares that I heard an interesting story!

While I don't have mushy memories of you hugging and kissing me

I do have great memories of political debates 

How much you valued my opinion or just listened anyway.

Then offered your thoughts.

I miss your confidence in that I could succeed 

No matter what I wanted to try.  

You encouraged failure 

First one to teach me how to laugh at myself 

Not take myself seriously

I do have memories of walking behind the tractor

Throwing hay bales just like the boys

You even let us drive the truck, the mini-bikes, and the tractor.

The kids miss you too!

Especially Aaron, 

Who desperately wants to learn to ride 

Four Wheelers and drive the red Jeep!

Devin is learning to play the piano, 

I think she got your talent, 

I hope you can hear her in heaven.

I wish we could hear your voice 

            one

               more

                    time!

Slice #7: A Year Ago

A Year Ago:

I began my journey as a Slicer, I reread my slices from last year because this year I feel uninspired. A year ago, I wrote about our new puppy Bella who was still settling into the routine of our home.  When she first arrive, it took her a few days to realize it was okay to sleep in our bed.  When we went to bed, she went to her crate.  The other members of the canine pack wasted no time getting to their spots on the bed or on the dog bed beside of ours. Now, she comes easily to our bed and snuggles up behind my legs.  She occasionally sleeps with one of the kids and I miss her on those nights.

Out of all of our dogs, she is the love.  The others are sweet, but Bella is just mushy and obedient.  She hangs on my every word and is completely submissive.  I've never experienced a dog who completely bows to me as the pack leader.  The others need a reminder.  She is a welcome member of our 'Pack'!  

Slice #5 Insanity....not what you think

Anyone else do the INSANITY workout?

I've come to the conclusion that I'm missing out on being fit.  I'm in the process of trying to remedy that by participating at the local gym four nights a week in INSANITY workouts and SYNERGY360. These workouts are giving me a reality check of how unfit I am, but I am attend each week.  I want to feel strong again and feel like I can conquer the world.  Most of all, I want to do an adventure park with my kids this summer.  Last summer they did one without me and I hated every minute of the waiting.  I felt like I missed out on something really fun.

I hate that I can't do the steps at the highest intensity level, but I am being patient with myself.  I feel stronger when I walk out and I feel so mellow after doing the workout routine. I'm trying hard not to focus on the scale and instead just focus on getting stronger and feeling fit. 

This summer I hope to complete my first 5K and my first Adventure Park course.  Wish me luck!

Slice #3 Mixin' it up!

Let's see who will be truthful.......

Go ahead and raise your hand if you made mix tapes or cd's when you were younger.  I'm sitting here feeling absolutely stoked that I can say...

• I made mix TAPES
• I made mix CD's and now
• I make mix PLAYLISTS

The good ole days of mix tapes takes me way back.  Sitting in front of the boom box or stereo with a blank tape in the tape deck just waiting to hit record at just the right time.  No internet to grab the song off of YouTube, to easy.  I loved the challenge, I enjoyed sitting there shushing anyone who dared enter the room while I was recording my song.

Why did I make the mix tapes?  It wasn't for my true love or even friends.  I selfishly made them for myself to listen to as I did my homework or stared at the ceiling daydreaming.

I still do this, kind of, I make playlists just for me.

• To workout 
• To listen on long drives
• To help me get dinner to the table
• To help me get my graduate school work done

 Thank you Apple for the iTunes store where I can purchase music for my mixed playlists.

Did you make mix-tapes? Who did you make them for? Go ahead tell your story.

Slice #2 Enervation

I love words, my ears really perk up when I hear someone say a word I've never heard before.  I will hear the sentence over and over the word enunciating itself in the sentence. 

I remember a conversation with a former principal, who used the word 'usurp' in a conversation.  Once she said 'USURP', I didn't hear anything else in the conversation.  I'm pretty sure what she said was important, but I didn't hear it.  I remember jotting down the word on a sticky note, gathered my young students from their special and headed to the classroom. 

I remember looking around on the shelved for a dictionary. My eyes only found a Scholastic Children's Dictionary. I was beginning to feel desperate to know, but that wasn't going to happen. See this was before computers and Internet access were common place.  I had to wait until I get my hands on a dictionary.

This was the beginning of a ritual for me, I now write words down in a notebook.  I realized I love words. 

Where to Begin?

Many of the teachers that I work with will tell you, I've been selling the 'Slice of Life' challenge since January.  You see I didn't want to 'Slice' alone again.  I wanted others to feel the power and failure I found as I went through daily slicing.Writing everyday requires me to dig deep, slow down, and ponder what I can turn into something interesting for others to read. All of which are challenging for me to do during my day.

I'm not sure what I will write about during this challenge, I'm currently in graduate school and learning about New Literacies vs new literacies.  Yes, they are different.  Then there is always my Universal Design for Learning class, which I find absolutely fascinating and could spend my entire day designing curriculum that includes as many learners as possible.  I'm sure I could keep you entertained with my journey through 'Statistics & Research Methods' course. (Who just went to sleep? Me too)

I could keep you in stitches with the antics of my kids and three dogs, but that might be to cliche.

Maybe I could dazzle you with how I'm a teacher who moonlights as a technology integrator, getting adults to see curriculum through a technology lens.

I've gotta find a way to entertain and be interesting.  I guess I gotta slow down and think about you, because you are important. Yes, that's right you are my audience.

Here's to 30 more days of less mundane writing.