A Family Story

My daughter loves to hear family stories.  Stories about her grandparents, stories about me when I was a child, and stories about how I met her dad.  Yesterday, we had the pleasure of having my mom over for dinner.  After dinner I suggested that Rachel ask her grandmother to tell her a story.

"What kind of story do you want the hear, Rachel?" Her grandmother asked.  "I don't know, whatever you want."  Rachel responds.  

"Well, I think you're old enough to hear this.  I was 30 years old.  I hadn't gotten my period yet.  So I went to the doctor to see if he could give me something.  I told the doctor that I had not gotten my period and I was worried that I might be pregnant.  He asked me how many children I had and I told him I had 3.  The doctor gave me an injection.  I went home and waited but to my dismay I still didn't get my period.  I went back to the doctor a  few weeks later.  I told him that whatever he had given me did not work because I still had not gotten my period.  I was so angry, I slammed the office door.   About another month went by and I went back to see the doctor because I figured I had to pregnant.  He told me he felt so bad after I left his office angry.  I said, yes, I was angry because you could have helped me but you didn't.  That's when I found out I was pregnant with your mother."

"What?  Am I hearing this right?  You didn't want me?"  I asked my mom.  I was shocked.  I had never before heard my mom say that she really had not wanted any more children when she conceived me.  This was news to me!  

Mom went on to say, "Then your mom was born.  She had a head full of black hair and fat round cheeks.  All the neighbors wanted to know what I was feeding her because she was so fat."  This was moms way of reassuring me the I was wanted none the less.

It's always a treat to hear my mom tell one of her stories.  
     Even the ones that have an unexpected twist.

Who are the storytellers in your family?  Please share in the comment section below.

Currently

Today's slice was inspired by a post at Learn Something New.  Yesterday, I was reading Slices and leaving comments when I discovered this clever format.  You can read that post here.  Today, I decided to write one of my own.  Thanks for the inspiration! 


Currently:

Listening:  to a passing car as it disappears down the road and a busy robin atop a nearby tree.

Watching:  the robin as it leaves the tree and glides into the bush right in front of my window.

Eating:  I haven't eaten, yet.  Going to make eggs, toast, sausage, and coffee.

Wearing:  my favorite pajamas and bare feet.  What would my mom say if she were visiting?  Valerie, you need to put on some socks before you catch a cold.  Mom still wants to treat me like a little girl no matter how old I get.

Reading:  Slice of Life Stories.  They always provide some needed inspiration.

Feeling:  guilty because I didn't get up for church in time.  I'm blaming Day Light Savings Time.

Wanting:  to sit here in the sun for as long as I can and enjoy it's heat as it warms the back of my neck.  I haven't felt this sensation in such a long time.  It's been a frigid winter.  Maybe spring really is around the corner!

Needing:  to do a few chores and work on my lesson plans for the week ahead.

Thinking:  how blessed I am.

Enjoying:  this bit of time I've carved away, just for me, to write.

What are you Currently doing?  Please share in the comments below or write about it in one of your Slices.

What I Believe

I've noticed that a lot of "Slicers" are writing creeds which were inspired by the book, Brown Girl Dreaming, by Jacqueline Woodson.  Near the end of the book, Jacqueline Woodson includes her creed which she titled, "What I Believe".  I can't remember which blog I first saw this on, but that person included links to another blog site where she read someone else's creed and was inspired to write one of her own.  I would leave links to those sites if I could remember them.  Instead, I'll just say, Thank You everyone for inspiring me to write my own creed.  Thank you Jacqueline Woodson for writing an amazing book.

My creed is below:

What I Believe

I believe in God.

I believe in faith, fortitude, and forgiveness.

I believe in the power of words and the power of 

     love.

I believe in treating others the way you want to be treated.

I believe you are not born smart.  The more you learn the smarter you get.

I believe children help us to see things with 

     new eyes.

I believe it's o.k. to make mistakes especially if you learn from them.

I believe in early morning workouts and working up a good sweat.

I believe in amazing moons, spectacular sunsets, brilliant sunrises, and discovering rainbows.

I believe in apologies and taking responsibility for your actions.

I believe in trying new things and expecting good results.

I believe in stepping out of your comfort zone in order to grow.

I believe that my experiences both good and bad have made me the person I am today.

I believe in me.

Customer Service…It Isn't What It Used to Be

What has happened to good customer service?  Tonight I stopped by a local chicken joint to pick up a carry-out order.  I usually eat out or carry out on Fridays because the last thing that I want to do, after a long week, is cook.  My daughter and I picked up the order and drove back home.  As we started unpacking the items, I noticed that something was missing.  The coleslaw.

I called the establishment to explain that I had a missing item.  The first person I spoke to was uninterested in my complaint and asked if I wanted to speak to a manger.  I told him that I did and moments later the manager was on the line.  She requested the order number and then told me she would write my name down and replace the item upon my next visit.  What?  Is that it?

I expected her to apologize and tell me that she would speak to the servers about double checking orders or something similar to that.  Instead, she simply said that she was sorry and that mistakes happen.  Did I miss something?  Am I expecting too much here?  Here's the thing.  In order for me to get the missing item I have to make another trip back to this place.  No one seems to care about my frustration, time, or inconveniene.  I didn't make the mistake, they did and all they were willing to offer me in return for their mistake is what I should have gotten in the first place, the coleslaw.

The conversation ended with the manger telling me she would have the owner call me.  This was my response:  "Yes, have him call me.  However, if his is going to simply offer me something that I have already paid for then he should not bother to call and I will not bother to visit your establishment again."

Don't get me wrong.  I'm not looking for a free meal.  I'm looking for this place, that I frequent fairly often (because my daughter likes it), to show me that I'm a valued customer.  We'll see if the owner calls.   Customer service just isn't what it used to be.

What are your thought about customer service?

An Amazing Sight

My car was one of the last cars to leave the school parking lot tonight.  As I drove out of the parking lot and headed down the street, It caught my eye.  Not that anyone could miss it.  This exceptionally bright moon.  This giant pearl hanging elagantly in the sky.  This amazing sight that practically took my breath away.

The sight of this moon carried my thoughts back to earlier in the day.  When I picked up my students from their music special, I noticed that three boys were sitting off to the side because they had been arguing with each other.  "I don't know what's going on." the music teacher sighed.  Maybe there's a full moon.  I chuckled.   I was really just kidding.  I had know idea we would have a full moon tonight.

Then it occurred to me...

I saw a lot of amazing things today.  

1. Today my first graders connected with another classroom in a different state using Google Hangout.  We read a readers' theater play together and the kids were amazing.  They greeted the other class so warmly.  They read their lines fluently and with great expression.  They shared their enthusiasm by asking great questions and responding to questions in return.
2. We had a visit from Luna the Literacy Dog and her owner (another teacher in our building) who read us a story while Luna sat and listened.  It always amazes me how animals have such a calming effect on kids.  Even my most active students were patient, calm, and gentle in their interactions with Luna.
3. On Thursdays my student receive 30 minutes of Chinese.  This is our first year of Chinese instruction in our building.  I'm amazed at how much my first graders have learned.  Today they were finishing a project and they were counting the parts in Chinese.  Their counting was so natural and instinctive.  I can't believe how much they've learned and what they remember.

I'm sure I'll see more amazing things before the night is over.  If not, all I need to do is look up…that Amazing moon is still there.

Farewell My Friends - A Note to Fifth Graders

If you have ever stopped by this blog before, you have probably noticed that I write about my first graders often.  Today, I was thinking about Tessa.  Tessa is a 5^th grader.  She’s bright, mild mannered, and tall.  I know that sounds odd, but I have a soft spot for tall girls because they remind me of my daughter and of myself.  Anyway, Tessa was in my classroom when she was in first grade.

It occurred to me that I would soon have to say goodbye to Tessa and her friends as they move on to middle school.  Each year, the teachers write notes to the 5^th graders and they are arranged into memory books for each student to have as a keepsake.  I was thinking about what I would say to these kids.  This is what I would want them to know.

Thank you 5^th graders for allowing me to teach you when you were in first grade.  You were the first, 1^st graders that I had ever taught after having taught third graders for 10 years.  When I agreed to teach first grade, I had no idea I would enjoy it so much.  Because of you, I fell in love with teaching first graders.   I’m not going to say good-bye, so Farewell my Friends.

What does your school/building do to celebrate with your 5^th graders who are moving on to middle school?  I would love to know.

Ballerina Flats and Snow?

Eight of us are gathered around a long table in the corner of the room.  Excited chatter fills the air and settles around us like a warm blanket.  There are two or three conversations taking place at one time.  There’s laughter, questions, smiles, and more laughter.

Outside the snow continues to fall.  Just a few minutes earlier, we trudged through three new inches of snow amidst complaints of how some of us chose the wrong shoes this morning.  Some of us were complaining about how the salt stains were already starting to leave ugly impressions on our nice leather boots.  One person had bravely chosen and worn ballerina flats without socks.  Another of us had selected a pair of athletic shoes.  None of which was the appropriate choice for a day like today…snowy, windy, and blustery cold.

None of that really mattered now because we were enjoying the moment, an early lunch with colleagues after a morning of professional development.  We were not scarfing down food in our classrooms for a chance to get a few more things done.  We were not eating among the familiar people and surroundings of the staff lounge.  

We were enjoying a meal far away from thoughts of rubrics, checklists, and writing samples. 

Well, almost.

There was still school talk mixed in with a few other conversations.  But today, in this place, at this time…it felt different.  It felt warm…in spite of the snow.