Slice of Life — March 7: Faith, FrIends, and Fun

Wednesday is my least favorite day of the week. I know most people would expect Monday to be at the top of the list of most hated day of the week. For me, however, Wednesday is a notoriously difficult day of the week. I’m not sure why, but it seems that Wednesday is the day things go wrong, stress levels are heightened, and exhaustion sets in. 

Today wasn’t too bad by Wednesday standards, but I still felt spent at the end of the day. To top it off, I had a meeting after school, homework for church to compete, and dinner to make in a short amount of time. I would by lying if I said the thought of skipping church didn’t enter my mind. Nonetheless, I went to church, unfinished homework and all. 

Boy, am I glad I did. 

While we didn’t get through too much of our lesson, we spent time together as friends laughing, telling stories, sharing one another’s burdens and blessings all while eating chocolate chip cookies. That hour and a half was so refreshing for me. It felt good to laugh, to forget my worries for a moment, and focus on my friends and my faith. 

Yes, I’m still tired. Yes, I’m still feeling behind. But I do have a smile on my face and that’s worth it to me. 

Slice of Life — March 6: Find My Skills

I’ve learned some of my greatest life lessons as a mom. The wisdom of a two year old has a way of putting life in perspective. Seeing the world through the eyes of a child and allowing yourself to find the profound in their words and actions is one of my greatest joys and blessings. Just this last week, Wesley made me think about things a little differently through his childlike wonder.

I was enjoying our monthly visit with Wesley’s Parents as Teachers instructor. This wonderful lady spends an hour with Wesley and me in our home each month, sharing an activity with Wesley, helping me better understand his developmental levels, and offering some parental guidance. During this particular visit, she brought a balloon and a paper plate that was attached to a paint stick, creating a racquet. She demonstrated for Wesley how to hit the balloon with the racquet, helping him develop his hand eye coordination and getting him to see how many times he could hit the balloon before it hit the floor. It took a bit for Wesley to get the hang of keeping the balloon in the air, but soon he was chasing the balloon all over his room, hitting the balloon over and over with a wide grin spread across his face.

As Wesley chased the balloon, his teacher complimented him, saying, “You’ll have to show your daddy your skills when he gets home.”  Immediately, Wesley dropped his racquet, allowed the balloon to hit the floor, and ran from his room. As he entered the kitchen I heard him shout, “I have to find my skills!” His teacher and I laughed out loud, realizing Wesley believed his “skills” were something that could be found like a toy or a shoe. He didn’t realize he already had his skills and didn’t have to search for them at all.

Later that night I began to think about what Wesley had said. I began to wonder how often I approach life believing I have to search for my skills. Do I live my life believing I possess skills or that I have to go looking for them, hoping I’ll find something I’m good at or something that validates my worth? The truth is, we all have been blessed with our own unique skills and abilities. We don’t have to go find them. We don’t have to question whether they exist. We just have to believe that we have the skills necessary and then, like Wesley, practice and refine them.

Some days it is easy to recognize my skills. Other days, when life gets difficult or when I begin to doubt, I question  whether I’m good enough, strong enough, smart enough, capable enough to do the job set before me. That’s when I need to be reminded that I don’t have to go look for my skills. They are already inside me, just waiting to be believed in and put to use.

Slice of Life — March 5: We’re Having A...

Pink or blue?

Glitter and bows or baseballs and trucks?

Baby brother or baby sister?

Another grandson or the first granddaughter?

Those were the questions of the day. Today was the day of the big gender reveal. It was a day I had been eagerly anticipating for months. I have to admit that I was a little nervous when the ultrasound tech called my name and led us back to our room. Today was also the day we would find out if our baby was healthy, and given that Wesley was born with a congenital birth defect, I was anxious to say the least. I must have had a sense of worry on my face, because the tech began her scan by checking to make sure there was no diaphragmatic hernia and reassured us everything looked good. She then asked if we wanted to know the gender. We said yes, to which she replied, “You’re my second girl today. It’s a girl!”

I smiled at Stephen as tears rolled down my checks.

I hadn’t really admitted that I wanted a girl. I was so focused on wanting a healthy baby that knowing the gender was icing on the cake. Now that I knew everything looked good with the baby, I breathed a sigh of relief and and shed a few tears of joy.

Slice of Life — March 4: Gender Reveal

Tomorros is a big day. Tomorrow is the day we find out if we are having a baby boy or a baby girl. I’be been asked if I have a preference, and the honest answer is no. After having a child born with a serious health issue (who thankfully is our miracle baby), finding out the baby is healthy is my top priority. I’ve also been asked if I have a “feeling” about whether it’s a boy or a girl. For some reason, I feel like it might be a girl, but we’ll know for sure tomorrow morning. Wesley wants a baby sister and a girl would be the first granddaughter in our family (my parents have four grandsons). All I know tonight is that I am so excited and I can’t wait to find out. Stay tuned!

Slice of Life — March 3: Ahh, Sleep

This last week was long, busy, and exhausting. Add being pregnant and having a cold to the mix, and the week was downright difficult. I struggled through most of the week, feeling like my head was in a fog and with weary eyes from a lack of sleep due to a combination of not feeling well and a mind swimming with what seemed like a million obligations at work. By the time Friday night rolled around, I was spent and was ready to crawl into bed and leave the past week behind. After falling asleep around 11:00, I awoke at 1:30 to my son coughing, clearly dealing with his own congestion that he likely contracted from me. Knowing he likely wouldn’t fall back asleep on his own or laying flat in his bed, I sat in the recliner and he and I fell back asleep. My sleep wasn’t the most restful due to Wesley’s restlessness and at 4:00, feeling that he had finally settled into a deep sleep, I carefully carried him to his bed. I comforted myself with the hope that he would sleep later due to a later bed time and the fact he awoke during the night. At 6:30, however, I awoke to his cries, knowing a morning of sleeping in was not in the cards.

I suppose last night was a good reminder of what is to come with a new baby on the way. It’s time to get used to waking in the night and working through the week with a foggy mind from being tired. Until then, however, I’m going to enjoy the nights of uninterrupted sleep and when I don’t, I’ll be thankful for nap time.

Slice of Life — March 2: 10 Things You Might Not Know About Me

It’s been a crazy week, wrapped up with our annual middle school PTO fundraiser. Given my lack of creative energy this evening, here are ten things you might not know about me.

1. My friends like to tease me about the many movies I haven’t seen. Apparently I have missed out on a lot of “classic” movies throughout the years. A few of my friends have made it their mission to start crossing movies off the list of those I’ve never seen.

2. I can be a messy person. I tend to leave my clothes laying around, leave my shoes sitting around the house, and am not the best at picking up after myself.

3. I don’t always like trying new things. I tend to order the same things at restaurants and am most comfortable with familiar things.

4. I can whistle two different ways. I know this one sounds strange, but I learned to whistle one way as a kid and another way when I got older.

5. I like to decorate. I enjoy decorating my house and am currently in the process of decorating my son’s new bedroom. I love picking out new things and finding just the right pieces that go together.

6. I hate grocery shopping. The whole process annoys me — the shopping, the standing in line, the loading of the groceries in the car, and putting them away when you get home.

7. I love shrimp. It’s one of my favorite foods and I order it frequently when we go out to eat.

8. At the end of a bad day, I sometimes reward myself with ice cream. Mint chocolate chip is my go to option.

9. I am not a morning person. I opt to hit snooze multiple times when my alarm clock sounds and it usually takes me an hour or more to feel fully awake.

10. I can’t blow a bubble with bubble gum. I have tried unsuccessfully for years and have to use my own strange method to blow even the tiniest bubble.

Slice of Life — March 1: A Tribute to a Fellow Slicer

As the calendar turns from February to March, my thoughts shift to longer periods of daylight, warmer weather, and the approaching arrival of spring break. For the last five years, March 1st has also meant the beginning of a Slice of Life.

It’s admittedly been a challenge to write for 31 days in the past. Finding new ideas, carving out the time in a busy schedule, and dealing with adjustments such as a new baby have made “slicing” each day during the month of March a daunting task. It’s also been rewarding, fun, and empowering, especially as I share the journey with my students and colleagues.

This March, a familiar face is missing from our WCMS Slice of Life family. I can’t help but wonder, as the calendar page turns to March 1st, if Miss Collins began her fifth year of this challenge. Miss Collins was largely responsible for bringing a Slice of Life to our school. When she approached me about the idea, it seemed so easy. I was more concerned about setting up a blog than I was about writing for 31 straight days. Little did I know that I would struggle, feel like giving up, question why I was doing this, and then get inspired again throughout that first year five Marches ago. I still remember Miss Collins grinning as she asked me if I would ever let her share another idea as we shared with one another how difficult it was to write that first year. I also remember her asking me if I would join in again the next year, and the next, and the year after that. Each year I said yes, which brings me to a Slice of Life 2018.

So Miss Collins, this post is for you. Thank you for inspiring me, encouraging me, and opening my eyes and the eyes of so many others to the power of the written word. You would be proud to know that what you started with less than 100 students and a few teachers now includes almost 350 students and 21 staff members. And just so you know, I might just check your blog to see if you’ll be joining us.