It's Monday-What Are You Reading? And #sol14--What Are You Reading?

Two Writing Teachers have written about the Slice of Life on their blog.  Head on over and check it out!

Before I get into the what I'm reading from the book fair, you guys.  Flora and Ulysses.  Just read it.  I'm not even sure what to say.  I've been thinking about it all week.  

It's book fair season in my neck of the woods.  Man-what is more fun than a book fair?  How about two?  I have a son in a different school from me, so we get to enjoy the book fair twice!  (I'm sure that's how my accountant husband likes to think of it...)  

So here's what we are enjoying from the book fair:

I bought A Snicker of Magic for me, but immediately my oldest wanted a turn.  I had a moment tonight.  :)  He's really at awesome age where we can read books together and have authentic conversation.  We always have read together as a family, but he and I can pass some books back and forth and share what we are thinking.  (Don't worry-it sounds awesome, but he's a 9 year old boy, and I'm his mother.  I'm sure this is a fleeting moment.  But I enjoy the moments when they are here.  And I loved having him interested in what I was reading!)

In my classroom, we were readjusting our dismissal routine.  When I asked for their feedback on how we could readjust this effectively, they piped in with, "Can we read?  Is it okay to get the books out?" 

 Yes.  Yes it is. 

#sol14-Why Report Cards Are Making Me Smile

This is part of the Slice of Life Challenge with Two Writing Teachers.  Their link is here.

It's Sunday evening.  My husband can see me with my headphones on at my laptop.  In our house, that is code for, "Mom is Working on school."  So he heats up the soup, and even made some delicious bread to go along with it.  Perfect for a day when we are setting weather records because it is so cold outside!  (It's -2, without the wind chill.  I'm over this.)

I've been camped out in my "spot" for a couple of hours now working on report cards.  At the beginning of the year, I had a situation at school that consumed a LOT of time.  It had to.  

In that time, I began to seriously doubt what kind of learning was taking place in my classroom.  Sure I had data to show some growth, but was there learning taking place?  

So, tonight, I smile because as I sit here with my notes, and some work surrounding me, I'm getting the chance to reflect on what we've really learned.  And I'm smiling, because we've learned a LOT!  

I have had the chance to reclaim some of this time I'm thinking of.  As I watch the children and think about the beginning of the year, I'm so proud of them.  And I get to share their awesome work this week.  

   This week has been long, and next week will be too.  But I get to connect with these families and share the learning!  

#SOL14--My Sweet Puppy

This is part of the Slice of Life Challenge with Two Writing Teachers.  Their link is here.

When My Mr. and I bought our first house, I may have immediately insisted upon a puppy.  We trotted ourselves out to the Animal Rescue League to "just look".  When I found out he had been returned several times to the ARL, I knew what that meant, and felt a desperate need to save him.  We are still looking at Jackson the Jack Russell almost 13 years later.

He has made us laugh hard, he has made us madder than mad.

He is great at snuggling.  He is loyal, and he knows who to listen to. He is smart.  Sometimes too smart.    

He gets bored.  He used to make his own fun.  (Read--Hunt and Destroy my furniture and other items when we first had him.)

He loves our boys.  When #1 was born, I'll never forget as we were preparing for his baptism, we had him in his crib.  (All 4 1/2 pounds of him.)  Up jumps Jackson into the crib to curl up next to him and lay down.  As I'm freaking out because I think the dog is going to squish my son, Jackson was looking at me like I'm crazy and tried to snuggle in by his feet.  

When #1 was 15 months old, Jackson taught himself how to climb onto our kitchen table and help himself to leftovers.  Not only do we have to keep the chairs pushed in at all times, we also have to keep plates toward the center of the table.  I've learned to hear the distinct sound of dishes clinking when they shouldn't be.  I've never caught him, but I swear he can pull the chair out and get up there when he wants to.  It drives me crazy.  

Because the Second son is into playing puppy, I'm convinced they are closer because the Second has figured out how to speak Jackson's language.  Sometimes Jackson will seek him out over all of us.  (The Second also drops the most food...just sayin...)

Recently, he has taken a wooden spoon from the dishwasher and tried to consume it.  I swear he also waited until My Mr. left a couple of weeks ago to snatch cookies off the table and inhale them as fast as he could--because he knew I was coming!  

But this sweet loyal puppy loves to walk, jog, and snuggle.  And he's getting older each day.  We can tell he is slowing down.  More sleeping and less playing during the day, yet restless at night.  We just bought a little ottoman from Target so he can get into bed with us at night. (You see when we first brought him home, he declared in his doggie way that he wouldn't be sleeping in the kennel.  And he's been at the foot of the bed and under our blankets ever since.)  He can't jump up on the mattress anymore.  Even with help from the vet, he is having a hard time maintaining his weight--we can see his ribs and hip bones these days.  The cold weather has been hard on him.  On the especially cold days, he'll come inside and need a few short moments to get his bones moving again.  

He's still our sweet puppy.  On this snowy day, there is something comforting about having him curled up on the ottoman across the room.  Stay with us a little longer sweet puppy.