Literacy Learning Zone

This summer, as with anything in 2020, has been anything but usual. Days at the pool non-existent. Playdates with friends on hold. Camps delayed. One vacation delayed a year. Another vacation postponed until deemed safer.  But, thankfully, we did get away as a family for a week.  We are so blessed to have a family cabin in the woods in the middle of Wisconsin. We packed the mini-van FULL with AnythingAndEverything we may need (or want). Here there seems like there is nothing to do. Here we just get to be in the slow moment of time... We stayed up late and slept in until we stretched out of bed.  I stole moments to sit in the quiet and read.  We noticed the beautiful Monarch butterflies fluttering in the breeze.  I was in awe of the bright blue sky and puffy white clouds.  We hung out in bright pink flamingo tubes cooling off in the lake.  I enjoyed lots of walks with the dog on a new dirt road.  We bounced around in a UTV on the trails splashing i...

Right now ... I am at a loss for words. My fingers are empty. The white page taunts me and I return the blank stare. And then I was reminded to just write. Just write. Just write. Write now ... The sun radiates the bright blue sky without a cloud in sight. The warm breeze sending leaves dancing and cotton puffs floating. The house is peacefully quiet, except the tick-tock tick-tock of the clock, a lawn mower in the far distance cutting healthy green blades of grass, And the girls voices traveling down the hall from their upstairs bathroom together creating special art with their hair.

Tomorrow. May first. They turn ten years old. Ten years ago, my twin baby girls came into this world. God blessed us with so much when He gifted them to us. When I found out we were having twins, it was a big surprise. One is never really ready for a newborn, let alone two!! They have changed my life. Made me who I am today. Created me into the mother I didn't know I could be -- it is a scary, unknown role. But, every day, they make me a better person. Not perfect. But always reflecting and progressing. Lots of hugs ... and plenty of apologies. These two, though, bring us so much joy. They are similar, but yet so different. Sweet, stubborn, silly, kind, sassy, loving, funny, creative, special, determined, thoughtful, smart, beautiful inside and out. These girls are growing up before my eyes. In a blink. Ten years. A decade. Double digits. 10. I'm extra thankful for this time together now -- to savor every moment of every day. Before another ten ...

Slice of Life is  hosted  at the  Two Writing Teachers Join in and share a slice of your life.  _____________________________________________________ Summer is here. And I'm loving it. Even though I keep saying that being a full time mom and working through the to-do lists is more exhausting than going to school every day! In summer, there's ... More  slow mornings reading time baking yummy goodness dinner creations More  spontaneous moments hanging out with friends hiking, swimming, biking it's past bedtime nights More  'yes, let's do it' days summertime adventures special memories captured time to just ...

  Slice of Life is  hosted  at the  Two Writing Teachers Join in and share a slice of your life.  _____________________________________________________ The very afternoon my girls were out of school, they were already making plans. They disappeared into the playroom ... and an hour later they emerged. "Momma! Come and see what we did!" They called out. The girls transformed their playroom into a new space: a classroom for summer.  Using items "gifted" from their teachers and other handmade essentials, the girls created a learning space, including a daily schedule made of popsicle sticks and a magnetic pointer on a pipe clea...

  Slice of Life is  hosted  at the  Two Writing Teachers Join in and share a slice of your life.  _____________________________________________________ I knew I always wanted to be a mom.  Jon and I were married almost seven years before we were blessed with our twin daughters. I remember the day vividly when I found out I was officially pregnant with twins. It was a shock at first. I remember asking, "How does that happen?" The nurse just laughed. And, in what seems like a blink, the girls are eight. Eight. Eight!  I can't even believe it. They are growing up to be amazing little people. They are sweet and caring a...

Slice of Life is  hosted  at the  Two Writing Teachers Join in and share a slice of your life.  _____________________________________________________ Every night for years, my almost (in ONE week) eight year old daughters and I snuggle up in our big bed before bedtime and read. Some days, it's picture books from our library. Or new books from a Scholastic book order. Or even books the girls checked out from their school library. Or an old favorite we have read and read and read again.  The book selections and options are endless and always growing. Bedtime reading is one of my favorite moments of my day. Over the last year, ...

Slice of Life is  hosted  at the  Two Writing Teachers Join in and share a slice of your life.  _____________________________________________________ When I get a text that says: "I'm free for pie night! Check your calendar!" I know that it's been too long since we have gotten together. We used to all work together at the same building and saw each other every day, but over the last couple years, changes have occurred and we are in three different buildings. Yet, these are my people. My tribe. And pie brings us together. Two of my closest friends (and colleagues) and I meet up for pie night. Pie night sometimes includes dinner a...

__________________________________________________ The March Slice of Life Story Challenge hosted  at the  Two Writing Teachers . Join us for a month of writing! __________________________________________________ Every morning ... "Good morning! Rise and shine! " I softly say as I flip on the light switch, turn off the globe that is used as a nightlight, and push the off button to quiet the sound of rain. I touch her leg to start the wake up process. Then I repeat all of this in another bedroom with my other daughter. I sit on her bed, usually chatting about the day ahead or about the weather, so she knows how to dress for the day. I may hear some groans. There is major stretching. One eye opens slowly. Then the other. Squinting at me in the bright light. Then I repeat all of this in the other bedroom with my othe...

__________________________________________________ The March Slice of Life Story Challenge hosted  at the  Two Writing Teachers . Join us for a month of writing! __________________________________________________ Books are treasures in our house. And I'm one that can't say no to more and more books. We have stacks of books from the library. I buy new books from Scholastic and Amazon. We visit the Little Free Libraries. We devour books in our house. It's a problem that I know many of you also share with me, but when I see the benefits of creating a home of readers with my own two daughters ... I know we are doing the right thing. This week my readers were reading in the wild ... in the dark ... in the car, and even in bed, under the cover of darkness. And to be honest, it brought a smile to my face. (Just as the t...

__________________________________________________ The March Slice of Life Story Challenge hosted  at the  Two Writing Teachers . Join us for a month of writing! __________________________________________________ Sprinkle pancakes Colorful candles Singing and wishes Another special day with friends and family -- It's birthday PARTY day! My girls have been planning a birthday party at our local roller skating venue, Orbit, for months. I decided to call and start inquiring about party packages in February and I am so thankful I did! I learned Orbit Skate Center was closing its doors at the end of March after 46 years in business. They received an offer that they couldn't refuse from a private party to purchase the rink and transition it over to an ice rink. There are not too many roller rinks around any mo...

__________________________________________________ The March Slice of Life Story Challenge hosted  at the  Two Writing Teachers . Join us for a month of writing! __________________________________________________ One of my very favorite moments of the day is after the homework is complete, jammies are on, and teeth are shiny and clean. Technically, it's still part of their homework, but we don't call it that -- unless Daddy looks at his watch and mentions, "It's getting late. Can't we just skip it tonight?" "Uh, nope. Sorry. It's part of their homework," I explain, winking at my girls. We meet in my room. One girl on each side of me as I'm snuggled in the middle of our big bed with one or two books (or several, if we were recently at the library). The other night we finished the fourth b...