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...

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 ...

Walks I've always enjoyed my extra daily walks ever since adopting our Harley dog two years ago. Quiet, alone time to think and pray walks. Or listen to a podcast, a book, or music kind-of-walks. But THEN it was always a chore to check off the to-do list. Quick. Let's go. C'mon. I've got to get back and ... {fill in the blank with any number of chores.} But TODAY the three-times-a-day walks happen as a family. Our walks together provide us with opportunities to talk, notice, wonder, surprise, question, wait-and-watch in awe, share memories, make memories, and take more pictures. Each walk brings something new -- A group of little yellow birds A family of ducks with five newly hatched ducklings All the trees sprouting buds and flowers and little green leaves A big white bird diving into the pond for a fishy snack A bunch of spring flowers blossoming The sun and clouds or bright clear blue sky, depending on the day Walks get us outside, away from the ...

  Slice of Life is  hosted  at the  Two Writing Teachers Join in and share a slice of your life.  _____________________________________________________ Who can resist picking  the round  ball of perfection? Waiting and willing anyone or anything to -- * b *           * l *                          * o *     * w * Amazing how it is so beautiful and delicate, yet carries the power of unwantedness Once the beauty i s carefully plucked and a quick, forceful  * b *           * l *             ...

__________________________________________________ The March Slice of Life Story Challenge hosted  at the  Two Writing Teachers . Join us for a month of writing! __________________________________________________ Over the weekend, the girls and I were out and about shopping for supplies to complete their biography posters. I enjoy browsing the home decor section of the craft stores. I need nothing, really, but it's always fun to look. To see if anything catches my eye and it's worth the money. I turned my cart down the first aisle to glance at the Easter and "It's spring" collection. It didn't take me long. I found just what I needed. Ok, something that I wanted. And, bonus, it was only $6.99 and 50% off. It's a cute little sign with glorious colors that will remind me every morning as I wake up an...

__________________________________________________ The March Slice of Life Story Challenge hosted  at the  Two Writing Teachers . Join us for a month of writing! __________________________________________________ Yesterday's slice is a prologue to this slice ... My almost-eight year old girls enjoy playing outside. Like, real playing. Creative playing. Making games playing. Imagination playing. For hours playing. One recent spring-like day, the girls headed outside to play. They grabbed the big box of chalk and began to draw and create a little town all over our driveway and front sidewalk. Houses Streets Police Station Fire Station Curvy roads Traffic signals Parking lots Turn only lanes Driveways Garages Once thei...

Slice of Life is  hosted  at the  Two Writing Teachers Join in and share a slice of your life.  _____________________________________________________ I gasped when I opened the email. Out loud. In a meeting. A smile formed on my face. "No way." There was an invitation to attend a workshop with one of the most amazing teacher-writing-mommas out there. She just shared her new book with the world and I was a little tiny part of her journey . I quickly closed the email in disbelief. You see, she is the one who got me started writing slices of life on this little blog almost eight years ago. She's also kind of big deal. And the...

__________________________________________________ The March Slice of Life Story Challenge hosted  at the  Two Writing Teachers . Join us for a month of writing! __________________________________________________ It seems that every once in a slice, a writer needs to create a list. I love lists. Lists keep me organized. Lists help me remember. Lists allow me to check off accomplished tasks.   Yesterday, I visited Embekka's slice of Joy . She shared the joy in the ordinary.   Here's a little list of finding thirteen joys in my ordinary ... Girls climbing into bed in the morning to just be Homemade-by-me chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast    Grocery shopping completed by my husband Not...