SOL17 Some assembly required?

I spent a good amount of time attempting to assemble a "toy car" that says, "Some assembly required!"

After 38 years on the market , there must have been TENS of THOUSANDS of these peddle-less cars assembled across this country! I am positive that exhausted parents as well as individuals who can barely read have assembled these. I am certain that some families have assembled more than one! I have an advanced degree in literacy and have assembled IKEA bookcases, a gas grill, and a picnic table!  "I can do this," I thought as I opened the box.

But, it's still wheel-less at one week  I am trying to persist; however, at this juncture, it is STILL not drive-able!

So, it was with trepidation, I opened the other Little Tykes box to find out how bad the other gift, for the other two-year-old was going to be! According to Amazon, it is a NUMBER 1 BEST SELLER!   I assembled it in minutes!  I was so excited.....

But I noticed something interesting as the two sat side by side.  The Cozy Coupe, hard as it is to put together, appears to be made to last a lot longer than the basketball hoop....that I suspect will likely have a life-cycle measured in months!

Of course, like so many life experiences, there may be a message gleaned from all this time with Little Tyke plastic: Things might be a little sturdier, a little more valued, and perhaps more stable if they are a little harder to achieve.  Or, perhaps I am just reading too much into this "some assembly required " Cozy Coupe challenge me during this once-in-a-lifetime-season of toddler birthdays!

Why Write?

I write to remember
Small moments
Special sights
Strong feelings
Savory images
Spare tires
Sappy conversations
Second birthdays
Can merge onto
A highway of life
Racing through time.

Those moments,
The laughter,
The smiles,
The tears,
The joy,
The peace,
The sadness,
Blur with time,
Become lost with living,
Are buried under daily chores.

I write
To remember.
Do we share that with our students?
Do we show them the magic
Of revisiting our words?
Our moments?

We also write to understand
To explain and to convince.

Today,
I write to remember
Color cookies
"How you doing, baby,"
"I'll be right backs'"
Scarves and necklaces
Singing, rocking, loving,
My Birthday Girl.

#sol17 Duty Calls

I was early,
Frisked
Searched,
Scanned,
For the opportunity to 

Sit
For hours, longer,
In a hard chair amongst
Too many people
Too close together
Coughing, texting,
Carrying briefcases,
Conducting business,
Caring for loved ones.
Cell calls about boredom
Where are you froms?
Amongst trapped people.
Sharing strange connections
Political perspectives,
Most of us, I suspect,
Hoping.
Our service would end
Before it began. 
I tried to read 

Below the flashing florescent lights,

Tried to watch Kelli, Rachel
The Price is Right,

With text delay from afar.
Watched the time tick
Ever so slowly
Thinking about all I should,
Could, might be doing
Along with the possibility
Of deciding someone's fate
In the juror holding room
On the 3rd floor. 
At least the view

Through the window
Was as gloomy as
The mood in the room. 

#sol17 Remembering and Respecting

I was remembering the sights, sounds, smells, and pains of that bright, clear morning as I pulled into the station for petrol for my hungry Mazda.  I noticed the price was higher than the last time I filled up and remembered the disasters in Texas and Florida thinking, "At least I have gas," I handed over my credit card on a morning etched into not-just-my-memory.

I might have been still deep in thought as I decided I deserved a coffee and entered the "Mobile on the Run Coffee Zone." Then, I noticed him lingering at the open door.  This young man, likely still in preschool 16 years ago, held the door open for me as he offered, "Hope it is a good day for you!"  I noted his smile and his "respect," for me, someone he did not know and who would not likely cross his path again.

I thought of him again, later in the morning, as Steve Max implored our students to be respectful and kind as we "kicked" at our character building assembly.  I thought of him later that afternoon as I worked with "C" whose summer slide did not happen because he played word games with his dad all summer long! I thought of him as I asked "L" to read just one more book and to bring home a brand new word ring with some old familiar words.  I thought of him as I played "decorate the rock" and as I "rowed the fake boat at the gym."  I thought of him as a read blog post from those whose lives were changed forever that day.

He may have been far too young to remember the bright morning sky on 911.  Or he may have lost an dad, mom, grandparent, uncle, aunt, family friend that day. I'll never know.  I do know that I remember and that HE respects not only me, some sort-of-old-lady-buying-Mobile-on-the-Run-Coffee who was deep-in-thought-about-the-life-changing-memories-of-that-day, even if he is too young to remember that horrible day.

#sol17 Commencement Day

I purchased my eight,

Distinctive, marbled notebooks,

One for each of my groups,

One extra, just in case,

Space for goals, plans, 
Running records,

Conference notes, 

Informal assessments 

Planning for progress monitoring

Way back in July 

In anticipation of this day.

I purchased a new, 

Back-to-school-style dress,

Sleeveless, just in case it's hot,

At an end-of-the-summer sale

Then cleaned out my closet,

Organized shoes,

Sorted mismatched socks

Knowing I will not need them for awhile,

Way back in August

In anticipation of this day

I swam, yesterday, even if it was cool,

Noting I would be in school in 24 hours,

I soaked up the last rays of summer vacation,

Before I showered and headed to bed,

Noting I would be leaving home in the dark,

I felt those ol' familiar butterflies of excitement

Mingle with saying goodbye to a long respite

Filled with new adventures, sights and books.  

I cleaned the fridge,
Did a load of laundry,
Loaded the dishwasher,
Ran the vaccuum
Gave myself a pep-talk,

Promising to find time to exercise,

Pack lunches, eat breakfast,

As I headed to bed, 

Anticipating a fitful sleep.

Grateful for another opportunity

To make a difference.

Thankful for this

Commencement Day.
Thinking that good endings

Make good beginnings
Yet, secretly wondering about
The chance for a "snow day?"   

Sharing a link about Teachers Advocating for their Classrooms

I read article in the NYTiems, and I have many things to say about how this might be a good idea and about how this might be dangerous to the public school system in America that seeks to provide every child with a chance to be ALL they might be....

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/09/02/technology/silicon-valley-teachers-tech.html?smid=fb-share&referer=http%3A%2F%2Fm.facebook.com%2F

For now, I am sharing this link.....but I will have more to say!

Ready to take on this world

I missed this week's 

Slice of Life

Because of him,

But that is OK with me.

He already nuzzles into my shoulder

As if it were an old favorite.

He already gazes into my eyes

As if we were old buddies.

I gaze at him and wonder,

How can I love him 

As much as I love his sister?
As much as I love 

His cousins?

Is he an old soul?

Yet, brand-new, 

Fresh from the oven

Ready to take on this world.

He's still so tiny,

Yet, he's melted my heart,

Rocked my world,

Filled my soul

With scent-of-miracle.

I wonder, as I hold

My miraculous grandchild,

If my Grandmothers felt this way

As they held their

Children's children?

Were they too

Filled with happy tears

As they nuzzled, long ago, 

Each of us?

Then, I smile

As I nuzzle, because

I already know the answer.

Your heart grows 

As they emerge

Ready to take on this world.