A Slice of Life

I had such mixed feelings over the past 3 or 4 days.

It has been four years since my Mom passed away and the first Mother's Day I did not feel the terrible ache. I still miss her so much, but the ache is less.

I also had all my children come for supper Saturday evening - a first in a very long time. It was such a treat to see them all together and to be able to share a lovely meal with them. They even brought a beautiful flower arrangement.

I phoned my sister on Sunday and it was a blessing as we have not been more than acquaintances since before my Mom died. We actually talked and shared and I even had tears. It felt so good.

Then there is the lady from church who is in hospital with cancer and a blood clot in her lung. So vibrant less than a month ago and now struggling.

From one extreme to another. So many emotions over the past few days.

Then today, just being able to talk to my minister about all these disparate feelings and events. It just felt good to talk and be heard. Thank you C.

Be sure to visit here to read other Slices of life.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day

This day is always bittersweet. It is the fourth Mother's Day without my Mom. But it is the first in a long while that all my children were home to celebrate with me. It was lovely to have them share dinner and reminisce.

(Created in remembrance of my Mom)


My Mom was a loving, kind woman. She had a knack for caring for others. I still miss her so much.
This poem was quoted in church this morning and it made me think of my special Mom so much.

Love: A Variation on a Theme

If I live in a house of spotless beauty with everything in its place,
but have not love, I am a housekeeper not a homemaker.

If I have time for waxing, polishing, and decorative achievements,
but have not love, my children learn of cleanliness -- not Godliness.

Love leaves the dust in search of a child's laugh.

Love smiles at the tiny fingerprints on a newly cleaned window.

Love wipes away the tears before It wipes up spilled milk.

Love picks up the child before It picks up the toys.

Love is present through the trials.

Love reprimands, reproves, and is responsive.

Love crawls with the baby, walks with the toddler, runs with the
child, then stands aside to let the youth walk into adult hood.

Love is the key that opens salvation's message to a child's heart.

before I became a mother, I took glory in my house of perfection.
Now I glory in God's perfection of my child.

As a mother, there is much I must teach my child, but the
greatest of all is love.

Jo Ann Merrell

Summer Bucket List/ Assessing the year

Two School linky parties this weekend really intrigued me:

Another One Bites the Dust.

It is usually about this time of year that I start reflecting on the year and start planning for the year ahead. I start a notebook and over the next few weeks, I jot down ideas and thoughts.
Knowing that I will be having a split class next year - a 2/3, instead of a straight 3, has me already planning changes.

Amber of "Adventures of a Third Grade Teacher" is hosting a fun linky party that has us listing 3 things that were great and 3 things that were not so great about this school year.

What was Great and what  I will continue next year:
1. Large blocks of independent reading time. The children are usually reading 30 minutes of "just right books" each day. If for some reason it is shortened (or heaven forbid it is lost), we must make it up later in the day. I have seen huge jumps in reading skills in almost all of the children.

2. Writing letters about their thinking about reading. As often as I can, I have the students respond to a book read, something from their reading or pose a question about a book or author. I always respond to them. I love this back and forth letter writing and I have seen real growth in their connections to texts especially.

3. Read alouds. I love holding my class in the palm of my hand as I read aloud from a chapter or picture book.  We have an ongoing list in our room of all the books we are reading. Right after their final break, we meet on the rug and I read 1 or 2 chapters of a novel each day. They loved "Because of Winn Dixie" and "The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane" especially. We just  finished "Stone Fox"  and have started "Charlotte's Web".
I use read alouds for many intros to math, science and social studies.

What was not so great and I would like to change:
1. Too many papers and files and books! Often when  I need something I know I have, I seem to spend too much time searching. I want to work on organization of "stuff" this summer.

2. Spelling. We do not have a set spelling programme and with a split next year, all the 2s and 3s will have to work together to improve our programme.

3. Fitting in Daily Physical Activity (DPA). In Ontario we are supposed to have 20 min. of DPA, especially on the days when there is no phys. ed. As Grade 3 is a testing year (EQAO), I find it a challenge to fit in all the necessary skills and subjects. Next year I would like a set time of DPA every day - 10 min first thing and 10 min during math.

Be sure to check out this great linky here.



and
My Summer Bucket List

Love the idea of creating a bucket list for the summer. Here in Ontario, we have to go right to the end of June -the  28th with kids and the 29th a PA Day.


Here are just a few of the many things on my list for the summer : 1. Creating - ATCs, art courses, small art projects - I want to create every day. 2. Professional Reading- There are a number of books I want to read and reread. Daily 5, CAFE; books on writing especially. 3. Taking a teaching course- would like to get my Primary Methods Specialist. Another teacher will be taking it and it will be much better working together. 4. Reading, reading, reading! So many books to read!  I have been making piles to read! 5. Reorganizing my files and units. I will be teaching a 2/3 in the fall and need to plan for the new year. 6. Dance daily! 7. Have some weekend fun times with my husband. This summer we may not be able to take holidays when we usually do as his plant has put a hold on holidays for July and August. But there are so many places to explore on weekends. I am looking forward to planning and visiting interesting places around. Be sure to check out the Linky Party here. I     

Shadow Shot Sunday

  

Time to share shadows once again.

Be sure to check out the wonderful shadows from around the world here. You too just might become addicted to the pursuit of shadows!

Slice of Life - Loss of Maurice Sendak

I couldn't believe how saddened I was to hear about the death of Maurice Sendak. His "Where the Wild Things Are" was a treasured book. I still read it to classes today, especially at Hallowe'en.

 There were so many wonderful books that he wrote.
I have used his books for so many things - reader's theatre, art, but especially for writing - whichever book I turned to, there were always lessons to be learned.

Reading tributes to him today I was made aware of what a full life he had. 83 years.
You will be missed by all those who were read your stories.

RIP.

Sunday Weekly Wrap-up

I was able to do some art this week but in small doses. Tiredness seems to be my companion this week - as well as school stress (less than a month to Grade 3 EQAO assessments!)

It was week off from ATC creation but I've started a new monthly challenge - a sketch or drawing  a day. I enjoyed creating the collages for April but wanted something different for May.

Drawings (3 of my favourites)
May 1 - a watercolour horse, inspired from "Wild Horse Winter", a picture book by T. Honda

May 2 - a puffin using sharpie pen, from "Little Burnt Face",  a picture book by Lock and Kennett)

May 5 - as this was Kentucky Derby Day I did another horse, this one inspired by Raoul Dufy's "Ascot" painting from 1935

(This would probably count towards a "Messy" page - lol. Just had fun with the abstractness of the watercolour.

Full Moon Dreamboard
Yesterday was the full moon and for a while now I have joined Jamie Ridler's dremaboard casting group. It has become a very necessary practice. See here for my description and photos.

"Mess" vs "The Happy Book"
This week I just could not get into "Mess" - I did want to create and play around but nothing really appealed to me from the book (Liz Wright is holding a  book club with Keri Smith's book "Mess" - lots of fun!)
Then I remembered "The Happy Book" which I had participated in last year at Jamie Ridler's.
I still had lots to do in it  tho - so I did a few pages. Helped with the frustrations and tiredness!

Smiles:

Favourite colour red:

I am enjoying the shortness of the challenges - I don't have to spend  a lot of time to have some art fun.
Have a wonderful week!

Full Flower Moon Dreamboard

Tonight was not only a full moon (above, what I saw tonight) , but a "perigee" full moon.  "A "supermoon" has graced the skies, appearing bigger and brighter than usual, as it comes closer to the Earth" (From Google news, along with image below)

With this extra power, the creating of a full moon dreamboard would seem to have more power as well.
It is the full flower moon and Jamie Ridler posed questions to help focus on our dreams for the coming month:

"What are you dreaming under this Full Flower Moon? This is the time when the buds have transformed into blooms, reminding us it is time to do the same. What are your full flower dreams? Who are you when you’re in full bloom? "


I had been collecting images and words the past few weeks and it did not take long to choose those that had meaning for the month ahead.

The flowers were from an Indigo add that came in the mail. Loved the vibrancy of them!

Similar themes keep reappearing - be creative, be well, feel great.

The phrase "write my own story" resonated with me and I am not sure how this will play out over the month, but I knew it had to be there. As did renovate and serenity.
They yoga pose  (hard to see) means that I must sign up for the yoga course later this month.
I am so hoping the poser of this moon especially will make these dreams become reality this month. I am tired of not feeling great and not doing what I so want and need to do.

Be sure to visit Jamie's blog for more dreamboards or how to do one.