brought to life

There are so many things in life to be thankful for, and those things that really awaken your spirit - those are my favorite. Today I stopped by school and saw a few kids and felt brought back to life in some strange way, which got me to thinking about other ways I feel like my most happy, authentic self. Here's what I came up with on the fly :-)

Best friends, especially all together in a group
Usually, my friends and I get together for a long weekend every summer. Chicago or Southern California so far (our hometowns) but I'm sure we'll venture out next. (Vegas has been thrown around.) The thing about this is when we're all together, the hilarity always ensues. The friendships are more than a decade old, and the inside jokes and stories of years past are there, and never forgotten. Sitting with them, laughing with them, being silly, seeing new things - that is most certainly enough to make me feel like a pretty powerful version of myself.

Traveling
I love seeing new places, and one of my friends, Heather, travels every summer with her high school students. This year, on our Spain trip, was the first time I had one of my former students with her and her students. It's awesome to see the Alhambra, but add a former student and his 15 new bffs, you've got a recipe for happiness. Traveling is amazing, and especially with loved ones. I feel so thankful for the opportunities I've been afforded by Heather and her travel group, #nixitravel.

Significant Other
I'm a work in progress in this department, trying to figure things out and do things as right as I know how to do. Like everyone, I screw up sometimes, but I also have boundaries that are meant to protect myself and those I care about. When there's a special guy, and we're doing cool stuff together, and even when we're not... we could just be chilling at home watching TV or reading, but being with my best, favorite person.... nothing. better.

Teaching
Actually not teaching as much as the kids that bring me to life. It's been like 6 or 8 weeks since I last saw kids, and while I'm thankful for the rest and rejuvenation, I know I will be so happy to get back to school when it's time. Today I had to run into work to open up our doors for kids to come check out summer reading books. A group of 4 upcoming seventh graders came in, with their reading logs and with an amazing summer energy, and I was so brought back to life just being in their presence. Even though teaching is hard as hell, it's so rewarding; I love kids.

Family

This one is kinda like friends, like it's awesome to be with family in little pockets, but when we're all together at once, even better. At Easter we were ALL at my sisters for the holiday and it was so fun to have so many people around.

I guess I'm seeing a trend in all these things - it's the people in my life that I love so much and just want to be with, family included.

What brings you to life? What are your things? Write a post and leave your link in my comments!

that's friendship

On a trip, and in sharing a room with your bff, you ask if you can leave your light on a bit longer, and she says sure. And follows two minutes later, "I'm never going to sleep, just so you know."
It's authentic and real, so you laugh hysterically.

That's friendship.

You walk into a spiderweb and almost fall off the deck, and your friends laugh instead of show concern.

That's friendship.

Your friend is new at her job and can't figure everything out super quick, and is apologizing it's taking so long, but also thankful that she's trying everything for the first time on you.

That's friendship.

A tire on your car has a slow leak, so he fixes it and then puts the air compressor in your trunk in case you need it again.
That's friendship.

You get a text that says "IHTP" which is a long standing acronym from one of your funny friends.
Even though you'd rather not know about bowel movements,

that's friendship.

Your friend comes over and needs you to peel the burned skin off her back from a terrible sunburn. And you do, no questions asked.

That's friendship.

Your friend goes into your bedroom for perfume without asking, and you're happy she did.

That's friendship.

A million ways to be a friend - how are yours showing you they care?

I can't wait to read your posts for BigTime Blogging Challenge 2017! Leave your permalink in the commens and feel free to share on SM with #btbc17!

sol17 #18: pb & j friends

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My bff Katie and I had a bet once. Well, I'm sure we've had lots of bets, but I remember this one because I won. Yep, that's right. I won. I outsmarted her. She wouldn't want to admit it though, but the secret's out!

You know those Uncrustable sandwiches? These:

Well, the schools I worked at in Phoenix always has these. One day, I didn't have a lunch, so I got one, but I didn't like it. It was waaaay bigger than the ones that you buy from the store. It still tasted the same, but the filling was just too much - too much peanut butter - too much jelly.

Katie and I used to live together. Some time after I had this Uncrustable at school, I was at home and hungry, and happened to have some of these in the freezer. I got one out to thaw and eat, and I mentioned to her how the ones you buy at the store are smaller than the ones at school. She said, "No they're not." I told her, "Actually they are." We went back and fourth arguing about this for awhile before she finally bet me about it. That was an easy bet to take, so we shook on it and that was that. I couldn't wait until Monday to make her wrong...I knew I was so right!

The following Monday, at lunchtime, we headed down to the lounge which was conveniently right next to the cafeteria. I grabbed one of the sandwiches and took it to the lounge, and waited for Katie to get there. By this time, I had let all the teaching friends know how wrong Katie was about to be....so everyone was waiting for her to arrive to meet her fate.

She walked in all proud, but I was quick to show her the ounces on the Uncrustable from school.... I was jumping around all excited because I was right, and more importantly, she was wrong. She's always winning bets, so don't feel bad for her :-) I haven't been right many times, so I never forget this instance.

So that has been our little joke ever since. Now, we find little peanut butter and jelly pictures online and post them to one another's facebook, including this one that she posted on my page on my last birthday:

One of my favorite things about friends are all the little jokes you have with this, and this one is one of my faves!

And so, few years ago, we had Thanksgiving together. Katie's taught me how to make the turkey, stuffing, and all the sides. I thought that since we were going to make the whole thing ourselves, I should find a gift that would be useful for us today....so I scoured the Internet high and low and found this:

It's our PB & J and I found an lady on Etsy to put it on an apron. Love it!

Want some inspiration for Saturday? How about a post about why you are writing for Slice of Life! Check out this post from Sejin who is blogging from Malaysia!

 If you don't like that idea, check out more ideas on the padlet. You can also read posts from other bloggers like you on the Two Writing Teachers blog!

Happy Saturday, bloggers!

sol17 #3: i donut know how I live so far from my mom

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I was cruising around the Two Writing Teachers blog a few days ago and somewhere I saw a blog post saying that someone made their One Word donut. Sitting at my computer there, in that moment all by myself, I smiled a big smile, because... donuts.

I haven't always loved donuts so much. I mean, growing up, sometimes my mom would bring me a Dunkin Donut - the kind with the chocolate mouse (mouse! ha! I mean mousse) in it, and it was delicious and I loved it. But as I grew up, Dunkin lost their appeal, so I kinda stopped enjoying donuts altogether.

But then I found Stan's.

Stan's Donuts is my favorite place to get a donut in Chicago. And I always just want the most basic - chocolate cake donut with sprinkles, like the one pictured above I had last Sunday. Now, the only thing sweet about Dunkin is the memory of my mom, and how I miss her so. Perhaps I'll see if Stans's has a chocolate mouse mousse donut and erase Dunkin from my memories for good... except I'd just have to have my mom make a visit to complete the ritual. So, momma, what do you say?

Some info for my student slicers:

Here is the padlet where you can take or leave an idea if you're stuck. You can also go to the Two Writing Teachers blog to find other classrooms of students to leave comments for!

And one more thing, and idea for your next post! Share about a food you love! Something you will always crave, a restaurant you'll always return to, a sweet you cannot forget!

slice of life

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My best friends are in from Phoenix and San Diego!

Last night we had dinner at RPM Italian downtown and it was so so good, made even better, in fact, by their company.

We split two bottles of wine and Katie and I shared gnocchi and Chicken Parm. I wish I had taken pictures of the food, but all I have is a selfie of the four of us (Anita, our close friend who lives in town joined us!)

The dinner was awesome, but even better was being with these girls. Sharing food and talking about our dating lives and marriages, our plans for the upcoming school year and for the rest of the days here together in Chicago, so awesome. We're only ever together like once a year, but we do keep in really good touch all throughout the year, so these once-a-year gatherings feel more abundant.

Super thankful for these friends and that they are with me in Chicago!

Hey all y'all! It's the BigTime Blogging Challenge. I'm writing every day in July to celebrate my blog's three year anniversary! Join me - write your post, link it up with mine, leave some love for blogging friends in the form of comments!

An InLinkz Link-up

dreams {sol 3.31.16}

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For the past month (well, most... or at least half of the past month) I've been writing here on my blog and with a community of writers over at Two Writing Teachers. Some might wonder why - why do I write on my teaching blog about random stuff in my personal life? Well, it's because if I have any hope of teaching writers or coaching teachers of writing, I have to walk the walk, so I write and I share with all of you.

Yesterday, a blogger in the TWT community posted a beautiful post about her dreams. Today, as I was running (half running, half walking) on the lakefront path here in Chicago, I began composing today's post, the last for the Slice of Life Story Challenge for 2016. A post about my dreams. The dreams of a 35 year old woman. The dreams of  Literacy Coach. The dreams of a writer, and a world traveler, a beach relaxer, and a wine drinker. Here goes nothin...

One day, I hope to write alongside teenagers. When I was a classroom teacher, I wasn't a writer. I would bark orders, assign papers, devise rubrics, but I never lived that Writerly Life. I stood in the front of my classroom and told them what to do, without ever doing the work myself. So, one day, I want to sit at the side of teenagers, and show them my writer's notebook, and my writing process, and the pieces of writing that suck (that I published anyways) and the ones I'm most proud of. I want to show them how I revise, and coach them towards the same, taking in all their wisdom, too. I want to write beside kids. It's amazing when they look at you and say, "That lesson (about Author's Craft) was so fun!" What would be even more amazing would be if those kids were my kids.

One day, I hope to coach in a middle school, a middle school where I get to instruct one section of a 7th-8th grade looping English Language Arts (you know, teach them in a little lab of sorts) and then coach the rest of the day. I've been so blessed to have been able to coach at an elementary school, and I really love all the work that I get to do, but my heart continues to be with those awnry teens, and so I know, it's only a matter of time before I reconnect with them again.

One day, I hope to sit on an oceanfront patio, with my laptop or notebook in my lap and coffee at my side, and just write. Listen to the sounds of the sea call to me, and the salt in the air absorb into my skin with the hopes it makes me more creative, more open, more vulnerable with my writing. I hope to sit on oceanfront patios all around the world and write, but for now, I'd like to start in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Jennie, Amanda, Erika - can we do this? Go there and write and walk on the beach and suntan and have great dinners and then write about it all? And drink wine, too?

Speaking of wine, one day, I hope to see Napa and wine country in Italy. It's just been in the past few years that I've really opened up to trying all kinds of wine, and I would love to travel to the best places where it's made. Hey, we can write there, too.

One day, I hope to find an awesome guy, one who is secure enough with himself to be open to an amazing relationship. I've dated the guys who avoid intimacy at all costs, and now that I know how to spot them a little better, pretty sure I won't be going down that road again. But, finding a guy who could trust enough to let his walls come down and be vulnerable, well, that would be awesome. I believe we're meant to go through this journey we call life with someone, and I can't wait for the day when I find a guy who is open to the possibility of a fantastic relationship.

And then, when that's all settled, one day, I want to get married in this amazing church I now call home, Old St. Patrick's, surrounded by my family and most favorite people.

Oh, and one day, I want a Golden Doodle. Dudley I'll call him, and we'll live happily ever after (with my awesome husband, too!)

So there you have it, my dreams. Thank you, Michelle, for inspiring me. Like it always goes with writing, you never have any idea of how far your influence reaches. I'm so thankful I found this amazing writing life!

What are your dreams?

blessed {sol 3.30.16}

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Since before 2009, I've had quite a few instances thinking that I'd like to find a church to call home. Then, last July, my friend Bernadette mentioned that her boyfriend was going to attend classes for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) at Old St. Patrick's Church in the West Loop. So I asked, "Hey, can I come too?" Berna was more than happy to have me tag along.

We started RCIA back in September, sessions every Tuesday, which led to our confirmation at the Easter Vigil this past Saturday night.

My parents came in for the service and a visit. I thought I would be nervous for the ceremony, but after getting to Old St. Pat's, I just felt such a sense of calm.

The service was beautiful. Our choir is amazing, and Father Hurley is the best priest I have ever had the experience of spending time with at a mass. He's funny, down to Earth, and takes the gospel and makes it meaningful for us in 2016.

My favorite part is always this, when Fr. Hurley asks the congregation to raise a hand and help him bless all of us. The first time this happened, at another sacrament earlier in the year, I didn't know it was coming and was overwhelmed with a feeling of such happiness that I totally started crying. This time, I was just happy and so, so thankful.

Feels good to call Old St. Pat's home, and I'm so thankful for the new friends I've made in the process.

And if that weren't enough, Ryan proposed to Bernadette the following Monday! So happy I was able to be there for this little Easter Sunday of theirs!

does this bring me joy?

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For Christmas this year, I got a great book i didn't even know I wanted: 

Life-changing is, in fact, a great way to describe this process.

This book is really telling us that we have too much stuff, which makes our homes cluttered and untidy. Do you have clothes that don't fit in your drawers or closet? Do you have scarves and mittens that don't fit where they go? Are your bookcases overflowing with books? Is your desk or kitchen table or counter full of mail and catalogs and bills and papers you're not sure where to put? If any rings true, this book is for you.

We have too much stuff. Way too much. My closet was full to the max, where when I'd take out one shirt, the two on either side of it would pop out with it. I knew it was time to declutter, and so I followed the steps in the book and got rid of 10 bags of stuff: mostly clothes, but shoes, purses and bags, and cups and mugs:

The hangers below, they were all in my closet with clothes before this tidying-up:

And now, instead, I have space and all of the clothes that bring me joy. That's how you decide what to keep. You start with clothes, and even more specifically, tops. Go get all your tops that are hanging, your T-shirts, tank tops. Take them all to the same place and then one-by-one, pick each up and ask yourself, "Does this bring me joy?" If not, its as simple as this: discard.

Now, my tank tops and T-Shirts, which used to take up two drawers, fit in one, with space to spare:

And I feel so happy. I have space in my apartment. It feels big enough, and I have room to grow.

I still haven't gotten to my office supplies, books, and mementos like pictures and cards. I love my books and notebooks, and I love office supplies, too, so it's going to prove a little more challenging, but I'm excited to do it.

Best of all with this book, it's going to change the way I buy things, too, because with every purchase, I'm going to be asking, "Does this bring me joy?" If not, it's staying on the racks.

Have you read this book?
Have you decluttered and tidied?
Please share your experiences!

gratitude lately

What a great day to celebrate our blessings! Write your own post and link up with me if you'd like to join!

Today I'm thankful for days of rest. No work for the rest of the week!

Thankful for Justin Theroux. He's so nice to look at...but his show, The Leftovers, it's crazy strange! I was watching the whole episode this morning thinking, "Whaaaattt?" and then at the end it makes a little sense, so I'll watch another. Every single time. Anyone else watching it?

Thankful for sweet notes from students, and their teachers who teach them about showing gratitude.

Thankful for our district's first Twitter Chat! Check out the Storify of it here, and below, a few of my favorite tweets!

Thankful for super funny Bernie memes!

#feelthebern

Thankful for this cutie...my nephew, Jack:

And my sister, who brought him to meet me for the first time a few weeks ago!

Thankful for my blog as a space to write, the people who read and talk to me about it, and the friends I've made because of it.

Making it up as I go!

That's all for me. I hope you have an awesome Thanksgiving and take some time to think about all the amazing things this life blesses us with!

An InLinkz Link-up

currently november

I'm late to the party friends, but it was because I was having an excellent birthday this last weekend. I turned the big 3-5 and celebrated with friends on a trolley in our costumes! More to come on that later though!

So I'm back for Currently, the fun first-of-the-month party sponsored by Farley. Check out her link-up and write with us if you want to!

Without further ado...

Listening to Hello by Adele

Most downloaded song in one week - just broke records, I'm guessing on iTunes. It's so good. Can't wait for the rest of the album!

Loving the birthday party!

Halloween costumes plus 35 friends on a trolley, a scenic view of the skyline and fun music - such a win!

Check out some costumes:

Morton Salt Girl and Love Potion #9:

Carl and Russel from Up:

Farmer and a Cow:

And lots more...here are all of us over by Adler Planetarium for a group shot:

What amazing memories to carry with me from this birthday!

One more, the skyline for realsies:

Seriously, love this view!

Thinking about my sister's visit!

My sister is coming on Thursday and bringing my new little nephew Jack and I can't wait! We're going to have some time to hang out, go see the city, visit family, and I get to cuddle with that cute baby boy! Stay tuned here, or on IG, for pics of the baby!

Wanting to have it all together

I wish I had it all together - at work, in my personal life - everywhere. Let's dish about work first... Like, I wish I have read all the new Calkins curriculums so I could coach them better (or at least read the orientations to each unit). I wish I had a binder per grade level with all my important docs - like those orientations to the units, and a calendar where I keep a curriculum map of what we've done, and I keep reflections about teaching and learning as we talk about student work. I'm kinda doing all of this, but I need a system in place to get it all organized. So that's on my radar.

As far as my personal life, I mean, do we ever have it all together? Being that it's November, and a time for thinking about gratitude, I guess I'll just go with that...

• Thankful for amazing friends and family who are always there for me, via facetime or a phone call or on my doorstep
• Thankful that I really put 100% into everything I do, and I have no regrets when things don't work out
• Thankful for my apartment that I love so much in a city that is mostly awesome.
• Thankful that I stay positive almost always, even when things are crappy, because that's life, sometimes it just is.
• Thankful for the Peppermint Mocha that is sitting right next to me in a red cup, and time to sit in a Starbucks and write. And thankful for writing!

Anyways, life is never perfect, but it's mostly amazing, so just gotta focus on that, right?

Needing a new couch

I've had my couch since like 2006 maybe? It's super feathery and I love it but it's out of shape and just needs to be replaced. I've been thinking about it for awhile now, but just need to make it happen. 

Yummy

Pretty much all of it - the whole traditional thanksgiving dinner, especially when I'm making it. A few years ago I went to Phoenix and a few friends and I made the whole dinner ourselves, and it was so awesome. I can't wait for Thanksgiving!

That's all for me this month! I hope you have a fabulous November and I hope to be back with some literacy content - for sure over the break when I have time to slow down!

xxoo,

sunday letters

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Hi all! I am sorry I'm so unreliable with the letters. I think I was supposed to post last week, but I was out of town and didn't put it on my calendar, so I'm back today! Please write some letters and share them with me if you want to!

Dear Carrie,

Your letters are my favorite to read (love addressing one to "person-who-shall-not-be-named!) and you always keep me accountable to the letters. Thanks for your post, otherwise I would have just forgotten again!

Hugs,
Blogging Buddy

Dear ASU football,

What happened last night? I'm so sad. That is all.

Sincerely,

A forever fan

Dear Illinois Reading Council Conference,

I can't wait until Wednesday! It's always such a fun time to go to the conference with all the coaches and specialists in our district. This year, Colleen and I are presenting, too! Can't wait to spend a few days immersed in best practices for reading and writing!
Sincerely,

Literacy Enthusiast

Dear Fall in Chicago 2015,

You have been beautiful! Yesterday was a perfect day, clear, sunny, and about 70 degrees. I hope this mild weather sticks around for many weeks to come! You're making my perfect season even perfecter!

Love, Michelle

Dear future husband,

I know you're out there. Looking forward to meeting you soon... or maybe I have already? :-)
Love, an optimist

Dear Brian,

I'm so glad we have been friends for so long, seems like lifetime friends considering we met in like 95...so like 20 years now? You're such a great person to have in my corner and I hope we stay friends for years to come!

Love, Michelle

Dear girlfriends,

I have so much fun doing all the things we do - like drinks and gossip on Jess' patio, hanging out at festivals, watching ASU games, spending time on breaks together, craft nights. I'm so thankful for all of our friendships and couldn't get through life without all of you! Here's to many years of friendship to come!

Love, Shel

Dear Twitter,
I love you! Love to go see what everyone is doing each day just by searching for our school hashtag! (#tigerslearn) Imagine if every school did this, it would be so amazing!
Hugs,
Social Media junkie

Dear Self,

I'm so proud of you for sticking to your goals of reading and running and eating better. You're kickin' @$$ at all of it!

Keep it up!

Michelle

Alright friends, link your letter's with me!

An InLinkz Link-up

what I'm loving Wednesday

WRITE a list of things you're currently loving.

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❤ The Coaches Launch Presentation
My girl Felicia (she's a new blogger in my district, give her a follow!) but she shared how every year she begins with a Coaching Launch Presentation, so I did one for the first time this year and it has been really great. What I love about it is that it makes it clear to all staff members about what your role as a Literacy Coach is and in what ways I'm available to collaborate with teachers.

❤ our staff shout-out board
This year Jennie sent me a pin of a Staff Shout-Out board, so I put one up in the lounge:

As Union Rep for our school, I make a call for positives once a month, but I wanted a way to do more with that, so I'm glad Jennie sent me that pin! All the little papers in green are from our Union Meeting and then the others in blue and green and white are written by our staff to our staff at other points within the month. The forms are in a little plastic box on the table in our lounge with pens and tape, so it's all there for teachers when they are in the lounge. Additionally, mid-month, I am putting the forms in teachers' mailboxes in case they forget. I did that for the first time this week and after there were a bunch of new ones up! This makes me so so happy and I hope it makes the other staff members happy too. I got one this week that made me especially happy:

Thank you, Anonymous...you made my day! :-)

❤ seeing all the kiddos back in class!
It's been so good to be back at work with the kids! Below you can see a few of the kids from a very special fifth grade group that I started working with when they were in third grade. That class is such a special one in so many ways!

Also love that backpack!

❤ my team
I work with two amazing girls this year. We share a classroom and collaborate so well together! Classroom reveal is almost ready... stay tuned!

❤ friends who reach out and check on me, and send me presents :-)
Thanks Holls for sending me relaxation in a cute little bag! Sometimes when things are rough, it's important to remember to take care of yourself, and I am so appreciative of having friends like you!

❤ reaching goals
August 12th, I set a goal to run 35 miles by September 12th. Was so disciplined the last month and it felt so good to hit that goal. This next month I'm hoping to hit 40+!

What are you loving?

Write up a list and share it with me!

An InLinkz Link-up