{#sol15} 8/31 Chloe Writes: Out My Window

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So, Mom wrote a poem the other day about the view out her window. I thought since she's sick with a cold today and doesn't feel like writing, I'd let you in on the view out of my window.

The view I get every single day.

Every single day while they go off and get to do fun things and leave me home alone.

Every single day.

This is my favorite spot to lay during the day.  From here, I can protect my yard and my house from those pesky squirrels and neighborhood cats. It really makes me mad when I growl and bark and they don't even move. Sure wish I could open the door and go get 'em.

I can also see the mailman blocks away. I start growling and barking as soon as I see him, 'cuz I don't like him and I don't want him coming anywhere near my house.

I really like to watch the neighbor's house. They have two dogs that I wish I could be friends with and LOTS of little kids are there every day. Mom says our neighbor is a day care lady and that's why they have so many kids. Sometimes, I try to run over there if I am outside, but Mom says I scare the little kids so I hafta stay in our yard.

Mom and Dad call me Gladys sometimes. I don't really get that. My name is Chloe.  But they think it's funny and laugh a lot when I am looking out the window and trying to get someone's attention.




But my favorite thing to watch out my window is for Mom and Dad to come home.  That's the best part of my day...

{#sol15} 7/31 Celebrating the Weekend

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Someone said to me yesterday, the first Friday of the month, that they only saw one high school student wear their #CadetNation shirt. Our district, one that is widespread and in different buildings, tries to create community by designating the first Friday of the month by all of wearing shirts that share our story. 

And she was right. They didn't. 

BUT many of the spent the last weekend in February cheering our six wrestlers who were competing for state titles

THEN the next week, they cheered our girls basketball team as they worked their way to another state tournament. 

THEN Monday night, many of them drove two hours away to cheer our boys basketball team as they tried to make the state tournament.

THEN they spent this week celebrating and cheering on our girls basketball team as they played in the state tournament. They drove three hours away to fill our sections, they rode pep busses, they watched the live stream.

And in the midst of all that, many found time to wish my speech kids good luck as they participated in District speech last Saturday.

So, I guess I'm OK that they didn't wear the shirt.

Speaking of my speech kids....

They performed fantastically last Saturday. And of the 36 events that we entered at districts, 22 of them are moving on to State competition next Saturday. I was so proud of them.  But not as proud as I was Friday after school, when everyone wants to practice and I am trying to get things ready. They just practice and help each other. I'll be slicing about this next Friday.

Speech season is exhausting for me. And as much as I look forward to the start of it and enjoy doing it, by this time of year, I am ready for it to be done. But before it is, a special shout out to my husband. I can't thank him enough for doing the simple thing of making dinner. Most days he is the cook of the family. It's awesome to come home and find something in the crock pot or a note on the fridge about what's for supper. He's been a life saver.

{#sol15} 6/31 Out My Window

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Earlier this year, my 8th grade students and I wrote poetry that used the five themes of geography, plus photography.  We all took a picture of the scene out our windows and then wrote poetry describing the scene.  I got the idea from some great educators in Iowa who create monthly ideas for us all to try. This is the link to the directions for this activity.

I found my poem today as I was going through files and thought I would share. It is almost lake time, after all

{#sol15} 5/31 Sometimes

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Sometimes

the thing you most want to write about, 

that moment 

that is upper most in your mind, 

you just can't write about. 

It's not really your story to tell, 

but it does affect you. 

The words float about in your brain, 

trying to come together, 

trying to recreate that moment that changed your day, 

changed your life. 

They are trying to come together 

to share a feeling, 

a moment.

But, they just aren't ready yet.

And you have to leave them

ALONE

until the timing is right.

{#sol15} 4/31 Never Count on a Snow Day

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You know how it goes....

You are listening to the weather before dinner. There is a winter weather advisory listed for your town. Freezing rain, 2-4 inches of snow, 35 mile per hour winds.

All the ingredients needed for a 

SNOW DAY.

Homework waits.

You give your body and soul a much needed night off, secretly making a to-do list for tomorrow.

You check your weather app before bed.  It says that the weather will start about 3:00am, with the worst weather arriving between 6:00am and noon. Another needed ingredient.

You sleep. 

Deeply.

Dreamlessly.

You sleep.

The alarm goes off at 6:30am. You immediately realize there was no robo-call about school being called off--or even LATE!  You look out the window.

No sleet

   No snow

      No freezing rain

         NOTHING!

All that work you put off last night!  Arrrggghhhhhhh!

You shower. Read drafts with coffee. Comment on rubrics about yesterdays speeches. Figure you will use time throughout the day for grading other things. 

And in your head, the words of advice you gave to students yesterday echo, "Don't count on a snow day. Get your work done tonight."

{#sol15} 3/31 Chloe Writes an Apology

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Chloe Writes...

Dear Little Sparrow,

I thought you wanted to

PLAY

When you came in and 

FLEW

around on our screened in deck.

I was so excited that

SOMEONE NEW

Came to play.

Someone to 

BARK

at and someone to play

CHASE

with. 

It was 

FUN

for awhile.

I didn't know

I wasn't supposed to 

CATCH YOU.

{#sol15} 2/31 Saturday Morning Musings

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I settle into my seat and the humming of the tires on the road lull me into a semi-conscious state. As I listen to the buzzing of teenage voices behind me, the music an undercurrent of
the anticipation,
the anxiety,
the nerves of the day,
I am transported back to another early Saturday morning with the same soundtrack.

It's all the same.

Except, of course,

That now I am the coach,

Not the teenager.

I remember vividly these early morning rides. The feeling in the pit of my stomach. Was it excitement or nerves? Probably a combination of both, and if you used it to fuel you, great things happened. But if that feeling controlled your mind, well, let's hope that didn't happen.

I remember the waiting for performances and then waiting for results. I remember the friends who stood behind me, ready to congratulate me or support me, whatever the situation required.

In forty years, nothing has really changed. Except now, not only do I have to take care of MY 

Anticipation,

Anxiety,

Nerves,

I also have to take care of their

Anticipation,
Nerves,
Anxiety.

Back on the bus with my speech kids, it's a good place to be.