SOL #9: Currently

Day nine of the month-long Slice of Life challenge, and I'm going to borrow and adapt an example Slice that was shared with us earlier.  Teacher are experts at that "borrow and adapt" thing.  It sounds nicer than "stealing," at any rate.

I am currently:

EATING

• Vanilla ice cream dusted with unsweetened cocoa powder.  My second bowlful tonight, because it's so yummy.

READING

• Matt de la Peña's We Were Here
• a book about translation called Is That a Fish In Your Ear?  Every week or so I read a chapter out of this while eating breakfast. 
• to one class--Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt
• to two other classes--Girl, Stolen by April Henry

ANTICIPATING

• spring break
• an overnight with my sisters
• taking a bus load of students to April Henry's book signing at Powells in May

DREADING

• the housecleaning necessary before hosting my in-laws for a birthday dinner Sunday (husband's brother and mother both have birthdays this month)

SPLURGING ON

• books for my classroom
• fidgets for my children--three chewable necklaces and two chewable pencil toppers each, plus stretchy bands for their chairs to stop the rocking and wiggling

PENNY PINCHING ON

• shoes for myself--wearing a horribly scuffed pair of shoes I've had for eight years while trying to find a new pair that fits AND is affordable

DREAMING

• of a family trip to Lithuania and Latvia
• a weekend at the beach would be nice too

WONDERING

• how to drastically improve my individual conferencing skills with my reading students
• how my children's birth mom is doing

REMEMBERING

• spring break trips of the past

MISSING

• my parents, always
• my Latvian friend, Aija

IGNORING

• the dirty dishes

FOCUSING ON

• writing daily

REGRETTING

• not filling up the gas tank on my way home from work, meaning that I'll have to do it on the way to work, before Costco opens, meaning I'll be paying extra AND taking up the time I could have used to buy a latte

ENJOYING

• practicing the relaxation and self-calming techniques my husband is learning about in a class, then sharing with me
• my 11 year old's new bedtime ritual of needing a hug and kiss from me when he lays down, then again before I leave the room
• participating in this challenge!

Written as part of the Slice of Life March writing challenge sponsored by Two Writing Teachers