Slice One - Doomsday

Birds silence their song,

The sun ceases to shine,

Winds hush and

Waters still.



Every flower withholds her bloom.  Every mountain cowers in terror.


The stars and planets align and the universe collapses upon itself. In a flash, my entire existence is reduced to a blank screen,

An ominous curser.


Resistance is futile. Escape? Impossible.


March 1st, Doomsday.


Life as I know it is over. Slice of Life has begun...

Slice #31 - Done

I am done!

Done,

Done,

Done,

Done,

Done,

D – O – N – E !!!

Estoy listo – Spanish

Ich bin fertig – German

J'ai fini – French

我做完 Wǒ zuò wán – Chinese

Olen valmis - Finnish

Τελείωσα – Greek

Tá mé críochnaithe - Irish

Tôi xong rồi - Vietnamese

Et ego feci - Latin

I am TOTALLY and COMPLETELY DONE WITH SLICE OF LIFE!!!!

Whew! 

I never thought this day would come…  Actually, honestly, it wasn’t so bad this time.  I’m not saying that I liked slicing and I’m certainly not implying that I ever want to do it again.  I do just have to admit, though, that it wasn’t as horrible as I thought it would be. 

Last year, I put so much pressure on myself.  I wrote for an audience and poured over every sentence, every word just to make sure it was perfect.  This year, I just wrote.  I wrote what I felt in the moment and didn’t think twice about it.  Some slices were definitely better than others.  Some were downright pathetic.  But all that matters is that I wrote every single day, for thirty-one days!  For a mathematician, that is pretty alright…

Until next year!

Slice #30 - Fifty Days

Just 50 more days and then, the sun!

In 50 more days, we’ll relax – have fun!

There’s not much time before it’s through,

Then you and I must say, “Adieu!”

In 50 days and 50 nights,

We all will relish summer’s delights!

No books or grades or lessons to teach,

No lanyards to wear or goals to reach.

No meetings,

No emails,

No copies,

No calls!

No second tiles or single files or silence in the halls.

It’s almost here!  It’s come so fast!

I didn’t think that I could last.

No school in 50 days, it’s true…

But in 50 days, students, I’ll truly miss you!

Slice #29 - Happy Thoughts

At the very start of this new year, I decided something in my life had to change.  I was constantly finding myself frustrated at situations outside of my control or saddened by the various challenging events of my life.  I knew if I did not change my focus, these fears, heartaches, and trials would slowly begin to consume my thoughts, and worse, my life. 

So I made a promise to myself – each night before bed, for an entire year, I would write just three positive moments from my day in a journal.  For a self-proclaimed “non-writer,” this was a relatively ambitious endeavor, but I dug up an old journal from the depths of a drawer and started anyway. 

Nearly three months have passed, and I cannot even begin to describe how impactful this seemly insignificant action has been on my life!  Instead of allowing my mind to dwell on the negative experiences of my day, I force myself to center my heart and mind on the good – my “happy thoughts.”

Some days are most certainly easier than others!  For example, during my Disney trip, I could have listed just about any three events that occurred during the day and headed to bed happy!

Other days prove to be more difficult.  Some nights, I just stare at the blank page searching my brain for anything that could qualify as a “happy” moment.  It is on these tougher days, though, that I often find the most beautiful hidden bits of joy.  A little note from a student on the board, an encouraging hug from a friend, a finished project, an extra snuggle from my puppies, or a quiet moment with my husband are all beautiful experiences that might have otherwise been overlooked had I not chosen to seek them out. 

Life is hard. 

And sadly, it is much easier to focus on everything “wrong” than to search for the good, peace, and beauty.   For me, however, I am learning that if I will just look, even the tiniest bit, I can find hope and light in the darkest times and often in the most unexpected places. 

Slice #28 - 10 4 10 Plus One

Ok, so my Walt Disney World vacation was absolutely A-M-A-Z-I-N-G, and I just have to end with one more Ten for Ten blog!  Sorry!  I can't help it!!!

Tonight, please enjoy (or maybe I should say "tolerate") my Top Ten Favorite 2016 Disney Vacation Photos!!!

10.  This is an action shot of Aaron and I riding Aerosmith's Rock-N-Roller Coaster with my mom!  It is incredibly fast, turns upside-down several times, and is a total blast!  We were screaming our heads off!

9.  These two crazy characters are Baloo and King Louie from the Jungle Book!  They were so extra sweet with Heather!  They kept dancing with her and making her laugh!

8.  Only her big brother, Aaron, could EVER get her to do something silly like this!  We were just walking through the park, and next thing I knew, both Heather and Aaron had their heads in this stock!  Too funny!

7.  A trip to Walt Disney World would not be complete without a visit from two of our closest family friends, Cliff and Kathy McCullough!  I pretty much consider them my other aunt and uncle!  We always have a great time with them!

6.  No family vacation would be complete without a classic family photo!  This is my mom, dad, sister, Aaron, and I all enjoying the beautiful weather at the EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival.

5.  Sometimes, the Disney photographers were just at the right place at the right time.  One of them caught this sweet picture of my dad and Heather waiting for us outside the Tower of Terror ride.  The two of them are too precious!

4.  Heather LOVES her Disney characters, especially Mickey Mouse!  Mickey always goes above and beyond, showering her with love and hugs!  That's definitely a happy Heather smile!!!

3.  The sights, smells, and entertainment make evenings in EPCOT some of my most favorite moments at Disney World.  Here is Aaron sneaking a little smooch right outside of Japan!  I think he had a little encouragement from the crowd!

2.  The photographs that the Disney photographers take never disappoint, but this particular photographer snuck in his own extra special touch!  We had no idea what the picture would look like until we saw it later, but it's one of my most favorite from the whole trip!

1.  I love Disney more than I can say!  However, the part I love most is sharing it with my little sister.  She is my whole world and brings magic to my life every single day!

There you have it!  I promise, cross my heart, this is my last Disney post of the year!  Wishing you a little Disney magic of your own!

  

Slice #27 - 10 4 10 Disney Princesses

In honor of my Spring Break vacation in Walt Disney World, I will be posting one of my top ten Disney favorites each day for ten days – my 10 for 10! 

Today is our very last day, and I could not be more heart-broken to leave the place I love and consider to be my other home.  We have had an amazing week – full of laughter, fun, adventures, and more!  To end this series, I feel it is only fitting to pay homage to the ones who rule it all, the Disney royalty.  Here are my Top Ten Favorite Disney Princesses:

10.  Tiana from The Princess and the Frog

9.  Pocahontas from Pocahontas

8.  Snow White from Snow White

7.  Belle from Beauty and the Beast

6.  Jasmine from Aladdin

5.  Cinderella from Cinderalla

4.  Merida from Brave

3.  Aurora from Sleeping Beauty

2.  Rapunzel from Tangled

1.  Ariel from The Little Mermaid

I hope you all have had a wonderful Spring Break as well!  See you bright and early tomorrow!!!

Slice #26 - 10 4 10 Disney Quotes

In honor of my Spring Break vacation in Walt Disney World, I will be posting one of my top ten Disney favorites each day for ten days – my 10 for 10! 

By now, I’m sure my deep love for all things Disney is quite clear!  I love the food, the music, the characters, the parks – all of it!  However, my favorite parts of Disney are the poignant messages and life-lessons sewn into the fabric of every single film.  Today, please enjoy my Top Ten Favorite Disney Quotes:

10.  Pinocchio:  “Always let your conscience be your guide.”

9.  Pocahontas:  “Listen with your heart.  You will understand.”

8.  The Lion King:  “Oh yes, the past can hurt.  But the way I see it, you can either run from it or learn from it.”

7.  Alice in Wonderland:  “If you don’t know where you want to go, then it doesn’t matter which path you take.”

6.  Mulan:  “The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all.”

5.  Hercules:  “A true hero isn’t measured by the size of his strength, but by the strength of his heart.”

4.  The Little Mermaid:  “I just don’t see how a world filled with such wonderful things could be bad.”

3.  The Incredibles:  “Everyone’s special, Dash.”  “Which is another way of saying no one is.”

2.  Cinderella:  “Even miracles take a little time.”

1.  Winnie the Pooh:  “You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”