How to use this Page

We’ve changed our Slice of Life Challenge Page to a generic Challenge Page, where you can find more information about the following: Memoir Mondays (Every Monday — just like the name says!) Slice of Life Story Challenge (Every Tuesday) Student Stories (Every Thursday) We hope that streamlining this page will encourage new participants so that they don’t have to [...]

Click on the image linky to link your story/post to us so others can be inspired by your writing.

Lila (pronounced Lay-lah by her mom and Lee-lah by her) entered my fifth grade class in 2006 with a big, bright eyes and a tremendous smile. She was the kind of kid that was quiet, who followed the rules not because she had to, but because she wanted to. When I called her [...]

I’ve taught fourth or fifth grade in low-SES communities ever since I worked as a fifth grade teacher at P.S. 72 in Spanish Harlem when I was a graduate student completing my first master’s degree at Hunter College. Hunter prepares teachers to work in “urban settings.” Hence, when it [...]

Today’s the day that our new writing challenge, Student Stories, begins. For more information about the types of writing you might want to do for this Challenge, click here. Once you’ve written your “Student Stories” Post, link it here by clicking on the Mr. Image Image-Linky below: Looking forward to reading your inspirational stories. [...]

My pretty muffin, baby love, tweetie-bird, Bella. She has the right idea. Just find a comfy spot and chill. This is where she sits to look over my shoulder while I'm sitting here at the computer. (As I type this she's up on top of the computer hutch, looking down at me.) She never lets me get too far out of site.

She's the one who went missing for 5 weeks !!!!!!!!!!!! when we were living in San Francisco. Long awful story short, I found her and she was fine. Turns out she was only one block away the whole time, but wasn't able to find her way back. She was thin and tired, but otherwise OK. Now she doesn't venture away from home quite so much. She learned her lesson!!!


Here she is this past summer with her "lion cut" (all shaved). I almost had a stroke when I saw her, since I'd only asked them to shave her knots. But you know what? She looked so adorable, and she loved it, and it gets so hot here, it was perfect.


She's just polished off a jar of baby food here (Yes, she has her own placemat. Yes, that's the kitchen table. Yes, I let them get up there.)


Up in her "tree" (actually, on top of the shed.) I had my gardener make them a ladder so they can get up there easier (yes, I'm a little nuts.) That's a good place to hide and watch the squirrels and unsuspecting birdies who come to perch. That's also a good place to hide when Paula is calling you to come in for the night.



In other news:
My Mom loved the doll house. First words out of her mouth (after the first gasp of amazement) were "Where am I going to put it?" (in my old room, it turns out)
She set it all up and couldn't wait to show it to her friend who also has one.
She loved the deviled eggs, pink bedspread and little tiny pot holders best.
When I said "Some of my friends said I should do some custom art for the walls" she remained silent.
I can take a hint.

And I pulled off a pretty good Christmas dinner if I do say so myself. There's not much that an extra cube of butter or dash of wine can't fix. And thank goodness for half and half for the potatoes.
I did a cool chocolate cake marbled with cinnamon+sugar+melted butter, with French Vanilla ice cream. YUM. Now its back to fruit and dry toast. Well, after the leftovers are gone. I'm making them last as long as possible... Read the rest of this post