DAY 31 SOLSC: Last Slice

"What should I write my last story about, Lily?" Without hesitating, Lily replied, "A girl who finds a dragon--or did you write that one already?" "No," I answered, "not yet. Want to come in here in help me write it?" "Well," Lily said thoughtfully,  "I'm making a necklace right now, but if you're stuck I'd …

Day 30 SOLSC: March on Madonna Mountain

Looking from the top of the mountain, the sky was the color of easter eggs - blue and off in the distance, near Lake Champlain, the sunset was pastel pink and yellow. The pine trees were frosted with snow that had fallen in the past few days. The snow sparkled in the late afternoon sunshine. …

Day 28 SOLSC: Poetry Is

"What is poetry?" Inspired by: Poetry is (nature version) Snow blanketing everything as far as the eye can see A bluebird day, not a cloud in the sky The way the stars look brighter from the top of the mountain at night The sound of tree trunks creaking in the breeze   Poetry is (family version) The …

Day 27 SOLSC: Charlotte’s Web

At bedtime tonight my daughter and I finished the last few chapters of Charlotte's Web. I knew that the sad part was coming. I braced myself for it. Lily knew it was coming too. As soon as Charlotte decided to get in the crate with Wilbur, Lily curled up under her covers and hid her face. …

Day 26 SOLSC: Slice of Life

  This is day 26 of the Slice of Life Challenge. I won't lie. This year the challenge has been, well, challenging! It feels like each day has been a struggle just to get it done - more so than in years' past. Perhaps I blocked out the struggles of last year, and only remember …

Day 25 SOLSC: Brunchert

Today I took my niece, *Ali, out to brunch to celebrate her sixth birthday. As we parked the car, she asked, "Aunt Beth, what's brunch?" "It's the most wonderful thing ever. It's a cross between breakfast and lunch." Ali smiled. "Oh, yeah! Who doesn't like that? Let's go have brunch!" It was chilly today, so we walked the …

Day 23 SOLSC: Forcing My Kids To Ski

"Mommy, I just want to stay home and play today," Lily said sweetly. She stared up at me from her breakfast with her big brown eyes. "Sorry, hon, in this family when it snows we go skiing," I said. The fact that these were the exact words my mom probably said to me when I …

Day 22 SOLSC: Writer’s Block

  I have written and rewritten this post for tonight. Every time I get started I lose my steam and delete it and start all over. Truth is, I have a bit of writer's block. So I'm doing what I always tell students. I'm just free writing. My go-to strategy, when I am stuck, is …

Day 21 SOLSC: Bedtime

My son, who is three, is incredibly difficult at bedtime. There's a lot of cajoling, negotiating, laying down the law, and eventual crying and tantruming involved. At every step of the way I am pretty sure I'm doing everything wrong as a mother. From the time my kids get out of the bath, to the …

Day 20 SOLSC: Loose Tooth

Moonlight streamed in through the window. The shadows of the window sashes formed squares of light on the soft carpet. The entire house was asleep. Me, my husband, my three-year-old son, my seven-year-old daughter, all snuggled deep in our soft bedcovers and quilts. Our little dog, Indie, slept curled up beside me. "Mommy!" I slowly became aware …