Wonders All Around

Learning Alongside My 5th Grade Wonders

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#SOL19 Day 31: My Final Slice (for now)

I sit down for the fourth time today to write Slice #31. Knowing that this is my last official Slice makes it harder than the others. I want this to be a reflective Slice that summarizes who I am as a writer after my second year of completing this challenge, but I also need it to tell a story (thank you to Beth Moore for pushing me to do this!) Yes, I’m putting this requirement on myself, but I’m a storyteller now, and this is what feels right to me.

My other drafts are about selecting my One Word for this school year (it is “story”), about the delightful chatter in my classroom as we share and have conversations, and about reading Say Something for Classroom Book-a-Day. I’m sure they’ll make fine Slices someday, but they’re not working today. To be honest, the problem is that I’m trying to fit these stories to my theme instead of letting the story do the work.

So, here is Take 4:

There are about 6 people in line in front of us as we step into Mod Pizza. “Mmmm!” I say. The smell of Italian spices and the warmth from the oven are so welcoming on this 32-degree, blustery day.

We have time to look at the menu suggestions hanging on the wall. “Do you know what you want?” I ask my son after a minute?

“I’m thinking about the Mad Dog with bacon instead of ground beef,” he answers.

“Sounds good. I have a coupon for free strips. Garlic or cinnamon?”

“Definitely cinnamon!” he says without any hesitation. Then he adds, “With the strawberry dipping sauce for sure!”

Making up my mind takes a bit longer. I’m not a picky eater, and everything sounds good, but there are some things that sound delicious. I can’t get the roasted Brussel sprouts out of my head. The only problem is those are part of a salad, and I’m in the mood for something warm since there’s a dusting of snow on the ground. I’ll just have to go the make-your-own-pizza route.

“What can I make for you?” the woman behind the counter asks my son. He gets his usual red sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni, Italian sausage, and bacon pizza.

“And for you?” she asks. I start with red sauce, mozzarella, and grilled chicken. Then, I look down the line of vegetable toppings and try to decide how much to get without overdoing it., “A little red onion, please,” I say. After getting a sprinkling of those added to my pizza, I spot what I’m looking for. “Roasted Brussel sprouts,”  I say and then check how much more my pizza crust can hold. I know that I have to ask for all of the next toppings together so she can plan how to place them. “And then some roasted red pepper, roasted garlic, and roasted broccoli.”

“Sure,” she replies and adds them each to my pizza.

A few minutes later, our names are called and our pizzas and cinnamon strips are placed on top of the counter. My son takes his food, and I take mine. “Looks great!” we both say at the same time.

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