Monday, January 30, 2012

surprise!



at first i thought
you were a girl
fluttering about
like a baby bird
holding her secret
under wing


and then i realized
you're a boy!
banging against
his mama's belly
as if he were 
a plane
a rocket
a racecar

Poem by Alexandra Thayer Stewart
Images via Pintrest

Saturday, January 28, 2012

roar


I really want to get one of these for Calvin.

Image via Pintrest.

Friday, January 27, 2012

word of the week


Our Word of the Week


that I added to the fish bowl on my desk


is...


double-edged (adjective) 1. having two cutting edges  2. capable of being taken in two ways

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

dreams and dishes



i know i should help
mom with our dinner
practice my scales
show dad i'm a winner
at soccer and squash
piano and french
i am that kid
the coach will not bench
but underneath all
of my talents and tricks
my heart, she beats softly
with a tick, tick, tick
i prefer to write poems
and daydream away
sing to my cats
make pots out of clay
i collect stones
in the shape of a heart
i like to rip pictures
and recreate art
they don't understand
how could they relate
they think i'm like them
a perfect blank slate
turns out i'm not
at all what they think
a deep water girl
who's right on the brink
of avoiding their rules
and saying enough
i've had it, i'm done
i'm over this fluff
perhaps they'll give up
and try for another
a sweet baby boy
they'll raise as my brother
i hope this new child
will follow their wishes
he'll get into yale
and wash all the dishes
then i'll be free
to do what i please
god i hope so
i'm on hands and on knees


Poem by Alexandra Thayer Stewart
Image via We Heart It

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

mozart and dickens







Did you know that Wolfgang Amedeus Mozart and Charles Dickens have the same colorscope?  Click here to read more about it!

Sunday, January 22, 2012

australian open 2012


Calvin and I spent most of the weekend watching tennis.


We love Roger Federer.


And, we root against anyone Roger plays.



Saturday, January 21, 2012

Friday, January 20, 2012

word of the week

Our Word of the Week


that I added to the fish bowl on my desk


is...


anticipate (verb) 1. to think of something that will or might happen in the future  2. to expect or look ahead to something with pleasure

Monday, January 16, 2012

a tale of two brothers


it isn't funny
not one little bit
mom never said that
why won't you just quit
your teasing and taunting
i know i'm your brother
we look just alike
we have the same mother
i'm not adopted
that's just isn't true
you make my head hurt
you make me feel blue
go away now
i'm tired, i'm done
i want my mommy
she knows i'm the one
turns out she favors
my face to yours
and when we grow up
she'll give you more chores
then i'll be laughing
and you will be sad
wishing you never 
made me so mad

Poem by Alexandra Thayer Stewart
Image via Pintrest

Saturday, January 14, 2012

things that scare me


barking dogs
who bare white teeth
behind an iron fence

a city street
with nobody on it
in the middle of the day

the sound of breaking glass
as the earth rumbles
underneath my feet

babies who cry
kitties who leave
and water that won't stop running


Poem by Alexandra Thayer Stewart
Image via Pintrest

Friday, January 13, 2012

word of the week

Our Word of the Week


that I added to the fish bowl on my desk


is...



gestation (noun)  1. the time when a person or an animal is developing inside its mother before it is born 2. the process in which something (such as an idea) forms and develops

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

nicholas and the gang


Nicholas and the Gang
by Goscinny and Sempe

Synopsis from Goodreads: NICHOLAS AND THE GANG is the fourth book in the series about Nicholas, the cheeky French schoolboy and his friends. In this collection of adventures, Nicholas is invited to the birthday party of the girl next door, plays a very messy game of chess, and learns that walking on your hands is much harder than turning somersaults. NICHOLAS AND THE GANG is a much-loved classic in children's fiction, now available to English-speaking children worldwide in a delightful translation by Anthea Bell. It features 16 stories written by one of the most successful children's authors of all time, with illustrations by one of today's most respected and best-loved illustrators. Aimed at readers age 7 and older, this book will be enjoyed by adults and children alike and is perfect for sharing.

What I think: On a whim, I purchased this book at the Tate Museum in London.  What a treasure!  Each chapter reads as short story, packed with wit and humor.  The voice is very true to kids.  And, I just adore the illustrations.

Image via Goodreads.

Saturday, January 7, 2012

laundry time



Before I fold them, Calvin loves to lie on top of clean clothes fresh from the dryer.  It's no surprise that my jeans and t-shirts are constantly covered with orange fur.

Friday, January 6, 2012

word of the week

Our Word of the Week


that I added to the fish bowl on my desk 


is...



ruminate
1. to go over in the mind repeatedly and often casually or slowly

Sunday, January 1, 2012

six

The following is inspired by children's author/illustrator Grace Lin. She posted her six on 2/23/11. I've been thinking about it ever since. According to Ms. Lin, Virginia Woolf gave a speech about Falkner's six (the six things writers should write about).

"Falkner said in 1949 in the Nobel speech that if we are not writing about these six things then we are not doing our job. They are love, honor, pity, pride, compassion, and sacrifice."

As one of my new year's resolutions, I've listed the six things that are important for me to write about.

On 2/27/11 they were:

LOVE
LOYALTY
KINDNESS
COMMUNITY
UNDERSTANDING
FREEDOM

Today my six are:

LOVE
COURAGE
AWARENESS
ACCEPTANCE
EMPATHY
RELEASE

Do you have your own six?