A Thousand Words Thursday

For more Thousand Words Thursday stop by Cheaper Than Therapy.

While you're here, don't forget to enter my giveaway for a set of Rachael Ray stone bakers!

Wordless Wednesday

Is 6:15 too early to get up and see what the Easter bunny brought?

Nah!

Be sure to stop by these fabulous blogs for more Wednesday fun:
5 Minutes for Mom
7 Clown Circus
Momdot

While you're here, don't forget to enter my giveaway for a set of Rachael Ray stone bakers!

April is National Poetry Month

Buttercups and Daisies

~Mary Howitt

Buttercups and daisies-

Oh the pretty flowers,

Coming ere the springtime

To tell of sunny hours.

While the trees are leafless,

While the fields are bare,

Buttercups and daisies

Spring up here and there.

Ere the snowdrop peepeth,

Ere the croscus bold,

Ere the early primrose

Opes its paly gold,

Somewhere on a sunny bank

Buttercups are bright;

Somewhere 'mong the frozen grass

Peeps the daisy white.

Little hardy flowers

Like to children poor,

Playing in their sturdy health

By their mother's door:

Purple with the north wind,

Yet alert and bold;

Fearing not and caring not,

Though they be a-cold.

What to them is weather!

What are stormy showers!

Buttercups and daisies

Are these human flowers!

He who gave them hardship

And a life of care,

Gave them likewise hardy strength,

And patient hearts, to bear.

Welcome yellow buttercups,

Welcome daisies white,

Ye are in my spirit

Visioned, a delight!

Coming ere the springtime

Of sunny hours to tell-

Speaking to our hearts of Him

Who doeth all things well.

April is Poetry Month! I have always had a love of poetry. I think it was a gift from a couple of really great English teachers in Junior High and High School. I was fortunate to be among their students and developed an appreciation for poetry and literature.
This month is dedicated to helping your kids to do the same thing. PBS has a fun widget that will help get you started.

Also, check out these links for more poetic fun!

Story It

Poetry Archive

Poets.org (Don't miss this list of Great Poems to Teach)

FactMonster

Find Lesson Plans at Scholastic and Read Write Think.
Plus find resources at TeacherVision (if you don't subscribe, you'll get three free pdf's or you can start a free 7 day trial).

Sharing this post at:

Quotable Sunday

Greetings friends and Happy Easter! My quotes today center on "home." I hope you are all enjoying a lovely day surrounded by loved ones, no matter where you are spending it.

You can never go home again, but the truth is you can never leave home, so it's all right. ~Maya Angelou


Home is not where you live but where they understand you. ~Christian Morgenstern


Home is a place not only of strong affections, but of entire unreserve; it is life's undress rehearsal, its backroom, its dressing room. ~Harriet Beecher Stowe


Peace - that was the other name for home. ~Kathleen Norris


Where we love is home,
Home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts.
~Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., Homesick in Heaven


Home is a name, a word, it is a strong one; stronger than magician ever spoke, or spirit ever answered to, in the strongest conjuration. ~Charles Dickens


Home is the place where, when you have to go there,
They have to take you in.
~Robert Frost, The Death of the Hired Man


Home is a place you grow up wanting to leave, and grow old wanting to get back to. ~John Ed Pearce


Thanks for stopping by today! Your comments always brighten my day :)
For more Quotable Sunday, visit A Daily Dose of Toni.

Friday Photo Flashback - Happy Birthday Aiden!

This picture is of my oldest son, Aiden, when he was about 18 months old. He was playing in the rain with our Great Dane, Max, who was his shadow for about 5 years. The edges of the pic are oddly trimmed because it traveled with my husband in his wallet overseas. I have always loved this photo and now keep it on our fridge.

Today's Flashback is dedicated to my oldest son, who turns 8 today. Yep, he managed to escape an April Fool's birthday by just 2 hours. I can't believe it's been 8 years since he was born. So much has changed since then.

I am so proud of his accomplishments and love that I am home with him to share these moments. What a priceless gift. He'll still take a hug or cuddle now and then. And, he likes to be close to us and in the middle of whatever the family is doing. But I know the days are coming when he'll separate from us more and more in an effort to gain his independence. He'll run off to show his friends his new creations and stunts, rather than share them with me. He'll be busy with activities and sleep overs and *gasp* girlfriends! So, I'm taking these moments as they come, and savoring each bittersweet milestone.

I love you Aiden. You are such a strong, smart and creative young man. I cherish our days together. I love to see your fabulous Lego inventions. Though my heart sometimes skips a beat when you jump your bike or go barreling over ramps pulling stunts, I do admire your courage and determination. My heart fills with joy when I hear your great belly laughs and it totally melts when I see your compassion for other kids and your kindness and care for animals. You are a spirited, energetic, passionate soul and I love you more than you could possibly know. Happy Birthday!

For more Friday Photo Flashback visit Alicia at More Than Words. She has an amazing collection of old photos and it's fun to bloghop and reminisce with everyone over years past. 


While you're here, be sure to enter my Rachael Ray Bakeware giveaway!

Aloha Friday

Aloha friends and happy Friday! It's a big day around here. My oldest turns 8 today! I can hardly believe it. Where has all that time gone?! We have big plans for the weekend. Company coming in town, a family bbq, a bowling party, and of course, Easter festivities to boot. My to do list includes:
Baking a cake and cupcakes for two parties, wrapping gifts, cleaning house, changing bed sheets, laundry, bathing the dog, making potato salad, and more of the like.

My question today is: What's on you list to do for this weekend?

Thanks for stopping by and playing along. Your comments really brighten my day! Visit An Island Life for more Aloha Friday Fun. And don't forget to enter my Rachael Ray Bakeware Giveaway!