the end of the road

The semester is coming to close
It's time to say goodbye, to new friends and the old
The tears, the joy, the happiness
The times of sorrow the times of bliss
Freshman year you were so grand
Now you are a memory that i'll set on a stand.

It's time for summer, the sun and the sand
the beach will be oh so grand.
So goodbye aggieland, you will be missed
but hello Katy, let me give you a hello kiss.


Today whwn I was laying outside studying for my children's literature exam for tomorrow I was inspired to write this poem about freshman year coming to a close and the journey of my my first year of college being a learning experience. I will miss aggieland so much but am excited to be home around my loved ones. Goodbye aggieland, see you in August!

Picture Books

This weekend I really spent some time reading the Russel text over picture books. I found it so intersting how there is so much thought that goes into the simple childrens books that are meant to help children learn to read, learn their letters, colors, shapes and numbers. The russel text describes picture books as books that convey their message through a sereis of picture with only a small amount of text or sometimes none at all. In these books the illustrations are as important as or more important than the text in conveying the message. I would imagine it is very difficult to write a picture book, and also i beleive when children and adults read these books they don't pay as much attention to the illustrations as they should which does not allow them to get the whole picture behind the message the author had intended for the story.

the stinky cheese man

When I read this book for the first time, my initial thought were that the book was not meant for children. I thought it was very satirical. I immediately picked up on how the text of the book was in different sizes, fonts, and colors throughout the whole book. I laughed a lot through this book and really did think it was a good read but more geared towards much older children or adults.

I spent some time this weekend talking to my younger sister about the types of books she enjoys reading. She is in the 5th grade and constantly burries herself in a good read. She explained how right now she is intrigued by the "it girl" series. I started worndering how the selling rates of books that are in a series are compared to books that are not in a series.

dr. seuss lecture

Today i found it very interesting in the lecture how Dr. Seuss felt responsible for the death of the Dick and Jane primer. I agree that Dr. Seuss' books are far more interesting than the Dick and Jane reader. I am so impressed how he was able to make so many children's books out of such a short list of words. I tried to write a few paragraphs from the list of words Dr. Seuss used and had a very difficult time coming up with something that actually made since.

my first childrens story

Today I wrote my first children's story abouta girl who moves away to California.

There was once a girl named Samantha who lived in the small town of Fulshear, Texas. Samantha was your average small town girl with a big heart. She enjoyed riding horses, being on a competitive cheerleading team, shopping, and most of all reading her favorite books from the Gossip Girls series. Samantha loved being outside and enjoying the world God had created for her.

Samantha lived in a society where most considered her to be on the wealthier end of the spectrum. She worked hard in school and her outstanding grades were rewarded with shopping trips to Neiman Marcus. Everything always seemed to be going in Samantha’s way. She was the most popular girl in school, she had the highest grade point average, and was dating the captain of the football team. Everyone wanted to take a walk in Samantha’s shoes.

However, Samantha was not so confident with the world she was living in. She didn’t understand who she really was on the inside. Instead she only identified herself with the people she was friends with, the boys she dated, and the accomplishments she had achieved.

One day Samantha found out the news that would change her life forever. Her dad was being transferred to California and she was going to be moving. Samantha was so upset. Everything she had worked for and achieved was soon going to be erased. The friends she had made and relationships she had formed were about to disappear.

The next day Samantha told her friends at school that she would be moving in one week to California where she would be finishing up the rest of Junior High and High School. They were all so upset. No one wanted Samantha to leave. She was such a good friend and an inspiration to so many. They didn’t know what they would do without her.

A few weeks went by and the time finally came where Samantha had to begin packing up her belongings to move with her family to California. She was so upset to be leaving her hometown but she knew there was nothing she could do to change her situation so she would try to make the best of it. Samantha cried as she packed up her house and said her last goodbye’s to her friends.

Moving day finally came, the movers packed up all the boxes on a big truck that would be heading to California. Samantha, her mom, dad, and puppy Ralph were heading to the airport to get on the airplane that would take them to the place where they would begin their new lives.

Samantha liked her new house. It was big and had many secret rooms in it. Samantha wished she had her old friends to share this new experience with.

After a week of settling in, Samantha started seventh grade at her new school, Beck Junior High. She felt alone and out of place. She no longer had a name for herself and was having a difficult time coping with having to start all over, gaining new friends, and finding new activities to get involved in.

One day Samantha decided to go talk to the counselor at her new school to get some tips on how to become involved in order to have an easier time meeting new friends. The counselor recommended that she try out for the cheerleading squad. They had an opening on the team and tryouts would be in two weeks.

Samantha worked really hard to perfect her cheerleading skills so she could try out to make the team. She perfected her tumbling skills and made sure she could have sharp and precise hand motions. Every day after school she would get her mom to watch her practice outside in her back yard so she could gain pointers.

The day of tryouts finally came. Samantha learned the dance routine and cheer and felt she had a good chance of making the squad. She performed in front of the judges and they all told her great job. Now, all Samantha could do was wait for the judges to make their final decision on who would be the twelfth member of the cheerleading squad.

The next day Samantha rushed to school to see if her name was on the list for who had made the cheerleading squad. Her eyes scanned down the list of numbers. Finally she found her number, 33. Next to it was a big check mark. She had made the squad! Samantha jumped with glee. She was so proud of herself. Samantha was so excited that now she would have an easier time meeting some new friends. She was anxious to meet her new teammates later after school for their first team practice.

After school Samantha headed to the gym. She introduced herself and learned the names of all her new teammates. The girls seemed really nice and Samantha seemed to really hit it off well with a few of them.

The next day at lunch Samantha had a whole new group of friends to sit with. They talked about football games and dance routines and even made up a new cheer. Samantha finally felt happy in California.

A few weeks went by and Samantha felt she had finally made a really great group of close friends. She went to the counselor’s office and thanked Mrs. Goates for giving her the idea of trying out for the team. Soon Samantha forgot all about the friends she had left behind in Texas and was thankful for her new life she had started in California.

Fox in Socks

Today I read one of the famous Dr. Seuss books titled Fox in Socks. This children's book is basically a book that is one long tongue twister. The words are very close in the way they rhyme and it makes it difficult to read this book at a fast pace and aloud. The illustrations are what shape this children's story. I didn't notice one plot that really stood out as to the theme this book was trying to portray. The only think I could realize was that the two characters involved were basically playing a game of talking in tongue twisters and one character wasn't a huge fan of this game. I found it comical that on the first page of the book there is an illustration that says "Take it slow, this book is dangerous!" then on the very last page there is another illustration that says "Now is your tongue Numb?"

Comparing Cinderella

Today I decided what I would write my paper about. I decided on choosing the topic of comparing a work of literature to a movie and comparing and contrasting the two. I think I will compare the brothers Grimm version of Cinderella to the Disney version of Cinderella. I haven't quite decided yet if I want to use the classic version of Cinderella that is animated or the more up to date version with real people in it. I expect to find more similarities than differences just because when I was reading the fairytale in the first part of the semester the Disney movie kept popping into mind. I believe this will be a fun paper to write and hopefully my finished product will be a success.

if i were to write a childrens book...

Today I started thinking about what kind of children's book I would write if I were to write one. After spending a weekend with my younger sister who is dealing with the issue of a close friend moving I thought it would be a good idea to write a book about how to deal with this issue. Also, I thought another good idea would be to write about an elementary student who all of a sudden has to transfer schools. I believe this kind of children's book could not only be entertaining but also helpful for children at young ages.

Top 25 Hardback Children's Books

I searched online today for a list of the top 25 children's books. The results below are what I found.

1.The Poky Little Puppy
(Janette Lowrey, 1942)

2.The Tale of Peter Rabbit
(Beatrix Potter, 1902)

3.Tootle
(Gertrude Crampton, 1945)

4.Saggy Baggy Elephant
(Kathryn and Bryon Jackson, 1947)

5.Scuffy the Tugboat
(Gertrude Crampton,1940)

6.Pat the Bunny
(Dorothy Kunhardt, 1940)

7.Green Eggs and Ham
(Dr. Suess, 1960)

8.The Cat in the Hat
(Dr. Suess, 1957)

9.The Littlest Angel
(Charles Tazewell, 1946)

10.One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish
(Dr. Suess, 1960)

11.Where the Sidewalk Ends
(Shel Silverstein, 1974)

12.Hop on Pop
(Dr. Suess, 1963)

13.Dr. Suess's ABC
(Dr. Suess, 1960)

14.The Tale of Benjamin Bunny
(Beatrix Potter, 1908)

15.The Giving Tree
(Shel Silverstein, 1964)

16.The Children's Bible
(1965)

17.Disney's The Lion King
(1994)

18.The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck
(Beatrix Potter, 1908)

19.Richard Scarry's Best Word Book Ever
(Richard Scarry, 1963)

20.The Real Mother Goose
(1916)

21.The Cat in the Hat
(Dr. Suess, 1958)

22.A Light in the Attic
(Shel Silverstein, 1981)

23.Are You My Mother?
(P.D. Eastman, 1960)

24.The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin
(Beatrix Potter, 1903)

25.The Tale of Tom Kitten
(Beatrix Potter, 1907)


When reading over these books and their authors along with the dates they were published I wasn't suprised to see that the majority of them were published in the early 1900's. I also found it intersting that many of the books on this list were written by the same authors. The few authors in this list I hadn't previously heard of were P.D. Eastman, Jannette Lowrey, Gertrude Crampton, Charles Tazwell, and Dorthy Dunhart.

The Itsy Bitsy Spider

Today I was trying to brainstorm children's nursery rhyms that had also became children's songs. The first song to come to mind was the Itsy Bitsy Spider. The lyrics are as follows:

The itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout.
Down came the rain, and washed the spider out.
Out came the sun, and dried up all the rain
And the itsy bitsy spider went up the spout again.

As a child I remember singing this song and doing hand motions to the lyrics. I believe this song is a common poem remembered by children. However, i find it interesting that it was made famous even though more than likely most children have no clue what a water spout is.

Beatrix Potter

Beatrix Potter was born on July 28, 1966 to a socially wealthy household. Beatrix was well known for her childrens books which she wrote and illustrated. These books were tales about a boy named Peter Rabbit and many of his animal friends. Potter published a total of 23 childrens books which eventually became published in many different languages and were even turned into plays and animated films. Today there is even a film about the life of Beatrix Potter titled Mrs. Potter. I have watched this film and thought it did a wonderful job on describing her life.

Franklin's Secret Club

This week for my outside reading book I decided to read Fraklin's Secret Club by Paulette Boyrgeois and illustrated by Brenda Clark. In this Children's story, the character Franklin (a turtle) and two of his animal friends start a secret "club". He doesn't allow anyone other than his two friends to join at first because he claims there is no room. Franklin's lack of including everyone gets his other friends upset with him. In the end, they join the two clubs together so that everyone can be happy and all spend time together. The issue that was presented in this book is one that in my opinion commonly occurs between children. I remember when I was younger I constantly had to deal with getting left out. Currently, my little sister who is in elementary school deals with the same issues.

Casey at the bat

In class this past week we looked at the poem titled Casey at the Bat written by Earenest Lawrence Thayer. For the longest time this has been one of my favorite poems. I remember when I was in elementary school, our librarian read this poem to my class and I instantly fell in love with it. What I enjoy most about this poem is the ending because it is unexpected. Usually you expect the fairytale ending where everything turns out perfect in the end. However, in this poem that is definitely not the case. Instead, Casey is defeated, he strikes out and dissapoints the whole city of Mudville.

easter eggs

Since today is Easter, I thought I would publish a poem on my blog about the true meaning of this holiday. This poem was written by Ellen Robena Field and was intended to be a song for children. In the poem, Field describes how Christ has risen. She opens the poem describing the season of spring then moves into persuading the children to listen to the glorious music being played due to Christ's resurrection.

The world is filled with gladness;
The bells of Easter ring;
Each pure white lily's waking,
To welcome infant spring.

Oh, dear little children,
listen,And hear what the glad bells say!
The sweetest chime they ever rang -
"Our Lord is risen today!"

Birds are flying across the sky;
Their songs ring through the air;
They carol of the Father's love
He shows us everywhere.

Oh, dear little children,
listen,And hear what the birdlings say!
The sweetest song they ever sang -
"Our Lord is risen today!"

I love you As much...

Today I decided I would read another outside reading book. I pulled from my shelf a book titled "I Love You As Much....". When I opened it up, inside read a note from one of my Mom's best friends. Obviously she was given this book from a friend when she gave birth to her 3rd and last child. As I read this book I realized it really went along with our poetry unit we just started because the last word on each page rhymes with the last word on the previous page. I believe this is called end rhyme. In summary, the book basically just goes through a number of animals telling their young children how much they love them by comparing their love to something material. I believe this is a good book for a mother to receive and read to her younger children.

if only childrens literature could have the affect of the television on children

Today I attended the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo with my younger sister and two of her friends to see the ever so famous Disney channel star, Hannah Montanna. While I was there I stared thinking about how one television show changed the life of Miley Cyrus (Hannah Montanna) for a lifetime. So many children engage in television and it really does effect their life. Wouldn't it be great if books could be as important and intriguing to children as the television is? So much of the influence children have on their lives comes from the television. I think there should be authors that can make their books so attention grabbing that children will no longer want to sit on the couch and watch television, but instead cuddle up with a good book and read. Possibly a good start to getting chilren to read more would be to write more books based on the popular childrens television show series. Another option would be to advertise books on telelevision so children could see what types of books are actually out there.

excitement of poetry

So today i just thought i would discuss how excited I am about starting our poetry unit. Poetry is something i have had a passion for since 4th grade. I remember I would write poems on the playground because i thought it was so neat how i could express myself in just brief sentences and it could be considered literature. As a younger child I always enjoyed reading poetry that rhymed. I can't remember how many times I found myself reading poems from the collections titled "Where the Sidewalk Ends" before I would go to bed at night. As I have grown older, I have learned to enjoy reading most of the poetry written in the chicken soup for the soul books. I also find myself frequently browsing on the Internet for quotes and poems I can relate to. Poetry always seems to be something I can connect with and can brighten my day when I'm feeling down.

The Three Armadillies Tuff

This week for my outside reading book I decided to read a book given to my younger sister when an author came to talk to her and her class in elementary school. The name of the book is The Three Armadillies Tuff by Jackie Mims Hopkins. This book reminds me of my family in the way that there are 3 relatives who are very close and enjoy spending time together. Through this book the three armadillies face the challenge of surviving living past the hungry coyote and in the end come out with a new friend. I thought it was interesting how there were no male figures through out the whole book. This children's book was only comprised of females which in my opinion was very out of the ordinary from other children's book. This children's book also had very detailed illustrations that added a lot to the story.

Time is continuous
it tick tick ticks and never seems to quit
sometimes I wish I could stop time
or even rewind time to redo certain events in my life
Time seems to control the world around us
some think time goes by to quickly
others think time never passes
once we learn to use our time wisely we will understand how to accomplish and achieve more through time


This evening when writing my blogg I thought I would write a poem about something that has been stressing me out lately, time. In my life time is something I never have enough of. There are so many places I want to go and so many things I need to do that I never seem to have enough time to accomplish what I hope to. Also, at this point in my life I am wishing I could re-wind time in order to fix a few mistakes. Unfortunately, time is continuous and lost time is something you can never catch up on.

Madeline

As a child, Madeline was always a children's picture book I enjoyed. Madeline is set in Paris and the pictures illustrated throughout the book portray much of the famous European scenery. The author of this children's book, Ludwig Bemelmans uses a rhyme scheme throughout the story. The story begins with describing a house in Paris and the children who live there. The lifestyle of the children is discussed throughout almost half the book. The climax of the story arises when the mother figure of the book awakens during the night and has a feeling that something just is not right. The book continues with the character Madeline being rushed to the hospital due to appendicitis. Madeline eventually recovers from appendicitis and the book concludes with the other girls wanting to have their appendix out as well.

This children's book was eventually made into a movie in 2000 and was actually a hit appealing to a family audience. I really enjoy this book because it is one of those stories that you can just read for enjoyment and have a few laughs in the process.

if i were a childrens literature author...

I was thinking today about how I would change children's literature if I were to become a children's literature author one day. I thought back on all the books I read and was read to as a child such as the American Girls and Nancy Drew series. Then I thought about what i learned from these books.. after some thinking I couldn't remember anything I learned from these books that taught me something to carry with me through the rest of my life. So, I have decided if I were to become a children's author I would write books that could incorporate more life lessons and talk about situations many children deal with daily so they could actually benefit from these books instead of just reading them for entertainment.

i love me

I Love Me

I took myself out on a date
and said I'm looking grand,
and when I got my courage up
I asked to hold my hand.
I took me to a restaurant
and then a movie show.
I put my arm around me
in the most secluded row.
I whispered sweetly in my ear
of happiness and bliss,
and then I almost slapped me
when I tried to steal a kiss.
Then afterwards I walked me home
and since I'm so polite
I thanked me for a perfect date
and wished myself goodnight.
There's just one little problem
and it kind of hurts my pride.
Myself would not invite me in
so now I'm locked outside!
--Kenn Nesbitt


When browsing on the Internet for Children's Poetry I came across this poem which immediately caught my attention. At first when reading this I thought it was about a person who never did anything for themselves and finally, for once, decided to put themselves before others and do something to make themselves happy rather than waiting around for someone to come along who could make them smile. But after reading it a few times and analyzing it, I realized this poem could also be about those who are selfish and think they are above anyone else in the world. I found it ironic that my two interpretations were almost completely opposite of each other and wish i could talk to the author and ask him what he was thinking when he wrote this poem.

Reasons to enjoy fantasy

Reasons I enjoy fantasy:
1) Reading fantasy gives readers a break from the normal and stressful world.
2) Fantasy provides a source of entertainment for readers.
3) Fantasy is always an original piece of work, you can never read the same thing twice.
4) Reading fantasy allows for the ability to make personal connections on more of an imaginary level.
5) There are no limits on fantasy, it is a chance to make the impossible possible.
6) Fantasies are often unpredictable and they make you think outside of the box where you can create your own image of different things in your head.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

After our discussion in class on Friday I am very excited to begin this book. I have not previously read the book or watched the movie so I think I am in for something new and exciting. Friday we talked about the theme of identity and how it is carried throughout the beginning of the book with Alice and the misunderstanding of her size and its fluctuations. As a reader this is one theme I always enjoy reading about. I myself have always had the personal struggle with identity and reading a book where others are in my same situation, even though they are fictional characters is somewhat comforting.

fairy tale evaluation

After completing the section of this course based on fairytales I thought I would go back and re-read the different fairy tales to decide which ones I really enjoyed most and would concider reading to children in my own classroom some day. Of all the tales we read, I seemed to enjoy the Little Red Riding Hood tales the most. I wasn't a big fan of the versions of Little Red Riding Hood that were meant to be more comical where Red ended up killing the wolf before he could eat her. The brothers Grimm version which is concidered to be the most traditional version of Little Red Riding Hood was my favorite and one I will enjoy reading to my own children and students one day.

ways to improve childrens literature

Although Childrens literature has made many advancements since its beginning time, I believe there are still ways to improve childrens literature to make it more effective in todays society. Hundreds of years ago fairytales were seen as being demoralizing for younger children. I believe writers should begin to write books that can teach children better morals in order to make the world a better place. For example, instead of writing so many fictional novels where spells are cast they could still write fictional novels but instead of casting spells there could be more lessons taught.

Howdy Reveille

Howdy Reveille is a childrens book by Aimee Aryal which takes readers on an adventure through aggieland. The author uses the main character, the Texas A&M mascot, Reveille to lead a journey through aggieland in order to describe many of the different places and traditions of TAMU. Aryal starts the book explaining how Reveille is going to watch a football game at Kyle Field, on her way and asks readers to join her in looking around aggieland. First, Reveille encounters the Corps of Cadets practicing their marching. Then Reveille makes a stop at the traditional century tree where a couple says hello to her. Next, she passes by the Academic building where a professor greets her. Reveille then continues to the MSC until she makes her way to Kyle Field where she barks on the field for the football team.
I enjoy this book simply because it is a children's book about a University that holds a big place in my heart. Being a daughter of an aggie, I know I would have loved to hear this story when I was younger in order to learn more about the University my father always told me I would be a part of. I believe it has the ability to spark the attention of a child because of it's great illustrations and children seem to enjoy listening to and reading books where characters are animals. This is a book I would concider reading in my own classroom someday.

A study of fairytales

Throughout our study of fairytales over the past few weeks I have come to have much appreciation to the authors of these stories which have been passed down over the centuries. I was very suprised at how one basic plot line could be altered so many times to make a variety of different fairytales. For example, the story Little Red Riding Hood had more than five different versions written about her. I was also suprised how Cinderella had three different types of versions written. One fairytale we did not study but I would like to look into in the future is the Three Little Pigs. I remember in elementary school the librarian read many different versions of this story to us and eventually I would enjoy looking into how the versions of The Three Little Pigs has changed over time.

Dr. Seuss

When many think back on some of their favorite rhyming childrens books, Dr. Seuss is often the first author to pop into many minds. His well known works such as One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, Green Eggs and Ham, or Cat in the Hat are many times remembered as favorite childrens books. Theodore Seuss Geisel was born on March 2, 1904 in Springfield, Massachussets to his parents Henrietta Seuss and Theheodore Robert Geisel. Before Seuss was concidered a famous childrens author, he was creating advertisements for a living. He later began creating political cartoons. Seusses most famous work of literature, The Cat and the Hat was created in order to promote literacy to children. After reading an article in Life Magazine about how children were having troubles reading because they were not intrigued by stories, he decided to create a book from 2oo words that everyone should be able to read and understand. Later on Seuss began writing books for adults. Seuss died in June of 1968 but his works of literature still remain to inspire many. Today there is the Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden in memory of this famous author and many of his characters in his books.

Gender issues in childrens literature

Currently one of the major problems addressed in children's literature is the issue of gender bias. Many believe males dominate through childrens stories and fairy tales. According to research conducted by Manjari Singh, the majority of childrens books are dominated by male characters. Manjari states that in an annalysis of book titles, male names dominated by twice the amount of women. Majari also explains how throughout childrens books, the male characters are usually perceived as being strong, adventurous, independent, and capable whereas the female characters are represented as being caretakers, princesses needing to be rescued by prince charming, or mothers. As we look back on many of the fairytales we have been studying over the past few weeks, I believe this issue is very apparent. For example, in the Grimm's version of Little Red Riding Hood, Red was described as being extremely nieve which resulted in her being taken advantage of by the wolf. Cinderella and Snow White both needed to be rescued by prince charming. However, through the fairytale Hansel and Grettle, Hansel starts out as the male dominating character as in many other fairtales but in the end Grettle ends up being the one who is responsible for their survival. I believe more childrens stories should end like this. In my opinion, women are still not seen as being equal to men through society. Often women are belittled because of their jobs. If children's literature can start changing the way they describle their women characters, maybe there is a chance women can measure up to men in society today.

Stories to warm your heart

Lately I have been reading the collection of inspirational stories in the book Chicken Soup for the couples Soul. The Chicken soup serries is a collection of books that contain many true life stories written and submitted by everday people who have inspiring stories to tell. I enjoy reading all chicken soup for the soul books because they always have poems and stories in them which I can relate to. At points in my life when I am going through a hard time and need a smile, I can always pick up one of Jack Canfields books and am guaranteed a warm feeling in my heart. Some day I would like to send in a piece to the editors of this book. I would like to have the ability to warm others hearts just as many have done to mine.

Butterfly Kisses

There's two things I know for sure:

She was sent here from heaven and she's daddy's little girl.

As I drop to my knees by her bed at night

She talks to Jesus and I close my eyes and

I thank god for all the joy in my life

Oh, but most of all

For butterfly kisses after bedtime prayer;

sticking little white flowers all up in herhair;

"Walk beside the pony, Daddy, it's my first ride."

"I know the cake looks funny, Daddy, but I sure tried.

"In all that I've done wrong I know I musthave done something right to deserve a hug

every morning and butterfly kisses at night.

Sweet 16 today

She's looking like her mama a little more everyday

One part woman, the other part girl.To perfume and make-up from ribbons and curls

Trying her wings out in a great big world.
But I remember

Butterfly kisses after bedtime prayer; sticking

little white flowers all up in her hair.

"You know how much I love you, Daddy, But if you

don't mind I'm only gonna kiss you on the cheek this time.

"With all that I've done wrong I must have done

something right to deserve her love every morning

and butterfly kisses at night.

All the precious time

Like the wind, the years go by.

Precious butterfly.Spread your wings and fly.
She'll change her name today.

She'll make a promise and I'll give her away.

Standing in the bride-room just staring at her.

She asked me what I'm thinking and I said

"I'm notsure-I just feel like I'm losing my baby girl."

She leaned over...gave me butterfly kisses with her mama there,

Sticking little white flowers all up in her hair

"Walk my down the aisle, Daddy-it's just about time."

"Does my wedding gown look pretty, Daddy? Daddy, don't cry!"
Oh, with all that I've done wrong I must have

done something right.

To deserve your love every morning and butterflykisses

-I couldn't ask God for more, man this is what love is.
I know I gotta let her go, but I'll always remember

every hug in the morning and butterfly kisses.

Every time i hear the song Buterfly Kisses by Bob Carlisle i get goosebumbs down my arms and chills in my heart. When I was a child my father would read me the childrens book based on this song very frequently. We would always laugh about how this would one day be the song we danced to on my own wedding day. Through this song as well as the illustrated chilrens book, Bob Carlisle expresses his love for his daughter and how he has enjoyed every second he has had to spend with her through her years of growing up. The song begins with childrens background noise. The sound of many children playing on the playground. When the lyrics start to play the father reflects on his daughters days as a young child when she would make him cakes and need him by her side in all she tried to accomplish. Then the daughter moves into the stage of a teenager and he describes how her life is changing, how she has gone "to perfume and makeup, from ribbons and curls". As she is growing up she seems to not need him as much anymore. He states how she is trying her wings out and starting to fly just as a butterfly does when it is maturing. Towards the end of the song it become a very difficult time as a father when he is giving her away to her husband, he expresses how he "feels like he's losing my baby girl". As the time comes for her to walk down the aisle he reflects on the great feelings of being a father. He ponders on how even though he has made mistakes in the past, overall he has been a good father because he is worthy of receiving her butterfly kisses.

This song is so special to me. It really makes me think back on how as a person you really are a lot like a butterfly. A beautiful butterfly starts out as a cacoon that no one stops twice to look at, but as it grows and matures more and more people start to realise what a beautiful creature it really is. My life has been like this. I was always the child who no one really thought would do something big with her life. I was the shy child who just wanted to please others. Today I feel like I have matured into a beautiful butterfly, one people turn their heads twice to look at and can smile and say "wow" just as many do when seing a beautiful butterfly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgZftrobqlg

(this is the link for the video of this song)

Judy Blume- An inspiration to many

In 4th grade my teacher introduced me to the author Judy Blume. After one chapter of her book Westside School is Falling Down I fell in love with this author. Judy was born in New Jersey and loved writing as a child. Eventually she pursued a degree in Education from New York University in 1961. It is inspiring to me that a woman with such creativity earned a degree in a field i hope to one day be involved in. Not only is Judy a wonderful author, but she is also very involved throughout her community with projects such as the Kids Fund. Judy is currently working on a new series of children's books with the first intended to hit shelves summer of 2008. Some of her books i have really enjoyed include Tales of the Fourth Grade Nothing, Westside School is Falling Down, Blubber, and Are You There God? It's me Margaret. When i am an educator in the future i wish to read some of her children's books to my classroom and hope they can find them as inspiring as I have.

It matters to this one

As I walked along the seashore

This young boy greeted me.

He was tossing stranded starfish

Back to the deep blue sea.

I said "Tell me why you bother,Why you waste your time this way.

There's a million stranded starfish

Does it matter, anyway?"
And he said, "It matters to this one.

It deserves a chance to grow.

It matters to this one.

I can't save them all I know.

But it matters to this one,I'll return it to the sea.

It matters to this one,

And it matters to me."
I walked into the shelter,The owner greeted me.

She was helping Misty learn to trust.

She was struggling I could see.

I said, "Tell me why you bother,Why you waste your time this way.

Misty's only one of thousands,Does it matter anyway?"
And she said, "It matters to this one.

She deserves a chance to grow.

It matters to this one.

I can't save them all I know.

But it matters to this one,I'll help her be what she can be.

It matters to this one,And it matters to me.

Last semester I had a very inspiring teacher share this poem with me. My interpretation of this poem is that every child matters. From Mrs. Skidmore I learned that every child has the ability to learn, they just all learn differently. I hope that one day I can become a teacher who can look at all my students in the way the boy in this poem looked at the starfish, seeing each one of them as an individual who is important to the world. I hope throughout my experiences here at Texas A&M University I can learn more about the type of role model I want to be towards my students in the future.

Everything is You

Eternal flame came on the radio

And I remember how you loved it so

Memories sneak on me, wherever I go

A car like you used to drive

Pulled beside me today at the light

Chances break and cry wherever I go

And you want me to be strong, any less just shows I'm weak

How'd ya turn so cold, where's the girl I used to know

Chorus:And it's love and hate and all these emotions

I never thought that you'd be going

I'm just going through the motions

Where everything is you, everything is you

An inside joke comes to mind

We'd wear them out all the time

Memories sneak up on me wherever I go

And it seems you've disappeared, though you're not that far away

Please tell me it's not true, I didn't mean that much to you

And it's love and hate and all these emotions

I never thought that you'd be going

I'm just going through the motions

Where everything is you, everything is you

What did I do wrong, nothing I treated you like an angel

What did I do wrong, nothing I treated you like an angel

What did I do wrong, nothing I treated you like an angel

I treated you like an angel

And it's love and hate and all these emotions

I never thought that you'd be going

I'm just going through the motions

Where everything is you, everything is you

I treated you like an angel...

Eli young band is a Texas County band that writes emotionally deep songs that many can relate to. In the song titles "Everything is You" they sing about how a previous relationship continue to spark memories in his mind. It seems as if everything he encounters in everyday life makes him think of her and God is just giving him chance after chance to hurt. He tries to be strong in order to venture away from continually thinking about her but it's next to impossible to get her off his mind. He speaks of the feelings he has going on deep inside his heart, about how he never thought the day would come when she would walk out of his life. It seems he continually struggles about the conflict of how it was possible for her to leave when he treated her so well, how she is no longer the girl he fell in love with and used to know- she changed. I enjoy listening to this song because it's something I can relate to at this point in my life. Relationships are a hard barrier to surpass and I feel listening to songs can help one to overcome obstacles.