Return of the Haiku....

Eldest child's contribution:

I am getting sick
Oh, the pressure of haiku
I have no talent.

Later Days!
Kelly

I Can't Stop Haiku-ing!

Friends keep coming up with them...so I keep posting them!

Chemotherapy
Iatrogenic illness
I hate it so much.

*Iatrogenic illness - body's bad response to chemotherapy (i.e. nausea.)
By: Wes

And

I do hate cling wrap.
It will cling to nothing,
but sticks to itself.

By: Tina I.

New Swing (and haikus about the new swing)

Mimi & Papa commissioned someone to build an A-frame swingset for the kids...mind you, they needed to be able to transport it in their minivan...along with a slide. Quite an undertaking, I think you'll agree.

This past weekend, they loaded it up (in pieces) and came to visit. Papa and Hubby assembled it and leveled it (our backyard is extremely uneven) and it's in business! In fact, I'm having a hard time keeping the little guy from heading out the back door ALL THE TIME. Thankfully, our backyard is fenced and the gate is too heavy for him to open. Our only other issue is that my 13yo and 8yo have "rediscovered" a passion for swinging and M. is having to learn hard lessons about taking turns.

Thanks to the grandparents for the new swing AND thanks to Mimi for some new haikus!

To the swings I go

In the heat, rain, sleet, or snow

Oh! Why can’t I go?



To the swings I go

Do I really need a coat?

Oh well if I must.



To the swings I go

As I bust through the back door

Someone got there first!


Later Days!
Kelly


Papa even held up the slide at their house so M. could try it out!

M.'s birthday bash

February 15th was my youngest child's 4th birthday, and quite a celebration it was! His heart's desire was to have his own kitchen so we presented him with the most manly toy kitchen we could find :). After all, in adult life, men have kitchens, too, right? He's had a blast cooking for us these past few days.



Birthdays also mean a trip Back Home to visit family, so off we went to the Upstate. On the way, we stopped at Build-A-Bear and let M. make a stuffed animal. His choice: a frog he named Kermit. Very cute. Then, onward to the family!



We invaded a local steakhouse for our birthday celebration...at least it resembled an invasion & was just as noisy and crowded!







I think our little guy had a terrific birthday!

Later Days!
Kelly

Can you stand a few more?

Mine is a reflection on our current obsession...

I never knew that
Haikus could be contagious
How do we stop this?

My friend, Laurie, who would NEVER do something as dangerous as text while driving, submitted...

On the road again
Will think haikus but can't text
Many more to come :)

Later Days!
Kelly

And the haikus keep coming....

I LOVE that so many of my friends are thinking up haikus...AND that I'm not the only one who has to count syllables on my fingers! Be sure to look in the comments of the past few posts to see what I've received up to this point. Here's a couple I got last night:

Laurie's Mom, June, sent this one...

Sunday is God's day,
a wonderful day of rest.
Monday is nearing.


And our friend Wes sent this one...

Leukemia is
Leukocytes out of control
Splenomegaly

leukocyte = white blood cell (leuko - white; cyte - cell
splenomegaly = enlargement of the spleen (one of the major symptoms of leukemia)

Wes is a good friend who is currently undergoing treatment for leukemia and is also studying to be a nurse! We praise the Lord that Wes' body is responding well to treatment and he is on his way to being cancer-free! He and his wife, Leanne, have had the sweetest spirits during this whole saga. Please remember them in your prayers. Here are 3 contributions from Leanne...

Ready for the spring.
I am sick of cold weather.
Time to see flowers.

Disturbing neighbors,
Kelly, Yvonne, and Laurie
Were dancing outside.

Oh poor Devona,
Micah broke her little heart
He'll marry Eden.

Maybe someday I'll explain the situations behind those last two :). Thanks for outing us, Leanne!!



Later Days!
Kelly

Haiku Update...

My 8 yo daughter, K., contributed this haiku about worms--obviously not her favorite form of wildlife!

Worm, worm, I am one.
I do not have legs or wings.
I'm really ugly.

She's carrying on the proud family tradition :).



Be sure to read the comment section of the previous Haiku post to read some beautiful poetry from other readers!

Haiku Challenge

Publishing my son's haiku a few days ago led to a discussion among the family of my brother's talent for poetry. Following is one of his earliest (and best) works, entitled "Slime Mold":

Slime mold is blue-green.
Slime mold grows on little trees.
Slime mold is my friend.

I think you'll agree that N. is carrying on a proud family tradition.

Why don't you contribute a haiku or other type of poem in the comments? Remember, a haiku consists of 3 lines--5 syllables in the first line, 7 in the 2nd, and 5 in the 3rd.

Here's my effort:

Be honest with them,
Says my wise teenage daughter.
I cannot write poems.

Later Days!
Kelly

Happy Birthday M.!

Four years ago today, my "baby" boy was born. He was a few weeks early so he had to spend some time in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit...I think I aged several years during those few days! Thankfully, he is an incredibly active, intelligent, mischievous little redhead...still aging his mother.



I'll try to post some party pics soon. We're celebrating with our family!

Later Days!
Kelly

Happy Valentine's Day (and a few more snow pics)

Yes, that's K. outside with her nightgown and boots--she wanted one last look before bed because, where we live, this kind of snow doesn't happen often and doesn't stay around long!

My thanks to E. (15yo) for contributing all these snow photos!

Later Days!
Kelly

Snowy Day--pics and recipe

Our small part of the sunny South experienced a near-record snowfall yesterday; our local airport registered 8.6 inches!

If you're a southerner, you know that THAT kind of snow (ANY kind, really) leads to a complete halt of life as we know it. Schools and places of business close down, grocery stores are emptied of bread and milk, and everyone, no matter their age, becomes a kid again :).

Our special snow festival has included: taking a family walk to view the neighborhood, making snow angels, collecting a big bowl to make snow cream, opening all the blinds so we could watch it snow while we watched the Winter Olympics, and eating waaaaay to much "comfort food". Calories consumed while it's snowing don't count, right?

Speaking of comfort food, my mom emailed me a wonderful recipe that we enjoyed for lunch today: Cheesy Chicken Chowder.

Ingredients:
2 (14-oz.) cans chicken broth
2 cups peeled, diced potatoes
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced onion
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups diced or shredded cooked chicken

1. Bring chicken broth to a boil in a large saucepan. Reduce heat. Add potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.

2. Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Add flour and mix well. Gradually stir in milk and cook over low heat until slightly thickened. Stir in cheese and cook until melted. Add cheese mixture to broth and vegetables along with chicken. Cook and stir over low heat until thoroughly heated.

Try it--you won't regret it!

Later Days!
Kelly

p.s. More snow pics will follow!

Poetry Appreciation

N., my 13yo boy, is studying forms of poetry for language arts. Yesterday's assignment was to write a haiku. To refresh your memory, for those who, like me, haven't studied these things in several years, a haiku has: a)3 lines, b)the first and third lines have 5 syllables, and c)the second line has 7 syllables. I think he did pretty well...

I simply cannot
In any way, shape,or form
Write a good haiku.

That boy has potential, I tell ya! Can't wait until he writes a sonnet.....

Later Days!
Kelly

Explanation

Due to overwhelming reader response (2 people asked), I realize that I need to explain the top photo of M. from my last post.

M. wanted to play "superhero"...his identity: Tool Man. His uniform: mismatched and inappropriate season clothing + belt filled with kitchen implements such as ladle, spatula, and spoons.

I had already posted the previous entry re:keeping M. busy, but when he appeared in his flashy outfit I HAD to whip out the camera and capture the moment. Result: he dubbed me his sidekick...Camera Girl. Sorry, no photos have ever captured Camera Girl in action :).

Later Days!
Kelly