A Couple of Space Cadets - an idiom skit

As a teacher I frequently find myself completing the assignments I give to students so that I will know (A) how long it will take them, (B) how difficult or easy it will probably seem to them, (C) anticipate the questions they may ask, and (D) provide them with an example of what the assignment should look like when they are finished.

Right now we are exploring literary devices, both in the literature we are reading as well as incorporating them in their writing. The focus for Wednesday's lesson will be idioms.

Idiom → A figure of speech a phrase that cannot be interpreted literally

I'm going requiring my students to write a short skit (~1-2 pages long) utilizing idioms. Bonus points for including puns or allusions (devices we practiced today) as well. I wrote a short skit to give them as an example, and will actually have a few volunteers act it out for me, emphasizing the use of idioms. Because it made me laugh, I thought I'd share it with you (idioms are in blue, allusions are in red, and the pun is in green).

A Couple of Space Cadets

(Two aliens wait in Command Center to journey to Earth.)

Galileo: (Waving his hands in front of Cosmos’ face) Hey Cosmos, hello? Are you spacing out over there or what?

Cosmos: Sorry Galileo, I was thinking about our trip to earth. It should be out of this world!

Galileo: No kidding. Ready to go?

Cosmos: I am! Beam me up Scotty! We don’t want to miss the boat, so let’s hit the road.

Galileo: The Galaxy awaits us.

(They climb into the rocket ship, fiddle with some buttons, and stare blankly at the sign that reads “Ready to Rock” that should be lit up, but is still dark.)

Galileo: Huh. I guess we really do need a rocket scientist to make this ship work.

(Sign suddenly lights up without them doing anything to make it happen)

Cosmos: Weird. Oh well. 5...4...3...2...1… BLAST OFF!

(Thrown back into their seats, space ship rumbling along)

Galileo: Reach for the stars, man! Second star to the right and straight on ‘til morning.

Cosmos: Stop backseat driving! I’m over the moon about this visit. Do you think the little Earthlings will like us?

Galileo: Sure they will. Why wouldn’t they, with our sunny personalities? It’s only once in a blue moon that they get to meet superior beings like ourselves, after all.

Cosmos: Okay, man. Cool your jets, it’s almost time to land.

Galileo: Hold your horses, I have to wait until we’re within 300 light years before I can hit the brakes.

Cosmos: Earth, get ready for us! We’re about to land with a bang!

THE END.

I know it's really random, but I thought you might enjoy excessive idioms today :)

Top 15 "Books"

Okay, so Marissa and I challenged each other to come up with our favorite books. I said I could do it in 15. I was incorrect. I suppose I could whittle it down a little more, but if you asked me today what my favorite books were, this is what I would have to tell you (I ended up having to make a spreadsheet to make this list!):

Attempted Favorite Books List, done by author

(most of the authors have additional works to their name, but in the interest of attempting to scale back, I've tried to choose my favorites within the authors :)

1. Louisa May Allcot - ALL of her novels, but especially Eight Cousins, Rose in Bloom, and An Old Fashioned Girl
2. Francine Rivers - Mark of the Lion Trilogy
3. Robin Hobb - The Farseer Trilogy & The Tawny Man Trilogy
4. Charles Martin - ALL, but especially When Crickets Cry, Unwritten, and The Mountain Between Us
5. Amy Harmon - most, but especially Running Barefoot and A Different Blue
6. Rainbow Rowell - most, but especially Eleanor & Park, Fangirl, and Attachments
7. L. M. Montgomery - Anne of Green Gables series (all of them, but especially the first 3)
8. Harper Lee - To Kill a Mockingbird
9. Julianne Donaldson - Edenbrook
10. Jane Austen - especially Emma and Pride & Prejudice 
11. J. K. Rowling - Harry Potter series
12. Tamora Pierce - Song of the Lioness series, Wild Magic series, and Protector of the Small series
13. Jandy Nelson - I’ll Give You the Sun, and The Sky Is Everywhere
14. Susanna Kearsley - Desperate Fortune and The Winter Sea
15. Ron Hall - Same Kind of Different As Me

If I had to limit myself to packing only 5 books with me to read in an insane asylum (which I still occasionally think may happen to me), and they said no Kindle (ah!), I would pick of the above:

- An Old Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Allcot

- Running Barefoot by Amy Harmon

- I'll Give you the Sun by Jandy Nelson

- Desperate Fortune by Susanna Kearsley

- And buy a volume that combined all 3 of the first Anne of Green Gables :)

There are so many other books I just absolutely adore and read regularly (Marley and Me, Perks of Being a Wallflower, etc), but I've attempted to claim what I enjoy to read the most.

Note: As I work on a longer work of fiction that may one day be published (hmm, we'll see), I'd like to note that Amy Harmon, Rainbow Rowell, and Jandy Nelson above are some of my biggest inspirations when I sit down and write. There are several other authors I follow and like too, but I so appreciate the direction they gave me in creating my own writing style. 

No, No, I -

I interrupt this fun Christmas Adventure recounting with a poem inspired by Clara :)

"No, no, I - "

I want chicken.

Here’s your chicken.

No, I want app’sauce.

The strawberry kind?

No, I want my chicken.

That’s what I thought.

I want a story.

Once upon a time…

No, maybe a book.

Winnie the Poo says –

No, I go ou’side.

It’s raining outside.

I go ou’side.

Well, alright then.

No, now I all wet!

Let’s dry you off.

No, I want bath.

You know that’s wet too?

I want babydoll.

Here she is my dear.

No, I want Moose.

He’s right here too.

No, they go night-night.

Are you sleepy, Clara?

I want chicken.

She lights up the moon.

Lately I've found myself doing a bit of writing. This came to me while Emma Lou fell asleep nursing, her sweet cheeks flushed and lashes on her cheeks. She is so precious to me. I tend to call both of my girls "Sunshine" because they are such little lights.

"My Sun"

There is a little girl
With a tiny blond curl
With her sweet little grin
She lights up the moon.

This girl gives love
The kind I dream of;
With her innocent hugs
She lights up the moon.

This girl likes to muse
And discern what is truth,
When she trusts in me
She lights up the moon.

Who needs the sun?
I already have one,
A little baby girl
Who lights up the moon.

TWO years old

Clara,

What an education you have been these past two years.

You teach me daily about finding joy. A stick on the ground, an unexpected goldfish in the carseat, a song on the radio, running fast enough to feel like you're flying, a snuggle, rock-rocking, and so many other little things make you smile and giggle infectiously. Your "Ohhh" (I can't do it justice in type) has become a catch phrase around this house whenever anything makes us unexpectedly happy.

You have also taught me the meaning of endurance. Well, you and your little sister both. I can go for days with minimal sleep, eating the food you left on your plate, and smelling like all kinds of baby and toddler messes and STILL find the energy to make sure you and your sister are safe and loved. I truly don't believe it should physically possible sometimes. We've spent entire nights in your rocking chair as molars brutally fight their way out of your gums. We've spent afternoons playing a modified version of ring around in the rosie in the shower over and over and over to try to steam your sinuses clear. We've marathon read "First 100 Words" until I thought my eyes would bleed because you were so determined to be able to correctly identify every single item.

You have taught me to pray and pray well. You've blessed me hundreds of times with your precious meal and bedtime prayers. "Thank you God for this food, amen." and "Mommy night night, Daddy night night, Emma night night, Clara night night, puppies night night, love, kisses, amen." But more than your sweet sweet prayers, I've been on my knees asking for wisdom and guidance for teaching you during this crucial stage. You have such a tender heart but such powerful emotions that it can be tricky to balance discipline with loving reinforcement.

You have taught me about YOU. I know you love chicken, rice, peanut butter, yogurt, pizza, and fruit of all kinds. I know you like to cuddle with your "tete" (blanket) when you're scared, nervous, or sleepy. I know you enjoy loving on others - pats on the back, kisses, hugs, and cheering. I've watched as you dance and groove to all genres of music, and listen to and read books about many subjects. You like to throw balls, jump on trampolines and splash in water. You like routines, but given enough encouragement, can handle change. You especially like to love on your "bebe Emma" and boss the puppies around.

You can count to 15, but don't always get it quite right. Lately you've started skipping the number 1 for some reason. You sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, ABCs, EIEIO, Clean-Up Song, Yellow, Wheels on the Bus, Ring Around the Rosie, Baby Bumble Bee and even more I can't think of off the top of my head. You LOVE to sing! Songs with motions are a bonus :) Wheels on the Bus is probably your favorite. You know your name and the names of your friends and family. You know the colors and can recognize them and point them out with accuracy the majority of the time. You know bunches of animal names and the sounds they make. Your vocabulary is huge, and you're using 2-4 word sentences.

As you grow I encourage you to continue loving on and caring for you sister. You don't do it for attention, you just genuinely love her and I believe that's very telling about your huge heart.

I encourage you to be careful with your tender feelings. Like me, you require affirmation to thrive, and quickly wilt under raised voices and reprimands. Unfortunately, when you're little you receive more instructions than you want, but keep using those listening ears. You follow instructions rather well when they are given to you in words you understand.

I love you so much, Clara Beth.
You are truly my sunshine.

Mommy

Short Story Part 3

TRACEY:

            I always walk around to the back of our house to get inside because the lock is so much easier to open. I peeked through the boards of the fence to see Kyle walk through his front door. I wonder how long it will take his mom to figure out I’m not with him.

            “Hello? Anyone home?” I call, once inside, not expecting an answer. Ever since the… well, for the past couple of years, my Mom works a lot of overtime, and my Dad has always been devoted to his job. My older brothers are off at college, so I’m by myself most of the time. It can be nice sometimes, especially if there’s a marathon of Project Runway on TV or something, but I usually spend my afternoons with Kyle so it’s not so quiet.

            Pouring a glass of orange juice and grabbing an apple, I move into the living room. My cell phone is still switched off from this morning when I found out about the article in the school paper. I figured my friends would have plenty to say, and didn’t really want to hear it while I was still at school. Turning it on, I waited for the texts to pop up. Sure enough, 17 texts, 2 missed calls, and a voicemail. Quickly scanning through the texts I see one from my mom, “Working through dinner tonight, order a pizza if you’d like,” and the rest are from my friends.

            I started reading through them, “CALL ME NOW.” “Wth, Trace. When were u gonna tell me?” “NYU!?!?” Hmm. Maybe I’d wait to read the rest until later, especially the five I received from my best girlfriend, Courtney. She’s a little too forthright sometimes.

            I opened up the missed calls. One was from Kyle, probably from when he was trying to catch up with me after school, and one was from an unknown number. Weird. I punched my security code in to listen to the voicemail and was stunned when a voice I hadn’t heard in two years started talking.

In case you are wondering what happened in the first two parts of the story, scroll down on the right hand side of the blog where there's a section with "labels." Click on "writing" and the other posts with the story will be selected. 

The labels also enable you to select topics or types of posts that you like to go back and read, like ones with videos or about holidays, etc.

If you are a fan of reading my blog, please see the section on the right hand side under the archives that says "Followers." Click on "Join this Site" and sign in, following publicly please. I'd love to become a book reviewer for http://www.booksneeze.com/ but I have to have at least 30 followers before I can do that. I would appreciate it so much!

Short Story Part 2

KYLE:

I smell the cookies as soon as I open the front door. I’ve always thought my mom had a sixth sense for when I may have a rough day, and might need a chocolate chip pick me up after school. I should really figure out how to make those things before I leave for college, they might come in handy around finals.

“Kyle?”

“It’s me, Mom.” I responded as I stepped into the kitchen and hung my backpack up on the hook, before my mom would remind me to do so like every other school day for the past 12 years.

“Don’t forget to hang your backpack up,” Mom said, pulling the cookie sheet out of the oven. I rolled my eyes. “Wait a sec, where’s Tracey?” Tracey and I are usually together at one of our houses after school. Instead of answering, I scooped up a couple of cookies.

“Those are hot, Kyle! Be careful.”

“It’s the best way to eat them, Mom. I prefer a few scorched fingers.”

“You didn’t answer my question, Kyle. Where’s Tracey? Is she coming over in a bit?” Trust her to keep asking. When I hesitated over my answer, she looked me over. Her intuition is kicking in again. Cookies, questions. It’s actually impressive, while also annoying. I sighed.

“Want to talk about it?” At least she’s asking instead of demanding.

“No.” Realizing that might hurt her feelings, I softened the refusal with, “Not right now anyway.”

Short Story Part 1

I find myself frequently imagining the prose of scenarios I either see happening, or can imagine happening. Can’t seem to help it really ... I know it's weird.

I hope to write a novel eventually. I have an idea, and the potential for a plot, but I don’t feel like I have enough experience – life or writing – to write a good one yet. And there’s enough poor writing out there that I just can’t seem to bring myself to add to it, except in the little snippets I compose in my head.

I feel like that justifies the regular short exercises like the following one I was composing while taking a walk with Clara and Maverick around the same time the high school bus dropped off all the kids in our neighborhood:

TRACEY:

            “Tracey!” He huffed. “Is it true?”

            I paused long enough on the sidewalk to wait for my best friend, Kyle, to catch up.

            “Is it true?” He repeated.

            I sighed. There was a reason I hadn’t told him the news yet. Well, two reasons. One, because I knew he wouldn’t like it, and two, because I’m apparently a coward. “Yes, it’s true.”

            The silence stretched out as we made our way home from school. Hating the strain between the two of us, I finally elaborated, “You knew I wanted to get out of Texas.”

            “It’s not about getting out of Texas, Trace, and you know it! You’re running away, the first chance you get.”

            “I’m not running away! I just want to experience something different. Different places, different people,” I paused. “I am sorry you found out this way, though. I was going to tell you, I just hadn’t figured out how. I didn’t know they were going to put an article about the college plans of all the seniors in the school newspaper.” Now I know what that guidance counselor form was for. Sheesh, they could have warned me.

            “You don’t need to go all the way to NYU to get away from here, you know.” I thought Kyle would be a little angry with me, but I didn’t expect his disappointment. It stung more than I would have guessed.

            “I just want a change, Kyle.”

            “Well you’re about to get it. One day you’ll realize it was just an accident, Tracey, and then you’ll wonder why you couldn’t let it go. You can’t let one bad experience drive you away.”

            “I’m not going to talk about Halloween again. Not with you. Not with anyone. Just let it go. I’m leaving for New York in July, and I’m going to put it all behind me, okay?”

            Kyle stopped, and pulled me to a stop with him. He searched my eyes, but I couldn’t figure out what he was looking for. Clearly disappointed in what he found, he turned and walked across the block to make his way home, without me.

            “Whatever, Trace.”

            It’s a good thing there are only three weeks left until graduation.

Who knows? Maybe some day I'll be able to put all these random bits together with a whole lot of editing :)