Read and Read Again!
Saturday, January 27, 2018
Friday, January 19, 2018
Happen at your house?
A Dog
Named Chew
Jackson just got a dog named Chew
It turned out to be a good name,
too,
Chew liked to steal and hide their
shoes!
What can we do with a dog named
Chew?
Chew stole Grandma's wedgies all
feathered and blue.
Grandma gave that dog Chew a good
talking to!
What can we do with a dog named
Chew?
Chew stole mother's flats from
Kalamazoo.
Where they are now, she hasn't a
clue.
What can we do with a dog named
Chew?
He stole Jackson's gym shoes when he
wandered through.
They smelled pretty bad, but what
could Chew do?
What can we do with a dog named
Chew?
Chew stole to the crib and took
Claries' baby shoes
Then he licked her toes for a minute
or two.
What can we do with a dog named
Chew?
He stole Uncle's wingtips that were
almost brand new.
Uncle called the whole family for
security review.
What can we do with a dog named
Chew?
So everyone met. Mom offered shoe
glue,
but Jackson replied that it just
would not do!
And Uncle said a time out was long
overdue
But Jackson said time out was
strictly taboo.
Then Jackson suggested out of the
blue
That maybe a new name was what they
should do,
and a dog friend to play with to
complete the coup.
So the Dog that was previously known
as Chew
Had his name changed to Ballyhoo
and his new doggie friend is Hullabaloo!
They're noisy together but one thing
is true:
Jackson can (usually!) now find his
own shoes!
Saturday, January 13, 2018
Traditional Tale Retold
The Little Boy and the Big Sea
A
traditional tale from the Netherlands
In a town by the North Sea lived Niels, a little boy who
wanted to do a big job.
Niels said to Father, "Can I work in the mill with you
today?"
"No," said Father. "You are too small to work
in the mill."
Niels said to his brother Simon, "Can I work in the
tulip field with you today?"
"No," said Simon. “You are too small for field
work."
Generations ago people of the Netherlands put up dikes, long
walls, and drained the land inside. They used the good soil for growing food
and tulips. So Niels walked by himself down by the dike.
As Niels ran his hand along the thick wall that held out the
sea, he found a wet place. Looking up he spotted a tiny hole in the dike and a
thin trickle of water coming through.
Niels tried to put mud in the hole to plug it, but the sea
washed it away at once. What was the right size for the little hole? As he
touched the wet place on the wall with his hand, he saw the answer. Standing on
his tiptoes, he reached up and put his finger in the hole.
The water stopped.
He could feel the sea on the other side. He thought, “If I take
my finger out the sea will come rushing in.”
The sun set and the evening came. The mill stopped grinding
and the cowbells jingled as they headed to the barn. Niels' arm was very tired,
and his legs ached from standing on tiptoe, but he would not take his finger
out of the dike.
Finally, he heard Simon and Father calling him.
"Niels!" called Father. "We were looking all
over for you."
Simon said, "Look at Niels! He plugged the dike and held
back the sea!"
Quickly Father brought sand and cement. He prepared the
mixture and the minute Niels took his finger out of the dike, his father filled
the hole. The town was safe!
Father carried Niels home on his back, and Simon led the way
shouting what Niels had done. The town council met that night and made a
decision.
"It is hereby decreed that from today on the Official
Inspector of Dikes is Niels!"
Niels would not work in the mill or the fields. He had his
own very big job.
Friday, December 29, 2017
Big changes in the new year!
Dragon Wings
No sign of them at all!
Victoria Dragon twisted to look over
her left shoulder. She turned to look under her right arm. She was already
three years and three months and three days old. Where were her wings?
"Maybe there is a magic to
growing wings. I'll ask the Great High Wizard of Winged Things!"
Victoria Dragon did a Happy Dragon
Dance and sang,
“To the Wizard’s Woods I go!
Wings need magic so they’ll grow!”
She approached his throne and said,
“Great High Wizard of Winged Things, I am three years and three months and
three days old, and I want to fly. Please give me magic to make my wings grow.”
The Great High Wizard of Winged
Things said, “Time is the only magic.”
But when he saw her sad face, he
added, “I lost a feather from my wizard cape. Bring me a Fuchsia Feather from
the Bola Bird. Your wings will grow.”
Victoria Dragon did a Jumba Rumpus
dance and sang,
“Up the Bola Tree I go!
Wings need magic so they’ll grow!”
She clambered to the nest of the Bola
Bird and said, “Pretty Bola Bird! Please give me a Fuchsia Feather. I’ll take
it to the Great High Wizard of Winged Things. I want magic to grow wings.”
She said, “Certainly, but I need
something sharp to weave this last hole in my nest. Please bring me a Used
Tooth from the Bat that Flies at Night.”
Victoria Dragon did a Skiddly-ho-ho-ho
dance and sang,
“In the dark Bat Cave I go!
Wings need magic so they’ll grow!”
Victoria crept into the cave of the
Bat that Flies at Night.
She said, “Swift Bat that Flies at
Night, please give me a Used Tooth. I’ll take it to the Bola Bird so she will
give me a Fuchsia Feather. I’ll take that to the Great High Wizard of Winged
Things. I want magic to grow wings.”
He said, “Certainly, but our cave
needs the sweet smell of honey. Please bring me a Thimble of Bumble Dust from
the Buzzing Bee.”
Victoria Dragon did the Misty Twisty
Toes dance and sang,
“To the Bumble Hive I go!
Wings need magic so they’ll grow!”
Victoria tiptoed to the hive of the
Buzzing Bee.
She said “Sweetest Buzzing Bee,
please give me a Thimble of Bumble Dust. I’ll take it to the Bat that Flies at
Night so he will give me a Used Tooth to take to the Bola Bird so she will give
me a Fuchsia Feather to take to the Great High Wizard of Winged Things. I want
magic to grow wings.”
She said to Victoria, “Certainly, but
our bees could make much better honey if they knew how to dance. Can you teach
us how to dance?”
So Victoria taught them all the Happy
Dragon Dances she knew. She showed them the Jumba Rumpus and Skiddly-ho-ho-ho
and the Misty Twisty Toes. When she was finished dancing she was so tired, so
very tired, she lay down in the tall grass, for just a moment. And closed her
eyes, for just a moment. And….

Victoria took it to the Bat the Flies
at Night. He sprinkled it in the cave to make it smell sweet and gave her the
Used Tooth. She took that to the Bola Bird. She used it to stitch up her nest –
1-2-3 – and gave her the Fuchsia Feather. At last Victoria returned to the
Great High Wizard of Winged Things.
“Here I am!” she called. “It has
taken me a whole day and night, but I am ready for the magic to grow wings”
The Great High Wizard of Winged
Things took the Fuchsia Feather and attached it to his cape.
He said, “Time is the only Magic,
Victoria. Tell me, how old are you?”
Victoria answered, “I am three years
and three months and three…no, four days old!”
“Then,” said the Wizard, “look behind
you.”
Victoria Dragon twisted to look over
her left shoulder. Then she turned to look under her right arm. In the place
where her wings should be, she saw the beginnings of where her wings would be.
As she watched they grew strong and long and opened to glint in the morning
sun. Victoria was so excited she danced all her Happy Dragon dances. Even the
Great High Wizard of Winged Things joined in the Jumba-Rumba!
Then the Wizard smiled and said, “Now
fly, Victoria Dragon. The sky is waiting for you!”
Friday, December 22, 2017
Down Under Christmas!
Christmas Bush Dance
It's a Down
Under Christmas
Down
underneath the tree:
There's 1
waltzing wallaby.
It's a Down
Under Christmas
2 koala
can-can,
And 1
waltzing wallaby.
It's a Down
Under Christmas
Down
underneath the tree:
3
bopping Billbie,
2 koala
can-can,
And 1
waltzing wallaby.
When
it's Christmas down under
Look
down under the tree:
4 Devils
dervish,
3
bopping Billbie,
2 koala
can-can,
And 1
waltzing wallaby.
It's a Down
Under Christmas
Down
underneath the tree:
(5) Can you emu?
4 Taz's
twirling,
3
bopping Billbie,
2 koala
can-can,
And 1
waltzing wallaby.
It's a Down
Under Christmas
Down
underneath the tree:
7
wombats waddle,
6 quokka
(ko-ka) cakewalk,
(5) Can
you emu?
4 devils
dervish,
3
bopping Billbie,
2 koala
can-can,
And 1
waltzing wallaby.
It's a Down
Under Christmas
Down
underneath the tree:
9
gliding Goanna,
8 Bandicoot bopping,
7
wombats waddle,
6 quokka
cakewalk,
(5) Can
you emu?
4 Devils
dervish,
3
bopping Billbie,
2 koala
can-can,
And 1
waltzing wallaby.
It's a Down
Under Christmas
Down
underneath the tree:
11
walaroo whirling,
10
prancing platypus,
9
gliding Goanna,
8 Bandicoot bopping ,
7
wombats waddle,
6 quokka
cakewalk,
(5) Can
you emu?
4 Devils
dervish,
3
bopping Billbie,
2 koala
can-can,
And 1 waltzing
wallaby.
It's a Down
Under Christmas
Down
underneath the tree:
12 dingo
disco
11
walaroo whirling
10 prancing Platypus
9 gliding
Goanna
8 Bandicoot bopping
7
wombats waddle
6 quokka
cakewalk
(5) Can
you emu?
4 Devils
dervish
3 bopping
Billbie
2 koala
can-can
And 1
waltzing wallaby.
Happy Christmas, Mate!
Christmas Down Under:
Bandicoot - mid sized rat
Billbie
- long nosed rat
Dingo - wild dog
Emu - second largest living bird, flightless
Goanna - monitor lizard.
Koala - tree dwelling
marsupial
Platypus - egg laying duck billed mammal
Quokka - kangaroo member the size of a cat
Tasmanian Devil - largest carnivorous marsupial
Walaroo - mix of a wombat and kangaroo
Wallaby - small member of the kangaroo family
Wombat
- short-legged marsupial
Tuesday, December 19, 2017
Fun story for lots of readers and noise!
Lamb in a Ditch
You know the part of the Christmas story about the angels
singing and telling about the new baby king. And you know that part about the
shepherds running and running to see the baby in Bethlehem. But maybe you don't
know what happened between those two parts of the story.
What with the bright lights from the angels and all the
singing filling, up the night sky, the shepherds were not watching the sheep
too closely. It is not surprising one of the baby lambs fell into the ditch in
all the excitement.
So when the shepherds finally came to their senses and were
getting ready to go to Bethlehem, one of the sheep looked around and could not
find her baby. She looked everywhere and then she saw him, in the ditch. Well she couldn't leave him so she took hold
of her baby lamb, and she pulled and pulled and pulled but that baby lamb was
stuck in the ditch.
And the sheep said, "Baa."
And when no one the sheep said, "Baa" again.
Everyone was really busy so the sheep said, "Baa" one
more time, and over ambled a little shepherd.
When the little shepherd saw the baby lamb in the ditch, he
took hold of the sheep who took hold of her baby lamb and together they pulled
and pulled and pulled, but that baby was stuck in the ditch.
The little shepherd said, "Help!"!"
And the sheep said, "Baa."
And when no one came little shepherd said,
"Help!"!"
And the sheep said, "Baa" again.
Everyone was really bus so the little shepherd said, "Help!"
And the sheep said, "Baa" one more time, and over
strolled a big shepherd.
When he saw the baby lamb in the ditch, he took hold of the
little shepherd who took hold of the sheep who took hold of her baby lamb and
together they pulled and pulled and pulled, but that baby lamb was stuck in the
ditch.
The big shepherd said "More help!"
The little shepherd said, "Help!"!"
And the sheep said, "Baa."
And when no one came big shepherd said "More
help!"
The little shepherd said, "Help!"!"
And the sheep said, "Baa" again.
Everyone was really busy so the big shepherd said "More
help!"
The little shepherd said, "Help!"
And the sheep said, "Baa" one more time, and over
fluttered an angel.
The Heavenly Host were still finishing up the postlude, and
of course no one was listening.
When the angel saw the baby lamb in the ditch, she took hold
of the big shepherd who took hold of the little shepherd who took hold of the
sheep who took hold of her baby lamb and together they pulled and pulled and
pulled, but that baby was stuck in the ditch.
So the angel said, "Alleluia!"
The big shepherd said "More help!"
The little shepherd said, "Help!"!"
And when no one came the angel said, "Alleluia!"
The big shepherd said "More help!"
The little shepherd said, "Help!"!"
And the sheep said, "Baa" again.
Everyone was really busy so the angel said,
"Alleluia!"
The big shepherd said "More help!"
The little shepherd said, "Help!"
And the sheep said, "Baa" one more time, and over
scampered a tiny squeak of a mouse.
Well the angles and the shepherd and the little shepherd and
the sheep laughed and laughed and said, "Don’t be silly. We who are big
and strong can't. How can you make any difference?"
But the mouse really wanted to try so the mouse took hold of
the angel and she took hold of the big shepherd and he took hold of the little
shepherd and he took hold of the sheep and she took hold of her baby lamb and
together they pulled and pulled and pulled.
POP out of the ditch came the little lamb.
The Angel said, "Alleluia!"
By now it was getting really late, and the angels had packed
up their instruments so they all flew back to heaven.
And the shepherds and sheep hoped the gates of Bethlehem
would not be closed so they could ran to see the new baby king.
But the little mouse just sat in the darkness and looked at
the new star in the sky and thought to himself, "See sometimes a little
more help is all you need to get the job done."
And that is a good thing for you to remember this Christmas
when things get busy and everyone is in a hurry. There may be lots of big
things to do, but you can always give a little help. And sometimes a little
more help is all that is needed to get the job done.
Friday, December 15, 2017
An easy rhyme for Christmas!
In a stable full of hay
This is what the cows all say:
Moooo, mooo!
Welcome, baby Jesus!
Moo, moo, moo!
In a stable full of hay
Squeeeek, squeeeeek!
Welcome, baby Jesus!
Squeek, squeek, squeek!
In a stable full of hay
This is what the cats all say:
Meeeeeow, meeeeeow!
Welcome, baby Jesus!
Meow, meow, meow!
In a stable full of hay
This is what the doves all say:
Coooo, cooo!
Welcome, baby Jesus!
Coo, coo,coo!
In a stable full of hay
This is what the children say:
Jesus Christ is born today!
Welcome, baby Jesus!
Hoo-ray! Hoo-ray! Hoo-ray!
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