A Christmas Gift

              Ok, this year my grandmother wanted all her grandkids and her kids etc. (us, cousins and parents on her side) to paint or draw or sketch of just make creative use of this small canvas as her only gift.
             So we all did our small canvasses and gave them to her on Christmas eve and they were awesome, if I do say so myself and I do.
              So here is everyone in my section of the family with their canvas.




My daddy claims he hasn't painted in a long time, but look how great his turned out!!

 
 


You might not be able to quite tell on this picture, but my Mom put little blooms made of clay on the canvas. Of course, my Mom has always been great at art.

 



This is my big bro Alex with his golden tree. Doesn't it look cool?

 



First of all, Luke was being goofy and trying to make it look like a mug shot with his picture. He wanted me to do it too, but I am not a person who can do that very easily without laughing or smiling while I try. I really think if Luke tried doing that while I was looking at him he would probably smile. My other older brother Luke has always been really good with drawing architecture, so he just did this one with pencils on his canvas. He just did it out of his mind!!!

 



Well, this is me.... with an Ostrich I painted. I'm not sure if anyone notices, but it's a replica of the sketch I did previously on my blog.

 



This is Vera with her canvas. She was so excited when my grandmother opened it.

 



This is Anna, my younger sis, with her canvas. The flash sort of faded the color a bit.
 The green in the picture looks more aqua but is much darker green and the sky is darker too.

 



This is Emma with her canvas. She was so excited about our grandmother opening it that she grinned until she was tired.

 



This is Ella with her canvas. When we said that my grandmother was opening Ella's canvas, Ella actually got confused and thought that our grandmother was opening something that belonged to her. But we explained and it all worked out. It was so funny though!!

 
 


And the youngest of our clan, Dean. You should have seen his face when he saw our grandmother opening the canvas he made he, his face had such a big smile I almost thought it would hurt, but it didn't.

 

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Snowmen, Penguins, Plus Holiday, Oh My!!!!

         This is pretty goofy, but more goof more fun (sometimes). So we have these cute little salt & pepper shakers, two penguins and two snowmen.
         I just thought they were so cute and I had to post about them.
         These little guys are just adorable, plus, I had to give them a little publicity before they go back into storage.



Here all the Penguins and Snowmen are together. (They wanted to go on a get-together before they have to go back to storage). They've all be together for quite some time.... but at the moment I can't recall.




So these are the penguins, they just love to get matching scarves for each other. (It must be some couple thing, I don't know why, but they just do). Mrs. Penguin is on the left and Mr. Penguin is on the right.




These are the Snowmen, they also wanted to be together one last time before they go back to the storage. Mrs. Snowmen has the polka-dot hat and Mr. Snowmen the top hat.




This big fellow is the Penguin family's new friend. They met at the lake last frost. 



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A Lunar Eclipse

          So last night at about 2:00 a.m. we woke up to look at a Lunar Eclipse that was happening. It was really cool. Now I tried to take a picture, but we should've known that you cannot take a picture of the sky when it's dark unless you have some high-techy-camera-thingy. So of course, our poor little camera didn't work. The reason I went ahead and tried anyway was because I have actually taken pictures of the sun before, and it worked. I also learned that when I went on a trip to Colorado and tried to take pictures of the stars all I got was a black screen. So the lesson is 'It's impossible to take a picture of a night sky unless you have some sort of high-techy-camera-thingy.'   

           The good news is even though I didn't get a picture of the Lunar Eclipse, I found a picture of a different one on the internet.

 

  (This isn't the Lunar Eclipse that happened recently, but that I found on the internet)

          The Lunar Eclipse we saw last night wasn't quite that red, just imagine one a little paler and that's about how ours was.

           It seems that we won't be seeing another Lunar Eclipse for quite some time, NASA thinks there won't be another until  December 2094, and that's a LONG time. Or, at least that's what we heard last night. Well hopefully some of us got to see it.

         So now I'm waiting to see a Solar Eclipse, I hope there will be one soon!! 



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Poem for Week 12

So this week's poem is about yet another Greek myth (hey, that's just what I've been writing about).

Jason and the Argonauts

They were very endeavoring and determined, 

Nothing could stop their determination,

Not gods, not men, nor even a whole nation,

They were brave and daring fighters,

And like all youths,

They were late-out-nighters,

They were all strong and bold,

And for some reason,

Never caught a cold,

So that is my summery of the Argonauts,

Though I used to confuse them with the astronauts.

Well, I'm almost completely out of poems now if not. So I think I won't post any more poems for at least until sometime in January, after  I'm done with all the busy Christmas stuff and write some more poems. I think I have a hunch on a poem that is going to be with an AWESOME surprise post around the beginning of January.  

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The desert Camel

    Well I was trying to come up with another sketch to post with this one, but I couldn't   think of one right off hand that I wanted to do. So I just left it as it was; a camel. It's not like I think my school is boring, but I am very easily side tracked, and I also just do it to give my eyes some rest from the reading.

Here is the camel I drew, this I drew just right out of my head.

So you could say I was using my imagination.

I'm really sorry the picture is a little blurry, for some reason the camera is not cooperating today.
Well, I tried.

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Special Newz/ Poem for Week 11

  So today is my younger sister Anna's birthday, and she is turning 11 (maybe it's a coincidence that she turned 11 for poem of the week). In one of my previous posts, I said I was in need of poems for the blog. Well it just so happens Anna wrote one for me about Christmas And winter coming.

 Winter is coming 'round

Trees are dying,

Birds are flying,

Winter is a comin' round,

Children in their gowns,

Christmas is here,

So don't shed even a single tear,

Toys are coming,

So be grateful,

This is not fateful,

So spread a big cheer,

Christmas is here!

By my younger sis Anna

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Blog Notice/ Poem for Week 10

The Shanghai SongBird blog is in desperate need of poems, If anyone would like to volunteer to write one, please consult me soon.

Hey, I never said I was going to be the only one writing poems anyway.

I haven't come up with any poems in quite some time, and I really don't have many I can do left.

Well here are two for this week, but I think it will be the last poem probably until January. Especially since  Christmas is almost here.

They're both about a series I'm almost done reading called 'The Ranger's Apprentice.' I'm posting them together because they have to do with the same thing; the series.

Horace,

Skillful and daring,

But he's also extremely caring,

He's called the mighty Oakleaf Night or Sunrise Warrior,

He's one of the best warriors,

Not one of those couriers,

But he used to be ill tempered and angry,

Now he's always hungry,

He used to be arrogant and rude,

Now he has an optimistic and pleasant mood,

And it is said that he once broke his nose,

You better hope you never have to fight him,

For he will most surely keep you on your toes.

                                                                                    

Will,

Courageously bold and brave,

But watch how you behave,

For if you offend a ranger,

You could be in danger,

He's swift as a bird,

and silent as the wind,

But be careful,

He could be just around the bind,

Never appose a ranger,

Or you will soon find they are of great danger.

I've read almost the whole series, and it's almost over. These books are really popular, but as it happens, almost everyone I know hasn't heard of the series. I'm just dying to talk to some one about the series though.

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Two Savanna Runners

Again I was a little bored while doing some school work, so this time I drew an ostrich and a giraffe.

 It seems when I don't want to do something very much, even though I need to, I just stall myself.



Let's just say I had a lot of trial and error on this giraffe. I tried to make a body for this giraffe, but it didn't turn out too well, so I just decided to do the head.




This was really fun, I didn't have a reason to sketch it other than, just being a little bored with my school.



I guess now I'm calling the sketches from my school book 'Themed Sketches,' And they'll be more often now. I don't know why, but to me sketching can almost be like therapy, it definitely can calm me down when I'm not in a great mood.

I said in one of the posts I would try to write a Thanksgiving poem, but I couldn't come up with it... actually I didn't really think about it very much. Now I'm making a cornucopia out of clay.

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Poem for Week 9

Since Autumn is here, I decided to write a short poem about Autumn.

Autumn is here,

So give a big cheer,

The leaves' color has changed,

But they will soon return to the exchanged,

So for now all we can do is enjoy,

Oh boy,

It seems I was lost in time,

Oh well,

That was fun to rhyme.

The reason I wrote this poem was so I could show a few pictures of Autumn around here. 



 I took the picture of this tree when the sun was shining really brightly on it.




This just shows some of the array of different colors of trees we have around here, but lots of the colors in one picture.




Even though daylight-savings is over, there are still some really beautiful sunsets, I just happened to be right there with a camera when this one happened.



It seems for some reason, I'm going through 2 fazes right now. The first is for some reason I keep taking pictures of the sun. It's not like I look directly at the sun when I take the pictures, I really just an estimate, but the sun looks cool when I can see it with the camera. I think I'll post some of the pictures of the sun when I can decide what to post with them. 

The second faze is color, at the moment I seem to be really into purple. I don't know why, I just really like purple at the moment.

Since Thanksgiving is almost here I want to write a poem about it... I don't really know if I'll come up with it by then, but I'll certainly try.

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Puppy-Sitting

So we're puppy-sitting this weekend for my grandparents, and they have a little Yorkie named Bruiser.

 If you ever happen to find Bruiser's special scratchy spot (which is almost anywhere) he quivers and shakes all over, but it's so cute!  Another really sweet thing about Bruiser, is if you ever call him over to you like by saying his name and stuff, he sneezes! Bruiser will literally smile so big that he sneezes (like Win-Dixie!).
Bruiser is even still as dazzling a puppy, even when he's probably around seven or eight years old now.
But I think I've stalled you enough from this little cutie, so here he is,
The Yorkie, Bruiser:



This is Bruiser bustling around in the plants.
Did you know he's a poet like me too?
And I quote... here I go to catch a peek,
sneak, sneak, sneak.



 So where to next?



I'm walking, I'm walking,
I'm walking, freeze!



Wait, Get this for my
Mommy and Daddy! Cheese!





Hello, are you
still coming?




Ok, all done with the pictures...
oh wait, I can just give you
the puppy-face!

 

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A Couple of Small, Nimble Foresters

       Well, yesterday when I was doing school I got a little bored, so I took a break and decided to sketch a little. The result: I ended up sketching a rabbit and a squirrel, I tried to come up with a few others that related to them, but I didn't like how they turned out.

So here are the Rabbit and Squirrel sketches I made:

So this is my Squirrel, almost a rabbit, but turning out to be a Squirrel.





And this is my Rabbit. I don't know, I just felt like sketching.



      It's a good thing I'm Home-Schooled, so I won't get in trouble for sketching a little on the back of my schedule folder. But hey, it's just blank on the other side of the schedule anyway, so it doesn't do any harm.  

I just right my name or color or sketch or doodle on the back... it sort of marks my spot anyway.  

It's not like I skip school to do it, but it gives me a little break on school if it just bores me too much.

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Poem for Week 8

Well 'tis a wonderful time to share my poetry.

So I will:

 

A New Day

When morning comes,

The beautiful sun rises,

Bringing a new day, 

full of  surprises.

When the beautiful sun rises,

The birds sing their lovely song,

Almost the whole day long,

The birds sing their melodies,

Which to many, are great symphonies.

When morning comes,

People wake up and get out of bed,

Shake their tiresome head,

And look towards the day ahead,

They get ready for the day,

This for some only feels like a replay,

But others have days full of new surprises,

Just waiting for whatever arises.

When the sun is in the sky ablaze,

The majestic horses run to graze,

There are so many beautiful horses,

And they all have different graze courses,

Some roam far,

And some stay close,

And like ours,

Some roamed whichever they chose.

When the sun is in the sky ablaze,

People walk through the crowd-like maze,

Many go to find their mid-day meal,

Some eat this,

And some eat that,

And some,

Only wear their special hat.

When nightfall comes,

Many people and animals go to rest,

Some even sleep in the position of a crest,

 Some are much livelier at night,

 They can be such a sight,

Some are small,

And some are rather large,

And some,

Even think they’re in charge.

Now that the poem is completed,

I cannot remain seated,

So I must be on my way,

Because it’s time to return to my day.

'Twas a lovely poem, one ought to think. As for mine self, poetry is a gift, which makes it so much easier to uplift.  Well it's time for me to ring the ending bell, so I bid thee farewell.

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Away From the Horrible Camera!

Ok, when I the pictures of Missy in the cowboy hat, I caught Holly in a few pictures too. Of course she was running away, but I still got the pictures of her. Holly wasn't happy about it, but I'm still going to show the pictures I caught of her.



Oh no!! you found me!




Get away! Oh wait, I can out run you!




Haha! Can't get me now... Wait!
That's not fair!
I wasn't ready!



If you noticed, Holly has a brown splosh on her hips and tail. She has had that since she was a baby, it was actually black-ish though. Well, Holly is both Blue-Heeler and a Jack-Russell terrier. Blue-Heelers are usually spotted, so that mark could be very common.

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Finally, the Perfect hat!

Well, I think I found Missy the perfect hat. Ok, so my little sister Ella was Woody for Halloween, and she has this little Woody cowboy hat, well guess what, I put it on Missy and it fits her perfectly! So here's Missy being talkative (but never as much as me! Hehehe)



No, I won't cooperate!



Fine, you got me.



Oh, ok! Is this good?



Hey, I think you've taken enough
pictures of me.
So no more pictures of me! Ok?

Usuallly I'm against poor puppies wearing clothes, but this is just pretend. Besides, I only make our puppies wear these for a few minutes, and then they never cope with them again. It's not like these hat make them uncomfotrable, unlike some clothes for pups that like restrains thim. But our puppies don't even mind, so they let me get away with this little thing.

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Poems for Week 7

Well, it turns out I did end up coming up with a new poem, last night in fact. Like I said, when I like what I'm writing, it just clicks. But I think I'll wait until next week to show the newest poem. It will give you viewers something to look forward to. I will say this, the new poem is called 'A New Day' and is the longest poem I've ever written. But I guess you guys will just have to wait until next week to see it.

Oh well, you can just see the poems for this week. Again, since they're short and similar to their stories I'm posting them together. The first one is about the Greek god Hades Lord of the Under World:

Hades, Lord of the Dead,

Sadly all his joy has been shed,

He is very gloomy with few words,

But beware,

He's swift as a bird,

Lightning fast as a snake,

But you'd better hope,

Your life he doesn't take.

The second one is about Persephone, daughter of the Greek goddess Demeter, who was kidnapped by Hades and taken to the Under World:

Persephone,

Goddess of spring,

She loved to here the birds ring,

Though she misses her ladies,

Because she was taken to Hades.

Yes I know, those poems were really short; the first few poems I wrote were especially short. A lot of them are still pretty short, but they're getting longer. Especially since I'm getting more used to writing them, so I can come up with more to put in them. Well, it looks like now I've Written 19 poems so far, even though I'm not posting two of them. Well, time for me to go. I guess everyone can look forward to the big poem for next  week. Because as it seems, I haven't had anything different to post lately.

It seems that my poems have just been getting longer and longer, but they also seem to vary in size.

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Urgent Need of Poems!

This is an urgent message, I've been doing Poem a Week for about six weeks now, but I'm running out of poems, if anyone has suggestions please tell me.

I'm sure I have some more poems to last a little while longer. I haven't thought of any new poems in a while, and they're starting to run out.

The thing is, I've got around 13 poems, but some I grouped together because of being too small, and I still have a few more that I will group. It would definitely be helpful to have more poems ready for posting.

I can right a poem about almost anything, but for me, it usually has to be something I am willing to write about. When I write the poems, I decide I want to write, then it seems to just click and race through my mind.

If anyone has any idea, that would be a great help. just comment the topic or theme and I'll probably see it eventually. Thanks so much!

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In Sunshine and in Shadow of Halloween

          So Halloween pretty much the whole family went up to my grandparent's house, you know, so we could Trick-or-Treat. I must say, there were some cute costumes for Halloween. Out of the eight kids in our family five were in costumes; Dean was Buz-Lightyear from Toy-Story, Ella was Woody from Toy-Story, Vera was actually my Dad, she wore a suit and everything, Emma was an Egyptian queen, and finally, Anna was the Greek goddess Artemis.     

          We went to our grandparent's house with all our costumes and such, and we got ready there, after we went Trick-or-Treating and then watched the World Series soon after. It was fun, even though I didn't have a costume and didn't actually Trick-or-Treat for candy, I still tagged along with Anna, Emma and Dean (since we went a little bit of a different route than some of the others, plus, somebody needed to keep those kids out of trouble). Besides, they shared some of their candy with me when we were done anyway.

This is Dean, there has been a lot of
 Toy-Story watching over here,
so we decided 
Dean might like to be Buz-Lightyear.
You should have seen the look
on his face, it was so cute! 



Here are Ella and Dean,
originally Dean was going
to be Woody from Toy-Story,
but it was a little too small,
so Ella was thrilled to be
Woody instead, and Dean
ended up being Buz-Lightyear.

  

Well very has always been a
major Tom-Boy,
but a lot lately she had been saying
she wanted to
go to work and wear a suit and
tie like Daddy.
So a friend of my mom's gave her a
hand-me-down and she became
 Daddy for Halloween.
Aren't Daddies so scary?



Emma was a Cleopatra queen,
here she is doing the
Egyptian dance.



This was when I actually got
Emma to hold still,
not everyone may know this,
 but Emma loves to dance and move,
so when she happens to be dancing,
it can be hard to get her to stop.





Emma doing well... I can't actually
 remember what she was doing at that point.





So Anna got to be Artemis,
since she is sort of a Tom-Boy
but loves Greek Mythology,
my mom decided to make
her a costume of Artemis;
 the Greek goddess of the Hunt.

 

These are the Arrows Anna and I made,
we just found some strong
sticks around the house
 and carved and sanded them smooth,
 added some chicken
 feathers from our cousins' chickens,
and then our
mom spray-painted them all silver.

Now, into the Shadow



It's Vera the BEAR!



This was Emma surprised and
throwing orders at the same time.



GRRRRR!

 

YOU, you're mine!!
Now get over there!

 

 It's Anna's notorious smile!!
Nothing gets past the ALL-SEEING-EYE!



Wait for it...



It's not Anna who's scary in this one,

but the creature behind her!!

Ok, it's actually

Calypso in the movie Pirates of the Caribbean.

We were watching the movie

the other night, and I decided to

 take a picture of Anna,

and Calypso was in the background.

When I took the picture,

for some reason,

 Calypso turned RED!



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