Monday, June 28, 2010

Monday's Child - 1















Mr. Rabbit
Has a habit
Of tender carrots stealing

Mr. Squirrel
His tail unfurled
Objects to this with feeling

Mr. Crow
And Mrs. Crow
Look on with obvious longing

Miss Sweet Robin
Head a bobbin’
Resumes melodious songing


Mr. Farmer
And Mrs. Farmer
Welcome them all with grace

One and All
In Earth’s Grand Hall
They each have found their place

~JCM





Hello All.
I was invited to join a new writing group for children over at http://childrensverse.blogspot.com/


There will be a prompt of some sort and then you write a short verse or story. This weeks' prompt was the lovely picture above, so I wrote a little poem to go along with it.

If you are interested in joining this group please do click on the link above and check it out. It promises to be great fun!

Smiles

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Sunday Sketches


Happy Sunday everyone!

You can find more great Sunday Sketches over at our hostess Sophia's place.
This is my second attempt at drawing a baby. She is an adorable little gem of a friend of mine. Babies are the most difficult for me to draw.
It would be great to take a class just about drawing children.
I think if I really wanted to do a serious portrait of her, I would use the grid technique, as that has worked really well for me in the past.
Hope you all have a wonderful Sunday and that you are enjoying this beautiful summer we are having! SMILES!

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Sunday Sketches

Happy Sunday Sketches Everyone!
This is a little indian ink sketch that I did of some lillies in an arrangement from my sweetie. Colored in with colored pencils
For more great sunday sketches, head over to Sophia's place at http://bluechairdiary.blogspot.com/

Off to celebrate Father's Day with my sweetie.
Smiles All!

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Sharing



We've been outside all morning, the little boys and I.

There is a shiny new red trike and a perfectly miniaturized 'little man's' bike with teeny tiny training wheels in the carport that beg to be ridden every waking moment.


We had been squeezing the last ounce of usability out of a third generation tricycle, all battered and 'loved up'. The wheels didn't turn anymore very well, and the steering was stiff and uncooperative. So we took the plunge and headed to the store to see what we could get for the two little boys to keep them busy this summer. A new tricycle for the nearly 2 yr. old and a new bike for the just turned 3 yr. old.

Of course this should be a staight forward transaction, right? Liam, 3, will ride his new bike, and Eamonn, nearly 2, will ride his new trike.

Maybe not.

Each morning we head outside, I with my ever-present, sanity-saving cuppa coffee, and the boys, tumbling over each other and me to be the first one out the door.


There is a moment, all of us perched on the top step of the porch, when these two lovely angels survey the carport and assess the 'playing field' with experienced toddler eyes. It reminds me of the eye scanning machines you see in sci-fi films. Left to right, right to left, deep breath in, and then ... the CHARGE!

If they would only charge for their own riding machine things would go smoothly. Instead they both either want the trike or the bike.



A power struggle ensues.


The owner of the chosen vehicle starts to shreak things like: "Noooo! Want that!!! MINE!". To which the non-owner shreaks back: "Nooooo! Want that!!! MINE!


I call out firmly, "Boys - You need to share. Share. Sharing is nice. Big boys share." My efforts at instruction in the delicately balanced art of sharing go unacknowledged. The argument continues full throttle.
<>

So I try another tack.



"Liam," I call out to the three year old first as he can be easier to reason with than his younger brother. "Come here Peach....LiLi, come here!" Shoulders drop and an audibly exaggerated sigh escapes from Liam as he turns away from the tricyle and trudges over to where I am sitting.


"Liam, that's Eamonn's trike and he gets to ride it first, ok? We can ask him to share it in a little while after he's had a turn."


Sigh. "But I want it." Simply stated.


"I know you do sweetie, but it's Eamonn's tricycle, so he gets to have the first turn."


Another sigh, this one bigger than the first, and Liam cocks his head to one side, looks up at me with big hazel eyes and says seriously, "Eamonn's naughty."
Hiding a smile, I respectfully consider this statement. "Weeelll....We are all naughty sometimes, but it's not naughty for Eamonn to want the first turn on his trike." I put my arm around him and pull him in for a sweet hug. "It's the same way you get to have the first turn when it's your bike. We can ask him to share in a little bit, ok?"
Liam screws up his face thoughtfully for a moment and considers this mommy logic. "OK."


He trudges over to his own bicycle, which unfortunately has now been taken over by Eamonn, who, having abandoned his tricycle in favor of Liam's new bike, is now madly scrambling to mount it before his brother can reach him. The tables have been turned.


"Mine." Eamonn wails plainatively the moment Liam touches the handlebars.


I watch, waiting for the argument to start from scratch.


Instead, Liam puts one arm along his little brother's shoulders, pulls 'Mody' in for a hug and says, "I'm not naughty Mody. That's my bike."

"Want 'dat," his brother asserts himself firmly, and resumes his clumsy attempt to climb onto the bicycle.


I watch the wheels turning in Liam's head as he studies the situation for a moment. Reaching some unknown conclusion, Liam helps his brother onto the seat of the bicyle and says, "Dats ok Mody. We have to share."


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Sunday, June 13, 2010

Sunday Sketches



Happy Sunday Sketches Everyone!
The sun is out and the birds are singing!
For more great artistic expression, head over to Sophia's place at http://bluechairdiary.blogspot.com/.
This is a piece I have been working on this week which was intended to be a mother looking down on her baby cradled in her arms, but my 1-1/2 yr old scribbled on the space over her head so I cropped her and may just call her finished as is. I was trying to practice a different style of eyes here, downcast, and I think it turned out ok. I guess I'm into the redheads too cause my hand wandered over to the orange and red pencil section.
Hope everyone has a great Sunday!
Off to check out more great Sunday ART!
S M I L E S !

Saturday, June 5, 2010

Sunday Sketches



Happy Sunday Sketches Everyone!



This is a piece I did today and I am so in love with it! I have to finish the background yet, and I'd like to work more color into her dress, but I had sooooo much fun embellishing her and just really detailing her hair. I love detail work, so I just lost myself for hours over this piece, which is absolutely the best way to create. You can click on the image for a larger picture.
Best of all....She makes me smile smile S M I L E!

And you all know I am all about the smiles!



You can find more great Sunday sketches over at Sophia's place by clicking here: http://bluechairdiary.blogspot.com/


Have a super Sunday all!