Horton Hears A Who

So Friday night, my friend and I went to see probably my new favorite movie of all time. This will sound completely cheesy, but it was Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears A Who!!!! I was thrilled to see another perfect children's story animated into complete genius on the screen, a high praise from an 18 year old girl. They turned one of my favorite children's books into the funniest movie I have seen in a long time. I am so happy that there are children's movies still coming out in theaters, the kids, and well my friends and I, need some good, harmless entertainment. Anyway, the movie is about an elephant, Horton, discovers a tiny spec floating in the air. Upon catching the spec, he discovers there is a complete different world on the spec. Horton has to help the citizens of WhoVille to retain safety by placing their spec on a flower in the safest place possible. Horton's neighbors think that he is crazy for trying to save a spec where microscopic people live, as they refuse to believe his "shenanigans." In the end, Horton proves there is a world beyond their own, one on that spec. This movie allows children to dream and have an imagination, something I believe people are losing each and every day.

I have created a crossword puzzle for "The Hobbit" as that is what we will be discussing this coming week in class. I must admit I was worried I would not like the book, but having finished reading, I do really like the premise. Normally, I stray from stories that involve distant lands and are more about trolls and hobbits and things, but this was better than I expected. Here is a word search for many of the characters in the story.

D U Q I E X K J I L I F Y Y Q S Q I N H O G N Y D Y K T T A N D T E J I I R P D A Z P D Q C C F K B L O V J N I L A B P W I L L I A M T H E T R O L L I F C K X N N B X E W W R D Y C K G T H O R I N D C L Z E E Z J S M A U G R E L W Z X V Q U C D M N U B B A R D A R D F L O R D O F T H E E A G L E S X O T A F N D N O R L E R I C B I L B O D Z G G O L L U M N S D J J E C B E O R N H I F C F E V S T I B B O H J W Q R F Y D O R I I L I Q Q I M X G W

Balin	Gollum
Bard	Hobbits
Beorn	Kili
Bilbo	Lord of the Eagles
Dori	Smaug
Dwalin	Thorin
Elrond	William the Troll
Fili

D U Q I E X K J I L I F Y Y Q S Q I N H O G N Y D Y K T T A N D T E J I I R P D A Z P D Q C C F K B L O V J N I L A B P W I L L I A M T H E T R O L L I F C K X N N B X E W W R D Y C K G T H O R I N D C L Z E E Z J S M A U G R E L W Z X V Q U C D M N U B B A R D A R D F L O R D O F T H E E A G L E S X O T A F N D N O R L E R I C B I L B O D Z G G O L L U M N S D J J E C B E O R N H I F C F E V S T I B B O H J W Q R F Y D O R I I L I Q Q I M X G W

Riminiscing

As I struggle to survive my week of hell, the four tests and a quiz, I decided to take a moment to reminisce the good old days. The times as a child where I had no responsibility and my idea of homework was a one page worksheet that I had to color and make "pretty." Life was so easy. I played outside with my friends and loved board games. It got me thinking about all the games I used to love to play, so I compiled a list.

1. Hungry Hippos
2. Mouse Trap
3. Candyland
4. Elefun
5. Sorry
6. Dream Date
7. Guess Who
8. Mall Madness
9. Cranium Jr.
10. Monopoly

Outside I was totally addicted to my skip-it, and my razor scooter. Those two things made my world complete and I would just play with friends for hours.

Other than that, we played inside and made up dances to all the new nsync and backstreet boys songs.

These games were so much fun. I also loved playing with my brothers Nintendo 64, all the Mario games were so much fun. Man I wish I was a kid again.

I learned from you

In following the tradition of songs for daddy's and daughters, I have found another song that I absolutely love. This song is by Miley and Billy Ray Cyrus called "I Learned From You." I've posted the lyrics and a video below. The lyrics are inspiring and really show everything a little girl learns from her daddy. I know my dad has taught me so much in my life, I would really be lost without him. Every girl looks up to her dad and needs him there, even when they become a teenager and don't think they need him anymore. I know there have been times when I felt like my dad was punishing me for "stupid' stuff and he was just trying to ruin my fun, but now I see he did it all so I would grow up to be the person that I am today. As a common theme in children's literature and songs, little girls need their daddies forever.

Lyrics:
[Miley]
Ooooo
Yeah
I didn't wanna listen to what you were sayin'
I thought that I knew all I need to know
I didn't realize that somewhere inside me
I knew you were right but I couldn't say so

I can take care of myself, yeah, you taught me well

[Chorus: (Miley)]
I learned from you that I do not crumble
I learned that strength is something you choose
All of the reasons to keep on believin'
There's no question, that's a lesson, that I learned from you

[Billy Ray]
We always don't agree on
What is the best way
To get to the place that we're going from here
But I can really trust you, and give you the distance,
to make your decisions without any fear

[Both]
I'm grateful for all of the times
You opened my eyes

[Chorus: (Both)]
I learned from you that I do not crumble
I learned that strength is something you choose
All of the reasons to keep on believin',
There's no question, that's a lesson
I learned from you

[Both]
You taught me to stand on my own

[Miley] and I thank you for that

[Both]
It saved me, it made me,
and now that I'm looking back

[Miley] I can say

[Both] woooaaahhhh!

[Miley] Hmmmm... Hmmmm... Yeah!

[Both]
I learned from you that

[Miley] I learned from you

[Both]
I do not crumble
I learned that strength is something you choose

[Miley] something you choose

[Both]
All of the reasons to keep on believin',

[Miley] keep on believin'

There's no question, that's a lesson that I learned from you

[Miley]
Woooaaahhhh!
I learned from yoooouuu

I learned that strength is something you choose
[Billy Ray] something you choose

[Both]
All of the reasons to keep on believin',
There's no question, that's a lesson that I learned from you

[Miley] yeah!

[Both]
I learned from you

http://youtube.com/watch?v=kglSL6rlXzI

Henry and Mudge

A great chapter book series for early readers is Henry and Mudge. These books teach a lot about friendship and what it means to have someone who is always there for you (in this case its a little boy, Henry, and his dog Mudge). I chose to read one of my all time favorites from the series - Henry and Mudge and the Tall Tree House. In this book, Henry's uncle Jack comes to visit. Henry and Mudge love Uncle Jack because he is fun to play with. Uncle Jack wants to give Henry a present that he can really enjoy, so he builds Henry a tree house. Henry is so excited, until he realizes that Mudge can't climb trees and can't enjoy the tree house with Henry. Henry goes up into the tree house for short periods of time to make the adults, mainly his uncle, that he loves it. Really, the tree house makes Henry feel lonely as his best friend can't enjoy it with him. The adults come up a with a perfect solution for Henry and Mudge. They decide to rebuild the tree house inside Henry's room so Henry and Mudge can enjoy it together. Now the obvious solution would have been to rebuild the tree house one the ground, but these books add tid-bits of humor that make them fun to read. I wish my room would have been big enough for a tree house!! I would definitely recommend this book to parents with younger children just starting to read chapter books because it's an easy read and pretty funny.

what's happened to tv?!?!?!

I grew up on Sesame Street, then Arthur, then Lizzie Mcguire, then That's So Raven, and now I am obsessed with Grey's Anatomy. But one thing I have noticed is that the shows I grew up on are a lot more innocent then what children watch now. I'm not saying Grey's Anatomy is perfect but I am 18 now so it is appropriate for my age of an audience. What I don't like is all of the sexual activities portrayed in many "children's" shows today. In a previous blog I spoke about children's songs, but tv is just as bad. Yes, Disney channel has stayed away from the sex every two seconds that is seen in a lot of other shows. But, the shows aired on ABC, NBC, and CBS that are supposedly family friendly are not at all! They should put disclaimer's on certain shows because they are not appropriate for younger audiences. I would not want my kid watching Two and A Half Men or Desperate Housewives. Both of these shows have the characters sleeping with someone every two seconds, and the "teen" shows like One Tree Hill and Gossip Girl (of which both I absolutely love but are again aimed more for my age audiences) promote sexual relations in high school. It may sound hypocritical that I actually watch those shows, but my point is that parents should not allow their children under the age of 16 or so to be tuning into these shows. Um, we don't want all of our kids turning into Jamie Lynn Spears. Children need to be protected from the crazy world of Hollywood and should stick with the innocent Disney Channel Shows (and I pray to God Disney keeps it that way because I love the role models they try to push).

The best children's book ever!!!

When I was growing up, there was one book in particular that I was incredibly obsessed with. The title is, Mr. Paint Pig by: Richard Scarry. Once I could read it myself, I would read it to my brother and sister. It's a picture book and the illustrations are so so so cute. I recently found this book again and it is pretty much fallen apart because of how many times its been read. This book is used to teach children the colors and how to spell them as each page has a new color in a paint can and Mr. Paint Pig paints something with that color (sometimes he just uses something that is that color instead of painting)....

Red - he paints an airplane and a fire engine.

Orange - he paints a bus. He doesn't have to paint the oranges, as they are already orange.

Yellow - he paints nothing yellow since the sun and flowers are already yellow.
Green - he paints a locomotive and a watermelon truck green and then eats a green pickle under a green tree while a green frog hops around.

Blue - he paints a boat and then he falls into the blue water.

Purple- Oh no! Mr. Paint Pig's paint truck hits a grape truck and there is purple paint and purple grapes all over the ground.

Brown - he paints a tractor, and while he is painting, Farmer Bear shovels brown dirt into his brown wheelbarrow.

Pink - he brings Mrs. Paint Pig, who is wearing a pink dress, a bouquet of pink roses when his work is done.

White , Black and Gray - Mrs. Paint Pig in her white dress and Mr. Paint Pig in his black suit go for a ride in their gray car.

The colors in this book are just so vivid and fun, I could never put the book down.

Stealing Cinderella

I am one of those people obsessed with music, pretty much of any sort. My favorite thing to do is go to youtube and watch those videos for the songs that are somehow related to princesses, my favorite type of songs. I found another yesterday called Stealing Cinderella, a song about a couple getting married. The guy is at his fiance's house talking to her dad about the engagement, and all the dad can see is that this man is stealing his little princess. Every time the dad looks at his daughter, all he sees is the little girl he used to have pillow fights with and taught to ride a bike. This song is perfect for any father/daughter dance at a wedding. It made me think about one day when I get married, how my dad will feel to let me go. I am my daddies princess, he taught me so much just like as your parents are supposed to do.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=HtOy8R01fTA

Casey At The Bat

I have been really enjoying the poetry we have been doing in class this week. Today, we read a poem called Casey At The Bat. I've heard this poem so many times as a kid. In 7th grade, my English teacher had us act out a few plays, one being Casey At The Bat. I remember we set up a baseball field and we 2 teams and dugouts, pretty much everything you need. We had a few different people narrating and some other kids acting as the fans. It was a lot of fun, because in a class of 30, everyone had a role. We did a few other poems dealing with other sports and it added a little bit more fun to what is normally deemed to be a very boring section to study - as poetry is not everyone's favorite thing.

Hannah Montana

Today at the Houston Rodeo, a childhood phenom is singing. That phenom is Hannah Montana. This Disney Channel superstar has risen to the top of the children's music charts practically overnight. Through her popular television show, Hannah Montana, she promotes her characters music and her "double life." Now on her concert tour, she sings as Miley Cyrus and Hannah Montana. Her concert was the fastest to ever sell out at the Houston Rodeo, competing against much more popular acts such as Brad Paisley, Rascall Flatts, and Faith Hill. So why do children flock to her music? It's upbeat and fun to sing and dance too. Why do parents allow their teeny-boppers to listen constantly and spend hundreds of dollars to allow their children go to the concert? Her music sends a clear message of self-confidence and believing in herself. Children need this kind of music to keep their ears shielded from the rap and hard-rock that sends messages of drugs and sex. Instead, Hannah Montana tells them they can be anything they want to be, and to have huge dreams and reach for the stars. When parents walk into their child's rooms, they are very pleased to hear the words "life's what you make it, so let's make it rock....." instead of "the girls come easy and the drugs come cheap." Music is a one of the most popular ways to promote different ideals in a child's life, so lets make sure the music they hear is acceptable and appropriate for their innocent minds.

My favorite Nursery Rhymes

I decided to make a crossword puzzle with my favorite nursery rhyme titles. The clues are lines from the nursery rhymes, or a summary of what happens in the rhymes. These are the rhymes I've grown up with and loved as a little kid because they are catchy and fun to say!!

Nursery Rhyme Crossword Puzzle

H

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K

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D

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ACROSS 1.A mouse runs up a clock. 2.He has no penny's for pie. 3.Eating gumbdrops in a gum tree. 4.Three bags full of wool. 5.A giant smells and Englishmen. 6.A boy runs through town in his nightgown. 7.Hi-ho, the derry-O.

DOWN 1.One penny, two penny, __ __ __ 2.Give the dog a bone. 3.He called for his pipe and he called for his bowl. 4.He kissed the girls and made them cry. 5.Three men in a tub. 6.To grandmother's house we go. 7.They all ran after the farmer's wife. 8.Ran up the hill to fetch a pale of water. 9.Pecked a peck of pickled peppers. 10.I scream!!

The Princess and The Goblin - God is Great!

Yesterday in class, we finished discussing The Princess and the Goblin. I really enjoyed reading this book and seeing the many Christian undertones present. My favorite aspect of the book was the great-grandmother being a "guide" for young Irene. Every young child needs a person that can be their role-model, the one that they learn life's valuable lessons from. As a godly figure, the great-grandmother lives in the attic where only few can see her. As a Godly figure, very few people can see her right away. It takes faith and belief for a person to be able to see the great-grandmother. Her famous claim is "seeing is not believing." I completely agree with that. Just because you can see something doesn't mean you believe in their powers and abilities. This line is also used in the movie The Polar Express. When talking to the little boy about believing in Santa Clause, he is told that "Seeing is not believing." This is important for children to understand, as they need to find their own faith in God. A child needs to believe, not because their parents tell them too, but because they do. God is an important aspect in every persons life, and once a child comes to believe this they can build a strong relationship with him. This resembles the relationship that Irene builds with her great-grandmother, and one that Curdie later comes to find. I liked that many children's books were using this Christianity undertone to teach children the importance of God.

Berenstain Bears!!

For my outside reading book this week, I decided to read one of my favorite children's book series, The Berenstain Bears. I read the The Berenstain Bears and the Missing Dinosaur Bone. This book is one of many in the series by Stan and Jan Berenstain. One of my favorite aspects of the book is that the Bear family lives in this very large tree. As a child, I always wanted to live in a tree. I also like the easy names for each of the characters: Papa Bear, Mama Bear, Brother Bear, Sister Bear, and Baby Bear. It makes it easy for children to remember. In the particular book that I read, Brother Bear and Sister Bear go to the Bear museum to see the new dinosaur exhibit. Detective Bear is there, helping the museum workers because there is a missing bone. Brother Bear and Sister Bear, with the help of their dog Snuff, decide to go out looking for the thief and the missing bone. In true children's book fashion, the children are successful in the knick of time, returning the bone to the exhibit right before it is set to open to the public (while embarking on a series of fun adventures). I know this was one of my favorite stories as a child because I liked when the characters were able to solve mysteries, no matter how big or small. The authors of the Berenstain Bears know exactly what kids want to read and make the stories fun bedtime anecdotes.

Unscramble

Today, I decided to make a word scramble of my favorite authors, children's stories, and characters. Try and crack the scrambled 3o words below.

Unscramble the words below:

1. eIrne________________ Irene

2. aEll________________ Ella

3. leildeaCnr_______________ Cinderella

4. ciAle________________ Alice

5. ymeluuJBd________________ Judy Blume

6. nanrsAhiasestnodCnHri________________ Hans Christian Anderson

7. eneBsaaBnirsret________________ Berenstain Bears

8. ewlilLraCsor________________ Lewis Carroll

9. rlelCeyvreyaB________________ Beverly Cleary

10. oBPitxeretart________________ Beatrix Potter

11. CiGegousuerro________________ Curious George

12. oMGhgodootnin________________ Goodnight Moon

13. oeEils________________ Eloise

14. eusSrsD.________________ Dr. Seuss

15. leStttriLtau________________ Stuart Little

16. eeoGsotoMrh________________ Mother Goose

17. idlettiearMmL________________ Little Mermaid

18. tHryotraePr________________ Harry Potter

19. nguTlastcviekrE________________ Tuck Everlasting

20. zzrifWdoaO________________ Wizard of Oz

21. MbtogCea________________ Meg Cabot

22. lldIaWelarsinugrLa________________ Laura Ingalls Wilder

23. inWTPeeoohnhi________________ Winnie The Pooh

24. tSoltOelc'D________________ Scott O'Dell

25. aPippysnroM________________ Mary Poppins

26. oesueLevSnoosrttbRni________________ Robert Louis Stevenson

27. hTxePlpsarsoEre________________ The Polar Express

28. algemrlisiaryWM________________ Margery Williams

29. rruthA________________ Arthur

30. lLliy________________ Lilly