Valentine's Day

Dear Dad,          
           I can't even begin to explain how thankful I am to have you as a father. Not every kid has a dad who does as much for them as you do for me. Whenever I need to go somewhere you drive me, when I need help with homework you drop what you're doing to make sure I figure it out. You spoil me all the time even when you get mad for all the things I buy. You're my number one fan. You always have been and you always will be. When I get nervous for a soccer game I look over to the crowd and there you are, standing off to the side because you don't like sitting with all the loud and obnoxious parents. You just enjoy watching me play. I think about some of my friends and how hard their parents are on them especiallly if they play bad. Then I realize: wow my dad would never do that to me. Even if I messed up every single play and didn't do one thing right the whole game I know you would just say "It's okay buddy, you'll get 'em next time." I never stop or take a minute to realize all the little things you do for me everyday that make a huge difference. Sometimes I don't even realize how much of a difference just supporting me and loving me can make. Thank you for being such an incredible father. I love you.

                                                                                                          Love, Lauren
                                                                                       

Time passes as night blooms

Night Blooms, Day Withers

Time passes as night blooms.
The minutes tick down
until blackness.
The world becomes quiet and
mysterious.
A gloomy presence fills the air.

Time passes as day withers.
The seconds tick down
until the sun descends
below the horizon.
I squint to see the tiny glimpse of light
as it disappears.

Time passed as night bloomed.
The stars gleam in the charcoal sky.
The night critters creep out
from behind the shadows.
Sounds of crickets in the distance.
Fireflies speckle the air.

Time passed as day withered.
The moon shines in place of the sun.
Animals take shelter in their homes
as they vanish for the night.
Everything is peaceful while we sleep
until day blooms.

Comic Connection

I chose this comic because I can't wait for summer. I'm definately not a winter person at all other than the holidays, going skiing and having snow days. I love absoluetly everything about summer and those are the only few things I enjoy about winter. During winter I just count down the days until it gets warmer outside and the days get longer. I feel like an animal going into hibernation in winter. I barely go outside or go to different places unlike summer when I'm always outside and never home. In summer everything seems more lively and bright but in winter it's always dark and dull. I want to live in south when I grow up and have a family there. I love going on vacation to Myrtle Beach and Florida I think it would be incredible to live there. Being so close to a warm beach would make me the happiest person on the planet. I don't think I want to go south for college, though because I want to be able to come home and see my family and friends. I don't know what will happen in the future or if I'll ever end up living down south. Life doesn't ever follow a plan but I hope one day it will happen.

Pep Talk

Go for it.

I think this applies to my life because when I'm making a decision and It's really hard for me to choose one way or the other I think to myself: go for it. I always realize I get mad at myself whenever I don't do something because I was unsure or a little nervous about it. I used to be terrified of rollercoasters but one day me and all my friends went to an amusement park together. I was really nervous because all the rides looked huge and frightening. My friends all rushed over to get in line. They urged me to come with with them. I was about to say no when I thought "just go for it." I would never know if I liked it or not until I tried it. I knew I would regret never going on one so I agreed to go with them. I was shaking the whole time we were in line but once the rollercoaster started it was incredibly fun! I couldn't believe how much I enjoyed it and afterwards I was the first person to shout "let's do it again!" Ever since then I've loved rollercoasters. I would've never known that if I didn't go for it. The same thing happened this year with trying out a new sport. Soccer is my main sport but this year my friend urged me to do lacrosse. I wasn't sure because I have never played so I didn't think I would be good or be able to make the team. Then I decided to go for it. I started playing with my friend and I'm getting better and I plan on trying out in march for the school team. I'm sure it will be a great experience. So that's my motto. Go for it.

TU Tuesday

http://www.timesunion.com/default/article/Rooting-for-N-Y-by-default-2848740.php

"This is the biggest pizza day in America. On Super Sunday, we consume more pizza than the nations of Italy, Greece and Romania did from the 15th century to the 18th century." Hyperbole: An obvious exaggeration or overstatement

"But the Super Bowl has become a weeklong holiday for those going, and people generally prefer their resort venues to be, you know, NOT SO COLD. Just play the game in San Diego or New Orleans or Biosphere 2, for crying out loud. P.S. Say hello to East Rutherford for Super Bowl 48 in February 2014!" Style: How the author uses words, phrases and sentences to form their ideas. The qualities and characteristics that make them different from other writers.

 

"Madonna — yes, the ageless Madonna — will be Super Bowl 46's halftime entertainment. Time always stops on Super Sunday. If Gypsy Rose Lee were still alive, she'd be doing the coin toss at Super Bowl 47." Tone: The overall feeling created by a writers use of words (serious, humerous etc.)

              In Norman Chad's atricle "Rooting for New York by Default" he uses figureative language in a very unique way. He uses sarcasim and humor to make his readers laugh and entertain them with his writing. This article was about the upcoming superbowl and his thoughts on it in a funny and sarcastic way. "By the way, the Super Bowl referee will be John Parry. Thankfully, no Ed Hochuli — his explanations alone would push Super Sunday into Big Monday." You can definately get a sense of who he is as a person from the tone of the piece. He is an entertainer, he wants to make his readers laugh and enjoy his article. He doesn't seem concerned about offending anyone because he makes many jokes. "Apparently, these Patriots run a no-huddle offense off the field as well. The quarterback (Tom Brady) is married to a supermodel.

The wide receiver (Wes Welker) is engaged to a former Miss Hooters International. The tight end (Rob Gronkowski) hangs out with an adult film star. I guess that's why they're called "skill positions." His humor makes the article light and comical.

Original Poems III

Mundane
Pen

I stare at you
as you sit there
in my hand,
unmoving.
I wish you would move,
wish you would write.
I am at a loss for words.
You're supposed to help me out,
you're supposed to know what to say
when I can't find words.
I'm waiting for you to fly across the page
with an amazing story left for me.
I'm waiting for you to come up with something
creative and original.
I wait and wait but you do not move.
Not until I tell you to.

Concrete
Apple

I

take a bite. The juice dribbles onto

my tongue, rolling over my taste buds

while they tingle and explode from the

flavor. It’s the perfect combination of

crunchy from the skin and soft from

the inside. The sweetness delights

me. I savor every bite I take, not

eating too fast otherwise it will

be gone too soon. The color

is a perfect red, like a

christmas red.

Springboard Poem

Explore

I want to explore the world.

I wish I could go wherever, whenever.

I need to experience life outside of my home.

I hope to see Europe, South America and Australia.

I feel trapped in a tiny town, when theres so much more to see.

I yearn to find exotic places, people and animals.

I crave adventure.

I imagine myself on a beach in Greece,or a castle in England or a temple in Egypt.

I long to meet new people and see new faces.

I will visit all these places one day.

I am going to adventure and explore no matter what.

I can't wait to see where life takes me.

Original Poems II

William Carlos Poem
Free

I watch the bird
swiftly
gliding through air

Spreading its wings
as it floats
with the clouds.

Free as can be
soaring,
becoming one with the sky.

I wish I could be free
like the bird
as it flys through space.

Memory Poem
Those days

Sometimes I wish we could go back
to those days when everything was easy.
When we would walk down to the pond
and look for garden snakes
because back then we weren't afraid of anything.
We would spend the whole day there.
Just enjoying being young
without a care in the world.
Our parents would come get us
when dusk rolled around.
Their faces would light up
when we showed them our new friend
and the home we made for it.
I wish we could go back
to those days
and those memories
we spent together.

Ladder
Storm

Thunder
Lightning strikes
The rain pounds
Banging on the roof
But then it sloes down
Soft taps calm me
The clouds part
Drifting away
Slowly