Splish, Splash

Tyler is really interested in the environment, and especially water. Because of this, he has started his own blog about water issues. I’ve added it to my blog list, or you can go here. It’s probably a good idea, so maybe I can understand some of these important issues. At least one of us does.

This has also been the inspiration for my poem of the week. Enjoy!

Water, water everywhere.
To disappear would be a scare.
Everyday I drink and drink.
To turn off the tap I never think.
The water flows out without a care,
Not realizing it might not be there.

In a bottle I shouldn’t buy,
The reason— I’m not sure why.
“30 minutes on a treadmill,
Forever in a landfill.”
It’s a shame that I waste,
But I just love the taste.

Everyone has a part to play,
To ensure our water doesn’t go away.
Nalgene© bottles are a place to start,
And to stop buying Fiji© would be smart.
Don’t spend so much time in the shower.
Try ten minutes, instead of an hour.

If we all do our part to conserve,
We will have water left in the reserve.

Cross 'em

Tyler has an official interview in Boise tomorrow, for a job at the Senator’s office in Idaho Falls.

So…

I Secretly Love Fall (Not Summer)

I look out the window and what do I see?
Leaves are falling off of every tree.
Red and yellow and orange and brown.
The leaves are falling all over the town.
I see people running into every store,
To buy decorations and pumpkins galore.
Pumpkin pies were made,
In leaves the children played.
I hope that summer doesn’t feel too betrayed.

I look out the window and what do I see?
My neighbors bringing pumpkin treats for me!
I open up my closet to take out my coat,
If I see snowflakes I might slit my throat.
I walk down the steps and off to the park.
As I arrive I hear playful dogs bark.
On the leaves I laid,
The trees around me swayed,
I hope that summer doesn’t feel too betrayed.

Hmm...

Dear Janae, This is your stomach speaking. I suppose congratulations are in order for doing well on the MAT test today, but I cannot condone this course of action you are taking. Getting a masters degree WILL only cause you more ulcers. I know you have your own reasons for getting it, but I highly recommend you quit before I explode. But, then again, you are your own woman. Sincerely, Your Stomach.

Dear Stomach, I don’t care what you say. We can handle this. I will try not to get so stressed about it, and eat healthier. Sorry. Wish me luck. Sincerely, Janae

Number 1

So I started a goal to write one poem a week, in order to keep my creativity and rhyming skills fresh. Here is the first of many. I won’t necessarily post them all, but since this is number one…it’s more special.

Penelope and Pete loved to eat.
They devoured every single treat.
Everyday they would eat, laugh, and sing,
Without knowing one simple thing:
Eating all day can quickly make
You 300 pounds! Without mistake.
All of the sudden, before their eyes,
Penelope and Pete had doubled in size!
They made a vow on that horrific day,
To put all the candies and chocolates away.

23? Not me. 24? For sure.

I am finally back from work and school…let the birthday celebration begin!!


Wait…what’s that you say? I have to go to bed, so I can be rested enough to teach bratty six-year-olds all day tomorrow?

Oh…crap.



Well, at least I got some flowers to show for it...
(Okay, and some new clothes, perfume, dinner, etc.)

Fall Into Books

Yesterday, I attended a Workshop at BYU-I called “Fall Into Books”. It was awesome! They had two Keynote speakers and then various mini workshops for authors, illustrators, teachers, parents, and teens.

The Keynotes were Chris Crowe, an author and BYU Professor, and Brett Helquist, an illustrator best known for illustrating A Series of Unfortunate Events. I really enjoyed Chris’ presentation. As you may or may not know, I have written two children’s books that I am hoping to get published. So I went to this as an aspiring author, as opposed to a teacher. Anyway, he shared a lot of the lessons he has learned along the way to becoming an author. One that impacted me the most was that “there are no excuses for not writing”. I get so busy and always seem to put off something that I love to do. It can take years to get a book published, even after being accepted by a publisher, so I might as well continue writing my future great books while I wait!

Sam Beeson is a high school teacher and children’s book author and he presented one of the workshops. He told us that he has written a poem a day since 2006, just to keep practicing. What a great goal! I don’t think I can do a poem a day, but I’m going to try to write (and maybe even post) one a week. Some will be terrible, and some might turn into a great story.

I bought these two books





to help me get through the publishing process a well as a few children’s books to add to my library. The first one tells you all the places you can send your manuscripts, what types of books they like, how they pay you, etc. I’m anxious to get these books and really make this dream of mine happen! I left this conference feeling so inspired and excited.

"Books fall open, you fall in, delighted where you've never been; hear voices not once heard before, reach world on world through door on door; find unexpected keys to things locked up beyond imaginings. What might you be, perhaps become, because one book is somewhere? Some wise delver into wisdom, wit, and wherewithal has written it. True books will venture, dare you out, whisper secrets, maybe shout across the gloom to you in need, who hanker for a book to read."
~ David McCord