Kids Stuff

While I was younger, I grew up with all the latest fads from the 90's. The below list includes all those fashionable items that kids craved. It ranges from food, cartoons, movies, toys, and so forth. The kids of today have changesd drastically compared to what we considered great.

1. Bobby's World


2. Skip it


3. Kool Aid


4. Lion King


5. looney toons


6. super soakers

7. hungry hungry hippo


8. yo yos


9. Pixie Sticks


10. tom and jerry


On the opposing side, this is what kids like nowadays.
1. High School Musical


2. Hannah Montana


3. McDonald's


4.family guy


5. video games


There is soo much more to add to this list but the differences are amazing,. Kids now days are more glue to the tv, either eating or seating in front of the tv playing video games.

Imagination

Imagination is a creative mind that we feed with different aspects of life. They are aspects of life that can not happen in reality. As children, we create castles, ships, fortresses, and so much more that we will never be able to obtain. Why is that when people get older they lose their imagination? Imagination is how we can let our dreams come true. Dreams that are impossible but seem quite delightful. Imagination serves children's happiness in to seeing the beuaty of life rather than the harsh realities of the real world. When I was younger, things felt happier, filled more with color. But once you enter your adult stages of life that color slowly is disappears. You are now stuck with the realities of life which is sad to say. Where is our imagination and where does it go? Could we blame the TV for destroying our childhood? Or do we blame ourselves for becoming close minded about things that exists in our mind? Imagination. Where would we be if there wasn't anyone there to feed our minds with our new worlds? Where will the children be when all imagination is taken away? We have to start now and allow the children to play, create, act silly, and jusst be a kid. There is always time to grow up and become an adult, but there will never be a time to go back to childhood. Imagine. Create. Believe.

Poems

Poems can be of any topic, which are so easy to grasp. They could be filled with non sense, lyrics, a story, or anything of that sort. Poems for children, however, tend to focus on the joy in life like Robert Louis Stevenson's poems. However there are those who focus more of the gloominess in life like Christina Rossetti's poems. Poems of all sort serve some purpose as to why it is written. They are the voice for the poets who use this artful skill to write a poem that reaches out to everyone. It is wonderful to see that nature, creature that do not exist, people who go on journeys, and so much more, can exist within one poem. Poems are indeed great.

Horton Hears a Who

Recently, I saw the move Horton hears A who, which brought a new way of seeing things. As a kid's story, it teaches the young that individualism is okay, standing for what you believe should not be used against you, and imagination only brings about creativity. With the hilarious, Horton, and his belief that he does hear a voice on a tiny speck, he takes on a journey in search for a safe place to put the flower, which the speck resides. Horton now has the role as the protector for he controls whether or not this community survives. Although only Horton can hear the voices, he believes even though the other animals believe he is mad. The movie had a great moral that was very much touching in the sense that no matter if people do not seem to be visible to one person that doesn't mean that they shouldn't receive equal treatment. In a way, I saw as social justice. The Kangaroo representing the government of people and the Who's representing the small voice of the people who are not heard. Horton is extremely well fitted for a good family night at the movies.

Nasty Endings

Nasty Endings By Dennis Pepper
This tale of horror stories with twisted endings and filled with ghosts, ghouls, and spirits embeds delusions we all fear as children. However, at the same time, we just can not get enough of these horrific tales. It is a collection of tales by Roald Dahl, Ray Bradbury, T.H. White, John Christopher and many more well known authors. There are stories that include weird sweet shops, deadly coffins, real lions in the nursery, and other weird supernatural beings. Nast Endings, as the title may have it, is indeed filled with surprises that will catch the reader off guard and completely awestricken by the strange endings that occur. The collection gathered by Dennis Pepper is the type of tales that are chilling and eerie, but a wonderful reading for the younger audience and entertaining those willing to read on a dark and rainy night.

Joyous days

Chocolate bunnies, Easter eggs
little colored Peeps
a whole day of Easter is on its way.

Children have egg hunts and play
in their sunday church clothes.
Laughter and joy fill the sunday afternoon
as sugar rushes through.
Easter is on its way.

Singing songs together
in a peaceful way
Here comes Peter Cotton tail
surely he will read a tale

Sun is glistening high above
clouds are whiter than a dove
Easter is today!

Easter, Easter hear me mister
Easter is today
Today, today we shall play
Today, today is the day
Easter is today

A child's Ambition Begins at an Early Age

My little cousin, 2 years old, jams out to a popular spanish rock band, Mana. At this age, he possesses a strong passion for music and uses the shoe swatter,depicted in the video as a guitar. Could it be that children know what their passions are, their desires, what they are going to feel strongly towards in years to come? At two years old, everyday he asks my mom for the DVD. It may sound something like this "Mana, Put on Mana." Mom says, "No more Mana. We already watched it three times." My little cousin says, "Mana!" Mom puts in DVD and time after time the same response. He begins dancing around, playing his own version of a guitar, and singing along to the lyrics which he has remembered by heart. It is funny to watch as he makes his expressions and you can see he loves the music with its rythyms and beats, crafted lyrics, and beating drums. Sometimes I forget that this little boy, only 2 years old is even two. I remember asking him one time, "so do you like mana." His response was "I love it!" He cracks me up everytime and to see his desire and ambitions towards music makes me feel completely ambitious in what I do.

What is the Message?

Subliminal Messages Last semester, I took a Psychology class and we talked about subliminal messages found within music, movies, and advertisement. So for a while, I spent a great deal of time looking up banned cartoons that were knocked off air due to the content of the show. In Popeye, during a time when WWII was going on, the stereotypical image of Japanese soldiers were portrayed in this banned cartoon featuring Bluto and Popeye. “I am in the army now” is what is called. Disney also features a few clips that relates to the Sigmund Freud’s idea of sexuality. Children may not seem to notice the hidden messages found inside of all of the shows they may watch, but is evidently visible especially when you begin to pay closer attention. If only you could see how marketers strike the youth, you may begin to wonder if the decisions your own children make is in fact their own or the works of all those changing or shaping the minds of your children.

Scandinavian Legends and Folktales

Book 8
Title: Scandinavian Legends and Folktales [Hali Becomes a Poet]
Author: Gwyn Jones
Picture Book? (Yes or no): No
Posting date and/or number: March 10, 2008

Hali becomes a poet introduces the story that is set in Iceland. Hali is a young man who wishes to write a poem for one of the greatest poets in the land but as he tries to write even one sentence he fails time and time again. One night he is driven to sleep, but is visited by Thorleif, the poet, who tells him the ways of being a poet. He gives him a verse to remember and tells him to remember the verse and he will be granted honor through out the land if not Thorleif would still praise him for he tried to contribute something to his memory. As Hali wakes up, he begins to write the verse he heard with passion and he is given honor and wealth like Thorleif promised him. The story is a Scandinavian tale that allows the reader to enter a new realm of thoughts and ides that sweep the story. However, like many other stories it is through dreams that inspire the mind to think outside the box and create something unique.

What to do to Educate your Own Children

I have thought of having my own kids time and time again. Although it may not be now, I do know that when I do have children, I want them to have all the knowledge that I can provide for them. Here is a list of all the fun ways, which I hope to teach my kids, not just educationally, but with morals and values attached.

Playing School- Playing school before they are in school will help them expect what they are going to experience in the real world. By getting a chalk board a few lesson plans such as one focused on counting, alphabets, etc, it would allow them to have a better understanding of the way things are like.

Word of the Day- By showing my children a larger vocabulary, it will benefit them essentially. I hope to create picture images, draw a picture with the word and the action of the word. For example if the word was Courage I could provide a symbol that gives an image for the definition. (for courage it could show a fist held tightly)

Reading- I would read to my children by vividly enacting the parts of the books or become the character. :)

Going to the Zoo- By going to the zoo, I would be able to teach them the various types of animals that exist as well as provide a fun fact that they can know about the animal. For example: Do you know the difference between a centipede and a millipede? One has 100 feet which is what centi means and milli means 1000.

Buying educational Videos- I would let them watch the videos and then question them about what they saw. "Where did (insert character name) go?"


I have numerous teaching techniques that would explore their minds and allow them to learn everything necessary in expanding their horizons. It is just a great way to learn not only about them but about myself. To have kids that look up to you for advice and knowledge is just amazing.

Monsters

Raise you hands above your head
Scream your lungs out right in bed
Mom is watching every move
As you try to prove

monsters! monsters! in the closet
Mom kisses you on the cheek
says good night honey you need your sleep
Lights go off what do you see
The dark dim moonlight creeping in
Scritch! Scratch! of the tree
leaning against my window pane
Whish! goes the wind in the midst of the night

Closet opens slowly apart
AAAAHHH!! I scream please end the fright
Mom comes back back in, we are at the start
Honey she says there is nothing there

the closet opens, out pops a monster
Green, hideous, a little bit tiny
It is all so whiny
Mom grabs a shoe
Puts it over the monster and Splat!
just like that
Worries over now at last

Good night Sweety there is nothing to fear
Lights go out
What do I see
Darkness, darkness all about
Mom forgot about the monster, monster under the bed!
But I lay down, count to three
monster, monsters are just all in my head

Princess and the Goblin

Darkness versus the Light

The Princess and the Goblin is a story of a young girl’s journey through a search of her spiritual maturity. The grandmother and the goblins are very significant figures in the book. The grandmother who shines her bright light that leads her pigeons home represent the light, the spiritual guidance that Irene looks upon when she feels lost and afraid. The faith and belief she has developed guides her through the caves in search of Curdie. Curdie and Lootie who do not believe are not able to see the grandmother. The concept mentioned in class about “seeing is believing” fits in part with religion where some people must have idols or a statue with the religious figure in order to worship. However, the grandmother states that as long as you believe then you are able to see. There is no need to see everything all the time but you must believe that it is there and only then will you be able to see. At one point in the story Irene starts to think of Grandmother as only a dream in which this case she is unable to find her when she climbs the stairs. To understand the search of spiritual guidance in Irene’s adventure helps the reader interpret the necessity it is for her. Her grandmother is the light. The goblins on the other hand are the dark, evil underground. They only come out at night and hate the new arts that are mentioned. They represent the darkness that we tend to life like at some points. The darkness leaves us feeling lost and uncertain of what to expect. Could it be that Curdie gets lost in the caves because he has lost his own direction? By Irene leading him out of the cave, she is his light, in some ways. She is the one that helps him find his direction and get through the troubles he faces amongst the goblins. The princess and the Goblins is a story filled with many symbols that take in part of the need for spiritual healing.

Sleeping Ugly

Book 7
Title: Sleeping Ugly
Author: Jane Yolen
Picture Book? (Yes or no): Yes
Posting date and/or number: March 3, 2008

In Jane Yolen’s, “Sleeping Ugly”, the characters in the story are quite at ease. The picture illustration brings a sense of humor to the classical fairy tales and in fact teaches students and children that beauty is not necessarily everything. Like many fairy tales, there is a beautiful princess named Miserella. It is funny because she brings misery upon other people even with all the beauty she has and also it is the opposite of Cinderella who we knew to be kind and helping. Miserella ends up getting lost in the forest because her horse even knows of her badness that she has from within and abandons her. Miserella runs into an old woman where she kicks her foot and demands that she takes her home. The old woman is a fairy who leads her to Plain Jane’s house. Plain Jane is much nicer and kind from within but she lacks the beauty from the outer interior. Eventually due to Plain Jane’s niceness, she is granted three wishes and with that, she uses two wishes to save Princess Miserella from the old fairies magical curses she puts on her. One curse was to make toads fall out of her mouth and the other was turning her foot to cement. After all the fighting and bickering between the fairy and Miserella, the fairy accidentally puts a sleeping curse on all of them, which only a prince can remove by kissing the “sleeping beauty”. The story is quite different from the usual fairy tale but does add a sense of humor and wit to the story, as well as, the good old usual moral, which in this case was to “Let sleeping princesses lie or lying princess’s sleep, whichever seems wisest.” It is in fact a play on words that does get the whole point and adds to the humor of the story.