one of the best parts of spending my days teaching
is hearing all the fantastical tales
that spring from the kinder
with their open eyes and open hearts.
—
image credit: nicolette sowder, wilderchild
May13
Category Archives: imagination
Apr20
finding sprinkles.
how lucky am i to find this downtown, on a walk on a beautiful day?
—
“i’m well aware. a world without rainbow sprinkles is a world without happiness.”
-l.m. augustine
Dec15
unicorn license.
A girl named Madeline, with a vivid imagination and remarkable awareness of how bureaucracy can dash dreams, got her wish when she asked Los Angeles animal control authorities for a license to own a unicorn — if she’s able to find one.
The first-of-its-kind permit came with strings attached, however: The mythical creature must be provided ample exposure to sunlight, moonbeams and rainbows and have its horn polished at least once a month with a soft cloth.
Director Marcia Mayeda of the county Department of Animal Care and Control sent the girl a heart-shaped, rose-colored metal tag with “Permanent Unicorn License” emblazoned on it, along with a white fuzzy unicorn doll with pink ears, purple hooves and a silver horn.
The department’s response came after the girl wrote it a brief letter last month: “Dear LA County, I would like your approval if I can have a unicorn in my backyard if I can find one.”
Mayeda commended the girl for her “sense of responsible pet ownership to seek permission in advance” and for thoughtfully considering “the requirements of providing a loving home to animals.”
Its five conditions for unicorn ownership also require that any sparkles or glitter sprinkled on the animal be nontoxic and biodegradable, and that it be fed watermelon at least once a week.
—
“reason is the natural order of truth; but imagination is the organ of meaning.”
-C. S. Lewis
—
credits: los angeles county animal care and control, AP
May18
invisible.
i can identify with this little one
when i was a child
i believed
when i had
my sunglasses on
no one could see me
now, i’m left wondering…
—
“vision is the art of seeing what is invisible to others.”
-jonathan swift
May7
everything.
i have never seen a better radioactive spider in my life.
—
“everything you can imagine is real”
-pablo picasso
Apr13
flavors.
this ice cream store features every flavor on earth.
and maybe the universe.
and they never run out of anything.
and it’s all free.
—
“you can pour melted ice cream on regular ice cream. It’s like a sauce!”
-chris pratt
Nov23
rapunzel reimagined.
not to be outdone
after one of his classmates
dramatically hung her long braid down from the tower
declaring she was rapunzel
ih decided he wanted to be rapunzel too
dramatically hanging his bangs down from the tower
declaring he was rapunzel
and it’s true
you can never have too many rapunzels.
Oct13
monsters.
something is reaching under my door…………
—
“imagination creates some big monsters.”
-olivier martinez
Feb25
dinos in snow.
today we took the dinos
out of their safety zone and into the snow
they went
in the playhouse
down the slide
in the hollow log
in the sandbox
climbed up
jumped down
made footprints and snow angels
roamed on dinosaur island
played tag
went to a party
loved the snow
they all had a such a good time and were worn out.
“my son’s always showing me pictures of dinosaurs and asking me what their names are.
i don’t know, so i make stuff up:
that, son is a thesaurus.”
-craig ferguson
Feb23
common ground.
my class has recently become enamored with a giant box of dinos
they play with them every day
create wildly imaginative scenarios
ask questions about real dinos
reassure me that the ones in our room are not real
one day when playing, a child asked
“would they wear masks if they were alive now?”
another jumped up to say
“never, ever, ever, ever, try to put a mask on a t-rex!!!!”
and an instant class book was born
what a brilliant title
others jumped in to offer reasons why you shouldn’t try to mask one
brainstorming was in full swing
some became illustrators
it is a fascinating and funny work in progress.
dinos may have left the earth forever, but books will never die.
—
“stories are the common ground that allow people to connect, despite all our defenses and all our differences.”
-kate forsyth
I didn't have my glasses on.... 