Books for Kids!

The book Horton Hatches the Egg is a classic that I'm sure you all spent time reading over and over again when you were younger. It is a classic Dr. Seuss read, and if you didn't read it growing up then what were you doing with your childhood? The book follows the story of an elephant who sits on the nest of a bird with eggs inside while the mother bird, Mayzie, frolics around Palm Beach, Florida for a vacation getaway. So, Horton sits on the egg for an entire year and when Mayzie finally comes home a bitter custody battle breaks out. The egg hatches and is actually an elephant-bird, a cross between the two animals. This story takes place in the jungle. I would recommend it for children ages 6-10, because it is a rather long read for a children's book and does include some larger words. However the story does include lots of humor and rhymes to follow along with.

Childhood Questions

1. The most important figure I had in my life growing up throughout my childhood was my mom, and she still is to this day. I have always admired how she handles herself in situations, how independent and honest she is, and how unconditionally she loves me. She has helped shape me into the person I am today and I have taken after her in many ways. She has been my biggest blessing and greatest role model throughout my life so far and will continue to be for the rest of my life.
2. If I was granted 24 hours of my adulthood life to be child again I would spend it outside again for the entire day playing with my sister and all the neighborhood kids. This was a time period when there was absolutely nothing to worry about except for what game we were going to play next. In return, if I was granted 24 hours of my childhood life to be and adult for a day I would spend it going out and doing everything that requires independence in adulthood life, because I remember that being what I wanted so desperately when I was a child: independence.
3. When I was younger a "family fun night" consisted of going to Incredible Pizza. We would always go eat pizza and then play games for hours afterwards. Then we would spend way too long standing in the prize line for some cheap little prize that would probably break in less than 20 minutes. But for some reason this was always something special my sister and I would look forward to, because it was not something we got to do very often.
4. A cartoon from my childhood that I spent way too much time watching was Tom and Jerry. I would sit in front of the box t.v. in the living room on the floor with my blanket and just laugh and laugh and laugh at every episode of Tom and Jerry that would air. I don't know why I thought it was so funny, but I did for some reason, and my mom would just laugh at me for laughing so hard at Tom and Jerry. If it were to be made into a blockbuster movie now I would probably go watch it for nostalgic purposes and to just give me a little dose of my childhood again.
5. One time I had this birthday party at the park in my hometown, it was my fifth birthday. All of my friends and family came and the adults grilled hamburgers and hot dogs while all the kids ran and played around at the park. This is one of my favorite birthday memories.
   

Inspired by Hopper

Nighthawks

This painting reminds me of late night adventures to Steak n' Shake with my best friends in the summer. The people in this painting are in a cafe shop with very few people in it and it appears to be late at night. There is no roaming traffic outside the window and everything is moving at very slow pace. Much like those night I spent at Steak n' Shake at midnight with my friends. Just sitting up there and talking for hours about life and everything in between. I imagine the smell of waffles, hash browns, and coffee feeling this cafe shop. I imagine quiet, muted conversations between the few groups and couples in the cafe that late. I imagine the sound of rushed waiters and waitresses in the midst of their jobs, the sound of glasses and plate hitting against one another. All of these are things I experience when spending late nights dining with my best friends.

Window Poem

Straight ahead I see
the open road, endless and straight,
a setting sun covering the sky,
and signs giving directions to my next adventure.

To my left I see
bright green trees,
hitchhikers strolling down the asphalt,
and rocks lining the road.

Something is different today,
the sky is dark and gloomy,
the sun didn't set today.

Always pondering out
that car window.

I look out the window and see
auburn, crisp leaves falling,
the harsh air fogging up my window.

Looking harder ahead I see
a split in the road,
two directions.
Which way should I go?

Artist Profile: Pablo Ruiz Picasso

Pablo Ruiz Picasso

Pablo Picasso was born October 21,1881 in Malaga, Spain to the parents Don Jose Ruiz Picasso and Dona Maria Picasso y Lopez. His father was an art teacher and also Picasso's life long teacher throughout his life. His mom stayed at home and took care of the house and family. Picasso never received much schooling while growing up. His father taught him almost everything he knew. However, Picasso did attend Barcelona's School of Fine Arts for a short while before dropping out and roaming the streets of Spain painting on his own. Something many people may not know about Picasso, or find shocking, is that he was an incorrigible womanizer. Throughout his life, Picasso had two marriages, but he also shared in many affair, girlfriends, and flings throughout the span in his life as well. His first wife was Olga Khokhlova and his second wife was Jacqueline Roque.

Pablo Picasso did not live an easy life. Throughout the course of his life he underwent many struggles that shaped  him into the man he was. At a young age, Picasso experienced the death of one of his close friends, Carlos Casagemas. This is what led Picasso into his depression stage. He suffered from severe depression and this is what inspired his Blue Period of artwork. After recovering from this severe depression, he later experienced the loss of his second wife, Jacqueline Roque, to suicide.

Despite, all of Picasso's struggles and set backs he still managed to create some of the most famous art pieces to this day. Several of these pieces include: Blue Nude, Two Nudes, and Card Player. Picasso's work still resides in the hearts of many today and his work will forever have a lasting impact.

Inspired by Your Artist

Girl Before A Mirror

By: Pablo Picasso

The classic story we all want:

To love

and to be loved.

But, how are you seen through your lover's eyes?

Love is the timeless story that will never grow old,

and let's hope it never does.

If you take away the feeling of love, 

then what are you living for?

Everybody deserves to love 

and to be loved by somebody.

Three Musicians

By: Pablo Picasso

Three old time friends,

different upbringings,

different personalities.

All strung together into three

life long best friends.

Bound together 

by their passion for music.

Strumming,

humming,

and rhyming

building a friendship through the rhymes of music.

Newspaper Headlines

Missouri State swimming and diving reclaims conference championship

This title of the newspaper sticks out to me because I swam for seven years up until this year. So it was a huge part of my life for so long. I swam for Missouri State Aquatics before transferring over to the Drury Swim Aquatics Program and then transferring to the Kickapoo High School swim team and swimming at school. I made so many close friends throughout the course of the years that I swam and only quit swimming due to the amount of time it took up. Swimming competitively is very time consuming and I made the tough decision to quit my senior year because I wouldn't to make time for all my friends and family that are close to me before we all part ways and grow up and start our own journeys. I knew those would be the memories that I looked back and valued over my swim memories that I already had 7 years worth of.