A Time to Talk

With the advent of spring fast upon us, and the sun hanging longer in the sky each day, I felt this Robert Frost poem very appropriate. It seems no matter what work there is to be done, or what anyone on our block is involved in at any given time, at this time of year there always seems to be time to talk.

A Time to Talk by Robert Frost

When a friend calls to me from the road

And slows his horse to a meaning walk, 

I don't stand still and look around

On all the hills I haven't hoed,

And shout from where I am, What is it?

No, not as there is a time to talk.

I thrust my hoe in the mellow ground, 

Blade-end up and five feet tall, 

And plod: I go up to the stone wall

For a friendly visit.

"Work"

My kids will tell you, with rolled eyes and exasperated sighs, that one of my favorite mantras is "haste makes waste." Both older children have memorized the words, if not the more important idea behind the words.

Imagine my glee when Madeleine and I came across the following poem in our grammar text this morning. How many times can I recite this poem to the kids before the eye rolling and exasperated sighs start accompanying it?

"Work"
Anonymous

Work while you work,
Play while you play;
This is the way
To be happy each day.
All that you do,
Do with your might;
Things done by halves
Are never done right.

First Grade Wrap-Up (almost)

The end of the school year is always so, so busy, and most of what Madeleine's class, and tangentially me, are busy with never seems really academic. That's acceptable though, since I'm a pretty laid back kinda gal. I'd rather they just be plain done with school two weeks earlier but, in place of that, I think the roller skating, various parties for this and that and trips to Dairy Queen seem reasonable.

I've been fortunate enough to be able to chaperon two field trips this month, volunteer at their class picnic, attend their class poetry party and walk along with the class to Dairy Queen. It's been busy, but it's been fun.

Some highlights follow.

First, Madeleine's class Poetry Party, featuring original compositions. Madeleine wants to compose her own post featuring her original poem though, so it won't be featured tonight since, as I write this, it's past the future Poet Laureate's bedtime.

The walk to Dairy Queen. Even messy Hank (see the ice cream all over his face?) and tired Elisabeth (she fell asleep in her stroller) got to tag along on this adventure. It was well over ninety degrees and humid the day Madeleine's class set forth and the ice cream seemed to begin melting before the first graders reached for the sticky cones from the Dairy Queen employee. However, after depleting Dairy Queen of its 2007 napkin supply, all was well.


We're almost there; the school year is almost over. They have today and Monday left, and then summer. It's been a fun year, but who doesn't look forward to lazy days of summer?