The Climbing Adventure



Climbing-climbing up the rock
through the woods, my hands are locked
on the rope so prickly-prickly
past the pine tree, tickly-tickly.


Climbing-climbing, higher-higher,
muscles feel like they’re on fire!
Through the dry leaves, rustle-rustle,
feel the wind push, hustle-hustle.


A long long way to the tippity top.
Hold on tight or flippity flop!
One foot here, then one foot there,
(wish steps in rocks were everywhere).


Huffing-puffing but not quite there.
Look out! There’s a grizzly bear!
Shhh-shhh use tippy-toes.
He’s turning now. See, there he goes! 


Uh oh, snakes beside me, sliding-gliding!
Nowhere to go for hiding-hiding!
Danger-danger! I can see
the snakes are slithering after me,


but no, they’re going in the ground
through those holes going down-down
Oh no, growling-growling from behind!
If I turn, what will I find?


A grumpy-grumpy scary thing?
I wish I brought a bell to ring!
It’s getting dark and hard to see
the something else that’s chasing me!


Oh my gosh ... I’m at the top.
I guess for now, I‘ll have to stop.
That was fun, I love pretending ...
but I wish the stairs were never ending!

Mr. 'Tato Head



I am really very angry
and I am very really mad.
I can’t find my happy face,
it’s gone and now I’m sad.


I was playing that dumb game
called Mr. ‘Tato Head,
and my big brother yelled at me.
I don’t like the things he said.


I was sticking in two eyes,
then I found a ‘just right’ nose,
but when I stuck his mouth in
that wasn’t where it goes,


so I pulled the mouth back out
and I stuck it back in … there,
but when I tried to give him ears,
his dumb mouth fell on my chair!


I pushed his mouth in one more time,
then I poked in both his shoes.
(I couldn’t find the purple hat,
but that’s what I always lose).


Then the whole thing fell apart!
Everything came all unhooked!
That’s when my brother yelled at me …
“Dork, ya don’t use a ‘tato that’s cooked!”

Mud Pies



Today I'm cookin' the dinner. 
I’ll use a spoon made of wood 
and I know just how to mix it 
so EVERYthing I cook tastes good. 


I'm smushin' meatloaf but NOT any onions 
and veggies without any beans. 
See how I squished the smashed 'tatoes 
right by the burgers with cheese? 


Next I will make ice cream salad. 
Cookin' dinner is really fun work. 
Here's shovels and buckets of jello 
and marshmallow pies for dessert. 


Uh oh ... it's startin' to rain. 
Now mom will bring me inside ... 
The rain sure is wreckin' my cookin' 
but it will make MORE mud outside!

Ode to Being Five



I made a paper valentine
all red and edged with lace.
And on my paper valentine,
I drew a pretty face.


I painted on two big blue eyes
and then a great big grin
and knew it wouldn't be complete
without a dimpled chin.


I love you, paper valentine
(and just between us two)
I hope someday when I grow up
I'll look as sweet as you.

Belly Buttons



Belly buttons look so funny!
Some have lots of hair.
Some are in and some are out...
just a hole that goes nowhere.

My Brother's Feet



PEW!  My brother's feet are stinky
and he's hard to sit beside!
Mom makes him take his sneakers off
and leave them.  They're outside.


She really shouldn't do that.
It's not something she can hide
'cause he brings the smell right with him
on his socks and feet inside.


EWW!  That smell is really awful!
His feet must be nearby.
Gee, my brother isn't home now...
oh my gosh, it's mine!

A Monster in My House!


There's a monster in my house.
It came in a great big box.
Mommy says it isn't so,
but something ate my socks.


I used to have a full sock drawer,
with red ones and some blue.
I even had some white ones,
'cause I wear white socks, too.


There's a monster in my house.
It came in a great big box
and I must make it angry
or it wouldn't eat my socks.


It lives around here somewhere.
(whisper)
Shhhh!  I hope it's not around
'cause if you ever wake it up,
it makes such awful sounds.


Most times, it says, "Yum-YUM! Yum-YUM!"
Sometimes, it just goes "swish",
but I know it eats my socks up
without a spoon or dish.


Mom says they're underneath the bed
or spread around the floor,
but the monster must have burped them there
when she opened up the door.


There's a monster in my house.
It came in a great big box.
Mom says it's just the washer ...
but it's a monster that eats my socks!

Chicken Pox



Today I had a fever
and I didn't feel so good.
Daddy took me to the doctor
to get me better if he could.


The doctor looked at me and said,
"It's only Chicken Pox."
...how come there's such a fancy name
for plain old itching dots?