Sometimes I write poetry

I used to write a lot. I had various nicknames in high school that referenced my affinity for poetry (and Edgar Allan Poe) and that's perhaps why one of Sissy's nicknames is Poe (although I'm the only one that calls her that... I'm the only one that calls her a lot of things and now that I think about it, the poor child has a ridiculous number of nicknames.)

Anyway, I wrote a poem about Griffin and you can find a link to it here as it's on my 'author' blog and not my 'mommy' blog. Since the poem is about the wee babe (say that with a Scottish accent) I figured it belonged on both blogs.

Briefly speaking of the novel, I haven't written anything since mid-November in spite of my personal pledge to write over break. While I could probably use the gallbladder surgery as an excuse as to why I didn't write a word, it's actually because I had forgotten I'd started a novel in the first place. Oops.

It will be finished one day. Just not any day soon. This now gives me the opportunity to say "Oh yes, I'm in the process of writing a novel" at parties, which is something I've always wanted to say. Not really. But now I CAN say it, so I will. Apparently one of my New Years Resolutions was to become a pretentious bit *ahem* person.

Poetry has been on my mind recently because Monday begins my student's poetry project (woot!) and this year I've titled it "Rodgers' Ridiculous Rhyming Requirement" although only one poem requires rhyme. I like alliteration.

The students have to write a free verse, ode, and a poem using a rhyme scheme (of their choice). Each poem has secondary requirements like alliteration, allusion, assonance, symbol, metaphor, etc. It basically gives them the opportunity to create/work with the lit devices I've been teaching them since the beginning of the school year. Sounds fun, right? It all culminates in a 9th grade-wide poetry SLAM which is actually (hopefully) going to take place between all 9th grade English classes. Fun?? Yes!

And for more fun, here's a short list of all the names I have for Penelope:
Pen, Poe, Miss, Miss Moo, Sissy, Squishy, Squisherella (think Cinderella), Delpi, Sweets, Lovey, Squisher-oo, Baby Girl, Girl Child, Robot Pen, and Princess Pea.

There are probably more.

Here are Griffin's: G, G-Funk, Dude, Bubs, Sir Bubs-a-Lot, Bubby, Bubba, Boy Child, Griffideon, Baby Bubs (used around my brother, since my brother is Big Bubs), Duders.

Here's Bryan's: B

Poor Bryan. I need more names for him.