Point of View "Fill in the Blanks" Poem

Spencer was given an assignment to fill in the blanks of this Poem from an animals point of view. His words are the words written in green.

I'm a nice dog, a small dog, a good dog, playing catch.
I'm a trained dog, a friendly dog, a smart dog playing fetch.
I'm a quite dog, an active dog, an outgoing dog, to let.
I love to sleep and I'm a good dog to keep as a pet.

I'll never be a big dog, a bad dog, a mean dog, a mad dog.
Being bad is not for me, I'm a good dog, not bad.
But other dogs are bad and mean and mad.

This was a very difficult assignment for Spencer. He said several times, that he thought it would be easier to just write his own poem. He felt very confined by the words that were given to him and did not like the rhythm of the poem. In the end I think it was a good exercise for him. And aside from the "to let" portion (because he simply COULD NOT think of anything made sense so he decided to at least make it rhymn) I think he did very well.

Strategy

I’ve come up with a strategy impossible to beat,
A person with this strategy you’ll never want to meet.
I’ve come up with a strategy and this time I will win,
I‘ve come up with a strategy now let the game begin.

I’ve come with a strategy the chances I have won,
Are rapidly increasing ever since the game begun.
I’ve come up with a strategy and your almost dead,
I’ve come up with a strategy prepare to lose your head.

I’ve come up with a strategy you do not have a chance,
I’ve come up with a strategy prepare as I advance.
I’ve come up with a strategy and you will never win,
And if we play another game, I'm sure I’ll win again!

I’ve come up with a strategy you’re almost in check - mate,
I’ve come up with a strategy prepare to meet your fate.
I've come up with a strategy I've almost won the bet.
A hundred million dollars is what I plan to get.

The game is almost over, pay up- I'm the boss,
I hope you learned your lesson ... Say what? OH NO - I LOST!

The Untied Race

There once was a runner named Chase,
Who entered a very long race.
He fell on his face, and lost the big race,
Because of his untied shoelace!

Driving

“Mom, can I drive the car?” I asked as politely as possible. “Of course not,” she said as if she was amused but then added, “don’t be ridiculous!” “Awe, come on Mom, please!” I said in a very whining voice. Conversations like this were common at my house. I was always asking my mom if I could drive and she was always saying no. Then one day she surprised me. We went golfing and she said I could have a turn driving the golf cart. I was thrilled.

Of course, my little brother was with us and he wanted a turn too - mom said, he could go first. I tried to be patient but his turn felt like it was taking forever. Finally it was my turn. Though I had never driven a golf cart before (or anything else for that matter) I thought I knew what to do.

I eagerly jumped into the seat and looked around. Hu? This wasn’t going to be as easy as I thought. I looked down and saw what I thought was the gas pedal- I decided that was a good place to start. I hit the pedal and we shot off down the path.

We tore past fearfully looking golfers and narrowly missed a large oak tree. I had hardly caught my breath before a flying golf ball whizzed past the windshield. Just then I noticed a sharp turn ahead. I tugged on the steering wheel but the golf cart did not move. The curve was approaching fast and I was feeling scared. I pulled hard to the right- and just in time too. We flew around the curve. And though mom was holding on for dear life- she nearly flew out of the cart.

Mom yelled at me to stop, so I pressed on the brake. But to my surprise we started moving faster and faster. At first I could not figure out why but then it occurred to me… the brake was on the left and I had pushed hard on the pedal to the right. I pushed the pedal on the left and we came to a screeching halt. Man, I really wish golf carts had airbags - I think mom did too.

We stumbled from the golf cart and tried to recover. We turned in the keys and headed to the car. I guess mom didn’t realize how much fun we had because she refused to let me drive home. And I guess I’m kind of glad because driving isn’t as easy as it looks- even though it is lots of fun!

The Magic Prison

As you read this, keep in mind that this is an assignment and I wouldn’t be doing it if it weren’t. But I guess I have to. So here it is.

In the story “The Magic Prison” Prince Herweda learns an important lesson. He learns this: selfishness leads to sadness, service leads to happiness and they can’t coexist. Think of this, in the story the mirrors represent selfishness because when you look in them you only see yourself. The windows represent service because when you look through a window you see others. The more time you spend looking in mirrors, the less service you do and the less happiness you can have. So, the moral of this story is that focusing only on yourself will never lead to happiness.

General Conference

General Conference is this weekend- yeah! I love General Conference. In order for us to make the most of of General Conference we need to do more than just show up at church. Write about two things you hope to hear at Conference this weekend and two things you will do to help you prepare to receive the messages that have been prepared.

At General Conference I want to listen to Thomas S. Monson talk about when he was a kid. To prepare I can pray to feel the Spirit and to think about what I hear.