Each spring, the second-grade classes in my school participate in a bird study. The students become “ornithologists,” learning about different species of birds. They read about birds, engage in hands-on activities, and participate in trips to observe bird behavior. All of the second-grade teachers receive incubators and eggs. The students wait anxiously, taking turns to turn the eggs and learning about the developing chick embryo stages. Last year, I was lucky enough to witness a baby-chick enter the world! I walked into one of the empty classrooms to look at the adorable baby chicks that had already hatched. As I looked into the incubator, I noticed one of the eggs was shaking! I quickly took out my phone and started recording. What a privilege to see the miracle of life, through a little baby chick! The entire process took about nine minutes. (The edited video, however, is much shorter). I hope you enjoy watching this baby chick working its way into the world. I am once again looking forward to seeing the new chicks that will be joining the second-grade classes in my school. It is a reminder that even the smallest of things can be wondrous.

Happy May! NaPoWriMo has been officially over for a few days. I’m happy to say that I did finish the last few days using the writing prompts. I was a bit nervous on the last day since I had planned to leave a little early for work and was so relieved to see the prompt was to write a minimalist poem. Just to make it clear, if you’re thinking that’s a short poem then you’re correct! One of the most familiar types of minimalist poems is Haiku, a poetry form that I’ve always been fond of. This last day prompt was like the cherry on the top of the ice cream sundae for me or the pretty little bow on the top of the gift. I quickly wrote a succinct Haiku. As I wrote this poem, I recalled my daughter’s and my conversation the day before about my parents (her grandparents). I feel so fortunate to have them in my life, as does my daughter. Family is such a precious thing, something that can so easily be taken for granted, and something that never should be. This is the poem that I wrote for the last day of my poetry challenge, I hope that it will inspire you to appreciate the special people in your life, your family, and perhaps your friends too.

Treasure

Like a precious gem,

Family is a treasure

To be held and loved.