Poetry Friday - Happiness Is...

 Today Poetry Friday is at Writing The World For Kids with Laura Purdie Salas! 
Be sure to visit and check out all the great poetry posts!

Last year, Little Bean discovered Charlie Brown and Snoopy and the rest of the Peanuts gang. He requested the holiday classics over and over again. It was cute to watch him so excited by characters I loved to watch when I was little. 

We were excited to see that a new Peanuts movie is coming out and then I saw friends Peanutizing themselves on Facebook and knew I had to do it with the kids. We had a blast clicking through all the options, trying out silly combinations, and finally deciding on versions of ourselves that seemed right. 

Mom

Dad

Peanut

Little Bean

There's something about the kids' pictures that look so much like them! Maybe it's just that their personalities seems to shine through more. I wanted to share our Peanutized selves and then I remembered my friend Erin Jackle and her blog posts where she writes about what she loves at the moment or what makes her happy and it reminded me of the song Happiness is... from You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. I happened to have performed You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown when I was in 4th or 5th grade (I can't remember now!) and it was fun to sing this song. It was my favorite. I'm sharing it here today and then my own version below.

Happiness is...
from You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown

Happiness is, finding a pencil

Pizza with sausage

Telling the time 

Happiness is, learning to whistle 

Tying your shoe for the very first time!  

Happiness is playing the drums in your own, school band

And happiness, is walking hand in hand.

Happiness is, two kinds of ice cream

Knowing a secret

Climbing a tree 

Happiness is, five different crayons 

Catching a firefly 

Setting him free  

Happiness, is being alone every now, and then 

And happiness, is coming home again. 

Happiness is, morning and evening, daytime and nightime too.  

For happiness, is anyone, and anything, at all, that's loved, by you! 

Happiness, is having a sister 

Sharing a sandwich

Getting along! 

Happiness, is singing together when day, is through, 

And happiness is those who sing with you. 

Happiness is morning and evening, daytime and nightime too. 

For happiness, is anyone, and anything, at all, that's loved, by you! 

You're a good man, Charlie Brown.

Happiness is...
by Jen Vincent

Happiness is
groggy kids whispering, "Good morning, Mom"
telling my boys I love them
walking to school

Peanut so excited to tell me about cool science experiments
watching him crouch down to examine a leaf bug on the sidewalk
and declare he could never kill a bug, it's one of his rules

Little Bean singing his letter and number songs
following his tiny finger trace them in the air
and push his glasses up on his nose

fall sun shining into a classroom in the afternoon
driving with the sunroof open and the music blaring
(I still like to do that even though I haven't been a teenager for years...)

a quiet house after everyone has gone to bed
the cool and calm feel of the yoga mat after a long day
the familiarity of the keys under my fingers as I type
seeing my words appear on the screen
hoping someone somewhere will enjoy them

getting to wake up and do it all over again

I so wanted to add an exclamation point at the end there! Little Bean spotted an exclamation point on some artwork we have in our living room and now we've been looking for exclamation points everywhere. He found two today. When he finds one, he points to it and gasps in surprise, looking at me and waiting for me to realize what he's noticed. It's adorable and I wish I could hold every little moment like it in my hand and gently place it in a jar to cherish forever. I would love for you to share what happiness if for you today!