Skip to main content

Adrian and Russell -- Story Cards

This is the first post of a series of Story Cards that I will be creating for our three-year-old twin grandchildren. The stories will be written in two chapters and mailed a few weeks apart. I know that children enjoy stories featuring their own names, but I have decided to use given names selected from the family tree that I created for the twins when they were born.

The stories will be "flash fiction," a storytelling genre in which the characters, storyline, and setting are captured in just a few words. They are very short stories. Given the economy of words, the stories will likely all begin in "medias res," that is, in the middle of the action. Each card will contain little inserts to be held while the stories are read to them and will feature a tree. 

So, here is the January Story Card.


Adrian and Russell
Chapter One

With the glow of the moon, the two boys saw the spiky seed pods strewn across the sidewalk.

So many were on the ground! So many were still on the tree, dangling like little brown Christmas tree balls.

Russell asked his brother, “Adrian, what kind of tree is this?”

“Well, the leaves are shaped like a star with five points,” said Adrian, picking one up from the grass. “One, two, three, four, five. That means the tree is a Sweet Gum.”

The pair walked toward home. With lots of lights turned on inside, the house, which was set up on a hill, glowed. Russell made a joke. “Our house is a lighthouse!”

Adrian said, “No it’s not. Our house is a regular house.” They both smiled because they liked to be opposite. Not all twins match exactly.

“What will we do tomorrow?” asked Russell. “I like to think about it when we go to bed.”

Adrian said “Let’s go ask Mommy and Daddy.” So together they ran up the driveway.




Adrian and Russell
Chapter Two

In the morning, Daddy made eggs with warm, crunchy toast and sticky, sweet jam. The twins ate their breakfast quickly.

Mommy said, “I have a surprise for you. We will take the train into the city today.”

Russell jumped up and down. “Hooray! Our first time on a train!”

“Will it be scary?” asked Adrian. Mommy reassured him, “No, but it might be a little loud.”

At the Art Gallery door, they saw three men standing close together and looking at a book. Mommy asked, “Are you lost?” One said, “We are three brothers visiting from Canada. Can you help us find the Art Gallery?”

Mommy spun around on one foot, grabbed the hands of her little boys and said, “It is always smart to ask for help when you need it. Follow us.”

Adrian said, “One, two, three, four, five. Wow! That’s five brothers.”

“Plus, one mommy!” joked Russell. And together, all six of them walked through the big, wooden door.


Comments

SHERRY said…
Love it Holly. Those boys are so lucky to have such a creative Grandmom.

Popular posts from this blog

Genealogy: it’s about connection

Each one of us has two parents, four grandparents, and eight great-grandparents. For every generation you go back, the number of people who procreated, to eventually make you, doubles. When I first started out on my genealogy journey, these numbers astounded me, and still do. I love to think about my DNA stew. It feeds my soul. Playing with numbers Let’s assume each generation makes a baby at age thirty. Perhaps the age should be 16, 18, 20, or 25, but whatever, I picked 30 for this exercise. After all, in the past, people started having children earlier than today, but they also bore many more children and did so over a period of 10, or even 20, years. Stick with me for this simplified and fictional example: For a child born in 1960, there were two parents who were born about 1930. The baby’s four grandparents were born about 1900. The baby’s eight great-grandparents were born in 1870. (You see, I'm doubling the number of grandparents and going back 30 years at the same time....

Lost Spirits ~ Found Souls

I’ve been hanging around with artists lately. This is not something new. I’ve always enjoyed the company of creative people -- writers, crafters, gardeners, painters ... They’re not exactly normal, which is how I like it. One thing an artist does is write an “artist statement.” It’s a proclamation, really, and it takes considerable thought. It’s kind of sickening to be so self-focused. But you know what? Without pausing to think through these questions, there is no clear artist behind the artwork. If I don’t know what I’m trying to express, who does? And so, I ponder... What’s my purpose? Why do I make my art? What does it represent? What is special about how I make it? What does it mean to me? Here’s my first-ever artist’s statement; see what you think. Artist Statement Creativity has always been very highly valued in our family. When it came to play, my brother, sister, and I were allowed to go anywhere and do whatever we wanted. So we danced outside in the pou...

A time of beginnings

Perhaps 15 years ago or so, we created a Moon Garden at our Coventryville house and it turned out pretty cool. The structure of the garden was native black granite boulders surrounded by white gravel paths.   We planted it with annuals and perennials with gray, silver, or pale green foliage and fragrant white flowers. Here and there we allowed some purple. A Moon Garden is designed to be enjoyed in the evening and on moonlit nights. It was a labor of love. Over several years, our family had suffered much loss: our nephews Michael and Matt, Steve’s mother, my stepfather Will, and my Mom. Chairs at our holiday tables went from a bustling many to a quiet few.   The Moon Garden felt perfect for that time of our lives -- a quiet spot to reflect, heal heavy losses, and soothe jangled nerves. At night the garden glowed. But now doesn’t feel like a time of endings. Steve and I are settled in our retirement routines. It’s been three years since we left the corporate world....