Tom G. 5M

Marty

“Tom,” my mother called, “come here! My friend Kelly is going to Newport and Marty, her dog, is coming to stay with us for the week and they will be here any minute.”

I haven’t seen Kelly in years now. I knew that she had a dog though. The blazing hot sun was beating down on my back like a hammer whacking a nail. I couldn’t help but notice a maroon Jeep Grand Cherokee rolling into the driveway. Kelly shuffled out of the car and let Marty out. He charged straight into my arms and started to lick and smell me. “Awwwwwww,” I babied.

My mom opened the squeaky white front door and Marty ran into the house faster than a speeding bullet! Meanwhile, my 11 pound white bichon dog, Jack, growled with anger because Marty chased Jack trying to smell him. My annoying siblings crowded Marty like he had just been born. Jack ran behind the couch to hide from his so called “pal.”

Mom then fed the dogs. Marty eats special homemade wet food along with his kibble. As Marty addressed his food, Jack stared at Marty drilling holes into his black button eyes. As Marty began to eat his food, Jack managed to shove Marty away and Jack started eating Marty’s food. Especially the wet food.

Once they were done, my eye was drawn to the gleaming pink/orange/red/yellow sun coming down like a plane landing. I picked up my clarinet and started to play a song while Marty fell asleep on my lap. I knew he was tired. I stopped to get a glass of water. Thus, Marty woke up as fast as a light could turn on. Meanwhile, the vexatious dog ran to the bag of dog treats and ate every single one in the bag. I hustled upstairs and put Marty in bed. I thought, what else could happen? I sure was wrong though. I heard so much noise that I couldn't hear my clarinet music. I marched upstairs and saw that Marty had been eating my Fritos, which were hidden in my pillowcase. As I cleaned up his mess, I knew that there was only one person to blame. “Jack, you are in big trouble mister,” I yelled with ferocity.

“What happened?” Mom asked.

“Er…………uh…..Marty made a mess in my room,” I answered. “I admit that I keep a bag of Fritos in my room, and Marty found them. Then he tore up the bag and ate them. The leftovers are everywhere. I blamed Jack because he ate Marty’s food in the first place,” I explained.

Once I was done explaining to my mom, I gave Marty a bath. I put some soap onto a washcloth and scrubbed him down. He obviously did not like the feeling of being covered in wet, bubbly soap, and because of that he started jumping up and down and splashed water everywhere. I gazed at the walls and mirrors soaked with shiny reflective bubbles. I totally felt like jumping out of my skin. “Yaaaaaaah!” I yelled, causing Marty to get scared and run away. I started for the hallway and I slipped and fell flat on my back. It was so sore that I felt as if I was laying on a bed of needles. Soap, water, and bubbles ran down my t-shirt like waves on the beach. I managed to get myself back on my feet and cleaned up the bathroom. I knew that this was the final straw.

I trudged downstairs and my mom did not look happy. “This dog went to the bathroom in the house!” she yelled.

“Well congratulations mom, the job is all yours,” I teased. The rest of the week went with less commotion. Of all the things that Marty did, I realized one thing: it could have been worse.

Teddy G. 5M

The Funny Touchdown

          It was the day of the Super Bowl. I was happy because all my family members came over. My mom was making delightful food. She was making ham, turkey, corn, mash potatoes, and Greek salad. The 100 inch flat screen TV was ready for Super Bowl. The enormous speakers were on the side. The TV and speakers are shiny black. The TV was as big as the sun.  We watched the first half of the game. The first half of the game was awesome. I said, “Dad the first half was the best part so far!” My team was ahead and winning the game.

          When it became half time, my brother, Matthew, my cousin Tommy, my dad and I went outside to play football. The teams were: my dad and I versus my brother and cousin. We played two-hand touch, not tackle. My cousin Tommy kicked the ball to me and my dad. I returned the kickoff and started to run down the field until my brother Matt two-hand touched me. My dad and I were at half way. My dad was quarterback the first two times. It was my turn to be quarterback, and I threw it to my dad. He caught it and made a first down.

          Later in the game my dad got tired, so he became automatic quarterback and kicker for both teams while my older cousin Johnny became my teammate. My team was ahead by one touchdown. So my dad had to kick off to my brother’s team. My older cousin Johnny two-hand touched my cousin Tommy. My dad called hike and my brother Matthew and Cousin Tommy started to run down the field to catch the ball. Tommy caught it near the touchdown but he got tagged.

My dad called hike again and threw it to Matt. I leaped up in the air to intercept the ball. I caught it!  In a hurry I started to run down the field. I was as fast as a jet. Tommy and Matt started to come for me. My cousin Johnny grabbed me by my sides, picked me up, and started jogging with me in his arms. I laughed!  I went up and down as he ran. When Johnny picked me up, my brother stopped running after me. I still had the ball in my hands, and we ran all the way to the end zone.  My cousin dropped me, I landed on my feet, and we did a victory dance!  It was funny because my other cousin and brother said it wasn't a touchdown, but it was. Everyone was laughing. After I scored that touchdown, we went inside to watch the rest of the Super Bowl.

          Since it was still half-time, we hung out in the living room and ate chips and stuff. We talked about how school was and the things that we hated about Super Bowl. One thing that we hate is halftime because a real singer comes and sings and halftime takes forever. The other thing is the weird commercials.

I like Super Bowl because my family gets together. I remember how hard we all laughed at my funny touchdown.  

Teddy F. 5M

DROP OF DOOM

"Whoa, look at that ride!” said my sister. “Those people up there must be scareder than scared!” Suddenly, the ground shook as if there were an earthquake, and my sister said, “We have to go on it”

 I answered, “No way! I am adventurous, but not that adventurous! It says right here on the sign that you go down a 270 foot drop almost straight down, then you go over 3 loops in a row.”  

Apparently, I wasn’t very convincing. My sister persuaded me and the next thing I knew I was in the cart. Every time I heard the clicks of the cart going up, my heart beat a little more slowly. I felt the cart shaking, but it might have just been me that was shaking. All too soon, we were at the top. My heart stopped. I looked down at the sickening sight and hoped that this would be a smooth little drop, like an elevator. Every second up there got worse because every second was getting closer to my DROP OF DOOM!!  

I was scared to look down, but I had to because I was not going to see this view for a long time. I looked around at the other rides and none seemed as scary as this one.

Then, it happened! It was the longest ten seconds of my life but the ride was not nearly over. We still had three loops of dizziness to go. I wished there was a stop button, but there was not. If there had been, I would’ve pressed it. I was also hoping that the people who made this ride would say this is just a joke, we would never actually put real people on a ride like this, but that never happened either. We finally went over the giant loop and it was actually enjoyable! I think we still had momentum from that big drop.

Maybe the only reason I went on this ride was to be able to say that I went on this ride. As we unbuckled and got off, I was trembling with fright like a tower of cards that the slightest breeze could knock down. Even though we were off the ride, I was still stuck in the moment of the drop. It was all I could think about. I hated it, yet I enjoyed it. Maybe that is the point of roller coasters like this. I should've known that there was no smooth way down. I was surprised it was over because it seemed like it would never end. It seemed longer than the hour we waited in line and it seemed longer than the two hours it took to get here! Maybe that is  what was so special about this ride.  The Drop of Doom is certainly a ride I will never forget!                    

Sofia G. 5M

The Best Fourth of July

“Got you!” said my older brother, Alex.

“Cheater!” I screamed.  Alex and I and our cousins were in the middle of an intense game of tag in our swimming pool.

A squeaky chirp came from Catarina’s phone. Catarina is my 13-year-old sister; she wasn't swimming. Instead, she was just hanging out in a chair by the pool. I knew that the chirping sound mean another text which would lead to drama with my parents.  I decided I wasn't going to let any drama spoil Fourth of July fun with my family. I continued relaxing in the pool, hiding from my cousin who was “it.”

The sky was a midnight black, and it was completely filled with cold darkness.  Luckily, the stars came out to light it up.  How pretty, I thought to myself.

“You’re it!” said my cousin laughing.  She told me I was daydreaming and not paying attention.  I focused and dove under water, extending my arms to swim faster.  I couldn't see because my eyes were tightly shut.  I felt a leg and screamed, “I got you!”

“That’s impossible,” blurted my cousin, “We’re all the way on the other end!”

I opened my eyes and lifted the leg. I quickly realized my mistake since the leg was my own.  “Oops,” I mumbled quietly.

        “Fireworks!” screamed a friend.  “Let’s get a floatie and watch.” I heard a sizzling sound, as loud as a rocket ship, and knew they were going to set off a colorful bash of sparkly lights.  My dog, Izzy, ran in front of the fireworks and yelped with her loud dog voice.  I screamed at her to stay away from where the adults were setting off the fireworks.

“Awesome,” screamed one person in the audience. “Cool,” said another. “Wow!” I thought.  I looked at the trees’ leaves and thought how pretty they looked with the fireworks going off beneath them; they were filled with a multitude of colors: apricot, orange, pearly white, indigo, grassy green, glossy red, lavender purple, silver and bronze.  The sky was awesomely filled with colorful sparkles. 

“They are so beautiful,” I said to myself, as I climbed out of the pool to get a small, blue, squishy cupcake filled with warm caramel.  I had made the cupcakes in a flag formation earlier in the day.  The stars and stripes were a vibrant red, white and blue. I sighed and said softly, “This is going to be a great year.”

The last fireworks set off, and they were the biggest and brightest yet.  They made a loud popping, snapping and "kabosh" sound.  Everyone watched in silence. 

Izzy started barking like crazy again, as I hopelessly sank down into the pool trying to relax.  These are the little moments you treasure, I thought, and I have ever since.   

Sean D. 5M

Winter Essay

Winter……. White dots fall from the atmosphere, spreading a white blanket across the land. People might not like the cold, but winter features many holidays, good food, fun activities, and exquisite nature at its finest.

Who doesn’t love snow activities? One thing that’s fun to make is a snow-man. All you need is buttons, a scarf, a pipe, a broom (optional), a carrot, and snow. Another activity is building a snow-fort. They’re fun to play in and a good shelter from the wind. Plus, what’s better than a classic snow-ball fight? First, choose team captains. Next, pick teams. Then, build a snow-fort to protect your team. Finally, with no further a-do, throw some snow-balls! Last, but not least, sledding! Sledding is great for all ages. Make sure you know where a hill is before you try. What’s sledding without a hill and some snow?

Winter is home to many holidays. One of them is Christmas. What other holiday is full of traditions, food, and holiday cheer? One top tradition of Christmas is cutting down and decorating a Christmas tree. You can put anything on these trees. Lights, ornaments, beads, a star on top, or all of the above make a fine Christmas tree. Plus, who doesn’t love a gift-filled visit from our holiday hero, Santa Claus? Make sure that you leave milk and cookies, or Santa and his elves might skip your house on their route. Without mailing your list to Santa, a boy might end up with a doll under their tree. One last thing to remember: be good all year or you’ll end up with a lump of coal! Don’t be a Grinch, deck the halls with some Christmas decorations.  Some good decorations are: lights, garland, blow-up decorations, light-up deer, and wreaths. By now you can tell that it is easy to have a very merry Christmas!

Winter brings many specialty foods that are not common in the summer. Cooking is a great way to bring your family together. Why not let everyone pitch in to prepare a delicious meal? You can make hearty soups and stews, casseroles, and turkey with mashed potatoes. No one should eat “TV dinners”. Instead, try your hand at cooking a homemade meal! After a long day in the cold snow, everyone wants to come home to a fresh, hot meal. Here is a recipe for hot chocolate:

Ingredients:

1 packet hot chocolate mix

2 cups milk

1 pinch of nutmeg

First, pour mix into the cup. Then, add milk. Last, put in microwave for 1 min, 30 sec. Enjoy! As you can tell, food plays an important role in winter’s heritage.

In conclusion, these are the reasons people have winter as their favorite season. Always remember to enjoy this wonderful season while it lasts! Look forward to this winter!                                                                                

Rene I. 5M

My Island

There is an island just across from Marosakoa, Madagascar. The island of muchoch-loving goats, of shimmering crabs, of hovering sand, of jeweled waters. My island. I could see it from my tent where I woke and slept, from the beach where I played and explored, from the coconut trees that I climbed and drank water from. I asked Aba, my dad, if we could go there. He nodded his tanned, curly-haired head and we left.

 I stepped into the green kayak after it was pulled into the water. We both began to paddle. I watched the water for rising fish and eels, hoping for a meal. As we neared the island, the water became shallower and clearer, until we reached an underwater flatland only waist deep. We dragged the boat the rest of the way through the crystal water.

From the shore the island looked no more than a mile wide. The white sand covered the entire island, with no real soil to be seen. It was sparsely dotted with muchoch trees and palms. The sun shone in a cloudless sky. The ground beneath me was scattered with tiny towers of compressed sand, each no longer than three inches, topped with a tiny pastel striped clam. I walked carefully so as not to crush any. Finer grains of bleached sand flew a centimeter off the ground with the warm breezes. The shallow sea around me was patched with beautiful shades of green and blue, thanks to the branching mats of multicolored algae on the seafloor. Port-colored mussels and pink lace coral peeked from emerald, aquamarine, turquoise and the rare patch of exposed sand. Tiny sand crabs skittered behind rocks and other protection from the hovering sand that gently stung my feet. The ground glimmered with sunlight reflected from millions of their tiny amethyst bodies.

Pigeons cooed from the dead skirt of leaves of a palm, hidden from view along with the rats that occupied the same tree. This was an untouched paradise, almost extinct in such a busy world. The face of a baby black goat peeked at me from behind a muchoch tree, its eyes scanned my face, trying to figure whether I would kill it or give it a fruit. Smiling, I went for the latter. I reached for a muchoch with a pink-orange shell and broke it open. The sweet smell of vanilla and mangoes filled the air. I scooped out half of the orange ball of mush in the middle and gave the rest to Mr. Goat. As I ate my half of the muchoch, I headed toward the water and took high, wading steps through the water. Two mussel fishers, so far away they looked like ants, reached into the water and pulled out a silver net full of shells.

 I went back to shore to check on Aba. As I walked, my hair began to blow to one side of my face, the flying sand at my feet flowed faster. The sand crabs stopped moving and stuck their legs into the sand, studding the ground with living jewels. I would not be able to go back to Marosakoa in this wind. The gusts were warm, sparing my bare chest any cold. As I reached Aba, he spoke.

“The wind is too high to go back. Make an SOS for Michel to see.”

I nodded and began to carve the three giant letters into the sand. The mounds of earth I dug up were quickly blown away, grain by grain.  After I had finished carving my S, O, and S and filling each with sea lettuce for clarity, I lay by Aba and looked at the sky. The time hurried by and Michel’s boat came. As we boated away, I took one last look at my island before it was too tiny to see.

Olivia C. 5M

Winter

  Doesn’t everyone just love winter!! There are so many festive holiday traditions that never lose their joy. Not to mention all of the yummy food that you can’t wait to eat. And the endless activities that are always so much fun. Those are just a couple main ideas that you just might find in this piece.  

  In the winter many foods and beverages come into season. Hot coco is a very common beverage in the winter. Hot coco is normally a chocolate in a powder form, which you either make with boiling water or milk. A favorite thing to do with hot coco is add toppings. A few toppings are whipped cream, marsh mellows or simply just chocolate. Another tasty treat are candy canes. Candy canes come in many different colors, sizes and flavors. But normally candy canes are a small size, are white and red and taste like peppermint. It also is an after dinner treat that is quite tasty to a lot of people. Another after dinner treat is cookies and milk. There are endless kinds of cookies that you can either bake your selves or buy them at a bakery. Either way cookies are extremely luscious says Buddy Valastro former owner of Carlos’s bakeshop. They are even better with a tall glass of milk for dipping. I addition to all this tasty food during the winter people love to make and eat ginger bread houses. Some people wait to eat them on Christmas Day, eat them right away, or just don’t eat them at all and just make to admire. Making ginger bread house takes a bit longer to make but I think they are worth it because the end product comes out somewhat pretty.

 

  One main holiday in winter is Christmas. Christmas takes place in late December. But even before Christmas people get in the holiday spirit. They get into the spirit by getting Christmas trees, fake or real. Another thing people do is get gifts for friends and family members. By far the most common things to do around the holidays are putting up decorations on their houses. A Christmas tree is normally a green evergreen tree sometimes dyed silver that is a decoration: and in the morning on Christmas day if you had been good Santa will have given you presents. But if you have been bad you will not have received any presents from Santa. Did you know in the winter most decorators put out Christmas decorations? For example you can put wreaths on the door, shining light hanging on every inch of your house, and sometimes people put all sort of things on their front lawns. Can you imagine in addition to all the present’s kids get under the tree, kids often today open stockings? That is a lot of presents!! This is why in the month of December most parents say when you want something “Christmas is in a couple weeks you will get that then.” But it is often true an average kid gets 2-5 presents not including stocking presents. 

There are endless activities in the winter that are loads of fun. Unfortunately if I name all the activities this paragraph would never end. Ice-skating is one of many winter sports. Ice-skating is pretty self explanatory considering the name. You are skating on ice skates on a big sheet on ice. One of the great things about Ice-skating is that you don’t have to be great to enjoy it. Of course it is even better if you are somewhat good. You can skate indoors or out doors, professional or just for fun. Sledding people say is a very easy sport. Maybe to some people the easiest sport is sledding. Normally when it snows snow-lovers go outside and take a plastic or foam sled and slide down big hills. A great thing about sledding is you can sled just about anywhere. You don’t even need to sled on a big hill.  This activity is easy because just about anyone can sled. Any you don’t even have to go anywhere just in your backyard. But of course you can go sled some place but you don’t have to. But if you would like something a little more intense than sledding skiing would be a good sport for you. For skiing you will need a pair of skies along with a pair of poles. You also will need a helmet and goggles. One of the bad things about skiing is that it is really cold, so you have to bundle up so you don’t get sick. Most of the time people ski on a mountain. You can’t really ski anywhere else. Skiing is one of my favorite sports because you get to pick the level you are at on the mountain. Next to skiing is snowboarding. Snowboarding is a bit more intense then skiing. But it is basically the same thing but without the poles and skies. Instead you have a big board with place you put your feet in. Most people say you only snowboard if you are good at skiing. Well those are just a couple winter activities. So if 1 or2 of these activities sounded appealing to you; you should try it. And if you already do any of these sports I hope now you have more knowledge about it.

 So now you see why winter is one of my favorite seasons. There are endless activities, delicious foods, and a great holiday that sums the winter all up.         

        

    

Molly L. 5M

Home Again

Slam, went the car door as my dad, grandma, and I got out of the car.  I was so nervous.  Will she be sleepy? Will she be sad? Will she be tired?

            Nanny and I sat down on the chairs while Dad went up to the front desk.

“I can’t wait to see Bailey,” I said excitedly.

            “I can’t either,” said Nanny.

We were at the vet. We were there to pick up my dog Bailey. Bailey had to have surgery and get something cut off of her side. I felt so bad. I was really worried that something might have happened to her.

Bailey does not really like other dogs, so whenever she goes to the vet or sees another dog, she barks. There was a bulldog waiting to go into its appointment and its tongue was hanging out.

            “Here’s Bailey,” said Dad. I jumped up to see her. I was prepared for her to bark, but she didn't. I was just so glad to see her big chocolate brown, shiny eyes again. She looked really sad and shy.

            I was wondering if she was ok. I went over to pet her.  “Hi Bailey! I missed you! Are you okay?” I soothed. Bailey glanced over at the other dogs but did not bark. I could not believe she wasn't barking, which made me worried that she wasn’t OK. Dr. Hansen, Bailey’s doctor, came out to the waiting room to say hi and tell us how everything went.

            “Hi,” said Dr. Hansen. He was wearing light green scrubs. “Hi,” we all replied.

            “Bailey’s surgery was great and she was a very good girl,” said the doctor.

“Well that’s great to hear,” said my dad.

Doctor Hansen said, “Yes and we had to give her some medicine so she wouldn't feel a thing. It will make her feel a little sleepy for the rest of the day. She might not be herself today, but don’t worry at all. She is going to be back to her old self soon!”

“Great! Thanks,” said Dad.

“No problem. Have a nice rest of the day,” said Doctor Hansen.

            We all got in the car. Bailey sat in the front with Dad. She smelled a little funny because of the medicine, but I did not care one bit. I was just thankful that she was okay.

When we got home, we sat on the couch with Bailey, comforting her and trying to make her feel better. We made sure she was comfortable on her bed in Nanny’s room so she could get a good night’s sleep. The next morning we were all relieved to see that Bailey was okay. She was back to her old self, though still a little tired and sore. Because of that, she didn't walk my sister and me down to the bus stop, but we knew by the time we got home from school, she would be rested up and back to normal.

           

Maddie G. 5M

Winter

Do you ever wonder about the animals that come out in winter? Have you ever made a snowman or thrown a snowball at someone? Are winter sports such as skiing and snowboarding fun for you? In this essay you will learn all about these things.

You stand back and smile at your wonderful creation. A black top hat sits on its head and the blue scarf that you wrapped around its neck sways in the wind. The snowman you've created stares back at you. Making the snowman is not as easy as it looks. First you have to take a small snowball and roll it on the ground until it is large. Then you do the same thing but when you roll the snowball you make it a little smaller than the first part. The last snowball you make has to be the size of a head. When you finish rolling the snowballs build them on top of each other from largest to smallest. Then you get some items such as a carrot nose, a black top hat, buttons or rocks, and twigs. When you finish the snowman looks wonderful and you feel satisfied. These things are some of the joys of making a snowman.

The fox swiftly moves in and out of the forest. When it hears the smallest noise the fox stops and looks around. The owl sits on a snowy tree branch and waits. It waits for dinner to come by. A mouse warily moves around the forest but it won’t be for long because its dinner for the owl. These are some of the fascinating things that animals do during the winter. There are so many secrets about the animals that people uncover everyday.

Do you enjoy skiing or snowboarding? How about sledding?Many people love doing these things. Children and adults enjoy it. Most winter sports are sports for people of all ages. When you ski, you use two skis. But when you snowboard you use one board not two. Sledding is a whole different story; instead of standing you sit in a toboggan and slide down a hill. All of these winter sports are very fun and almost everybody could do them. (You might not be able to do these if you are over the age of 85 or you have a serious medical condition).

In conclusion, winter is a great sports season and has many things you can do to keep yourself occupied. Winter is also a great season to find out secrets about the snowy-season animals.

Kelly M. 5M

My Journey to Atlantis

        “Thump, thump, thump!” my feet slammed against the beige steps climbing to the ride’s entrance. The chatter of water splashing and kids screaming filled my ears.

        “Are you ready to have a great time?” my dad blurted out over loud yells.

        “Super excited!” I replied.

         My dad, wearing his dark gray shirt, stared at me. He grinned with a grateful smile. He looked as though he was really going to enjoy this.

         As we stepped onto the platform to where the raft stops, my dad announced, “There it is!”

         As it pulled to a complete stop, my dad and I slowly sat down on the raft. The raft’s cushions were wet, slimy, and black. Its outer side was colored gold and green. Meanwhile, I started to get anxious. My heart was pounding out of my chest with excitement. I smiled proudly at my dad.

         The next thing I knew, the ride drifted away from the platform. Floating farther out, the ride tilted and I clung to my dad’s side.

          As my head lay against my dad, all I could think was, “I can’t wait to begin! This is going to be so amazing!!!”

          I sat up and peered far ahead into the dark canal. I felt cold water gently splash my leg. It smelled like chlorine and thick air.

          Glancing down to wipe my leg, immediately surrounding me was an underwater world so magical it looked surreal. Shells were scattered on gray boulders, giving the illusion that we were actually part of this remarkable seascape. Sea creatures swam beside us. Lights and dark, scary voices appeared everywhere.

           I quickly stopped admiring the scene before me because suddenly, in mere seconds, darkness surrounded us and the mood changed to a scary one. A huge mouth appeared in the distance with teeth the size of a student’s desk. Its eyes glowed a tint of green. It felt like the mouth was going to swallow us whole.

           “Ahhh!” The raft fell down a steep ledge, then plunged back into the water. Slowly, splashing across the water, a large metal crank exposed itself. Further ahead was a tall hill that the ride would have to climb.

             My hands tensed up. Underneath my dad and me, the crank pulled the raft.

             “Click!” every time we heard the clacking noise, we’d jerk forward until we got to the top.

              The view was fascinating. I could see the whole amusement park! The rides stood tall and the sky was a clear blue. A few clouds filled the sky. It felt like I could reach out and touch the trees.

              “How’s it going Dad? Do you like it?! Do you like it?!” I exclaimed uncontrollably.

              “Of course, but please calm down!!!”

              “Creak!” the raft fell full force, tugging me forward. The strength of the wind pulled my face into an uncomfortable smile. The wind’s strength whirled my hair into my mouth. I pushed against the safety bar so I could lean up on the cushion again. Looking down, the hill felt like it went on forever.

              “Splat!” Water splashed onto my dad and me, as we smacked back into the ride’s path. My head spun around in amazement. It was so much fun!!!

              As the raft wobbled to the flow of the water again, I shouted to my dad, “That was awesome… and very refreshing.”

              My dad nodded his head in agreement. We both then turned our bodies forward and waited to see what would happen next.

              Riding Journey to Atlantis is one of my favorite memories with my dad. I would do it again in a heartbeat. I will never forget our day together.

        

Kayleigh R. 5M

                                                            Winter                                        

                                                                                                                                                                

            It's that time of year when the blazing hot weather starts to slowly disappear.  Now comes that feeling like you're standing in the middle of the Arctic.  Do you think winter is the best time of the year?  Well, I do, and I hope you do too.

            Have you ever wondered if more people prefer outdoor winter fun or indoor activities?  In my opinion, most people would prefer going outside instead of staying inside all day.  Some people like playing in the snow better than sipping scalding hot cocoa with extra marshmallows.  There are so many winter sports and activities to do, like snowball fights, building snowmen, making snow angels, skiing, snowboarding, sledding and bobsledding.  Of course, you can't forget ice skating.  Ice skating is my favorite thing to do in the w inter.  I find ice skating fun just because you fall all the time and can watch other people fall.  For me, ice skating is very complex.  As soon as I step on the ice, I fall into a split.  It's a good thing that I can do a split!  Every time I take a step, even though I'm holding onto something, I fall.  Eventually, 30 minutes later, I start to get the hang of it.  But the best part of ice skating is getting to spend time with friends and family.

            You may think that winter is all about going outside and having snowball fights, but to me, I think the best part of winter is the food.  I'm not a big fan of going outside in the cold.  I'd rather be inside, cuddled under a blanket, drinking hot cocoa.  The  peppermint smell drifting through the air means Christmas is coming.  I love to bake in the winter; cookies and milk, sugar cookies, peanut butter cookies, gingerbread houses and candy canes!  You'll soon discover that, whenever I bake for a party or for just a home dinner, I end up eating all the sweet chocolate melting pastries.  Don't you think that making ginger bread houses is the most fun part of Christmas time?  It's incredible that the frosting can hold the whole house together!  I find it funny that all of the little people are made out of cookies.  It's hard to believe, but not a lot of people make gingerbread houses anymore, but I do, every year.

            "Thanks Mom," I exclaimed.  Finally, it's Christmas, everyone knows what that means!  PRESENTS!!  I'm pretty sure that everyone agrees that Christmas is their favorite holiday.  It's definitely mine.  You should have seen the look on my face when I got a dreamlight.  Everyone was laughing for five minutes straight.  But the most important part of Christmas is family, including spending more time with family members that you don't see often or those you haven't met before.  On Christmas  morning, you can smell all of the peppermint surrounding you.  It's a great way to keep yourself happy and cheerful and not cranky about the cold weather outside.  As you peek around the corner, you notice that all of the milk and cookies are gone.  Santa is real!

            Winter is filled with excitement and joy. There are so many fun things to do.  Bake, go outside, get ready for the holidays, the list never ends.  Winter only comes once a year!

Katharine B. 5M

                                                Winter

            Are you looking for something to do in winter? Look no further. Winter is stunning and there is a lot to do during winter, such as snow activities. What about Christmas?  Have you thought about the changes in nature? Read further to learn all about a season filled with joy!

           

 Instead of sitting inside all day, why not go outside and play in the snow. There is an endless possibility of things you could do instead of being lazy and watching TV. As soon as you spend ten minutes outside you will feel the same way. One easy thing to do is build a snowman. When you build a snowman you could be as creative as you want. It’s so easy. All you have to do is roll a very large snowball for the bottom. Then, you have to make a medium size snowball for the middle. Next, you have to make a small snowball for the head. Finally, you must collect a carrot for the nose, buttons for the eyes, mouth, and for the coat buttons. Also, you will need two sticks for the arms, a scarf, and a hat. An exciting vacation to go on during winter is skiing and snowboarding. While on this vacation you will feel the wind brush up against your face while gliding down the slopes. On your vacation, you should also try making a fun dessert…. s’mores. You could also make snow angels. I know some people say making snow angels is boring, but it’s not. Snow angels are unique because every time you make one it will be different from the rest. They are also very easy to make. All you need to do is lie down in the snow and wave your arms and legs back and forth. Winter is also a great time for sledding. The best way to go sledding is to sit on the sled and push yourself down the hill as fast as a cheetah running. You also might want to consider going Christmas caroling. How many Christmas carols can you think of off the top of your head? I know I can think of a lot. BAM! I threw a snowball at my brother James. Snowball fights are like mysteries because you don’t know when someone is going to sneak up behind you and shove a snowball down your back. If you do have a snowball fight, you better watch your back.  After being outside for a long time in the snow it might be a good idea to start heading in. 

I don’t know about you, but Christmas is my favorite holiday. If you ask twelve people what their favorite holiday is, eleven out of twelve people will say Christmas or Hanukkah. My favorite part of Christmas is obviously presents, but also cuddling up by the fire in a warm silky blanket drinking hot chocolate. Who wouldn’t like that? Before you do anything you must write your Christmas list to Santa. If you don’t, you have a chance of not getting any Christmas presents! That would not be good. Another thing you must do before Christmas is get a Christmas tree. I bet there are at least two local Christmas tree farms close to you. A tradition you might want to do every year is collect ornaments from all the vacations you went on and special events. While putting ornaments on your tree, you should be sure not to drop any special ones, but your brother’s ornaments can be destroyed. Who wouldn’t agree the best part of Christmas is getting presents? “Ho, Ho, Ho!” Santa’s coming. “He’s on the roof!” I always whisper softly to my brother James on Christmas Eve. I hope everyone leaves out cookies, milk, and carrots. I know I do! Before Christmas Eve you better have everything ready because everyone knows Santa’s coming to town!                         

Have you ever stopped and thought about all the different changes in nature during winter? Not many people do because they are too worried about Christmas presents. Sometime you should stop and think about just a couple. But, if you don’t want to I will explain a few. First, there is all the snow on the ground crunching under your feet. If you look closely you will notice that the snow looks as white as a bleached t-shirt. If you look even closer you will be able to see the flakes of snow lying peacefully in the shape they fell in. Then, there’s the cold weather. The weather gets so cold in the winter. The cold air brushes up against your face as you dive into the snow. With the cold air we get in the winter, you better beware of frost bite! In the fall, you observe the colorful leaves on the trees. Colors like red, green, brown, and even orange. In the winter you will observe snow on the trees. There will be snow from the branches to the trunk of the trees. The trees will form a sight that looks like a winter wonderland. Have you ever noticed all the ice crystals forming on the windows of your house? Once you see a crystal then soon you will know that its winter. Crack! I broke off an ice crystal. The fresh cold, clear, sparkly crystal glistens in your hand while you decide if you should eat it or not. Why not just eat it! Last but definitely not least, make sure you do not slip on ice. I suggest putting salt down on your driveway so you don’t break a bone or anything while trying to get down your driveway.                              

Now that you know everything you could do during winter. I think it’s time to go outside and try some of these exciting activities. Have fun!

Emma C. 5M

Family Vacation to Florida

Family Vacation to Florida 

          The day had finally come when I would take a plane to stay at The Dolphin Resort in Disney World. I had been waiting for this trip for months, and I would be staying there for the next whole week.

          As the plane drew closer and closer to Florida, my excitement built up like never before. I felt a change in climate as the plane halted to a stop and I stepped off.

          There before me was a blazing new landscape with a mixture of different types of trees with the tips of high roller coasters visible from ten miles away. But what drew me in the most was the resort I would be staying in. In my head I could already hear the splashes of the pools and the crisp tasting smell from the restaurants and bakeries.

          I rushed over to the car that would take me to the hotel, trailing my suitcase behind me. I felt rejuvenated as I stepped into the automobile flooded with cool air coming from the front seats.

          I laid my head on the cushion and drifted off to sleep. When I woke up I got out of the car and stared up. Our hotel was so huge I felt like an ant standing next to it.

          I walked in slowly making sure I didn't pass anything by. Immediately, my attention was grabbed by the chandelier overhead. It had about a million tiny glass diamonds all reflecting off the lights inside.

          I walked over to a nearby fountain which was as graceful as they come. There was a girl that had to be a mermaid spitting water out of her mouth. On each side of the fountain there was a small waterfall so it wouldn't overflow, making a sound like a river with a large current.

          I felt my brother poke me on the back and say, “Come on Emma, we are going to our room now.”

          I raced to the elevator and pushed the button that said “12” on it. The elevator seemed like a rocket as it shot up to the 12th floor. I ran to our room and stuck in the card my mom gave me; like magic, the door opened. I walked in and went into the door to my left and found out it was a bathroom. It looked normal until I pressed a button on a remote next to the sink, which caused the mirror to spring to life in a montage of colors. I walked out of the room to see two beds in front of a TV and a room connected to ours that we would also be using.

          In each room there was a desk with a room service menu, a map of the hotel, a lamp, and a phone. On each bed there were blue or gray covers and white sheets.

           There was a balcony with two white chairs and an amazing view of a lake glittering off the sunlight. From the balcony, I could see the basketball court and the pools with big water slides.

          I quickly unzipped my suitcase and pulled out a blue and yellow polka dot bathing suit. I changed as quickly as I could, while my brothers dug through their suitcase to find their bathing suits too. I grabbed a towel from the bathroom and raced to the pool, my brothers following close behind. My parents walked down after us. They had their bathing suits on too.

          We were the only people at the pool besides a lifeguard. I sprinted up the steps to the top of the slide and sat there waiting for the current to take me. When I hit the cool water at the bottom, the boiling heat ended. I swam over to a waterfall drizzling water from above.

           My mom and dad dove in and my brothers slid down the swirly slide gushing out water from the top. At that very moment, while swimming around, ducking under every once and a while with my whole family swimming around me, I realized this trip would be unforgettable. 

         

Emily W. 5M

Water Tubing

    

Never again.

Our car pulled up into a broad parking space, and I jumped out in excitement. Little did I know this was going to be a long and scary day. My family and I were going out on our first and last water tubing trip.

We waited on line, waiting to pay. As the line slowly moved up, I saw signs that said things like YOU MAY DROWN. Immediately, I was afraid. “Mom, are you sure about this?” I asked. I directed her over to the signs. An unsure expression crossed over her face, but she quickly cleared it up with a smile. We waited in line for our tickets, then walked over to the entrance. 

As we walked, I saw a big pyramid of red, orange, and blue tubes that towered over me.  I was handed a red tube and a life vest from a tall man, and directed to a woman who spoke to us about safety.  Her boring voice sounded as if she were reciting the same speech her whole life.  She told us that if we ever fell out of our tube, we were to lift our feet up and hold onto our life vest.  She sent us to the bottom of a steep hill.  I dipped my foot in the water and a shiver went up my spine.  It was FREEZING!  I was unsure whether to go in or not, but I finally placed my red tube in the water, along with my family.  I should have trusted my instincts and not gone in. I was clueless as to what lay ahead.

 There wasn't much of a current, so I started to paddle. I began to relax and I noticed the beautiful scenery around me. The clear blue water sparkled in the sun.  Trees swayed in the cold, fall wind.  Birds chirped a stunning song.  It wasn't long before we arrived at the first set of rapids.  I felt the current starting to pick up speed, and then small waves started to appear. “Hold on!” my mom yelled. By this time, I was going really fast. The tube floated up and down. I could feel the wind blowing my hair up. I swerved, avoiding rocks. I felt like I was flying. Water sprayed my face as I rushed down the broad stream. The rapid started to end and the water got calmer. The current was still pushing me forward, so I didn't have to paddle. “Did you have fun?” my sister asked. 

“It was amazing!” I responded. The current started to slow down, so I started to paddle. A small drop appeared ahead of me. My tube slid off and water splashed my face. The current started to pick up again and I knew another rapid was coming. Unfortunately, these rapids were a little different. As soon as I could see the waves, I realized that they were HUGE!!!!! My mom screamed, “HOLD ON!” She sounded really nervous. I went over the first big wave, but the second one was even bigger. As it came toward me, I was really nervous. I knew I couldn't make it over the wave; I knew what would happen next. The wave applied so much force to me that I couldn't get over it. It flipped me backwards on my head. “EMILY!” I heard a distant scream. I was stuck underwater, unable to breathe. I finally came up, gasping for air, just to have another wave push me under. My ankle crashed against a rock and my legs became numb with coldness.

Then, I remembered what the lady had said. I held onto my life vest and lifted my feet up. I floated over the waves. I felt my mom's strong arms pull me into her tube. “ARE YOU OKAY?” my mom asked. My teeth were chattering and I was shivering. I just wanted to leave. I wanted to get out of there. My heart was beating out of my chest.

I started to paddle as fast as I could. I wanted to get that third rapid done with as soon as possible. It took a while to get to that last rapid, but when it finally came, even before I saw the waves, I was scared. I didn't want to go through with it. But when I saw the waves, I relaxed a little. These were small, slow, mellow waves. I went through quickly and then finally reached the end. I pulled the tube out of the water and hurried to shore.

Never again.

Chloe R. 5M

New Family Members

  

“Boom!” My feet touched the ground as I got out of the car. I sprinted as fast as I could to meet Alyssa, the owner of the farm.

“Slow poke,” I yelled. Sophie, my sister ran after me, furious. Today was the day we finally got to choose our pet bunnies, and Sophie did not want to be left behind. Alyssa greeted us and showed us around. Our parents trailed behind us, clearly less enthusiastic about the bunnies than we were.

At last Alyssa showed us the bunnies. The smell wasn’t that bad, but my mom’s nose is really sensitive. Somehow I could tell from my mom’s face she was thinking, “How did I agree to this? We are bringing these in the house?” My dad wasn’t much better, joking, “Are we going to eat them for lunch or dinner? I have very good recipes for bunny stew.” When we threatened to call the ASPCA he joked again, “Why, do they have better recipes?” He had a huge smile on his face, thinking he was so funny. We decided to just ignore him, hoping he would stop joking. He wasn’t very pleased about that.

   Once my dad stopped joking around, I could focus on the rabbits.  There were Lion Heads, and Holland Lops. The Holland Lop bunnies were a little bigger than my fist with white fur, and chestnut brown polka dots. Their fur was softer than a brand new North Face. Their ears hung down next to their heads, and they were so floppy they blew in the wind. There were about 12 baby Holland Lop bunnies, and a mother.

Alyssa also had three Lion Head bunnies. One was light navy blue, with a little gray and white. The other two were a coffee brown, one of which was the mother. We were asked which two we wanted, one for each of us. If we wanted a Holland Lop, we would have to wait two weeks. Sophie and I immediately excluded the Holland Lops. We were too impatient to wait two more weeks!

After a while we chose; I selected the navy blue bunny, and Sophie chose the light brown one. We were informed they were twins. Their birthday was Mother’s Day, and they were both girls. My mind started filling with names. For example, Blueberry for my bunny, and Mocha for Sophie’s bunny. Suddenly, my dad interrupted my thoughts. “Why don’t we name them Blue Ivy and Coffee Bean? Ivy and Bean like the book.”

I thought it was really weird that he would help us name them, considering he didn’t even want the bunnies. Alyssa gave us a cardboard box with hay to put our bunnies in, and in a separate container, she put a handful of pellets she had been feeding them. Even though I was scared to take on the responsibility of caring for them, I was excited to teach them new tricks. After we left the farm, we were off to a pet supply store to buy a cage for our new family members.

We have had them for about 1 ½ years now and I play with them every chance I get. I also feed them a carrot when they are good, which is often. They have been my best friends ever since.  

Charlie J. 5M

The Winning goal

    It was a perfect day for soccer. As I walked on the field I saw all my teammates warming up Ben, our goalie. The grass smelled like morning dew and was covered in sunlight. The dew on the grass made it sparkle like the stars the night before.

Once we got on the field, everyone was excited about getting playing time. When we were talking, we saw a person on the other team about 5 foot 6. He was huge!

When the game started, we played our hardest and it paid off. We scored the first two goals and we were off to a great start. Then, five minutes into the game, Teddy got hit in the face. That was a huge loss because he is a great defender.

Then it was a back and forth game, two for us and three for them. In the second half the opposing team scored a goal to tie the game. Now it was tied at four to four.

Coach said, “Charlie you’re going in for Josh.” When I went in, everything changed. My mood, my attitude, my game were kicked up a notch and I was playing like never before. Whenever they were down by the goal, I was down there too.

At one point when I was down by the goal, Brendan got the ball, passed it out wide, and I ran and got the ball. I dribbled it up to half field and one guy got in front of me. I juked him, and by the time he caught up, I was at the 18 yard box. I stopped the ball, and the defender went from behind me, but he was too far ahead of me.

When I took my shot, I was at the penalty kick area. It looked like it was going to go over the cross bar, but it was a heavy ball and it sank down into the goal. Score! It was like my foot told the ball to do that.

When I was running down the field, everyone crowded around me and started yelling, “Chuck, Chuck, Chuck, Chuck!” It was awesome. There were five minutes left in the game and the game was 5-4 us.

Finally, the last five minutes were up. At the end, we won the game and the coach said, “Carry Chuck off the field!” My teammates didn’t carry me off, but I did get lots of fist pumps and hugs. And, when I got home I even got a root beer float. That is the story of my winning goal. Now I’m playing u11. That is how good I am.    

Bran S. 5M

Spider Scare

It was third grade, room 244, just at the end of the day. Lucas, a boy

in my class, had just finished reading his story about his pet spider,

Copper.  Everyone clapped, except for those troublemakers. They know

who they are.

“Now kids, go pack up!” Ms. Zingaro, my wonderful teacher, said.

Everyone got up and chattered toward the cubbies, except me. I snuck up

behind Ms. Z. I reached up on my tip toes, slowly extending my hand

toward her. I made spidery hands and crawled my fingers up her neck.

She jumped high in the air, yelped, spun around, black dress with purple

polka dots (very fashionable) swirling, and stared at me with wild eyes.

I leaned back, almost falling onto the multicolored carpet. All the kids in

the cubbies paused. I’m sure all the other classes paused, too.

I felt bad, because I absolutely, POSITIVELY, DETEST getting in

trouble. I did not expect such a dramatic reaction, and that’s why this

memory is burned into my brain. I remember the door and bathroom sign

out sheet in front of me, Ms. Z’s petrified face, and all the kids in the

cubbies, unaware of what I did. The table stood behind me, and the

SmartBoard was blank next to me. The teacher’s desk stood behind me,

stacked high with papers. On the computer buzzed a BrainPop video. To

my left was the wall of all the artwork and stories we had drawn and

written. The heater blew air into the room as the silver zipper on my gray

jacket swung back and forth, back and forth, in a hypnotizing way. It was

so quiet you could’ve heard a pin-cushion drop. I can picture the image

from my view, from the left, right, above, below, front, and back (I actually

forced myself to imagine the angles before I wrote them).

After the stunt I pulled, other students went around as a facsimile of me by doing spiders on someone’s back. I’m sure Ms. Z has forgiven me, though, and I’ve forgiven myself. Kind of. I do plan on getting in contact with Ms. Z again, I just won’t be pulling any more stunts.