Rachel A. 5Ca

Pureto Rico 2013

It was 3 a.m., and my family, my friend Charlie, and I were leaving for Puerto Rico in a half hour. “It’s freezing out,” I exclaimed, stepping outside. Light coming in blinded my eyes for a second. “Dennis is here,” I yelled into the house. (Dennis is our driver.) My mom and dad came rushing down. Plopping into a nice warm car felt good.

   The plane ride didn’t seem too long; it was only about three hours. Charlie and I were talking when, all of a sudden, a rush of sunlight brushed my face, telling me I was finally in Puerto Rico. Once we arrived at our hotel, the view from our room was breathtaking. We had a great view of the beach and also a very well-kept courtyard. (We even got to see a wedding from the balcony!) As soon as we were unpacked, Charlie and I raced down the stairs to…disappointment. The beach had red flags everywhere…no one could go swimming because the waves and wind were too dangerous. Luckily, the water slide was open. We must have spent over an hour on there. After a long day of travel, it was finally time to go to bed.

   “Coqi coqi coqi,” the alarm clock went off. I sprang out of my bed and got dressed. “Charlie, wake up!!” I anxiously said. Charlie looked at the clock and sprang out of bed. “I’m hungry. What about you?”  Charlie asked. “I’m starving,” I responded. “Let’s go down to the café!”

The sun was shining in our faces and Charlie’s hazel hair flew back in the breeze, as did mine.  “I’m going to get a pina colada, what about you?” I asked Charlie. Charlie responded, ”Me too.” The thought of a pina colada made my mouth water.

  I knew I was going to get something else also, because today we were going to the El Junque rainforest and I would need a lot of energy. All of a sudden, we heard a rumble. I checked outside and realized it was the shuttle bus pulling in. My parents came down in a rush, we all plopped into the shuttle bus, and we were on our way.

  When we pulled up to the rainforest, my jaw dropped.  It was amazing! There were different shades of green everywhere. It was like looking at a crayon box with only green in it. The wooden planks creaked under me as I walked across the bridge. There was an outdoor gift shop. Everything in there was so unique, from wooden coqi whistles to hand made clay jewelry. The tour guide said we only had 15 minutes to shop before we got to explore this fantastic forest. I got a coqi whistle and a pair of clay earrings.

   The first stop of our tour was a waterfall. The rocks gleamed in the sun; the water crashed down like waves on the shore during a hurricane. Our second stop was a rustic tower with a lot of stairs. As we finally arrived at the top, there was a breathtaking view of shades of green everywhere going on for miles and miles.

 Finally we arrived at the six-mile walk. It looked really fun with green everywhere and big leaves and vines to swing on.  However, it was pure torture. We had to stop every time we saw a new thing; some things were very interesting, like the coqi frog. Coqi frogs are an orangeish-brown color which camouflages it in the night. Its cute little sound is heard throughout the country of Puerto Rico. When we finally arrived at the El Junque waterfall, the water crashing down made it seem like the water was having a very loud argument. “Looks cold,” I pronounced shivering.

“ I agree,” Charlie replied.

   We shimmied ourselves into our bathing suits, and the tour guide painted golden dust on our faces.  “Are you ready?” I questioned Charlie.

She answered,  “Yes!”

“Let’s do it!” I finally said.  My foot numbed as I placed it in the bitter, icy water. I hesitated before I placed my other foot in the bitterly cold water. The smooth rocks felt good underneath my numb feet is I eased into the water. As soon as I got a little deeper, I relaxed. Charlie and I raced to the waterfall. It was a tie according to my dad. The rushing water felt as if water dropped on your head from 100 miles up in the air.

    I rushed out of the water and dried off. The second I got my body out of the water, a cold burst of air crept all over my body. It felt great to wrap myself in a warm towel and put warm clothes on. It was a six mile walk back up and I dreaded it.  Fortunately, I did find 10 coqi frogs, six salamanders and two lizards which made the walk more bearable. Once the dreadful walk was over, everyone loaded up in the van and we went to have lunch. Along the way we stopped at some landmarks including the old San Juan towers. 

“Charlie, isn’t this cool?” I asked

“Yes!!” she answered.

After touring the landmarks, we stopped at a very good restaurant called El Casita. Charlie and I split mac and cheese, tostones (a fried plantain), and steak with juca and chimi churi sauce. It was delightful! After lunch everybody loaded up in the van.

   On our way to the hotel, we passed a horse farm, and lucky for us, the tour guide knew the owner of the farm and we got to get a quick ride. The chestnut color of the young colt, Dreme, was stunning. Her fur was finely brushed and ready to ride. I swung my leg over the black silky saddle and began to ride. The crisp air blew my hair back as I rode through the vast fields. Nobody else was in sight except for Charlie on her chocolate brown horse trailing behind us.

    A screeching noise came out of nowhere. It sent the horses flying back to the stable. I had to get a good grasp on the horse so I wouldn’t fly off. Dreme came to a sudden halt, which sent me soaring through the air and I landed on a stack of hay.

Luckily, I wasn’t hurt; I walked back over to Dreme and led her to her stall. I reached into my pocket and grabbed a peppermint; I know that horses love them. I cupped the peppermint in my hand and put my hand close to Dreme’s muzzle and let her eat it.

  “Vaminos!” Alexander, the tour guide, yelled to us. The farm was only five minutes away from the hotel, so it wasn’t that long of a ride. On the way to the hotel, Alexander gave us a quiz on the El Junque rainforest. Charlie and I got most of the answers right. Once we got to the hotel, we were both exhausted and went to bed.     This was one of the best days of my life and surely one to remember. The day was filled with exciting and new experiences that I got to enjoy with my best friend and my family. Maybe someday you can go to El Junque too!  

Peter B. 5Ca

The Final Shot

My basketball team was down by 20 points, and we were not doing very well. You could feel the tension in the air and cut it with a knife. Our coach called a timeout and started telling us what we were doing wrong. "We need to get a tighter defense and hold our follow through, whenever we take our shot," he said. The timeout was over and we had possession. I passed the ball to the guard and he brought the ball up the court. I set a screen for him and he rolled off of the pick. Right when he rolled off the pick, I did a pick and pop. That's when you set a screen, go to the open space, and take the shot.  So, that's exactly what I did! I took the shot, and I made it; we were now down by 18.

It was the best feeling ever. My adrenaline was pumping and I felt like we were back in the game. The other team brought the ball down the court and we were playing in a 2-3 zone. A 2-3 zone is when there are two guards at the top of the key. The two forwards are down on the sides and the center in the middle. The guard on the other team brought the ball down the court and looked eager to score. His eyes were huge, his face was red, and he was hyper-focused. You could tell he was looking to score. He passed to the left side, but I stole it and I took off. I went for the left hand layup and I made it. Now, we were down by 16.

The guard on the other team looked like he really wanted to score, so I needed to get tighter defense on him. He passed to the right side to make sure that I didn't steal the ball again. The pass was good and they score. I brought the ball in and was ready to blow the lid off the place. I dribbled down the court as fast as I could, weaving in and out of all the players. The pressure was building to get to the other end of the court; it felt like hours until I was finally under the basket and took the layup. SCORE!  

Next, the other team got the ball. They began passing from player to player. Left, right, right, left. It was exhausting. I finally stole the ball again, but as I was dribbling down the court, another kid fouled me and I got a free throw. YES!!! A lot of pressure was on me because if I made this, my team would only be down by 11. I took the shot, I made it, and now we were down by 11.

After the free throw, the other team brought the ball down the court. I was worried that we wouldn’t be able to stop them, but I kept the faith. My coach called, "Man-to-Man.” A man to man is when you pick up a man and you stay with him until your coach calls a different play. But, since we don't know the other team members’ names, we just screamed out their numbers on their jerseys. The point guard passed to my man and I blocked it! I knocked it out of bounds with a good smack. Since I slapped it out of bounds it was the other team’s ball, but still,it was a good play. Once I knocked it out of bounds, the crowd started going crazy. Beeeeeeeeeeeeep! It was the end of the third quarter.

After a quick drink and some instructions from our coach, it was the start of the fourth quarter. Someone passed the ball to me and I brought it up the court.  I took my time moving up the court with the ball. Everybody on my team was echoing each other screaming, "Here, here! I'm open, I'm open!" I screamed to them, "Go to the basket!" Finally, a kid on my team was open so I passed to him, he went in, and scored.

At this point we were all screaming at each other because now we were only down by 9. Our coach screamed out, "Put on the defense.” This play is when the other team passes in the ball and I try to steal it. So, that's exactly what I did. He passed it in, I tipped it, then got control of the ball. Once you tip the ball it flies into the air and it is a fight to recover. Fortunately, I did recover and I scored. Now we were down by seven. Our coach kept on saying “Put on defense,” so that's what we kept on doing. The other team passed it in. I tipped it again, my team got my tip and put it in. We were down by five points. All I was thinking to myself was, “I can't give up now.”

The other team had possession and dribbled right by five of our players. I stole it and passed it up the court where my teammate got it and put it up. Now, we were down by only three. We continued to put up our defense, but they got by us again. I felt like I was in a fight for my life. I couldn’t lose now! I cut in and out, circled everyone, and followed the ball as if it was a piece of candy. I scored! We were down by one!  I felt like an all-star, like no one could stop me. They got by us and were running down the court. I stole it back and thought to myself, “That was a close one!”  I was running down the court with 10 seconds left. As the audience counted down, “Three, two, one…” I threw the ball from almost half of the court….score!!!  The game was over and we had won!

The crowd went wild. I felt as if I was Kobe Bryant and made the last basket of the championship game! This was my game! I did this; I led my team to the win! All these thoughts ran through my head as I left with my dad. He patted me on the back and said, ‘You were amazing!”

 "This was the best day ever," I responded, smiling up at him.

Miah C. 5Ca

My First 5K

   I sat on the dirty curb next to my best friend Emily. We were up against a fence with peeling black paint. The curb was littered with soda cans and candy wrappers. It looked as if there was a party here last night. We were getting ready for our first 5K together. We were both scared out of our heads.

   I looked at my sweaty palms as my mom pinned the number to my chest. My heart was pounding out of my body and I had a knot in my stomach. I felt like I was going to puke. My first 5K, I thought to myself, four weeks of training for this. I can do it, I encouraged myself. I had a feeling I couldn't though.

   Emily and I walked over to the start and took our place at the back. I squeezed Emily's hand as we waited for the signal. Then, the bullhorn blared in our ears.

   My feet started to move without me even trying. It was like magic. I felt weightless. The mob of people running was like a group of villagers running away from a monster.

   We got our pace as we approached the big hill. The hill looked like a giant. Every time a person went over the hill, it looked as if the hill had eaten them. The grass lining the hill looked as if they were big hairy sideburns. The pot holes in the street looked like dimples in the Giant's face. The dark black pavement looked as if it were the Giant's skin.

   This isn't so bad, I thought to myself.

   We ran up hills, down hills, around curbs, on the street, and on the sidewalks. It was a lot of work, but we persevered and pushed ourselves to stick with it.

   After 30 more minutes of running, we were both dripping in sweat. The sun was shining on our backs and frying us like bacon. I could almost hear a waitress saying, “Two orders of bacon coming right up!”

   The trees around us were tall and protective. They had tall pointed tops, and big bushy leaves. They were painted with pink, purple, and white blossoms. It was like they were huge security guards. It felt like the perfect day.

   "I see it!" Emily exclaimed, "There's the finish!" I rounded a corner only to spot a grand banner with the word finish on it. My heart filled with hope.

   There was a crowd of people on both sides of me. There was a loud roar from the left side, then an earsplitting scream from the right side. It felt great to have all those people cheer for me.

   The crowd was watching me run and yelling things like, "Keep going!" or "Almost there!" Their motivating words gave me faith and I proceeded to the finish.     

  

  

  

Max G. 5Ca

Notre Dame: The Fighting Irish

            For the past three years, I have been going to Notre Dame to see the Irish play football and explore the Notre Dame campus. Would you believe they have won all three times I have been there?!

            Every year, we go to Notre Dame with one of my dad’s best friends and his son. This year my brother is going, too, and we are going to see them play Brigham Young University on Senior Day during the week of Thanksgiving. I can’t wait!

            The first time I saw the stadium was through the gates; it was huge! I couldn’t believe I was there! I remember eagerly asking my dad, “Can we go in?!” I didn’t want to wait a moment longer to see the field. At my first Notre Dame game I got to go on the field and meet Harrison Smith. He was a Senior and it was Senior Day. He is a safety and now plays in the NFL for the Minnesota Vikings.

            The second year that I went to Notre Dame, we watched them play the Boston College Eagles. The next day, we went to Cleveland and saw the Browns take on the New York Jets. While we were at that game, we sat next to one of the Jets’ player’s family, Kyle Wilson. He is a cornerback. The Jets won that game in overtime when Santonio Holmes had a game-winning touchdown.

            Notre Dame is in South Bend, Indiana. We fly into a famous airport in Chicago called O’Hare. We stay in a hotel in Chicago and drive to Notre Dame. It is a one hour drive.

            Over the years, I have learned a lot about Notre Dame. It was at Notre Dame that the first forward pass was invented. Every Notre Dame helmet has a hint of gold in it because the Notre Dame colors are gold, blue, green, and, white. Notre Dame is also famous for its golden dome on campus and “Touchdown Jesus.” This statue is taller than the stadium, and can probably be seen from half a mile away.

           

            Last year Notre Dame had a very good freshman quarterback named Everett Gholston. He got suspended from Notre Dame for a year because he was cheating on a test. Next year he will come back. Currently, Notre Dame’s quarterback is not as good as Gholston. He is mediocre. His name is Tommy Ries and he is a second-year senior. My favorite Notre Dame player is Louis Nix. He is #1 and his nickname is “Irish Chocolate.” He got his nickname because he plays for the Irish, he is massive, and he likes to eat. He is a beast! He is 354 pounds and he is a nose guard.

            Last year, Notre Dame played in a Shamrock Series game. It was at Soldier Field in Chicago where the Chicago Bears play. We didn’t go to it, but I watched it on tv. They wore customized blue jerseys and they crushed the Miami Hurricanes! This year the played the Shamrock Series game in the Dallas Cowboys stadium. They worse customized white uniforms and they won 51-48.

            Notre Dame is currently ranked 25^th in the country; they are in last place out of all the teams that are ranked. I hope they improve to be in the top 15! This is a big drop from last year when they were ranked 1^st and were undefeated. They were undefeated until they lost to Alabama. Their defense stunk and Manti Teo got run over. It was a blow out!

            My dream is to play at Notre Dame when I am older. I want to be #80 and play tight end. Then, later in my career, I want to get drafted into the NFL as a first rounder. Many all time greats have played at Notre Dame including hall of famers. I am going to keep on trying to meet this goal every moment!

            Play like a champion today! “Go Irish!”

Matthew J. 5Ca

 My Trip to NYC at the Holidays

     It was an exciting afternoon. My friends, brother, sister and I were watching MineCraft on YouTube; all of a sudden my mom called, “Guys! Time to go!” We turned off the computer and ran upstairs from the basement. We were so full of energy! We had just learned that we were going to New York City to see the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. It would be our first time.

    All seven of us piled into our minivan. I brought my DS for the one hour drive. The ride was long and rainy. Not to mention boring.  We talked and said over and over “Are we there yet?” Everyone asks that on a trip, right?

     When we arrived in the city, it was already dark and jammed with people.  We parked the van, and the load of us got out and bundled up. Brrr! It was cold. We all started walking at a fast pace; I think we were actually speed walking all the way to Rockefeller Plaza. We turned a corner, and there it was: the famous, ginormous Rockefeller Christmas tree.

      My head was about to explode from everything that was happening around me!! There were so many people! There was so much noise! There were so many lights!! But, all I could focus on was the tree. Think of your tallest Christmas tree you ever had. Now, multiply that size by thirty. Then, multiply that number by three, and you might be close to what I saw. I stood in amazement. Almost every single inch of the tree was covered in lights. (How do they pay for all that?!) There was a rainbow of lights, illuminating the whole plaza. The 3D star on the top glowed a ghostly bright white. The star had twelve sharp points sticking out in every direction. I couldn’t imagine how much work it was to cut down the tree, ship it to the city, and assemble it in the plaza! The evergreen smell of the tree reminded me of Christmas trees we had in the past, as well as the pine tree we have in our yard.  I knew I would treasure this moment forever! I also knew that when I got back to school, I would have a lot to talk about.

      After we took the required pictures around the tree, it was time to shop. My mom gave me thirty dollars and said to buy what I liked. Well, right in Rockefeller Plaza is, what else, the beloved Nintendo Store.  Shockingly, I did not buy anything, but my brother got a video game.

       Next, we pushed our way through the crowd and inched the few feet over to the Lego store. It was so cool inside! I love the LEGO store. My friend and I looked all around; our jaws dropped in awe. There were LEGO models everywhere! GIANT! LEGO models. My favorite is this serpent dragon. It spreads all around the store, so everywhere you go, you see a part of it.

       We left LEGO and Rockefeller Plaza to go to bustling Times Square and Toys R Us. Now, this is not your average toy store. This one is like a tower of toys! Like four floors of toys, and a ferris wheel inside it. WOO WOO! Needless to say, I left the Toys R Us with no money, but with one cool game.

      By now, we were starving. We went to a restaurant called John's Pizzeria. It used to be a church, but before being demolished, it was made into a pizza place. Cool, right?  I have been there before and enjoy it. We luckily got seated right away, and I scarfed down half a dozen slices of pizza and a chocolate lava pyramid dessert.

        After dinner, we headed back to our car to go home. At the parking garage, another woman said to my mom that she was surprised kids were out so late on a school night. My mom told her that with the horrible shooting that had just happened at Sandy Hook, she just wanted to share a wonderful memory with her children.

           We drove back to Connecticut talking and playing the whole way.  First we dropped off my friend and his family, and then drove ourselves home. I got into my PJs and went upstairs to bed. I was able to catch some ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZs after our long, tiring, and action-packed experience.

Mason W. 5Ca

Winter

Winter’s probably the best season of the year. Most people are getting into the Christmas spirit. You’ll see a bunch of people making creations out of snow or slurping down hot beverages.

Can you believe that Christmas Day and Christmas Eve are two of the most popular days in December?! You get to see how well all your decorations turned out, after working so hard to put them up. Also, you get to watch Christmas movies and shows with your family. For some people, Christmas means going around caroling with friends and family. One thing that kids wait to hear every year is the sound of Santa and his reindeer.

Winter activities are very fun. For instance, most of my friends will gather for a giant snowball fight! It’s fun to hit people in the face with snowballs. Some people make snow forts in the winter. It’s easiest when it is sticky snow. My dad and I usually build snowmen together. The head is the hardest part. A lot of people spend their winter snowboarding or skiing, but I usually just stay at home. When I go to the mountains I choose to snowboard instead of ski.

Some foods/drinks people tend to eat or drink in the winter are very tasty. A lot of people drink hot coco after a long day playing in the snow. Most people drink eggnog as a treat in the winter. A lot of people suck on candy canes, or put them on their gingerbread houses. I’d say the most popular treat in winter is the gingerbread house.

Winter is one of the best seasons that many families enjoy together. It is a time for fun and spending time with friends and family. The snowball fights, food, and fun all add up to make a great time. This is why I love winter so much because it is the most enjoyable season of all.

Maddie D. 5Ca

 Winter

During the winter the snow feels crisp and harsh weather lands on us like a blanket. You know that the time is changing and everyone gathers outside to shovel the driveways. Every year when winter arrives there are going to be changes from fall’s crunchy leaves to winter’s crisp snow. When this happens you will notice white flakes of elegant snowflakes falling.

You might imagine a peaceful day when the snow falls slow, and that is possible but you also might have an enormous and terrific blizzard. It can feel like needles and pins trying to hit you as it gushes down. Just maybe you will soon wake up the next morning and strangely it is peaceful without even an inch of snow on the ground. Chilly snow is always nice but when it gets too frigid, it might be so bad that you will end up begging to get inside. During a blizzard it might be a little challenging to have both feet planted on the ground like a magnet. Just this morning I could hardly walk without holding on to something. Every single piece of grass growing in the ground was frozen solid. I could touch it and the whole blade of grass would crumble up and melt. For a second I actually thought I was in Antarctica.

If you were an animal in the winter you would be in hibernation. Hibernation is when an animal goes to sleep for the whole winter. Bear and coyotes would most likely find a cave in the woods. Animals like mice and squirrels hide in smaller places like a hole in the ground or a small crack in a tree. Others like birds and butterflies migrate. It might sound bizarre but it is not. When an animal migrates it flies away to another part of the world to keep warm. You might be wondering why we aren’t doing these things but it’s just that our bodies can be in cold and warm weather. Would you want to be asleep for that long?

One of my favorite holidays in the winter is Christmas and the joy of being generous and spending time with friends and family. While listening to the radio or news on the television, you will start to hear Christmas songs. On the radio you will hear old songs and there are even two stations for just he holidays! My favorite song is “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!” It just is so catchy that you can’t get it out of your head. If I asked you the question, “What do you think of presents?” I like getting presents but the best part is to see smiles on other people’s faces when they see your present. I love giving. Any holiday, if it is Christmas or Mother’s Day always want to give them their presents early. My cheeks look like cherries sometimes. I feel like I would explode into confetti.

Speaking of presents, have you heard of Santa before? He wears an enormous coat and hat with a small white and fluffy cotton ball at the end. The weird part is that all of his clothes are white and red. On every Christmas Eve he will come down your chimney and put presents in your stockings and under your tree. Then he goes to the next house until all the kids in the world will wake up happy, ripping open presents on Christmas morning.

The best and most fun thing I like to do is decorate. The colorful lights make the room pop like a rainbow. Clear and crystally ornaments sparkle when the lights start to get bright as everything else gets darker outside. My family loves getting ornaments and putting them on the tree. This year I even got chocolate ornaments so I can eat them! (YUM!). We once had a reindeer that we would put outside but it broke. When you hang lights, how do you feel?

During the winter season you think about sledding, snowball fights, snow angels and building snowmen.  I love sledding. Every year, at least once, I go to the middle school to sled with Kate. Going down that big hill is like a roller coaster. There is this ride that makes you feel like you are going to fallout of and that reminds me of a bump going down the hill.  Snowmen and snow angels are also fun. You can get a carrot as a nose and coal as eyes and a mouth. Snow angels feel like cold, wet blankets on your back. Splat. A snowball lands on your face and you know you need to have revenge during a snowball fight. Building forts to keep the snow from falling on you and throwing snow is a fun way to have fun!

At the end of the season, you miss the holidays and the hot chocolate but who doesn’t like spring? All seasons are nice but I think winter is best. What is your favorite season?

Kate S. 5Ca

Winter Fun

Most kids enjoy the season winter. It is a time to go outside and play. Did

you know that every snowflake is different? Not one is like another! When we see snow for the first time of the year, people start to prepare for the cold weather that is ahead of them. It's common to get cold in the winter.

When the temperature drops, so does the snow! You can do so much with the crystals. Children love to build people out of snow! You know about snowmen! You can start off with a fraction of a ball of snow, but it will grow to be giant! Most people have experienced the fun though hurtful war using snow! We all know about snowball fights! It might be helpful to build protection from the pain. Easy solution to that, forts! The thick shield of snow will help you move on with the game without getting hurt.

Do you have a big hill that you never use? Well, start using it! Sledding is recommended by many enthusiasts. Grab a board (sled) and get to the top of the hill, and slide down! You might feel as if you were a penguin (except you're not on your belly! Well you can try)! Winter is known by its cold weather and fun snow!

If you're not a fan of playing outside or being cold, stay inside! People enjoy doing cozy activities indoors. Most families build fires to keep the house even cozier. Why not roast some marshmallows over the fire! Speaking of food, relatives bake cookies for one of the times your "Starving". Around Christmas you might frost the cookies green for your Christmas tree or red and white for a candy cane. But the best part of baking cookies is eating them! “Yummy"! I recommend staying in bed with your covers pulled up to your neck. You can sleep in all day if you want, as long as you're comfortable!

It's odd to think that holidays arrive so quickly. Starting in December, it's

the last month of the year! Bizarre to think that in a few days or weeks it'll

be a new year! But my favorite holiday is Christmas. Do you believe in Santa? Nowadays, people thinks he's just an old fairy tale. But it's fun to believe. Who else would put those presents under the tree? (Not your parents I can tell you that) I love writing my Christmas list for him! How do you think he could have understood your hand writing when you were little? My favorite activity about Christmas is finding our tree. With my family it takes a little time to find our tree. (What I mean by a little, I mean a lot!) After finding the perfect tree we hang our special ornaments on the tree. Decorating the evergreen is what entertaining fun at the Solway's! When we are done decorating I'm happy with it, and so is my family.

There are so many ways to spend your winter. All from cozy activities to

snow and Christmas! I just hope everyone around the world will have as 

much fun and laughter as I do during winter. Have an awesome winter, and stay warm!!!       

Justin C. 5Ca

Winter

Do you like winter?  I know I do!  In the winter season there are many holidays to celebrate.  If you get hungry there are a lot of food and drinks to choose from.  In addition, if you get bored you can turn on the television and watch the electrifying winter sports. 

During the winter season, Christmas comes along.  Ho, ho, ho.  One of my favorite things about Christmas is to go and get the magnificent Christmas tree.  People all around the world go to a tree farm and buy a Christmas tree.  Some tree farms will even let you cut the tree down on your own.  Once you have put up the tree, then you can put the ornaments and lights on it.  Now that the tree has been decorated you can put the presents all around it.  Finally, once all of the hard work is done, many people enjoy having a party during the Christmas season. 

When it gets cold have a hot winter beverage.  Hot apple cider is a delightful hot drink for the winter season.  Hot chocolate is stunning and sweet and made with either dark or regular chocolate.  Don’t forget to put some marshmallows in it.  Winter is not the same without smores.   This food has multiple layers of good sensation.  Ever wonder where the gingerbread man lives?  A gingerbread house!  You can decorate the house with all sorts of different candies. 

Ever wonder what keeps you occupied during the winter?  Sports are a large part of the winter months.  Ever think of sliding down a gigantic mountain with two skis attached to your feet?  This sport is referred to as skiing.  Speaking about two skis, snowboarding is also a popular winter activity.  When you snowboard, you are sized to a specific mountain for your age.  Hockey is where you have ice skates on your feet so you can skate across the ice rink.  There is a black puck that you must strike with the stick in order to advance the puck to the goal which is protected by a goaltender.  In addition, basketball is an indoor sport that has no impact due to the cold weather.  In this sport the player dribbles the ball up and down the court in order to score a basket.  The player must try to score against the defensive player called a guard. 

Winter is a such an electrifying season because there are so many ways to celebrate it and sharing it with family and friends.  Even when you put up a Christmas tree or sitting down for a meal also enjoy the magnificent winter sports it will always be proposed as stunning season.

Danylo R. 5Ca

My Baby Brother

My story started the day my parents told me that I would have a brother or sister. When I heard this news, I was very impressed about it.  

S0, for a long time I was dreaming about my brother! “But what if it would be a baby sister?” I thought.  Hmm… For some reason I was sure that it would be a brother!

"Who it will be? A brother or a sister?” I asked my parents.

"Only God knows,” my father said. "But if you will wait a little, the doctor will tell us who it is and we will start to choose a name.”  Eventually, we found out it was a boy!

"When will the baby be born?" I asked my mom.

"You have to wait about 8 months," Mom said.

So, I prepared for a long wait.

         

Three months later, we were riding in the car to the cinema, and I started to talk. I talked about what we would name my brother. Mom said Gavril would be his name, Father said Justin, and I said George.  After long talks they said yes, his name will be George.

      A month later my parents said that baby George would be born in America.

Two months later we were all on a flight on an airplane to New York.

One month later when mom went to the hospital to have George, I was at my aunt’s home. The next day my father said that George was born! He took me to his car, and we rode to the hospital. Father said that we were going to see George and Mom. I will never forget the moment when we entered the room where George was with my mom and I saw him for the first time.