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. 

Andrew L. 5M

My Fort

I will never forget what happened that one summer day…

 Eeeehhhh! My garage door opened, I rolled out my bike, and drove down the street. After I went down two streets away, my bike chain slipped from the gear. I had to repair it, so I walked into the woods and stopped. I looked down a path and I saw a swing and a little fort made out of logs. The swing was blue and was made out of bungee cords and rope. I dashed to try out the swing. It worked and swung over a massive pit! The pit was in an 8 by 4 format with dirt covering the bottom.

After swinging, I looked at the fort. It was broken down and needed to be fixed. I built the fort until it was gigantic. It was getting dark, so I decided to go home. When I got home, I quickly went to find my mom to tell her about my discovery. “Guess what, Mom!? I found a swing and fort in the woods!”

The next day, I did the same thing. I worked on the fort nearly every day for about four months! Unfortunately, one day Hurricane Sandy tore through the woods. I got up the next morning and biked as fast as I could to see what happened. I got there and was staring at a broken swing and a weak building. My heart sank. I tried to rebuild it, but it didn’t work. The tree broke and the ground was too wet to build on. All the work I put into the fort was gone.

After this disastrous discovery, I was upset, so I went on a bike ride with my friend who had seen my fort and who had even helped build it. I told him the news: “The fort was destroyed in the hurricane.”

“Aww, I’m sorry.” We biked back over to where the fort was so he could see for himself.  

Once we got there, we looked at each other and said, “We can do better!” We saw a great spot to rebuild, and let’s just say we spent a lot of time there. We kept building until it was done; luckily, we finished at the beginning of winter. Once it was done, we just sat there and stared at it proudly. I couldn’t believe it! We had accomplished our goal. Our rebuilt fort was even better than the one that Sandy destroyed. The moon reflected off the brightly lit snow like a light bulb shining onto a piece of tinfoil. We said, “It looks amazing,” as we biked home. I thought to myself, “What if someone knew about our secret place!”…