Oodles of Noodles: A Noodle Extravaganza! By: Julie Grubb *This is inspired by daughter, Gillian. Although she isn’t even 2 years old yet, she knows what she wants. Whenever she is asked what she wants for dinner she says, “How about noodles?”
Noodles here, noodles there Noodles, noodles everywhere!
For breakfast, dinner and lunch I want noodles by the bunch!
Noodles in all shapes and sizes Each kind comes with its own surprises!
Linguine, spaghetti, and vermicelli Slide quickly and easily into my belly
Some noodles look like other things, Like wagon wheels or butterfly wings
Elbow macaroni with cheese Give me more—please, please, please!
Fill the manicotti, stuff the shells The aroma makes my appetite swell!
Rigatoni, ziti, and rotini My three wishes for the dinner genie
Noodles skinny, Noodles fat Noodles made with this and that
Noodles curvy, Noodles straight Noodles, noodles on my plate
Any form or shape of noodles Noodles, noodles, give me oodles!
I am excited. Nana was coming over, and mommy said she was bringing a surprise for me! I could barely wait to find out what it might be.
I thought very hard. Maybe it would be a toy truck or a new ball – or maybe even some Legos. Whatever it was, I knew it would be great because Nana always picked the best presents.
After what seemed like hours and hours, I finally heard someone climbing the steps. It had to be Nana! I ran to the front hall, but waited for mommy to open the door, just as she had taught him.
“Nana!” I squealed, bouncing over to my grandmother as soon as she stepped inside. Setting down her purse and the big box she was carrying, she scooped me up in a hug.
“How’s my favorite grandchild today?” she asked, tousling my already messy hair.
She lowered me to the floor, and then picked up the box. I studied it with renewed curiosity. It was bigger than a toy truck, not he right shape for a ball, and didn’t rattle like Legos. My excitement started to bubble up again.
“Let’s sit on the couch, “Nana suggested. “There’s someone I’d like you to meet.”
“Someone?” Max asked, his eyes wide.
Nana smiled. “Yes, someone – a very special someone in fact.”
Settling onto the sofa next to Nana, I lifted the lid and pushed away the tissue paper, finding myself face to face with a most marvelous teddy bear: brown and fuzzy, with a simple bow tie, a happy expression and kind eyes. I ran my hands over the bear’s tummy, feeling the softness of his coat, and then hugged him tight.
“Jacob, this is Bernie,” she told me. “Bernie here is a very brave bear. Nothing frightens him, and he will protect you from anything that scares you so you won’t be afraid anymore either.”
Suddenly solemn, Jacob whispered his thanks. He loved Bernie, he really did, but he didn’t want to be reminded of everything that scared him, for he was spooked by a great many things: spiders, snakes, rats, bats, darkness, heights, being upside down, strangers, monsters, horses and clowns (especially clowns.)
Nana put her arm around his shoulder and pulled him to her gently. “It’s all rights little one, everyone is afraid of something. Bernie is going to help you face your fears. How does that sound?”
Max told Nana he thought is sounded very good, at which point his grandmother tightened her hug on both the boy and the bear he still clasped firmly in his arms.
Over the next few days, he formed a fast bond with Bernie, showing him his room, sharing secrets with him, teaching him how to play with toys, and taking him to bed every night.
What no one knew, and no one, not even Nana could have known, was that Bernie was scared of even more things than Jacob was. So much was new to him. A lot of the items in the closet scared him, as did thinking about what might be under the bed. The pictures on the walls looked strange to him, and the shiny brass knobs on the headboard showed an eerie, strange reflection.
His biggest fear was falling out of bed, which happened several times when Jacob relaxed in his sleep and loosened his grip on Bernie. Often, Mommy or Daddy found him and tucked him back in with Jacob, but sometimes he spend the whole night on the floor, valiantly hiding the dread he felt at being so close to under the bed, in order to spare Jacob from it.
In spite of his own fright, Bernie dutifully protected Jacob from all the things that scared him, and soon their hold over Jacob began to ease. But Bernie was still afraid.
One morning, Jacob paused in his play with a toy racecar and looked thoughtfully at Bernie, who was sitting on the bed watching over him.
“You’re scared of stuff too, aren’t you?” He said aloud.
Little boys and their bears have a special, magical way of communicating with each other. It was by this means that Jacob came to recognize Bernie’s fears, and that Bernie happened to confirm them.”
“It’s okay, everybody’s scared of something,“ Jacob advised, recalling his grandmother’s comforting words. “I’ll show you stuff and then you won’t be scared of it anymore.”
Sensing that Bernie was wary about the idea, he added, “Don’t worry, I’ll stay with you just like you stay with me.”
And so together they explored under the bed, examined everything in the closet, studied the pictures on the wall and made silly faces in the lustrous round bed knobs, laughing at the funny images they created.
Suddenly Jacob remembered that Nana was here while Mommy went out today. He stopped mid-giggle and ran to the kitchen with Bernie tucked securely under his arm. Nana was just spooning oatmeal into a bowl for him.
“Bernie isn’t really brave. He’s scared of lots of stuff,” Jacob told Nana in a loud whisper.
Nana asked what Bernie was afraid of, and Jacob went down the list, proudly finishing how he had helped Bernie overcome his fears.
“That was very kind of you, Jacob. And Bernie helped you too, when you were afraid,” Nana observed.
Jacob nodded, recounting how Bernie had once chased a spider out of his room, and demonstrated the bear growl Bernie had taught him on that occasion. “He did that even though he was scared himself. It takes a lot of courage to do something when you’re afraid, so I’d say Bernie is very brave indeed.”
“Yes, he is,” Jacob agreed.
“Let me show you how I knew,” Nana said, reading for Bernie. She folded back his simple blue bow tie and right behind it was a tag that read, “Bernie, a Very Brave Bear.”
Jacob giggled, Nana smiled and ruffled his hair, and Bernie felt very proud – and, for the first time every, also very brave.
Petunia Pig and the Spelling Bee by Adriana Escamilla
Petunia Pig loved peanut butter. And pickles. And pineapple upside down cake. (But preferably not altogether).
Petunia Pig relished in the stickiness of the peanut butter on sandwiches, the crunchiness of the pickles at snack time, and the sweetness of the pineapple in her upside down cake.
But more than peanut butter, pickles, and pineapple upside down cake (but never altogether)—more than anything in the entire world—Petunia Pig loved words. Words tickled her taste buds more than any tantalizing treat ever could.
Petunia Pig loved the way words like “STUPENDOUS!” and “FLABBERGASTED!” and “HEROIC!” rolled so eloquently off her tongue.
She found ways to use the words just to say them! Sometimes, her dolls were the only audience to hear these magnificent words.
“That was such a STUPENDOUS lunch, darling!” she told her doll, Maxine after the tea party. “Simply marvelous—bravo!”
“What a HEROIC save!” Petunia Pig told Dino the Dinosaur. “You are so courageous to have jumped off that cliff to rescue our precious Lily!”
“Why honestly, Louise! I am simply FLABBERGASTED that you think I told your deepest secret to the others! Just what kind of friend do you think I am?”
Miss Quills, Petunia Pig’s teacher, also knew of her love for words. At the top of every spelling test, she would write new ones for Petunia Pig.
That’s why, when it was time for the annual school spelling bee, Miss Quills asked Petunia Pig if she would like to participate. “It will be the whole school, Petunia. I want you to represent our class—I think you could win it all!”
Petunia Pig was terribly frightened by the thought of standing in front of the whole school. She loved words, but couldn’t bear to think of being the center of attention.
“Me?” asked an astonished Petunia Pig. “No thank you, Ms. Quills. I don’t think I can.”
That night, when Petunia Pig got home, she felt extremely melancholy.
She knew that Miss Quills had been counting on her, and she had let her teacher down.
Petunia Pig had another tea party with Maxine, but this time, she didn’t use any delightful words.
“Good tea party,” she mumbled.
To Dino the Dinosaur, she said: “Nice job.”
And to Louise: “I’m sad that you think I would tell your secret.”
When her mother served the pineapple upside down cake for dessert that evening, Petunia Pig just pushed it around on her plate. She didn’t excitedly exclaim, “DELECTABLE!” like she had every other night. Instead, tonight she just said: “It’s good.”
In school, Petunia Pig also stopped using such wonderful words. She crossed out words like “SPECTACULAR!” and “SPLENDID!” that Ms. Quills wrote at the top of her spelling tests. She had let herself, and her teacher, down.
That afternoon when Petunia Pig got home from school, she smelled an odd aroma coming from the kitchen. Curiously, she followed the smell to find out what it was.
Sniff, sniff— It smelled like… peanut butter but also pickles and pineapple upside down cake.
Strange, thought Petunia Pig as she stared at the dish on the stove.
“Oh, Petunia!” cried her mother walking into the kitchen. “I see you found the power pie!”
“The power—what?” asked Petunia, eyeing the stovetop again suspiciously.
“The power pie,” her mother explained. “Anyone who eats this has the power to overcome even their greatest fear! It’s a secret family recipe. Do you want to try it?”
Petunia Pig thought about her fear of standing in front of the school. And she thought about her love for words. Well, she thought, it can’t hurt to try it.
Petunia took a forkful of the power pie and hesitantly put it in her mouth. She chewed slowly. And swallowed.
“Why, this pie is…this pie is—good—this pie is great—this pie is GLORIOUS!” shouted Petunia Pig.
Suddenly, Petunia Pig knew that with this power pie, she could compete in the school spelling bee. She couldn’t wait to get to school to tell Miss Quills.
On the day of the spelling bee, Petunia Pig ate the power pie for breakfast AND for lunch, just to be sure that it would work. But Petunia Pig was so excited to spell words that she forgot all about her fear of standing in front of the school.
Excitedly, she listened to the other contestants spell their words. Her heart leapt with every wonderful word she heard. Finally, it was down to the last two contestants. Petunia Pig was one of them.
“Petunia Pig, spell stupendous.”
Petunia Pig smiled. This was her favorite word of all time.
“Stupendous. S-T-U-P-E-N-D-O-U-S. Stupendous!” she exclaimed.
“I’m sorry, Tommy Turtle, but that is incorrect. Petunia Pig, if you spell flabbergasted correctly, you are the new spelling bee champion. Spell flabbergasted.”
Petunia couldn’t believe it! It was her other favorite word!
“Congratulations to our new spelling bee champion!” shouted Miss Quills.
Petunia Pig’s heart swelled with happiness. “I feel so…so…EXUBERANT!” she shouted with a smile.
That night during dinner, Petunia Pig said to her mother, “I couldn’t have done it without the power pie.”
“Petunia,” her mother said, “there is no power pie. It was simply your favorite things all mixed together. You had the power in you the entire time. I am SO proud of you!”
Petunia Pig was so flabbergasted that she didn’t know what to say when she heard this. No power pie? she thought.
Well, then that only means one thing. Petunia Pig loves words. And peanut butter. And pickles. And pineapple upside down cake. And yes, she loves them altogether.
An Unlikely Pair On Wednesday, the little brown bear walked outside his cave and skipped happily to his first baseball practice. Along came the slow poke turtle from school who was crawling to the same practice. The little brown bear knew he was much faster than the turtle as they had recently had a race during school. The little brown bear had won the race, while the turtle had come in last place. As a result, the brown bear felt extremely confident walking to the practice because he thought he would be the best player. “I will be the helper of this team!” thought the little brown bear. The slow poke turtle thought in his head “I hope the other animals are nice to me at practice. I really want to have a friend.” Coach Raccoon was ready to start the practice as brown bear and turtle arrived. The first drill of the day was to run around the bases as fast as you can. Just as had happened before, the brown bear ran much faster than the turtle. The brown bear set a new record for running around the bases finishing in 18 seconds. Meanwhile, it took the turtle over 7 minutes to complete this task. The turtle was extremely sad when he finally finished the drill. Tears started to fill his eyes as he looked at his teammates who were anxiously awaiting him to finish. The little brown bear recognized the disappointment in the turtle and he started to applaud his teammate for his effort. “Thank you, bear! You are a splendid friend indeed!” That night, the bear thought about what had happened at practice and decided to call the turtle. The bear could remember when he was a young cub that his older brother had helped him practice to become a better player. Turtle could surely use a friend as he did not have an older brother to help him practice. “Hello, turtle! It’s your friend bear from practice. Will you join me tomorrow morning at 9 a.m.? I want to help you become a better baseball player so remember to bring your mitt and baseball bat.” With a big grin on his face from ear to ear, the turtle’s shell nearly burst with excitement! “Thank you, bear! I will be ready bright and early!” Every Saturday morning from that day on, the turtle and bear reconnected at the park to practice baseball skills. It initially started as a friendly way to help a teammate become a better player but it soon became much more than an additional practice. The two animals were very different but soon realized that they enjoyed each others company and could be heard from a block away giggling with each other. The dynamic duo soon became best friends!
Page 1: Being an Only Kitty meant lots of things. It meant cuddling up on the couch as two big people stroked your soft, black fur. It meant having seven warm, sunny windowsills all to yourself. It meant owning too many toys to count.
Page 2: But then, one night, Lindsay wasn’t an Only Kitty anymore. That night, the man and the woman ate their dinner so quickly there wasn’t even time for Lindsay to get comfortable on the man’s lap. They hurried out the door, but Lindsay wasn’t concerned. This wasn’t the first time the big people were in a rush.
Page 3: But then they came home and placed a little black case right in the middle of the family room floor. The case looked kind of like that awful cage that Lindsay had to sit in when she went to see the doctor. Had the doctor come to Lindsay’s house this time? Lindsay didn’t think the doctor would fit in that little black case.
Page 4: Lindsay crept up to the case, peered in, and spied a tuft of white fur. No, that wasn’t the doctor in there. Lindsay wasn’t sure what it was, but it smelled AWFUL. Lindsay hissed. Lindsay growled. Lindsay bared her teeth.
Page 5: “Leave him alone!” the woman scolded. Then, she turned and started talking to the black case in a silly, high voice. “How is wittle Maxie-Waxie?” she cooed, peering inside the case. Lindsay turned up her nose and stalked away. She had better things to do than listen to this nonsense!
Page 6: From the hallway, Lindsay heard the zzzzzzip of the case being opened, and then that awful smell got even worse. But Lindsay’s curiosity got the best of her, and she swung her head around to take a peek. Something white and brown was escaping from the case!
Page 7: The woman picked up the small white and brown thing and held it out to Lindsay. “Look, Lindsay!” she exclaimed. “This is Max!” Lindsay wasn’t sure what a Max was, but she nearly gagged from its horrible smell. Then she hissed. And she growled. And she sprinted upstairs to the bedroom.
Page 8: The man and the woman put Max away in the den for a while. They probably couldn’t stand the smell of it either, Lindsay figured. Every once in a while, Lindsay crept up to the den door to try to find out more about this furry little thing. But every time, its stench overwhelmed her, and she retreated to her couch with a hiss and a growl.
Page 9: One day, the man let Max out of the den. Lindsay watched with narrow eyes as Max explored the hallway. Before Lindsay knew it, Max was sniffing at her food bowl! With a yowl, Lindsay sprang from the couch and darted toward her bowl. She swiped at the little furball with her paw, swatting him away from the food. That was HERS! The man scolded Lindsay, scooped Max up, and carried him away.
Page 10: The next day after breakfast, the woman played with Lindsay for a long time, and Lindsay started feeling just like an Only Kitty again. It was wonderful! Lindsay had forgotten all about that Max until a little white paw swatted at her stuffed mouse. Lindsay glared at Max, certain he was not only going to steal her food, but her favorite toy too! She was ready to pounce right on his greedy little paw, but then - Max pushed the mouse back to Lindsay. Warily, Lindsay picked up the toy with her mouth and trotted away. Maybe if she hid it under the couch, Max wouldn’t be able to find it.
Page 11: As the days passed, Max’s scent became a little less awful to Lindsay. She sure didn’t like to be around him, but she thought she might be able to tolerate having him in the house. At least the man and woman gave him his own food, so Lindsay didn’t have to share.
Page 12: One sunny afternoon, Lindsay was batting around her light-up ball on the family room floor. The man and the woman weren’t home from work yet, but Lindsay didn’t mind. It was nice to play by herself sometimes. Lindsay lay on her side, lazily tapping the ball back and forth. Just then, she heard a loud THUMP! Lindsay swiveled her head around to see what it was, and in her haste, she knocked the ball under the armchair!
Page 13: Max came bounding into the family room, and Lindsay greeted him with an angry snarl. That noisy little thing had cost her the light-up ball! She was never going to be able to get the ball out from under the armchair - the space under the chair was far too small. She hadn’t been able to fit under that chair since she was a kitten.
Page 14: Lindsay sighed and shuffled over to the armchair. She lay down on her side and poked a paw under the chair, but it was no use. The ball was too far out of her reach. As Lindsay slumped down in her melancholy, Max crept closer to her. Lindsay gave a low growl, but she just didn’t have the energy to swat him away. Suddenly, with a loud MEW, Max disappeared under the armchair! Lindsay wondered what on earth he was doing under there. Was he trying to steal her special ball?
Page 15: A moment later, Max emerged with the ball between his tiny teeth. He dropped the ball next to Lindsay’s tail and trotted away. Suspiciously, Lindsay poked at the ball with her hind paw. The ball was a little wet, but...it seemed like Max had retrieved it just for her. Reluctantly, Lindsay caught up with Max in the hallway. She mewed, gave him a little “thank you” lick on the head, and returned to the family room.
Page 16: After the incident with the light-up ball, Max didn’t seem quite so smelly or annoying anymore. When the woman and the man played with Lindsay, Lindsay let Max play, too. When Lindsay was given a few treats after dinner, she let Max have one. Lindsay even cleaned Max’s tiny head with her tongue, once in a while...
Page 17: …but she still growled a little while she did it.
“Sweetie, just be yourself. They will LOVE YOU!” she plant a kiss on Gaby’s cheek and continued scrapping the cookies off of the baking sheet and putting them the cooling rack, humming softly.
Then is dawned oh her, “What am I going to wear?”
Her mom stopped humming. “How about the cute khaki pants with the white stripes on them?”
“Oh, maybe I will save those for later.” She said softly.
“How about ones with the butterflies on them?”
Gaby was glad her mom wasn’t looking at her because she was sure her face gave away her guilt. She resolved to tell her mom the truth. “Um, mom….I cut all the pants into shorts.”
Her mother quietly turned around. Gaby knew she was in for it. She could hear the lecture coming. “Well then I guess you will have to wear a pair of your new shorts then.” That was all she said and she walked out of the kitchen.
Gaby felt relieved. She wasn’t in trouble, but she couldn’t wear shorts to school. Luis and Sam NEVER wore shorts to school – even when it was over a hundred degrees outside. She felt as if the world had been turned upside down and is extremely nervous about making a good first impression to her class and teacher.
That night, Gaby barely slept. She kept having nightmares of kids pointing and laughing at her outfit. Then she would spend the entire year eating lunch by herself. When her mom came in to wake her up that morning, she tried to fake that she was sick. Her mom knew better and said breakfast in ten minutes.
Gaby weighs all possible courses of action. Finally, after much careful consideration, she picking the brown paints with butterflies on them, now shorts, and a white t-shirt and slowly made her was downstairs.
Sam and Luis said in unison, “nice shorts, squirt!” and Gaby reddened. This was going to be the worst day of her life.
Gaby’s dad looked up from him morning paper and gave her a big smile. She decided to be herself and that the outfit that she picked out showed her personality. She kept repeteing that to herself as she went to school.
At the door of Mrs. MacDonld’s classroom she took a deep breath and walked through the door. Most of the students had found their seats already. Mrs. MacDonald looked up from her clipboard, “and you must be Gaby! Here is your seat!” As she walked over she noticed a nice looking girl and really cute boy at her table. She instantly regretted her choice in outfit.
After sitting down and taking out her supplies, the cute boy with blue eyes leaned over and said, “I really like butterflies. Have you ever caught any?” Instantly Gaby’s day got better.
Once upon a time, there was a young girl names Gaby who was enjoying her summer. She loved the summer time because her parents always let her go outside to play. Gaby loved to feel the magnificent summer sun warm her skin.
In fact, she loved the feel of the warmth on her skin so much that one August day, she took all of the pants out of her closet that her mother had just bought her and cut them into shorts. She now had brown shorts with butterflies stitched into the back packets, green corduroy ones that had yellow front pockets, dark indigo shorts with jagged edges, and khaki shorts with thin horizontal stripes that warped around her legs like thins lines of icing. She was so proud of her “new” wardrobe that she couldn’t wait to show her mom!
When Gaby scurried down the stairs, jumping off the last three like a professional, she found her mother in the kitchen baking chocolate cookies. Gaby’s mouth salivated from the sweet smell and she completely forgot about the shorts. If there was one thing she loved more than the summer sun upon her skin, it was cookies! Her mom smiled and offered her the biggest cookie and a glass of cool creamy milk. “Don’t ruin your dinner!” her mother warned. Gaby smiled innocently and was content with her sweet-smelling appetizer.
Her mother continued, “Honey, are you excited for your first day of kindergarten tomorrow?” she said almost as sweetly as the cookie she just handed Gaby.
Gaby dropped her cookie, and spun around to look at the family calendar on the fridge. There she saw, in bright crimson marker, Gaby’s First Day of School!!! She could not believe that she had forgot. A flash of nervousness rushed through her as she thought about going to school and not knowing anyone. Would they like her? Would she make friends? Would her teacher be nice? Question after impossible question flickered through her mind.
Her mom sat there staring at her. Almost as if she could read Gaby’s mind, she said, “Oh, honey kindergarten is great! Mrs. MacDonald is just the best teacher you could ever have. She adored bother of your brothers and I am sure she will adore you too!”
Gaby instantly relaxed. If Mrs. MacDonald liked Sam and Luis, then there was no way should would not like Gaby. Her brothers where, according to her parents – terrors. Anytime they entered a room their school bags, socks, shoes, soccer equipment and anything else they had with them was stranded around the room. They teased Gaby constantly, but she knew they loved her even if the made fun of her pigtails every once in a while. He dad describe their teasing as, “part of being the only girl of the family. Besides sweetie, it will toughen you up for school.”
Gaby recalled her conversation with her dad and asked, “but what about the kids?”
The Candy Mistake By:Sarah Cavoto Cassie always had a enormous sweet tooth. Cassie and Ally, her older sister, ate any piece of candy they could get their hands on. Ally and Cassie would do anything to eat candy. It was candy for breakfast, candy for lunch, and candy for dinner. Eventually, all this candy was becoming a dilemma. Her mother had enough of the candy. She took away all the candy from the kitchen, their bedroom, their backpacks, and the basement. There was no more candy left in the Sullivan house anymore. One evening after dinner, Mrs. Sullivan had to run a quick errand to the good ole' White hen. "Girls, I need to run to White Hen to get more milk would you like to come with me?," Mrs. Sullivan asked. "White hen, white hen, white hen!!," the girls shouted. White Hen was a small shop on the end of their block. It had cream colored walls and most of the time it was louder than a lunchroom filled with kids. They sold things like milk, bread, eggs, ice cream, coffee, and of course CANDY. White Hen was a place Cassie and Ally went all the time to get all sort of different candies. Before the girls and Mrs. Sullivan entered White Hen, Mrs. Sullivan made it very clear, "Girls you already had dessert so we are NOT going to be getting any candy". But Mrs. Sullivan was wrong. Cassie tiptoed around the store while Ally and her mother went directly for the milk. "How can I come to White Hen and not get Bubbaloo Bubble Gum?" Cassie thought. The Bubblaloo Bubble Gum was always at the counter in a big bowl. "Man... do I want one of those," Cassie thought. "Cassie... Cassie... We are leaving. Please meet us by the door," her mother yelled from across the store.
"It's only one little small piece of gum, who would find out," she thought. Cassie quickly grabbed a single piece of the Bubbaloo Bubble Gum and jammed it into her coat pocket. She immediately ran to the door without looking back. Before she knew it, Cassie was driving down her street just yards away from her house. Her heart was beating like an Olympic runner who just won gold in the 50 yd dash "Cassie you are awfully quiet back there. I think someone is very sleepy. Bed time when we get home." They were pulling into the garage when Mrs. Sullivan exclaimed. "Ok ladies, you heard me- bed time. Up to your room and get those pjs on." Cassie and Ally filed out of the car. Cassie was trying to beeline it to her room before anyone found out about what she has done. Just as she was about to grab the door handle, she tripped on the wet, salty snow boats that were just outside the door. Along with her entire body, the Bubbaloo Bubble Gum came crashing to the ground. Mrs. Sullivan and Ally were stunned at the disaster they had just witnessed. They were completely speechless for what seemed like an eternity. Cassie slowly stood up. Mrs. Sullivan and Ally continued to be silent, dead silent. Silence was never a good sign with Mrs. Sullivan. "CASSIE JANE SULLIVAN... where is the world did you get that gum from," Mrs. Sullivan blurted out. "I certainly hope it did NOT come from White Hen." Cassie was frozen. Her heart felt like it was going to explode out of her body. Her hands began to fill with small droplets of water. This wasn't the first time Cassie had been in trouble but she had a strange feeling by the look on her mother's face that this time would probably be the worst. With all her might, Cassie whispered, "I took it from White Hen." "You what?? You what??", Mrs. Sullivan screamed. "You stole Cassie! Taking things without paying for them is stealing!"
Cassie just stood there, waiting for this awful moment to be over. She thought if she stayed quiet, she may wake up and it was all a dream. "What in the world made you think, stealing this gum was ok," her mother yelled back. Cassie eyes were now filled to capacity, that the tears were falling from her eyes at a rapid pace. Her breathing started to become difficult and she had a hard time seeing through all the tears. One minute seemed like a five hour car ride. "I'm sorry.... I'm so sorry. I just really wanted the gum. It was only 2 pieces. Mr. Scott will not even notice they are gone."
She knew her mother was fighting back the rage inside her. She knew her mother was carefully selecting her words. "Cassie, it doesn't matter if you took 2 pieces or the whole bowl. We have to pay for those things." "Cassie, now you better listen carefully. We are going to walk down to White Hen bright and early and come clean. You will return the gum you STOLE and apologize to Ms. Scott. Do I make myself clear?" Mr. Sullivan said in a slow deep tone. Their house suddenly felt frigid. The light began to resurface in Cassie's vision. Mrs. Sullivan, Ally, and Cassie had already walked inside. Mrs. Sullivan left the gum on the table as a reminder of what just occurred. There was no way Cassie was going to vividly remember the events of today. With her parents staring her down, Cassie ran up to her room with tears flying off her face. She kept running until she slammed her bedroom door shut. Her face lay smashed to the pillow as the tears continued to poor down her face. After the dust had settles from the door slamming, Cassie heard the soft footsteps of her mother's slippers on the carpet in the hallway. "Cassie, please let me in," Mrs. Sullivan said. Her voice sounded like her voice did when Cassie was just waking up on a school day. So gentle and caring. "I would like to talk to you." With her nose still stuffed and her eyes puffed up, she opened the door. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to steal. All I wanted was the gum. Am I going to get in big trouble? Are the police going to come for me," Cassie whimpered. They both sat on her pink princess comforter that laid so nicely on her twin bed. Her mother lost the rage behind her eyes and the darkness in her voice. "She was mom again," Cassie thought. "Cassie, honey, what you did today was wrong. We do not take things without paying for them in a store. The police are not going to come after you. But I hope that you learned a very valuable lesson today. Stealing is wrong. Everything is going to be ok this time but we need to learn from our mistakes and make sure we do not make them again. Do you understand?" her mother said. After a long night of tossing and turning, Cassie finally fell asleep. She wasn't looking forward to going to White Hen in the morning but she knew she had to do it. She promised herself to ask before taking things. When she woke up that morning, the first thing she saw was her white porcelain piggy bank with her name painted on the side. "I should buy my own candy from now on," she thought. If she wanted candy, she was going to have to earn it!
10 Colored Dots *I have illustrations for these in which these dots that are mentioned in the story are the central focus of pictures
One blue dot can make the moon, which reminds it is time to sleep soon. Two green dots can make the eyes of a friend that is passing by Three yellow dots can make tennis balls, bouncing here and there and everywhere. Four red dots can make barrettes that go really well with my new red dress. Five orange dots can make honey which tastes so sweet as it hits my tummy. Six purple dots can make balloons that I can give to my friend June. Seven black dots can make a domino that use to create our floor show. Eight brown dots can make eight spiders which any girl would not like beside her. Nine colorful dots can make a delicious cookie which I can make even though I am a baking rookie. Ten white dots can make bowling pins which I knock down for a win!
Sasha and her best friend Dani begged their parents to sign them up for an art class. After a lot of cleaning rooms and eating vegetables their parents finally said yes and signed them up for their very first art class. In the weeks leading up to the art class Sasha and Dani could talk of nothing else. “Do you think the teacher will be a girl or a boy?” said Dani. “I hope its a girl!” replied Sasha. “I can't wait!” squealed Dani. The day of the art class finally arrived. They ate a good breakfast and off they went.
Once there Dani’s mom walked them inside, “Have so much fun sweethearts! I’ll be back in an hour.”
Sasha and Dani looked around. They didn't notice anyone who looked like them, their parents, or even anyone in their neighborhood. Right then in walked the most beautiful smiling woman they have ever seen. “Hello class, my name is Mrs. Lily. I am so excited to work with all you over the next couple months. There are only two rules I have and as long as everyone follows them we are going to have so much fun!” She continued, “My first and most important rule is that you are kind to everyone. That includes sharing. My second rule is that we must clean up after ourselves. Got it? “Got it!” chanted the class. Mrs. Lily dismissed the students table by table to get the art supplies. Sasha and Dani hoped their table would be picked first. But they weren't. They did get to go next though and on their way gave each other high fives. When they got to the supply table they were overwhelmed by all of the different types of paints, markers, crayons, and charcoals. The girls decided on new set of felt tip markers. They grabbed all of them and went back to their table.
Mrs. Lilly asked the students to take some time and draw whatever they wanted. That way she could learn more about her students. Dani and Sasha began drawing as soon as they sat down making pictures for their moms, dads and each other.
One of the girls wearing a black headscarf interrupted Dani and Sasha. “Hi, I’m Parveen.” she said. “Hi, I’m Sasha and that’s Dani.” replied Sasha. Parveen continued, “Can I borrow some of your markers? I’ve never used markers like this before.” Sasha wasn’t sure if she wanted to lend out their new markers. “Are you sure?” asked Dani. “These markers?” Sasha asked. “umm...yes.” Parveen said. Sasha and Dani looked at each other and then back to Parveen. “Uhh, Oookay,” Dani stuttered remembering Mrs. Lily's number one rule. But then Parveen went ahead a grabbed the exact colors the girls had been using. Just as Sasha was about to yell “Waaaaiiittttt!” she looked up and saw Mrs. Lily smiling as big as the sun and put her hands to her heart and sigh. Sasha and Dani looked at each other and then looked at their remaining bland markers. As they started to color again Mrs. Lily bent down and whispered “I'm so proud of you girls for sharing.” Now it was Dani and Sasha who were smiling ear to ear. They felt good about sharing. They felt even better when they looked over at Parveen and saw her smiling and laughing while coloring a picture. At the end of class after everyone had helped clean up Parveen walked over to the girls and gave each of them a picture she had drawn to say thank you. Dani and Sasha were excited about their new friend and their new art class. They couldn’t wait for next week.
Bullock County’s Spelling Champ By Latisha Lewis Pt 1
“If it hadn’t been for that Sammy Jo, I’d still be in 1st place for the town’s 5th Annual Spelling Bee!!” He just had to go ruin er’thang for me. He cain’t even read, let alone spell simple four and five letter words. Foster Middle School has always been my stomping grounds. Er’body knew me and er’body knows that I am THE best speller in Bullock County. It all started back in 72’ when Mrs. Shuller asked me if I wanted to participate in the school spelling bee. Of course I said “Yea!”, because who else in Bullock County could spell as good as me? You guessed it, NOBODY.
Here I am studying for one of the most important moments in my life when I hear through the grapevine that Sammy Jo Stevenson was preparing to enter Bullock County’s 5th Annual Spelling Bee. Na, I had always won the County’s spelling bee no matter who competed. But Sammy Jo, he wasn’t just any ole kid. He was Mr. Carter’s kid. Mr. Carter was the town’s Librarian, the local chef, the butcher, and the Mayor all rolled up in one. And he did not take no for an answer.
So when Lilly and her best friend Luther Jr. ran to tell me that Sammy Jo was competing, I was in total shock. I was not about to let some Mayor’s kid ruin my reputation and steal the crown from me. No, not gon’ happen capn’. Lilly and Luther Jr. had been the best of friends since kindergarten. Their parents lived next door to each other for God knows how long. Luther Jr. was raised by his father because his momma passed away long ago from some condition called lupus. I had never ever heard of such a thang. My momma tried to explain it to me, but it went it one ear and out the otha. All I was concerned about was studying and memorizing enough words to pass the most important spelling bee in history.
If I won this time, I’d definitely be considered for the State Championship and- who knows, maybe even the National Championship. To tell you the truth, I don’t even know why I’m worried. I remember this one time in 2nd grade when Ms. Della asked Luther Jr. to read paragraph 2 of Moby Dick and he froze mid-sentence. He couldn’t even read simple four and five letter words. The whole time I stared at him and shook my head, wondering…”Why does he even come to school?” As the days went by I became a lil nervous, but not nervous enuff to think that I would lose to some scrawny, freckled face Mayor's kid. Not over my dead body.
Here we are front and center at Foster Middle School when the prompter asks me to spell perpendicular. I hesitate at first, but then I spit it out “perpendicular, p.e.r.p.e.n.d.i.c.u.l.a.r, perpendicular!” The prompter then turns to Sammy Jo and says “Spell repeatedly” He says “repeatedly, r.e.p.e.a.t.e.d.l.y, repeatedly!” Then, she turns to me and says: “Spell microorganism”. I begin…… “microorganism, m.i.c.r.o.o.r.g.a.n.i.s.m, microorganism”. Then she turns to Sammy Jo, but before she could give him a word, I could hear Lilly and Luther Jr. fussing over something in the audience. What were they arguing about? I thought. They never argued. They never even looked at each other funny.
So I knew there was something strange going on when I heard the two of them keeping up all that fuss in the crowd. The prompter gave another word to Sammy Jo, “drifting”. Sammy began to spell the word, but got stuck mid-spell. I never liked that silly lil voice of his to begin with. Now that I was forced to listen to him talk, I had to brace myself. He had the most irritating voice in Foster Middle School. This alone, I thought would get him disqualified from the spelling competition. I mean you could barely understand a word he said. As he whispered and attempted to spell the word, he froze again. Seems to me Sammy Jo Stevenson had drifted off into outter space. I knew he couldn’t spell, but now the whole school was about to find out what I already knew. Sammy Jo had been passed along from grade to grade because his dad was the Mayor and people were afraid they would lose their jobs if they hadn’t passed him.
Luckily for me, Sammy Jo didn’t know how to spell that word, drifting. At first I started to feel sorry for him. But as Lilly and Luther Jr. began cheering for ME, I became even more confident that I would win this competition. Low and behold, Mr. Carter appeared from outta nowhere and said to his son: “If you don’t open up yo mouf and spell that silly word, I will have your hindparts from her to missippsppi!!” What’s his problem?, I asked myself. Wouldn’t you know, Sammy began spelling that word as fast as he could. However, what the Mayor didn’t know is that I had already spelled three words ahead of his son.
Now was crunch time. I kept my eyes on Sammy Jo and Lilly as they began to chant “Go, Savannah Go! Show em’ you know!! If my confidence had not been what is was, I would’ve been upset at the fact that the Mayor turned the tables in favor of his son, thinking that would get him ahead in life. I’ve always been taught: “Treat people how you wanna be treated. Whether you’re the mayor or not, treat people how you wanna be treated. I’m still the Spelling Champ of Bullock County whether you wanna believe it or not.
When I think of my grandma and my grandpa, I think of little memories. They’re so little that I can fit them in my pocket. Even so, they mean a great deal to me, and take up an enormous space in my heart. I remember playing patty cakes with grandpa at the beach. The wind blew on early spring days, while I stood there in my bright red rain coat and shiny boots, but it didn’t stop us from laughing though each choreographed clapping line. I remember grandma joyfully spinning around dancing in her kitchen, while she sang to me. I looked up mesmerized at her grace as I ate huge spoonfuls of yummy chocolate pudding. I can still see her crinkly eyes barely open from smiling so big. I remember singing nursery rhymes and repeating tongue twisters with grandpa as we walked hand in hand on the stony road heading to town. With the sound of determined footsteps, we focused, trying to keep in unison; blissfully our voices eventually became one. I remember grandma teaching me the names of birds and trees. We would reach up and point, and kneel down and examine, squint and poke, to really witness and appreciate the world around us. We would come home with muddy fingers, reddened cheeks from the chill and new questions. I remember holding hands with both my grandpa and grandma. My small hands fitting in so perfectly into their worn and antique ones, just as these little memories still fit in my heart once they were gone. I treasure them in the deepest and safest pockets, so that may always be there to put a smile on my face.
Oodles of Noodles: A Noodle Extravaganza!
ReplyDeleteBy: Julie Grubb
*This is inspired by daughter, Gillian. Although she isn’t even 2 years old yet, she knows what she wants. Whenever she is asked what she wants for dinner she says, “How about noodles?”
Noodles here, noodles there
Noodles, noodles everywhere!
For breakfast, dinner and lunch
I want noodles by the bunch!
Noodles in all shapes and sizes
Each kind comes with its own surprises!
Linguine, spaghetti, and vermicelli
Slide quickly and easily into my belly
Some noodles look like other things,
Like wagon wheels or butterfly wings
Elbow macaroni with cheese
Give me more—please, please, please!
Fill the manicotti, stuff the shells
The aroma makes my appetite swell!
Rigatoni, ziti, and rotini
My three wishes for the dinner genie
Noodles skinny, Noodles fat
Noodles made with this and that
Noodles curvy, Noodles straight
Noodles, noodles on my plate
Any form or shape of noodles
Noodles, noodles, give me oodles!
Why we’re herbivores!!
ReplyDeleteMommy, why don’t we eat meat?
Well, honey, there’s lots of reasons.
For one, we like to see animals happy and standing on their feet.
Oh, is that all?
Also, a vegetarian diet ensures more people all over the world can eat.
Oh, is that all?
And, because delicious veggie proteins just can’t be beat.
Oh, is that all?
Also, vegetable farming helps keep our environment sweet.
Oh, is that all?
And, because a meat free diet is the healthiest way for our bodies to eat.
So, honey, that’s why we don’t eat meat.
Bernie, the very Brave Bear
ReplyDeleteI am excited. Nana was coming over, and mommy said she was bringing a surprise for me! I could barely wait to find out what it might be.
I thought very hard. Maybe it would be a toy truck or a new ball – or maybe even some Legos. Whatever it was, I knew it would be great because Nana always picked the best presents.
After what seemed like hours and hours, I finally heard someone climbing the steps. It had to be Nana! I ran to the front hall, but waited for mommy to open the door, just as she had taught him.
“Nana!” I squealed, bouncing over to my grandmother as soon as she stepped inside. Setting down her purse and the big box she was carrying, she scooped me up in a hug.
“How’s my favorite grandchild today?” she asked, tousling my already messy hair.
She lowered me to the floor, and then picked up the box. I studied it with renewed curiosity. It was bigger than a toy truck, not he right shape for a ball, and didn’t rattle like Legos. My excitement started to bubble up again.
“Let’s sit on the couch, “Nana suggested. “There’s someone I’d like you to meet.”
“Someone?” Max asked, his eyes wide.
Nana smiled. “Yes, someone – a very special someone in fact.”
Settling onto the sofa next to Nana, I lifted the lid and pushed away the tissue paper, finding myself face to face with a most marvelous teddy bear: brown and fuzzy, with a simple bow tie, a happy expression and kind eyes. I ran my hands over the bear’s tummy, feeling the softness of his coat, and then hugged him tight.
“Jacob, this is Bernie,” she told me. “Bernie here is a very brave bear. Nothing frightens him, and he will protect you from anything that scares you so you won’t be afraid anymore either.”
Suddenly solemn, Jacob whispered his thanks. He loved Bernie, he really did, but he didn’t want to be reminded of everything that scared him, for he was spooked by a great many things: spiders, snakes, rats, bats, darkness, heights, being upside down, strangers, monsters, horses and clowns (especially clowns.)
Nana put her arm around his shoulder and pulled him to her gently. “It’s all rights little one, everyone is afraid of something. Bernie is going to help you face your fears. How does that sound?”
Max told Nana he thought is sounded very good, at which point his grandmother tightened her hug on both the boy and the bear he still clasped firmly in his arms.
Over the next few days, he formed a fast bond with Bernie, showing him his room, sharing secrets with him, teaching him how to play with toys, and taking him to bed every night.
What no one knew, and no one, not even Nana could have known, was that Bernie was scared of even more things than Jacob was. So much was new to him. A lot of the items in the closet scared him, as did thinking about what might be under the bed. The pictures on the walls looked strange to him, and the shiny brass knobs on the headboard showed an eerie, strange reflection.
His biggest fear was falling out of bed, which happened several times when Jacob relaxed in his sleep and loosened his grip on Bernie. Often, Mommy or Daddy found him and tucked him back in with Jacob, but sometimes he spend the whole night on the floor, valiantly hiding the dread he felt at being so close to under the bed, in order to spare Jacob from it.
Bernie, the very Brave Bear (con't)
ReplyDeleteIn spite of his own fright, Bernie dutifully protected Jacob from all the things that scared him, and soon their hold over Jacob began to ease. But Bernie was still afraid.
One morning, Jacob paused in his play with a toy racecar and looked thoughtfully at Bernie, who was sitting on the bed watching over him.
“You’re scared of stuff too, aren’t you?” He said aloud.
Little boys and their bears have a special, magical way of communicating with each other. It was by this means that Jacob came to recognize Bernie’s fears, and that Bernie happened to confirm them.”
“It’s okay, everybody’s scared of something,“ Jacob advised, recalling his grandmother’s comforting words. “I’ll show you stuff and then you won’t be scared of it anymore.”
Sensing that Bernie was wary about the idea, he added, “Don’t worry, I’ll stay with you just like you stay with me.”
And so together they explored under the bed, examined everything in the closet, studied the pictures on the wall and made silly faces in the lustrous round bed knobs, laughing at the funny images they created.
Suddenly Jacob remembered that Nana was here while Mommy went out today. He stopped mid-giggle and ran to the kitchen with Bernie tucked securely under his arm. Nana was just spooning oatmeal into a bowl for him.
“Bernie isn’t really brave. He’s scared of lots of stuff,” Jacob told Nana in a loud whisper.
Nana asked what Bernie was afraid of, and Jacob went down the list, proudly finishing how he had helped Bernie overcome his fears.
“That was very kind of you, Jacob. And Bernie helped you too, when you were afraid,” Nana observed.
Jacob nodded, recounting how Bernie had once chased a spider out of his room, and demonstrated the bear growl Bernie had taught him on that occasion. “He did that even though he was scared himself. It takes a lot of courage to do something when you’re afraid, so I’d say Bernie is very brave indeed.”
“Yes, he is,” Jacob agreed.
“Let me show you how I knew,” Nana said, reading for Bernie. She folded back his simple blue bow tie and right behind it was a tag that read, “Bernie, a Very Brave Bear.”
Jacob giggled, Nana smiled and ruffled his hair, and Bernie felt very proud – and, for the first time every, also very brave.
My children's story is inspired by March Madness turning into March Sadness...all the top teams are causing huge upsets. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteTHE BIG GAME
by Jenna Orchen
The game is here
So, we all go cheer…..
To show our support
For all the young men playing the sport….
The ball bounces across the court
But, why oh why is their shot ALWAYS short?....
We cheer with fear when the end is near
Hoping and praying that their shot is clear….
The buzzer goes off
And we let out a HUGE cough….
How could another number one team
Get beaten by a number fifteen?....
The team in red was supposed to be ahead
But, now they are the ones that are going home to bed….
Petunia Pig and the Spelling Bee
ReplyDeleteby Adriana Escamilla
Petunia Pig loved peanut butter.
And pickles.
And pineapple upside down cake.
(But preferably not altogether).
Petunia Pig relished in the stickiness of the peanut butter on sandwiches,
the crunchiness of the pickles at snack time, and the sweetness of the pineapple in her upside down cake.
But more than peanut butter, pickles, and pineapple upside down cake (but never altogether)—more than anything in the entire world—Petunia Pig loved words.
Words tickled her taste buds more than any tantalizing treat ever could.
Petunia Pig loved the way words like “STUPENDOUS!” and “FLABBERGASTED!” and “HEROIC!” rolled so eloquently off her tongue.
She found ways to use the words just to say them!
Sometimes, her dolls were the only audience to hear these magnificent words.
“That was such a STUPENDOUS lunch, darling!” she told her doll, Maxine after the tea party. “Simply marvelous—bravo!”
“What a HEROIC save!” Petunia Pig told Dino the Dinosaur. “You are so courageous to have jumped off that cliff to rescue our precious Lily!”
“Why honestly, Louise! I am simply FLABBERGASTED that you think I told your deepest secret to the others! Just what kind of friend do you think I am?”
Miss Quills, Petunia Pig’s teacher, also knew of her love for words. At the top of every spelling test, she would write new ones for Petunia Pig.
REMARKABLE spelling!
PHENOMENAL performance!
MONUMENTAL test!
That’s why, when it was time for the annual school spelling bee, Miss Quills asked Petunia Pig if she would like to participate.
“It will be the whole school, Petunia. I want you to represent our class—I think you could win it all!”
Petunia Pig was terribly frightened by the thought of standing in front of the whole school. She loved words, but couldn’t bear to think of being the center of attention.
“Me?” asked an astonished Petunia Pig. “No thank you, Ms. Quills. I don’t think I can.”
That night, when Petunia Pig got home, she felt extremely melancholy.
She knew that Miss Quills had been counting on her, and she had let her teacher down.
ReplyDeletePetunia Pig had another tea party with Maxine, but this time, she didn’t use any delightful words.
“Good tea party,” she mumbled.
To Dino the Dinosaur, she said: “Nice job.”
And to Louise: “I’m sad that you think I would tell your secret.”
When her mother served the pineapple upside down cake for dessert that evening, Petunia Pig just pushed it around on her plate.
She didn’t excitedly exclaim, “DELECTABLE!” like she had every other night.
Instead, tonight she just said: “It’s good.”
In school, Petunia Pig also stopped using such wonderful words.
She crossed out words like “SPECTACULAR!” and “SPLENDID!” that Ms. Quills wrote at the top of her spelling tests.
She had let herself, and her teacher, down.
That afternoon when Petunia Pig got home from school, she smelled an odd aroma coming from the kitchen.
Curiously, she followed the smell to find out what it was.
Sniff, sniff—
It smelled like…
peanut butter
but also
pickles
and pineapple upside down cake.
Strange, thought Petunia Pig as she stared at the dish on the stove.
“Oh, Petunia!” cried her mother walking into the kitchen. “I see you found the power pie!”
“The power—what?” asked Petunia, eyeing the stovetop again suspiciously.
“The power pie,” her mother explained. “Anyone who eats this has the power to overcome even their greatest fear! It’s a secret family recipe. Do you want to try it?”
Petunia Pig thought about her fear of standing in front of the school.
And she thought about her love for words.
Well, she thought, it can’t hurt to try it.
Petunia took a forkful of the power pie and hesitantly put it in her mouth. She chewed slowly. And swallowed.
“Why, this pie is…this pie is—good—this pie is great—this pie is GLORIOUS!” shouted Petunia Pig.
Suddenly, Petunia Pig knew that with this power pie, she could compete in the school spelling bee.
She couldn’t wait to get to school to tell Miss Quills.
On the day of the spelling bee, Petunia Pig ate the power pie for breakfast AND for lunch, just to be sure that it would work.
But Petunia Pig was so excited to spell words that she forgot all about her fear of standing in front of the school.
Excitedly, she listened to the other contestants spell their words. Her heart leapt with every wonderful word she heard.
Finally, it was down to the last two contestants.
Petunia Pig was one of them.
“Petunia Pig, spell stupendous.”
Petunia Pig smiled. This was her favorite word of all time.
“Stupendous. S-T-U-P-E-N-D-O-U-S. Stupendous!” she exclaimed.
“Tommy Turtle, spell flabbergasted.”
“Flabbergasted. F-l-a-b-e-r-g-a-s-t-e-d. Flabbergasted.”
“I’m sorry, Tommy Turtle, but that is incorrect. Petunia Pig, if you spell flabbergasted correctly, you are the new spelling bee champion. Spell flabbergasted.”
Petunia couldn’t believe it! It was her other favorite word!
“Flabbergasted. F-L-A-B-B-E-R-G-A-S-T-E-D. Flabbergasted,” Petunia Pig stated.
“Congratulations to our new spelling bee champion!” shouted Miss Quills.
Petunia Pig’s heart swelled with happiness.
“I feel so…so…EXUBERANT!” she shouted with a smile.
That night during dinner, Petunia Pig said to her mother, “I couldn’t have done it without the power pie.”
“Petunia,” her mother said, “there is no power pie. It was simply your favorite things all mixed together. You had the power in you the entire time. I am SO proud of you!”
Petunia Pig was so flabbergasted that she didn’t know what to say when she heard this.
No power pie? she thought.
Well, then that only means one thing.
Petunia Pig loves words.
And peanut butter.
And pickles.
And pineapple upside down cake.
And yes, she loves them altogether.
An Unlikely Pair
ReplyDeleteOn Wednesday, the little brown bear walked outside his cave and skipped happily to his first baseball practice. Along came the slow poke turtle from school who was crawling to the same practice. The little brown bear knew he was much faster than the turtle as they had recently had a race during school. The little brown bear had won the race, while the turtle had come in last place. As a result, the brown bear felt extremely confident walking to the practice because he thought he would be the best player. “I will be the helper of this team!” thought the little brown bear.
The slow poke turtle thought in his head “I hope the other animals are nice to me at practice. I really want to have a friend.”
Coach Raccoon was ready to start the practice as brown bear and turtle arrived. The first drill of the day was to run around the bases as fast as you can. Just as had happened before, the brown bear ran much faster than the turtle. The brown bear set a new record for running around the bases finishing in 18 seconds. Meanwhile, it took the turtle over 7 minutes to complete this task.
The turtle was extremely sad when he finally finished the drill. Tears started to fill his eyes as he looked at his teammates who were anxiously awaiting him to finish. The little brown bear recognized the disappointment in the turtle and he started to applaud his teammate for his effort. “Thank you, bear! You are a splendid friend indeed!”
That night, the bear thought about what had happened at practice and decided to call the turtle. The bear could remember when he was a young cub that his older brother had helped him practice to become a better player. Turtle could surely use a friend as he did not have an older brother to help him practice.
“Hello, turtle! It’s your friend bear from practice. Will you join me tomorrow morning at 9 a.m.? I want to help you become a better baseball player so remember to bring your mitt and baseball bat.” With a big grin on his face from ear to ear, the turtle’s shell nearly burst with excitement! “Thank you, bear! I will be ready bright and early!”
Every Saturday morning from that day on, the turtle and bear reconnected at the park to practice baseball skills. It initially started as a friendly way to help a teammate become a better player but it soon became much more than an additional practice. The two animals were very different but soon realized that they enjoyed each others company and could be heard from a block away giggling with each other. The dynamic duo soon became best friends!
Lindsay, the No-Longer Only Kitty
ReplyDeletePage 1:
Being an Only Kitty meant lots of things. It meant cuddling up on the couch as two big people stroked your soft, black fur. It meant having seven warm, sunny windowsills all to yourself. It meant owning too many toys to count.
Page 2:
But then, one night, Lindsay wasn’t an Only Kitty anymore. That night, the man and the woman ate their dinner so quickly there wasn’t even time for Lindsay to get comfortable on the man’s lap. They hurried out the door, but Lindsay wasn’t concerned. This wasn’t the first time the big people were in a rush.
Page 3:
But then they came home and placed a little black case right in the middle of the family room floor. The case looked kind of like that awful cage that Lindsay had to sit in when she went to see the doctor. Had the doctor come to Lindsay’s house this time? Lindsay didn’t think the doctor would fit in that little black case.
Page 4:
Lindsay crept up to the case, peered in, and spied a tuft of white fur. No, that wasn’t the doctor in there. Lindsay wasn’t sure what it was, but it smelled AWFUL. Lindsay hissed. Lindsay growled. Lindsay bared her teeth.
Page 5:
“Leave him alone!” the woman scolded. Then, she turned and started talking to the black case in a silly, high voice. “How is wittle Maxie-Waxie?” she cooed, peering inside the case. Lindsay turned up her nose and stalked away. She had better things to do than listen to this nonsense!
Page 6:
From the hallway, Lindsay heard the zzzzzzip of the case being opened, and then that awful smell got even worse. But Lindsay’s curiosity got the best of her, and she swung her head around to take a peek. Something white and brown was escaping from the case!
Page 7:
The woman picked up the small white and brown thing and held it out to Lindsay. “Look, Lindsay!” she exclaimed. “This is Max!” Lindsay wasn’t sure what a Max was, but she nearly gagged from its horrible smell. Then she hissed. And she growled. And she sprinted upstairs to the bedroom.
Page 8:
The man and the woman put Max away in the den for a while. They probably couldn’t stand the smell of it either, Lindsay figured. Every once in a while, Lindsay crept up to the den door to try to find out more about this furry little thing. But every time, its stench overwhelmed her, and she retreated to her couch with a hiss and a growl.
Page 9:
One day, the man let Max out of the den. Lindsay watched with narrow eyes as Max explored the hallway. Before Lindsay knew it, Max was sniffing at her food bowl! With a yowl, Lindsay sprang from the couch and darted toward her bowl. She swiped at the little furball with her paw, swatting him away from the food. That was HERS! The man scolded Lindsay, scooped Max up, and carried him away.
PART 2
ReplyDeletePage 10:
The next day after breakfast, the woman played with Lindsay for a long time, and Lindsay started feeling just like an Only Kitty again. It was wonderful! Lindsay had forgotten all about that Max until a little white paw swatted at her stuffed mouse. Lindsay glared at Max, certain he was not only going to steal her food, but her favorite toy too! She was ready to pounce right on his greedy little paw, but then - Max pushed the mouse back to Lindsay. Warily, Lindsay picked up the toy with her mouth and trotted away. Maybe if she hid it under the couch, Max wouldn’t be able to find it.
Page 11:
As the days passed, Max’s scent became a little less awful to Lindsay. She sure didn’t like to be around him, but she thought she might be able to tolerate having him in the house. At least the man and woman gave him his own food, so Lindsay didn’t have to share.
Page 12:
One sunny afternoon, Lindsay was batting around her light-up ball on the family room floor. The man and the woman weren’t home from work yet, but Lindsay didn’t mind. It was nice to play by herself sometimes. Lindsay lay on her side, lazily tapping the ball back and forth. Just then, she heard a loud THUMP! Lindsay swiveled her head around to see what it was, and in her haste, she knocked the ball under the armchair!
Page 13:
Max came bounding into the family room, and Lindsay greeted him with an angry snarl. That noisy little thing had cost her the light-up ball! She was never going to be able to get the ball out from under the armchair - the space under the chair was far too small. She hadn’t been able to fit under that chair since she was a kitten.
Page 14:
Lindsay sighed and shuffled over to the armchair. She lay down on her side and poked a paw under the chair, but it was no use. The ball was too far out of her reach. As Lindsay slumped down in her melancholy, Max crept closer to her. Lindsay gave a low growl, but she just didn’t have the energy to swat him away. Suddenly, with a loud MEW, Max disappeared under the armchair! Lindsay wondered what on earth he was doing under there. Was he trying to steal her special ball?
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A moment later, Max emerged with the ball between his tiny teeth. He dropped the ball next to Lindsay’s tail and trotted away. Suspiciously, Lindsay poked at the ball with her hind paw. The ball was a little wet, but...it seemed like Max had retrieved it just for her. Reluctantly, Lindsay caught up with Max in the hallway. She mewed, gave him a little “thank you” lick on the head, and returned to the family room.
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After the incident with the light-up ball, Max didn’t seem quite so smelly or annoying anymore. When the woman and the man played with Lindsay, Lindsay let Max play, too. When Lindsay was given a few treats after dinner, she let Max have one. Lindsay even cleaned Max’s tiny head with her tongue, once in a while...
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…but she still growled a little while she did it.
.........
ReplyDelete“Sweetie, just be yourself. They will LOVE YOU!” she plant a kiss on Gaby’s cheek and continued scrapping the cookies off of the baking sheet and putting them the cooling rack, humming softly.
Then is dawned oh her, “What am I going to wear?”
Her mom stopped humming. “How about the cute khaki pants with the white stripes on them?”
“Oh, maybe I will save those for later.” She said softly.
“How about ones with the butterflies on them?”
Gaby was glad her mom wasn’t looking at her because she was sure her face gave away her guilt. She resolved to tell her mom the truth. “Um, mom….I cut all the pants into shorts.”
Her mother quietly turned around. Gaby knew she was in for it. She could hear the lecture coming. “Well then I guess you will have to wear a pair of your new shorts then.” That was all she said and she walked out of the kitchen.
Gaby felt relieved. She wasn’t in trouble, but she couldn’t wear shorts to school. Luis and Sam NEVER wore shorts to school – even when it was over a hundred degrees outside. She felt as if the world had been turned upside down and is extremely nervous about making a good first impression to her class and teacher.
That night, Gaby barely slept. She kept having nightmares of kids pointing and laughing at her outfit. Then she would spend the entire year eating lunch by herself. When her mom came in to wake her up that morning, she tried to fake that she was sick. Her mom knew better and said breakfast in ten minutes.
Gaby weighs all possible courses of action. Finally, after much careful consideration, she picking the brown paints with butterflies on them, now shorts, and a white t-shirt and slowly made her was downstairs.
Sam and Luis said in unison, “nice shorts, squirt!” and Gaby reddened. This was going to be the worst day of her life.
Gaby’s dad looked up from him morning paper and gave her a big smile. She decided to be herself and that the outfit that she picked out showed her personality. She kept repeteing that to herself as she went to school.
At the door of Mrs. MacDonld’s classroom she took a deep breath and walked through the door. Most of the students had found their seats already. Mrs. MacDonald looked up from her clipboard, “and you must be Gaby! Here is your seat!” As she walked over she noticed a nice looking girl and really cute boy at her table. She instantly regretted her choice in outfit.
After sitting down and taking out her supplies, the cute boy with blue eyes leaned over and said, “I really like butterflies. Have you ever caught any?” Instantly Gaby’s day got better.
Once upon a time, there was a young girl names Gaby who was enjoying her summer. She loved the summer time because her parents always let her go outside to play. Gaby loved to feel the magnificent summer sun warm her skin.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, she loved the feel of the warmth on her skin so much that one August day, she took all of the pants out of her closet that her mother had just bought her and cut them into shorts. She now had brown shorts with butterflies stitched into the back packets, green corduroy ones that had yellow front pockets, dark indigo shorts with jagged edges, and khaki shorts with thin horizontal stripes that warped around her legs like thins lines of icing. She was so proud of her “new” wardrobe that she couldn’t wait to show her mom!
When Gaby scurried down the stairs, jumping off the last three like a professional, she found her mother in the kitchen baking chocolate cookies. Gaby’s mouth salivated from the sweet smell and she completely forgot about the shorts. If there was one thing she loved more than the summer sun upon her skin, it was cookies! Her mom smiled and offered her the biggest cookie and a glass of cool creamy milk. “Don’t ruin your dinner!” her mother warned. Gaby smiled innocently and was content with her sweet-smelling appetizer.
Her mother continued, “Honey, are you excited for your first day of kindergarten tomorrow?” she said almost as sweetly as the cookie she just handed Gaby.
Gaby dropped her cookie, and spun around to look at the family calendar on the fridge. There she saw, in bright crimson marker, Gaby’s First Day of School!!! She could not believe that she had forgot. A flash of nervousness rushed through her as she thought about going to school and not knowing anyone. Would they like her? Would she make friends? Would her teacher be nice? Question after impossible question flickered through her mind.
Her mom sat there staring at her. Almost as if she could read Gaby’s mind, she said, “Oh, honey kindergarten is great! Mrs. MacDonald is just the best teacher you could ever have. She adored bother of your brothers and I am sure she will adore you too!”
Gaby instantly relaxed. If Mrs. MacDonald liked Sam and Luis, then there was no way should would not like Gaby. Her brothers where, according to her parents – terrors. Anytime they entered a room their school bags, socks, shoes, soccer equipment and anything else they had with them was stranded around the room. They teased Gaby constantly, but she knew they loved her even if the made fun of her pigtails every once in a while. He dad describe their teasing as, “part of being the only girl of the family. Besides sweetie, it will toughen you up for school.”
Gaby recalled her conversation with her dad and asked, “but what about the kids?”
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The Candy Mistake
ReplyDeleteBy:Sarah Cavoto
Cassie always had a enormous sweet tooth. Cassie and Ally, her older sister, ate any piece of candy they could get their hands on.
Ally and Cassie would do anything to eat candy. It was candy for breakfast, candy for lunch, and candy for dinner.
Eventually, all this candy was becoming a dilemma. Her mother had enough of the candy. She took away all the candy from the kitchen, their bedroom, their backpacks, and the basement. There was no more candy left in the Sullivan house anymore.
One evening after dinner, Mrs. Sullivan had to run a quick errand to the good ole' White hen. "Girls, I need to run to White Hen to get more milk would you like to come with me?," Mrs. Sullivan asked.
"White hen, white hen, white hen!!," the girls shouted.
White Hen was a small shop on the end of their block. It had cream colored walls and most of the time it was louder than a lunchroom filled with kids. They sold things like milk, bread, eggs, ice cream, coffee, and of course CANDY. White Hen was a place Cassie and Ally went all the time to get all sort of different candies.
Before the girls and Mrs. Sullivan entered White Hen, Mrs. Sullivan made it very clear, "Girls you already had dessert so we are NOT going to be getting any candy". But Mrs. Sullivan was wrong.
Cassie tiptoed around the store while Ally and her mother went directly for the milk. "How can I come to White Hen and not get Bubbaloo Bubble Gum?" Cassie thought. The Bubblaloo Bubble Gum was always at the counter in a big bowl. "Man... do I want one of those," Cassie thought.
"Cassie... Cassie... We are leaving. Please meet us by the door," her mother yelled from across the store.
"It's only one little small piece of gum, who would find out," she thought. Cassie quickly grabbed a single piece of the Bubbaloo Bubble Gum and jammed it into her coat pocket. She immediately ran to the door without looking back.
ReplyDeleteBefore she knew it, Cassie was driving down her street just yards away from her house. Her heart was beating like an Olympic runner who just won gold in the 50 yd dash "Cassie you are awfully quiet back there. I think someone is very sleepy. Bed time when we get home."
They were pulling into the garage when Mrs. Sullivan exclaimed. "Ok ladies, you heard me- bed time. Up to your room and get those pjs on." Cassie and Ally filed out of the car. Cassie was trying to beeline it to her room before anyone found out about what she has done. Just as she was about to grab the door handle, she tripped on the wet, salty snow boats that were just outside the door. Along with her entire body, the Bubbaloo Bubble Gum came crashing to the ground.
Mrs. Sullivan and Ally were stunned at the disaster they had just witnessed. They were completely speechless for what seemed like an eternity. Cassie slowly stood up. Mrs. Sullivan and Ally continued to be silent, dead silent. Silence was never a good sign with Mrs. Sullivan.
"CASSIE JANE SULLIVAN... where is the world did you get that gum from," Mrs. Sullivan blurted out. "I certainly hope it did NOT come from White Hen."
Cassie was frozen. Her heart felt like it was going to explode out of her body. Her hands began to fill with small droplets of water. This wasn't the first time Cassie had been in trouble but she had a strange feeling by the look on her mother's face that this time would probably be the worst.
With all her might, Cassie whispered, "I took it from White Hen."
"You what?? You what??", Mrs. Sullivan screamed. "You stole Cassie! Taking things without paying for them is stealing!"
Cassie just stood there, waiting for this awful moment to be over. She thought if she stayed quiet, she may wake up and it was all a dream.
"What in the world made you think, stealing this gum was ok," her mother yelled back.
Cassie eyes were now filled to capacity, that the tears were falling from her eyes at a rapid pace. Her breathing started to become difficult and she had a hard time seeing through all the tears. One minute seemed like a five hour car ride. "I'm sorry.... I'm so sorry. I just really wanted the gum. It was only 2 pieces. Mr. Scott will not even notice they are gone."
She knew her mother was fighting back the rage inside her. She knew her mother was carefully selecting her words. "Cassie, it doesn't matter if you took 2 pieces or the whole bowl. We have to pay for those things."
ReplyDelete"Cassie, now you better listen carefully. We are going to walk down to White Hen bright and early and come clean. You will return the gum you STOLE and apologize to Ms. Scott. Do I make myself clear?" Mr. Sullivan said in a slow deep tone. Their house suddenly felt frigid.
The light began to resurface in Cassie's vision. Mrs. Sullivan, Ally, and Cassie had already walked inside. Mrs. Sullivan left the gum on the table as a reminder of what just occurred. There was no way Cassie was going to vividly remember the events of today.
With her parents staring her down, Cassie ran up to her room with tears flying off her face. She kept running until she slammed her bedroom door shut. Her face lay smashed to the pillow as the tears continued to poor down her face.
After the dust had settles from the door slamming, Cassie heard the soft footsteps of her mother's slippers on the carpet in the hallway. "Cassie, please let me in," Mrs. Sullivan said. Her voice sounded like her voice did when Cassie was just waking up on a school day. So gentle and caring. "I would like to talk to you."
With her nose still stuffed and her eyes puffed up, she opened the door. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to steal. All I wanted was the gum. Am I going to get in big trouble? Are the police going to come for me," Cassie whimpered. They both sat on her pink princess comforter that laid so nicely on her twin bed. Her mother lost the rage behind her eyes and the darkness in her voice. "She was mom again," Cassie thought.
"Cassie, honey, what you did today was wrong. We do not take things without paying for them in a store. The police are not going to come after you. But I hope that you learned a very valuable lesson today. Stealing is wrong. Everything is going to be ok this time but we need to learn from our mistakes and make sure we do not make them again. Do you understand?" her mother said.
After a long night of tossing and turning, Cassie finally fell asleep. She wasn't looking forward to going to White Hen in the morning but she knew she had to do it. She promised herself to ask before taking things.
When she woke up that morning, the first thing she saw was her white porcelain piggy bank with her name painted on the side. "I should buy my own candy from now on," she thought. If she wanted candy, she was going to have to earn it!
10 Colored Dots
ReplyDelete*I have illustrations for these in which these dots that are mentioned in the story are the central focus of pictures
One blue dot can make the moon, which reminds it is time to sleep soon.
Two green dots can make the eyes of a friend that is passing by
Three yellow dots can make tennis balls, bouncing here and there and everywhere.
Four red dots can make barrettes that go really well with my new red dress.
Five orange dots can make honey which tastes so sweet as it hits my tummy.
Six purple dots can make balloons that I can give to my friend June.
Seven black dots can make a domino that use to create our floor show.
Eight brown dots can make eight spiders which any girl would not like beside her.
Nine colorful dots can make a delicious cookie which I can make even though I am a baking rookie.
Ten white dots can make bowling pins which I knock down for a win!
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe Art of Sharing
ReplyDeleteSasha and her best friend Dani begged their parents to sign them up for an art class. After a lot of cleaning rooms and eating vegetables their parents finally said yes and signed them up for their very first art class. In the weeks leading up to the art class Sasha and Dani could talk of nothing else. “Do you think the teacher will be a girl or a boy?” said Dani. “I hope its a girl!” replied Sasha. “I can't wait!” squealed Dani. The day of the art class finally arrived. They ate a good breakfast and off they went.
Once there Dani’s mom walked them inside, “Have so much fun sweethearts! I’ll be back in an hour.”
Sasha and Dani looked around. They didn't notice anyone who looked like them, their parents, or even anyone in their neighborhood. Right then in walked the most beautiful smiling woman they have ever seen. “Hello class, my name is Mrs. Lily. I am so excited to work with all you over the next couple months. There are only two rules I have and as long as everyone follows them we are going to have so much fun!” She continued, “My first and most important rule is that you are kind to everyone. That includes sharing. My second rule is that we must clean up after ourselves. Got it? “Got it!” chanted the class. Mrs. Lily dismissed the students table by table to get the art supplies. Sasha and Dani hoped their table would be picked first. But they weren't. They did get to go next though and on their way gave each other high fives. When they got to the supply table they were overwhelmed by all of the different types of paints, markers, crayons, and charcoals. The girls decided on new set of felt tip markers. They grabbed all of them and went back to their table.
Mrs. Lilly asked the students to take some time and draw whatever they wanted. That way she could learn more about her students. Dani and Sasha began drawing as soon as they sat down making pictures for their moms, dads and each other.
One of the girls wearing a black headscarf interrupted Dani and Sasha. “Hi, I’m Parveen.” she said. “Hi, I’m Sasha and that’s Dani.” replied Sasha. Parveen continued, “Can I borrow some of your markers? I’ve never used markers like this before.” Sasha wasn’t sure if she wanted to lend out their new markers. “Are you sure?” asked Dani. “These markers?” Sasha asked. “umm...yes.” Parveen said. Sasha and Dani looked at each other and then back to Parveen. “Uhh, Oookay,” Dani stuttered remembering Mrs. Lily's number one rule. But then Parveen went ahead a grabbed the exact colors the girls had been using. Just as Sasha was about to yell “Waaaaiiittttt!” she looked up and saw Mrs. Lily smiling as big as the sun and put her hands to her heart and sigh. Sasha and Dani looked at each other and then looked at their remaining bland markers. As they started to color again Mrs. Lily bent down and whispered “I'm so proud of you girls for sharing.” Now it was Dani and Sasha who were smiling ear to ear. They felt good about sharing. They felt even better when they looked over at Parveen and saw her smiling and laughing while coloring a picture. At the end of class after everyone had helped clean up Parveen walked over to the girls and gave each of them a picture she had drawn to say thank you. Dani and Sasha were excited about their new friend and their new art class. They couldn’t wait for next week.
Bullock County’s Spelling Champ
ReplyDeleteBy Latisha Lewis Pt 1
“If it hadn’t been for that Sammy Jo, I’d still be in 1st place for the town’s 5th Annual Spelling Bee!!” He just had to go ruin er’thang for me. He cain’t even read, let alone spell simple four and five letter words. Foster Middle School has always been my stomping grounds. Er’body knew me and er’body knows that I am THE best speller in Bullock County. It all started back in 72’ when Mrs. Shuller asked me if I wanted to participate in the school spelling bee. Of course I said “Yea!”, because who else in Bullock County could spell as good as me? You guessed it, NOBODY.
Here I am studying for one of the most important moments in my life when I hear through the grapevine that Sammy Jo Stevenson was preparing to enter Bullock County’s 5th Annual Spelling Bee. Na, I had always won the County’s spelling bee no matter who competed. But Sammy Jo, he wasn’t just any ole kid. He was Mr. Carter’s kid. Mr. Carter was the town’s Librarian, the local chef, the butcher, and the Mayor all rolled up in one. And he did not take no for an answer.
So when Lilly and her best friend Luther Jr. ran to tell me that Sammy Jo was competing, I was in total shock. I was not about to let some Mayor’s kid ruin my reputation and steal the crown from me. No, not gon’ happen capn’. Lilly and Luther Jr. had been the best of friends since kindergarten. Their parents lived next door to each other for God knows how long. Luther Jr. was raised by his father because his momma passed away long ago from some condition called lupus. I had never ever heard of such a thang. My momma tried to explain it to me, but it went it one ear and out the otha. All I was concerned about was studying and memorizing enough words to pass the most important spelling bee in history.
Bullock County cont.... Part 2
ReplyDeleteBy Latisha Lewis
If I won this time, I’d definitely be considered for the State Championship and- who knows, maybe even the National Championship. To tell you the truth, I don’t even know why I’m worried. I remember this one time in 2nd grade when Ms. Della asked Luther Jr. to read paragraph 2 of Moby Dick and he froze mid-sentence. He couldn’t even read simple four and five letter words. The whole time I stared at him and shook my head, wondering…”Why does he even come to school?” As the days went by I became a lil nervous, but not nervous enuff to think that I would lose to some scrawny, freckled face Mayor's kid. Not over my dead body.
Here we are front and center at Foster Middle School when the prompter asks me to spell perpendicular. I hesitate at first, but then I spit it out “perpendicular, p.e.r.p.e.n.d.i.c.u.l.a.r, perpendicular!” The prompter then turns to Sammy Jo and says “Spell repeatedly” He says “repeatedly, r.e.p.e.a.t.e.d.l.y, repeatedly!” Then, she turns to me and says: “Spell microorganism”. I begin…… “microorganism, m.i.c.r.o.o.r.g.a.n.i.s.m, microorganism”. Then she turns to Sammy Jo, but before she could give him a word, I could hear Lilly and Luther Jr. fussing over something in the audience. What were they arguing about? I thought. They never argued. They never even looked at each other funny.
So I knew there was something strange going on when I heard the two of them keeping up all that fuss in the crowd. The prompter gave another word to Sammy Jo, “drifting”. Sammy began to spell the word, but got stuck mid-spell. I never liked that silly lil voice of his to begin with. Now that I was forced to listen to him talk, I had to brace myself. He had the most irritating voice in Foster Middle School. This alone, I thought would get him disqualified from the spelling competition. I mean you could barely understand a word he said. As he whispered and attempted to spell the word, he froze again. Seems to me Sammy Jo Stevenson had drifted off into outter space. I knew he couldn’t spell, but now the whole school was about to find out what I already knew. Sammy Jo had been passed along from grade to grade because his dad was the Mayor and people were afraid they would lose their jobs if they hadn’t passed him.
Luckily for me, Sammy Jo didn’t know how to spell that word, drifting. At first I started to feel sorry for him. But as Lilly and Luther Jr. began cheering for ME, I became even more confident that I would win this competition. Low and behold, Mr. Carter appeared from outta nowhere and said to his son: “If you don’t open up yo mouf and spell that silly word, I will have your hindparts from her to missippsppi!!” What’s his problem?, I asked myself. Wouldn’t you know, Sammy began spelling that word as fast as he could. However, what the Mayor didn’t know is that I had already spelled three words ahead of his son.
Now was crunch time. I kept my eyes on Sammy Jo and Lilly as they began to chant “Go, Savannah Go! Show em’ you know!! If my confidence had not been what is was, I would’ve been upset at the fact that the Mayor turned the tables in favor of his son, thinking that would get him ahead in life. I’ve always been taught: “Treat people how you wanna be treated. Whether you’re the mayor or not, treat people how you wanna be treated. I’m still the Spelling Champ of Bullock County whether you wanna believe it or not.
The End
Little Memories
ReplyDeleteBy Claire Shanahan
When I think of my grandma and my grandpa, I think of little memories. They’re so little that I can fit them in my pocket. Even so, they mean a great deal to me, and take up an enormous space in my heart.
I remember playing patty cakes with grandpa at the beach. The wind blew on early spring days, while I stood there in my bright red rain coat and shiny boots, but it didn’t stop us from laughing though each choreographed clapping line.
I remember grandma joyfully spinning around dancing in her kitchen, while she sang to me. I looked up mesmerized at her grace as I ate huge spoonfuls of yummy chocolate pudding. I can still see her crinkly eyes barely open from smiling so big.
I remember singing nursery rhymes and repeating tongue twisters with grandpa as we walked hand in hand on the stony road heading to town. With the sound of determined footsteps, we focused, trying to keep in unison; blissfully our voices eventually became one.
I remember grandma teaching me the names of birds and trees. We would reach up and point, and kneel down and examine, squint and poke, to really witness and appreciate the world around us. We would come home with muddy fingers, reddened cheeks from the chill and new questions.
I remember holding hands with both my grandpa and grandma. My small hands fitting in so perfectly into their worn and antique ones, just as these little memories still fit in my heart once they were gone. I treasure them in the deepest and safest pockets, so that may always be there to put a smile on my face.