Story of My Life!

Have you ever noticed that two random things can be really alike, yet very different? I did. I just had to look at the story of my life. It made me think about comparing people to something I really like - books. It doesn't seem likely that there are a lot of similarities between the two, but trust me, there's plenty! However, books and people have their differences too.

Books and people do have similarities. Such as, we both have "covers" to hide our stories or history under - people's "covers" aren't made of paper, but they can certainly hide the story.

Both books and people have stories to tell, and they can be surprising or unexpected. And characters in a book can show feelings, just like people. Finally, if we're broken or ripped, it takes awhile to mend either of us back together.

Books are simply paper and ink that tell a good story. But like the process of a person's life, books are a lot of work to get told. Books start with the writer's ideas, then go writing, editing and rewriting, before finally publishing, and the work of selling a manuscript!

People are made of flesh and blood, different from books. Even so, books can speak and communicate with you, although not verbally. People communicate both verbally and non-verbally. We can talk with our hands, our face and actions, as well as with words, just like books do, even using all the messaging systems we've devised.

It was surprisingly easy to find similarities for these two very different topics - easier than I would have thought, anyway! Differences were pretty easy to find too. While books are inanimate objects, humans are living, breathing creatures who create life stories, not just tell them!

Anna R.

The Morning Show!

Is it hard for you to find a good morning routine that works? If so, you should watch this to get some good and easy tips! Make sure to pay attention to the recap at the end, where it'll state everything we talk about!



Anna R., Grace M., Shea C.

Spring

Finally Spring's here,
bringing flowers and Sunshine.
Can't wait for Summer!

Christmas Catastrophe

On a frigid December day during school, the announcements beeped on, “Please excuse this interruption. Due to a snowstorm on its way, we will be let out of school two hours early.”

“Yes!” came the many excited shouts from my 4^th hour class. I guessed that this was going to be an even whiter winter than I thought.

Hours later, the 8^th period of the day finally arrived and everyone was chattering excitedly about the unexpected early out. When the bell finally rang, I bolted out of my Social Studies classroom. Once I got outside, I gawked at all the snow. It was almost two feet high.

It continued to be a snowy winter, and by the time we were let out for Winter Break, there was at least four feet of snow piled around our house, and was still coming, with more was predicted.

“Anna, come here. We need to talk about Christmas,” came my parents call from the other room.
“Okay, I’ll be there right away!” I replied. Once I was in the same room with my parents and comfortable, my mom began.
“There’s a lot of snow on its way and the roads might not be safe for us to drive for three hours. We might just have to spend our Christmas here this year.”
“What?!?!” came my disbelieving voice. “Can’t we still try to go on the roads?”
This time my dad responded, “No, it’s too dangerous. What if we get in a wreck or get stuck in the snow?”

I knew he had a point there. Throughout the whole discussion I thought about it. Even though what my dad said was a major obstacle, I still was convinced that we would get to go to my grandparents’ house for Christmas.

Later we talked to my grandma and grandpa and told them our decision.

“You’re probably right. The roads are pretty bad up here too,” they said reluctantly. This made me angry. How could they say that? After all, it was a tradition that we celebrate Christmas with the whole family! Why did the meteorologists have to predict an awful snowstorm coming right before Christmas?

After that night I dreaded the coming Christmas days. I wanted to be together with my full family! Why couldn’t they just take risks? But the days were slipping by; time was running out. December 21, December 22, December 23… still more snow predicted. It was hopeless. There was nothing I could do now. All too soon it was Christmas Eve, the 24^th of December.

When I woke up that morning, I felt different than usual, and not the usual ‘day before Christmas’ different. It was a strange kind of different, a new different. In the back of my mind I knew it was because I would’ve been getting ready to go to my grandparents’ around this time. The more I thought about it, the more miserable I became. Although I went through the day acting like an excited kid just before Christmas, it didn’t feel Christmas-y at all without being at my grandparents’ farm, or at least in the car on our way to see them.

Instead, we made plans to go to my aunt’s house in town for Christmas Eve dinner. Once we got there, we settled down to eat. The conversation was definitely not as lively without my grandparents. After dinner, we called them. They sounded like they really wanted to be there, even though we all knew that wasn’t going to happen.

After the phone call, we kept checking outside, waiting for it to start snowing. Everyone didn’t want to feel guilty for not taking the risk. Believe it or not, all we got was a light dusting that night. Everyone was greatly disappointed, especially me. I knew they should have listened to me instead of those crazy meteorologists.

I headed for bed, and the next morning, Christmas morning, my relatives who live in town came over and we sat down to a delicious breakfast. There was hardly any snowfall that day. We could have made it there safely after all! That made me mad. We should’ve been able to go.

Later my family and I tried something else new – we set up Skype with our grandparents, and we scheduled a ‘make-up Christmas’ on New Year’s Eve! I was happy we’d still have a sort-of Christmas with them in just a week. The Christmas we ended up having ended up being a lot of fun too! It was a good replacement but not quite the same as the real thing. But we were happy to be together and I realized just how much our regular Christmas tradition means to me.

Anna R.

Do It Yourself or Have It Done For You?

Are books better than movies?

Hundreds of books and movies are made each year. Both apply to all ages, so why not go for using your intellectual resources? But many people pick a favorite between the two. I personally prefer books. In this essay, we will talk about it. Books or movies, which do you prefer?

Some people feel that movies are better than books. They like how it gives you visual action. A variety of people like to see the story unfold before their eyes. But I think books are better because your imagination isn't limited by actors or sets. With books, you get to choose what the characters look like in your head. How can you grow your imagination if it's always done for you?

Another reason some people like movies is that they only take a couple of hours to watch. Reading can take days or weeks! But that's because books are better for your mind and for your education. Your brain has to comprehend the text. In the end, you engage your brain longer.

People may prefer movies as a form of relaxation. When you're reading a book it takes more work as you think about the words. Movies do the thinking for you. But having a story done more quickly isn't always the best. Books can last longer and pull you in more. Details can be very vivid and even though movies may be fun to watch, books often times contain more major characters and story lines that may be left out of a movie. Some people also find reading relaxing.

Although there are more than 10 million movies in the world, books have been enjoyed for centuries. There are many millions of books in print. In the National Library of Congress alone there are a whopping 141,847,810 books! In conclusion, reading builds your imagination, intellect, and it's just plain fun! So, what's your choice? I definitely think books are a lot better, not only for your imagination, but for your amusement too!!!

Anna R.

A Little Piece of Living History

I really wanted to know what life was like almost 80 years ago. So I asked the oldest person I know- my full-blooded, Norwegian grandmother. It was so wonderful and amazing to find out about her history. I would have never thought to ask these questions if it hadn't been for this project.

From what country were you an immigrant? If so, did you dream of going to America?
No, I wasn't an immigrant. My Grandparents were though. They were from Norway. I bet my Grandfather did dream of going to America. He wanted to be a farmer, but there was very little good farming land in Norway.

What were you most fascinated by as a child?
Wow! So many choices! There was very little technology back then, so I guess I was amazed by reading.

Are there any truly memorable events that happened in your lifetime? Are there any big ones that haven't affected you?
Well, my mother died when I was only nine years old. Some other personal events that happened were that I had children and got grandchildren! My daughter and I also went back to Norway. Some events that haven't included me are wars, such as the 2nd world war, and the atom bomb too. We didn't really have segregation either. But we lived in an area for Norwegians, so there were hardly any, if not any colored people.

How did you react when President Kennedy was shot? What was the country like momentarily without a present?
I was in a state of shock, acting like, 'This could not happen!' The world kept going, though the entire nation was in shock too. The Vice President, Lindon Johnson, took control over the country in the role of the President.

Because you lived near Norman Borlaug and his family as a child, do you remember how they reacted when they heard what he did?
They were very surprised. Even Norman was! I heard from his sister that he was just out with his crops when his wife told him. Norman thought she was joking! His family was (and is!) probably very proud.

What is the thing you're most surprised that you've experienced?
Well, once there was a tornado next door. Their house was one of the few things left from the wreckage. My neighbor came to my door saying, "My farm blew away!"

What types of technology that you had when you were little and is still here today would you say has improved the most? Are you amazed at how fast technology has grown?
Absolutely! Way beyond what I can understand! When I was 18 years old we got electricity on our farm. My family and I had a few lights, a toaster, a refrigerator, and a wood-burning stove. Other than that we didn't have much technology. But electricity was very important.

Has you're life changed more or less than you thought it would over you're lifetime?
Well, I did expect a family, and better technology. But I wasn't smart enough to know that the things and events would be like they are. Everything has so far amazed me.

What would you say is human-kind's biggest accomplishment so far?
Probably the field of medicine. They have made many vaccines for diseases and other types of sickness. I just can't believe the break through of replacing hearts, bones, and many other body parts too! I am surprised at the other medicines of many kinds.

This interview was amazing in a lot of ways. We really take technology, electricity, and even indoor plumbing for granted! Now I realize that they didn't have as much technology as I thought they did. If I compared and 18 year old's life in 1948 to an 18 year old's life now, I can see how much harder life would be like to be an 18 year old back then! It was interesting to hear how different my Grandma's life was compared to mine. It helped me see how much has changed in just one lifetime.

Anna R.

Where did your voice go?

September 26 is International Act Like a Mime Day. You paint your face white and black like a mime's, and no talking- not even the teachers can talk for the entire day!!!Everyone has to participate in all the activities!!! Everybody!!! Here's how it happened:

I once went to my school's football game with some friends. Our school colors are black and white; we are the Des Moines Dalmatians. Everyone was dressed appropriately for the game. I had black and white face paint on to be the ultimate fan. Earlier that day, my throat had been hurting and it was still sore. My mom told me not to yell too much so I wouldn't hurt my throat more. I didn't listen - 45 seconds left of the game and we were tied with the visitors. I had to shout! Suddenly, my voice cracked. I tried to speak, but couldn't. My mom's going to kill me, I thought in exasperation. My friend asked, "What's wrong?"

I replied in a very hoarse whisper, "I think I lost my voice." She told me to act out everything I wanted to say so I wouldn't hurt my voice any more than I already had. Apparently I looked pretty funny because she started cracking up. My best friend said, "You look like a mime." And so International Act Like a Mime Day was born. We did it every September 26. Others started seeing us do it and they wanted to try it too. Before we knew it, it was a Des Moines Dalmatians tradition. One year, we had a foreign exchange student attending our school and she thought it was cool. She took it home with her to Japan. The story spread, the tradition took hold there too, and it soon became an international phenomenon.

Anna R.

The Campout

The day before my two friends came over for a campout in my backyard was fun!!! My parents took me and my sister out for a surprise. We kept bugging them to try and find out what it was! First we drove to Pizza Hut and got some food. It wasn't a long wait. Once again, we were all back in the car, the windows were open and we could feel the crisp wind on our faces. In about 15 minutes we found our way to waterworks park, where we chose a nice, shady spot and parked the car.

Later that day, I was sitting in the shade of a tree a staring at my phone. One of my friends and I were texting each other, talking about what we were going to do the next day when she and her twin arrived for the backyard campout. About 5 minutes later my friends were on their way down to my house to have fun and make plans for the coming day.

BOING!!! "Catch it! Catch it!" I yelled. We were on the verge of catching a grasshopper! We had it for sure, but then it slipped out of our reach and on to the ground below. We ran down the deck steps, jar in hand. It took awhile, but we finally had caught the hyper, green grasshopper! Shortly afterward we began to pitch the tent- with my parent's help of course! Sadly after we finished helping with the tent, it was time for my friends to go. We exited through the front gate and started the walk home. All to soon we were in front of my friends house. But then we saw it, lurking by a plant. We yelled to their little sister to get a bug jar and quickly scooped it up. I walked back home with another grasshopper in hand.

The next day my friends came around 2:30. Immediately we ran to the tent and began setting up our sleeping arrangements. I was in the middle! Then we went inside and played with my cat, Belle, and my two kittens, Kamie and Kayia. Later we got some snacks and sat in chairs listening to music and talking. We had loads of fun! Eventually, my dad called us up to eat a delicious supper of mac + cheese and food on the grill! After supper, we changed into our PJ's and sat eagerly around the fire pit. As soon as the orange fire was glowing, we started to make some s'mores. Chocolaty goodness! Almost an hour had passed so we took a very bright flashlight and went to go look at the creek behind my house.

Once we came back we became astronomers and found constellations like Cygnus and Pegasus. It was so cool to see the bright lights in the purple sky. Afterward, as soon as my sister and her friend had gone to the tent, we sat around the dying embers of the fire and told creepy ghost stories. We finally went back to the tent to go on pictochat on our DS's. Soon we decided we were tired and tried to fall asleep. Only one out of the three of us succeeded. Me and my friend stayed up until 2 a.m. when we finally decided we were sleepy. The next morning the three of us trudged groggily up the deck steps for breakfast. The fun didn't stop 'till 11:30, when my friends had to go home. It was such an AMAZING weekend!!!

Anna R.