By Jay
At the Long Branch fair today, I had one main goal in mind, to win the cake-walk! I was done doing my various walking and game playing when I meandered over to the cake-walk. I guess my luck was just off, because I tried seven times and just never walked on the right number. By then I had run out of tickets, and had to refuel. One last dollar would be put to the cause which got me two more times. I lost the first and started to doubt myself, but I persevered and was victorious in the next walk. I was overjoyed and might just have hugged a column.
Life Lesson: Persevere and don’t give up!
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Friday, June 3, 2011
8 is for 800 Meter Race
By Lauren
I scrolled down the list of names wondering what I could possibly be doing. Not my name not my name, I know her, not my name, finally! I thought to myself. The list said Lauren M. 800 meter. How long is that again? Oh yeah, Ugh half a mile. All day the dread of having to run the half mile in the first track meet of the year was a lot of pressure.
I waited and waited for them to call up my race. Then those dreaded words came out of the coaches mouths "800 meter girls race, line up!" My heart was pounding already and I hadn't even started running yet. We all lined up and got ready to start. "On your marks, get set, GO!" the man shouted, and I was off. First lap of four, you can do this, it's not that hard, I thought to myself. Second lap, only two more, third lap only one more, you can do this. I could hear the kids cheering and the coaches repeating "Good job, Keep it up, your almost done!" Last lap come on you can do this just keep going. I tried to speed up, but I was really tired and already running really fast. Everybody else had run this race before and had actually practiced it, unlike me; I hadn't ever even practiced more than a 200 meter race. As people started passing me I tried to go faster, but I couldn't feel my legs.
Finally I passed the finish line, I had gone from second to fifth, but I didn't care. I had finished the race without collapsing and in only a little more than three minutes. My legs felt all tingly and it was hard to think straight, my head was pounding so hard. But I didn't care; all I cared about was getting some water. When I could think straight again I realized that it hadn't been all that bad, just a little hard for the first time.
Life Lesson: Don't be afraid to do things that you have never done before. Also it doesn't matter how well you place as long as you tried your best, especially if you have never done it before.
I scrolled down the list of names wondering what I could possibly be doing. Not my name not my name, I know her, not my name, finally! I thought to myself. The list said Lauren M. 800 meter. How long is that again? Oh yeah, Ugh half a mile. All day the dread of having to run the half mile in the first track meet of the year was a lot of pressure.
I waited and waited for them to call up my race. Then those dreaded words came out of the coaches mouths "800 meter girls race, line up!" My heart was pounding already and I hadn't even started running yet. We all lined up and got ready to start. "On your marks, get set, GO!" the man shouted, and I was off. First lap of four, you can do this, it's not that hard, I thought to myself. Second lap, only two more, third lap only one more, you can do this. I could hear the kids cheering and the coaches repeating "Good job, Keep it up, your almost done!" Last lap come on you can do this just keep going. I tried to speed up, but I was really tired and already running really fast. Everybody else had run this race before and had actually practiced it, unlike me; I hadn't ever even practiced more than a 200 meter race. As people started passing me I tried to go faster, but I couldn't feel my legs.
Finally I passed the finish line, I had gone from second to fifth, but I didn't care. I had finished the race without collapsing and in only a little more than three minutes. My legs felt all tingly and it was hard to think straight, my head was pounding so hard. But I didn't care; all I cared about was getting some water. When I could think straight again I realized that it hadn't been all that bad, just a little hard for the first time.
Life Lesson: Don't be afraid to do things that you have never done before. Also it doesn't matter how well you place as long as you tried your best, especially if you have never done it before.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
7 is for Getting Older
By Alice
So, every sixth grader is going to seventh grade next year (MAJOR DUH!!!), and I'm really excited, because seventh grade is one step closer to eighth grade and eighth grade is almost high school, and you drive in high school, and I turn sixteen in high school (like everyone else, right?), and you drive at sixteen, really want to drive. Like right now.
Back to 7 is for... I'm also just really excited to not be the youngest at our middle school, and also the seventh graders have better team names (trivial much?), and they have really cool field trips, like the Outdoor Lab again. And I just want to really seem older and more mature compared to my sister. Not hard to do, really. And I turn thirteen next January, so, I get to volunteer at this camp that I love, and art camp at the Community Center. I have been at that camp since I was eight years old. Plus thirteen is where you are not a kid anymore. I'm sick of being called a child!!!!!! -_*
Life Lesson: Getting older isn't that bad. Especially thirteen and sixteen. And driving is cool and so is being an official non-child.
So, every sixth grader is going to seventh grade next year (MAJOR DUH!!!), and I'm really excited, because seventh grade is one step closer to eighth grade and eighth grade is almost high school, and you drive in high school, and I turn sixteen in high school (like everyone else, right?), and you drive at sixteen, really want to drive. Like right now.
Back to 7 is for... I'm also just really excited to not be the youngest at our middle school, and also the seventh graders have better team names (trivial much?), and they have really cool field trips, like the Outdoor Lab again. And I just want to really seem older and more mature compared to my sister. Not hard to do, really. And I turn thirteen next January, so, I get to volunteer at this camp that I love, and art camp at the Community Center. I have been at that camp since I was eight years old. Plus thirteen is where you are not a kid anymore. I'm sick of being called a child!!!!!! -_*
Life Lesson: Getting older isn't that bad. Especially thirteen and sixteen. And driving is cool and so is being an official non-child.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
6 is for...6 (and Counting) Year-Old-Dog.
By Silvia
On May 10th, two days after mother's day, a little beagle was born.
Who knows what will happen to this beagle. Maybe it will find a home. Maybe not. Maybe it will be nourished and get taken cared of in a shelter. Maybe not.
But all I know is that dog will be ours.
At June 2005, we have adopted the little dog and taken her home.
But the way she looked was very different from the way she acted.
It turns out that under the little bundle of soft fur was a little monster underneath.
No, not a monster. More like a hurricane mixed with a tornado.
This dog will turn our house upside down, as her stubborn attitude makes us do stuff we have never done before.
Once that dog came into our lives, we had no choice but to change our lifestyle.
She literately destroyed everything she saw.
The next minute, our living room is filled with pillow stuffing and unidentified pieces of clothing.
She is an escape master when we limit her into her cage.
Later we decided to throw it away since she broke the lock.
And yet, this puppy is no longer a puppy once she reaches a year old.
She turns into a destruction machine.
And her maximum destruction level was at high.
She was about to chew the whole house down until we have started to let her know that we are the parents. (Especially my older sister and I.)
And now she is enjoying her life now with us.
A few days ago, we celebrated her 6th birthday. (That is 42 dog years!)
And I then realized that even though she looked older, she still has that rambunctious, puppy-like energy in her.
LIFE LESSON: No matter how old something looks, it can still have the same spirit it had when it was young.
On May 10th, two days after mother's day, a little beagle was born.
Who knows what will happen to this beagle. Maybe it will find a home. Maybe not. Maybe it will be nourished and get taken cared of in a shelter. Maybe not.
But all I know is that dog will be ours.
At June 2005, we have adopted the little dog and taken her home.
But the way she looked was very different from the way she acted.
It turns out that under the little bundle of soft fur was a little monster underneath.
No, not a monster. More like a hurricane mixed with a tornado.
This dog will turn our house upside down, as her stubborn attitude makes us do stuff we have never done before.
Once that dog came into our lives, we had no choice but to change our lifestyle.
She literately destroyed everything she saw.
The next minute, our living room is filled with pillow stuffing and unidentified pieces of clothing.
She is an escape master when we limit her into her cage.
Later we decided to throw it away since she broke the lock.
And yet, this puppy is no longer a puppy once she reaches a year old.
She turns into a destruction machine.
And her maximum destruction level was at high.
She was about to chew the whole house down until we have started to let her know that we are the parents. (Especially my older sister and I.)
And now she is enjoying her life now with us.
A few days ago, we celebrated her 6th birthday. (That is 42 dog years!)
And I then realized that even though she looked older, she still has that rambunctious, puppy-like energy in her.
LIFE LESSON: No matter how old something looks, it can still have the same spirit it had when it was young.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
5 is for 5 Hours in a Car
By Johanna
Singing, laughing, and Spanish fills the car. The smell of a slow baked banana and apple perfumes it. A book lays open and an activity bag is lying on it's side. A drowsy kid is trying to sleep in a very awkward position.
Happy Memorial Day! My family just got home from Burlington, North Carolina, where my grandma lives. The visit was very short and boring, except for the video, Remember the Titans, and the 5 hour car rides there and back were actually not bad.
I was woken up at six in the morning (on a weekend!) and so I stumbled out of bed, and without any breakfast, got into the car. I made room for my head on the middle elbow rest in the back of the car, lay down, and tried to sleep for a bit. After one hour, we stopped in the Aunties Pancake House in Ruther Glen for a seven o'clock breakfast. My dad and I have been here when we were going to North Carolina for Christmas. My mom said she disapproved, but I could tell she wanted to do it. I got a pancake platter, with three giant buttermilk pancakes and some bacon, and milk, which was 2 percent, which I don't like. My mom got a waffle that she shared on fourth of it with me, and my dad got a pecan banana pancake, which my mom and I agreed was crazy. Everyone got a big scoop of... butter for the pancakes! We only used about a fourth of it, and so it was a big waste. Everything was so good. The pancakes were warm and delicious, the bacon was fatty and crisp, and the waffles were, well, like waffles! Even the syrup, even though it was fake, not real maple syrup, was good and warm. Then, when we had finished, I could hardly stand up! We got back into the car and kept going.
I read a little, a new book- The Book Thief, and then I got out the unfailing card pack of things to do on a car trip. I chose to do the "Hum a tune and make people guess what it is" card. But humming was too soft, so we whistled. It happened a lot where we knew the words and tune but not the title. Then we did "Name a place or location starting with A, and then the next person has to name a place that starts with the last letter of the word that they said". For example, my dad said Arkansas, and so I had to say something like Santiago (the capital city of Chili) or South Carolina. I said South Dakota, so my mom had to say something like Antarctica. We found out that there were a lot of places that ended in "A" or started with "A". Then I tried to nap again, and before I knew it, we were at my grandmas house!
Then on Sunday, we had to go back home. We started out at three in the afternoon, and got home at about nine. I mostly read, did an activity book, or slept. My mom and dad tried to listen to this very quick paced Spanish course CD, but they finally gave up. This time, we had already had lunch, but by the time it was seven, we were hungry again. We stopped in Fredericksburg, and the only place we found was "Carlos O'Kelys" which was a Mexican restaurant. My mom told dad to remind her to not stop in Fredericksburg again, but the food there was good. I got an enchilada, which was very yummy. Then, we got in the car and kept going. When we finally got home, I was so sleepy! I climbed into the car, put on my pj's, and went to sleep before my head touched the pillow.
Life Lesson: Car rides can be fun if you make them be fun.
Singing, laughing, and Spanish fills the car. The smell of a slow baked banana and apple perfumes it. A book lays open and an activity bag is lying on it's side. A drowsy kid is trying to sleep in a very awkward position.
Happy Memorial Day! My family just got home from Burlington, North Carolina, where my grandma lives. The visit was very short and boring, except for the video, Remember the Titans, and the 5 hour car rides there and back were actually not bad.
I was woken up at six in the morning (on a weekend!) and so I stumbled out of bed, and without any breakfast, got into the car. I made room for my head on the middle elbow rest in the back of the car, lay down, and tried to sleep for a bit. After one hour, we stopped in the Aunties Pancake House in Ruther Glen for a seven o'clock breakfast. My dad and I have been here when we were going to North Carolina for Christmas. My mom said she disapproved, but I could tell she wanted to do it. I got a pancake platter, with three giant buttermilk pancakes and some bacon, and milk, which was 2 percent, which I don't like. My mom got a waffle that she shared on fourth of it with me, and my dad got a pecan banana pancake, which my mom and I agreed was crazy. Everyone got a big scoop of... butter for the pancakes! We only used about a fourth of it, and so it was a big waste. Everything was so good. The pancakes were warm and delicious, the bacon was fatty and crisp, and the waffles were, well, like waffles! Even the syrup, even though it was fake, not real maple syrup, was good and warm. Then, when we had finished, I could hardly stand up! We got back into the car and kept going.
I read a little, a new book- The Book Thief, and then I got out the unfailing card pack of things to do on a car trip. I chose to do the "Hum a tune and make people guess what it is" card. But humming was too soft, so we whistled. It happened a lot where we knew the words and tune but not the title. Then we did "Name a place or location starting with A, and then the next person has to name a place that starts with the last letter of the word that they said". For example, my dad said Arkansas, and so I had to say something like Santiago (the capital city of Chili) or South Carolina. I said South Dakota, so my mom had to say something like Antarctica. We found out that there were a lot of places that ended in "A" or started with "A". Then I tried to nap again, and before I knew it, we were at my grandmas house!
Then on Sunday, we had to go back home. We started out at three in the afternoon, and got home at about nine. I mostly read, did an activity book, or slept. My mom and dad tried to listen to this very quick paced Spanish course CD, but they finally gave up. This time, we had already had lunch, but by the time it was seven, we were hungry again. We stopped in Fredericksburg, and the only place we found was "Carlos O'Kelys" which was a Mexican restaurant. My mom told dad to remind her to not stop in Fredericksburg again, but the food there was good. I got an enchilada, which was very yummy. Then, we got in the car and kept going. When we finally got home, I was so sleepy! I climbed into the car, put on my pj's, and went to sleep before my head touched the pillow.
Life Lesson: Car rides can be fun if you make them be fun.
Monday, May 30, 2011
4 is for 400 Meter Run
By Annabel
My heart was constantly pumping as I walked up to the starting line. Since this was my first track meet I didn't fight to try my way in to get the inside lane. Instead, stupidly enough, I took the far outside lane; real smart I know! My tense stomach was full of hundreds of tiny butterflies, swarming around inside. "In and out." I whispered to myself. "I can't do this." I said quietly. One of the timers told us what to do, and what the rules were, but I still had soooo many questions. I didn't want to get disqualified because I didn't know what to do, so I asked all of them.
It was at another middle school, and you could barely see the lines marking the track. Suddenly, one of the timers yelled to the runners, "Runners take your mark... Get set... GO!!" And the buzzer went off. I got a great start, the best part about it was that I had gotten the inside lane, and was following closely behind the girl from the other school who was in first.
The 400 meter run is two laps around the faded track. After the first lap the girl in first and I pulled away from the tightly packed group of girls. The timers were yelling out our half times as we crossed the starting line again. Both of the coaches from both teams told us to pick up the speed. That's exactly what I did. I gave myself an extra boost, and passed right by a girl from the other school in front of me. I don't think that one of the coaches from the other team liked that I passed her, and started to yell. “Come on Sara! Don't let that girl beat you!!" The track coach from her school shrieked at the girl. I started to see Sara out of the corner of my right eye. She was all out sprinting, and soon going to pass me, if I didn't pick up the pace.
When we came around the final corner, she was just a step in front of me. “I am not going to lose to her!" I thought to myself. Right before the grassy finish I emptied out all of my fuel in the tank and surprisingly I stepped right in front of her, and won by a step! Crossing the finish line, I almost tumbled over, face forward into the muddy track. I won!! Everyone on the track team came over a congratulated me on my victory. I felt really good and proud of myself after that race for not giving up.
Life Lesson: Even when you think that you have nothing left, give it everything that you have left!
My heart was constantly pumping as I walked up to the starting line. Since this was my first track meet I didn't fight to try my way in to get the inside lane. Instead, stupidly enough, I took the far outside lane; real smart I know! My tense stomach was full of hundreds of tiny butterflies, swarming around inside. "In and out." I whispered to myself. "I can't do this." I said quietly. One of the timers told us what to do, and what the rules were, but I still had soooo many questions. I didn't want to get disqualified because I didn't know what to do, so I asked all of them.
It was at another middle school, and you could barely see the lines marking the track. Suddenly, one of the timers yelled to the runners, "Runners take your mark... Get set... GO!!" And the buzzer went off. I got a great start, the best part about it was that I had gotten the inside lane, and was following closely behind the girl from the other school who was in first.
The 400 meter run is two laps around the faded track. After the first lap the girl in first and I pulled away from the tightly packed group of girls. The timers were yelling out our half times as we crossed the starting line again. Both of the coaches from both teams told us to pick up the speed. That's exactly what I did. I gave myself an extra boost, and passed right by a girl from the other school in front of me. I don't think that one of the coaches from the other team liked that I passed her, and started to yell. “Come on Sara! Don't let that girl beat you!!" The track coach from her school shrieked at the girl. I started to see Sara out of the corner of my right eye. She was all out sprinting, and soon going to pass me, if I didn't pick up the pace.
When we came around the final corner, she was just a step in front of me. “I am not going to lose to her!" I thought to myself. Right before the grassy finish I emptied out all of my fuel in the tank and surprisingly I stepped right in front of her, and won by a step! Crossing the finish line, I almost tumbled over, face forward into the muddy track. I won!! Everyone on the track team came over a congratulated me on my victory. I felt really good and proud of myself after that race for not giving up.
Life Lesson: Even when you think that you have nothing left, give it everything that you have left!
Sunday, May 29, 2011
3 is for 3rd Place
By Silvia
"And the first place winner is-"
I kept my hopes high enough. Am I going to be in first place?
"Anonymous person!!!"
then the anonymous person who won 1st place went up onto the stage.
"Now the second place winner is-"
Again, I had my hopes up high.
"Another anonymous person!"
Then the person who won 2nd place went up onto the stage.
"Now the third place winner is-"
I knew my name was going to announced, like always.
My prediction was right, and I went onto the stage.
But I wasn't happy.
I mean, how can someone's lame drawing of a tree win first place? And how can a cheap drawing of a lawn win second.
After leaving the stage, I gave the certificate proving that I won THIRD place to my sister.
"Come on,"my sister said. "At least it's better than nothing."
"Yeah, but THIRD place? I never got to even TASTE first place." I tell her.
It's really true. I'm the person who is stuck at Third place. Never got to even taste the sweet victory of First place.
Well I have, but it was for little things like the first person to complete an equation at 5th grade.
I stare at the certificate. Another thing to hang on my wall of Third place things.
After that day, I had to go to school.
And apparently there was someone from the same contest in my class.
She walked towards me, and told me:
"you're lucky that you actually got into third place."
"Why?" I ask her.
"I always get a participant certificate whenever I go into a contest."
"Then shouldn't you try harder then?"
"Nah...." She then walked away.
I didn't even know that there were people like her.
After that day, I thought about what she said about always being a participant.
Maybe she wasn't that confident about herself. Or maybe she wasn't even trying in those contests.
But then I felt happy about winning Third place in most things. At least I didn't win Participate in the contest.
LIFE LESSON: Third place isn't that bad. Just try harder, and you'll probably be First place next time.
"And the first place winner is-"
I kept my hopes high enough. Am I going to be in first place?
"Anonymous person!!!"
then the anonymous person who won 1st place went up onto the stage.
"Now the second place winner is-"
Again, I had my hopes up high.
"Another anonymous person!"
Then the person who won 2nd place went up onto the stage.
"Now the third place winner is-"
I knew my name was going to announced, like always.
My prediction was right, and I went onto the stage.
But I wasn't happy.
I mean, how can someone's lame drawing of a tree win first place? And how can a cheap drawing of a lawn win second.
After leaving the stage, I gave the certificate proving that I won THIRD place to my sister.
"Come on,"my sister said. "At least it's better than nothing."
"Yeah, but THIRD place? I never got to even TASTE first place." I tell her.
It's really true. I'm the person who is stuck at Third place. Never got to even taste the sweet victory of First place.
Well I have, but it was for little things like the first person to complete an equation at 5th grade.
I stare at the certificate. Another thing to hang on my wall of Third place things.
After that day, I had to go to school.
And apparently there was someone from the same contest in my class.
She walked towards me, and told me:
"you're lucky that you actually got into third place."
"Why?" I ask her.
"I always get a participant certificate whenever I go into a contest."
"Then shouldn't you try harder then?"
"Nah...." She then walked away.
I didn't even know that there were people like her.
After that day, I thought about what she said about always being a participant.
Maybe she wasn't that confident about herself. Or maybe she wasn't even trying in those contests.
But then I felt happy about winning Third place in most things. At least I didn't win Participate in the contest.
LIFE LESSON: Third place isn't that bad. Just try harder, and you'll probably be First place next time.
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