I was very disappointed on christmas morning when I looked out the window to find no snow on the ground. Is it spring? Because it has been a winter full of rain, not snow. Every time we do get snow, it quickly melts from the tremendous amounts of rain. I am not sure why it has rained so very much, but I really want to know! I don't think we have ever had this much rain in the spring, when it's supposed to rain.
What made me quite angry when I looked outside the day AFTER christmas and saw the snow descending from the sky! Really? It couldn't just snow on christmas? For the first time ever, I could actually relate to the wonderful song "I'm dreaming of a white christmas." This has never really been one of my favorite christmas songs, but I actually enjoyed it this year because I WAS dreaming of a white christmas! It was very unfortunate that It had to snow the day after christmas, but at least we got some snow.
Christmas break is going by so very fast!! I wish it would all just slow down! It seems like I'm now scrambling for time to finish books, and projects that are due after break. I knew that I was going to end up procrastinating, but sometimes it is so hard to do homework during the holidays. I am trying to plan out these next few days before New Years Eve, so I can finish everything I need to get done. It is definitely going to be hard, but I am very committed to finishing everything before the festivities of the New Year.
Reading Pride and Prejudice has been interesting. I've probably already talked about this, but I watched the old movies with my friends a while ago so I would understand the book better. At first I wasn't sure if it would help much, but it really has made quite the difference. Now when I'm reading, I can picture the part from the movie and understand the scene. Sometimes it is hard for me to sit down and read it, but once I get reading I seem to enjoy it. It's funny how at the first of the book you don't understand they're way of talking, but by the end you read along is if you can talk the way they talk in the book. It has been kind of a challenge, but a very good thing for me.
The last thing I am going to talk about on this very random blog is how fast this year has gone by. I can't believe that we are only weeks away from semester! Half of my ninth grade year is already over! It makes me so sad to think that time is just flying by, and I am not really thinking about it. Once school starts I want to live life to the fullest and not have any regrets on what I could've done better. I know that I already have a lot of things I want to work on for the rest of the year, and I hope that I can be a better person, and leader at my school. I also can't wait for New Year's because I have a lot of goals in mind that I want to accomplish during this next year!
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Saturday, December 18, 2010
"It's the most wonderful time of the year!"
"You'll shoot your eye out kid!" This classic movie (Christmas Story) has started many christmas traditions in my family. With the fireplace burning and hot chocolate warming our hands, we love to sit together in our family room and watch this on christmas eve. Even though we all come from different families and cultures, we still have our own traditions. It could be baking treats, acting the nativity scene, or watching christmas movies, but it's your way of celebrating christmas that makes it special.
I think that christmas is a wonderful time of the year because it gives you a chance to thank people that you are grateful for. It kind of seems like thanksgiving would be the time to do that, but sometimes a note is more valuable then a present. Like most people say, we always get caught up in the material things and forget what the true meaning of christmas is. I definitely think that this is true. This year I am trying to think more about others and not be so caught up in what I'm getting, or what I want. When you work hard to earn money, and pick out a gift, the reward is much greater when you see their face as they open the gift.
I always think that christmas will never be the same now that I know santa isn't real, but you can still feel the "christmas spirit" if you are helping others and having a positive attitude. Sometimes the "christmas spirit" comes from watching children that are dying with excitement for santa's arrival and christmas morning. When you see their face, shocked with how santa got all of their presents under the tree, you can't help but smile.
What is love about christmas is the snow and music. I love looking out the window and seeing the trees covered in snow. There are also so many activities to do during the winter. You can go snowboarding, skiing, tubing, sledding, or just go outside and make snow angels or build a snowman. I can honestly say that you are never bored during christmas break! If you ever say that, then be mad at yourself, because there are plenty of things to do! At our house during break, the radio is on 24/7. Christmas music is always streaming through, leaving us with songs stuck in our head all day. You would think that this would get annoying, but I actually don't mind it. I love listening to the different christmas songs and singing along to them.
Even though all of these things are great, my favorite thing to do is watch classic christmas movies. I obviously love The Christmas Story, but along with that I love watching Elf, The Grinch etc. All of these movies bring me the "christmas spirit" when I watch them. I think that movies can help get you excited for christmas, and also show you the true meaning of christmas.
The last thing I love about christmas is how it brings people together. Since I obviously listen to the radio a lot, I hear all of the commercials for charities and donations going on. Even at our school we did "Penny Wars" to raise money for families who can't afford to buy their kids presents. I think that people really go the extra mile and donate during christmas time because they realize how horrible it would be if you couldn't afford to buy your kids presents. I think of how bad these parents feel, but because of all the people who donate toys and pitch in money, most of these families are taken care of and don't have to worry about confronting their kids with the situation. I know that these families are so grateful for the help that they receive, and the people that donate feel even better for helping someone in need.
Christmas really is "the most wonderful time of the year!"
I think that christmas is a wonderful time of the year because it gives you a chance to thank people that you are grateful for. It kind of seems like thanksgiving would be the time to do that, but sometimes a note is more valuable then a present. Like most people say, we always get caught up in the material things and forget what the true meaning of christmas is. I definitely think that this is true. This year I am trying to think more about others and not be so caught up in what I'm getting, or what I want. When you work hard to earn money, and pick out a gift, the reward is much greater when you see their face as they open the gift.
I always think that christmas will never be the same now that I know santa isn't real, but you can still feel the "christmas spirit" if you are helping others and having a positive attitude. Sometimes the "christmas spirit" comes from watching children that are dying with excitement for santa's arrival and christmas morning. When you see their face, shocked with how santa got all of their presents under the tree, you can't help but smile.
What is love about christmas is the snow and music. I love looking out the window and seeing the trees covered in snow. There are also so many activities to do during the winter. You can go snowboarding, skiing, tubing, sledding, or just go outside and make snow angels or build a snowman. I can honestly say that you are never bored during christmas break! If you ever say that, then be mad at yourself, because there are plenty of things to do! At our house during break, the radio is on 24/7. Christmas music is always streaming through, leaving us with songs stuck in our head all day. You would think that this would get annoying, but I actually don't mind it. I love listening to the different christmas songs and singing along to them.
Even though all of these things are great, my favorite thing to do is watch classic christmas movies. I obviously love The Christmas Story, but along with that I love watching Elf, The Grinch etc. All of these movies bring me the "christmas spirit" when I watch them. I think that movies can help get you excited for christmas, and also show you the true meaning of christmas.
The last thing I love about christmas is how it brings people together. Since I obviously listen to the radio a lot, I hear all of the commercials for charities and donations going on. Even at our school we did "Penny Wars" to raise money for families who can't afford to buy their kids presents. I think that people really go the extra mile and donate during christmas time because they realize how horrible it would be if you couldn't afford to buy your kids presents. I think of how bad these parents feel, but because of all the people who donate toys and pitch in money, most of these families are taken care of and don't have to worry about confronting their kids with the situation. I know that these families are so grateful for the help that they receive, and the people that donate feel even better for helping someone in need.
Christmas really is "the most wonderful time of the year!"
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Letter Entry.
Dear Suzanne Collins,
You have captured the lives of millions with your amazing way of writing. Earlier this year, it seemed to me as if the whole world was reading, or had read your books. So in need for something to read, I picked up “The Hunger Games” and embarked on a journey I would’ve never expected. I am not someone who reads for hours, but I couldn’t put this book down. I loved your use of different dialogue, and the strange plot. The story is so disturbing and twisted, but somehow, you made it okay for the audience to read. Most of all, I love the different elements you put in the books. You put many different genres together to form great writing.
Even though this book is very exciting and adventurous, I was disappointed by how sad I was while reading it. I thought of myself in Katniss’s shoes, leaving her family, and going to her almost certain death. I thought of leaving my best friends, and how much that would affect my life. I don’t know what I would’ve done in Katniss’s shoes, but I know I wouldn’t have been as brave as she is in this book. She gave me a glimpse of hope, and helped me build up more courage in my life. The one thing that disappointed me about her character was the fact that she lied to Peta on a regular basis. I know that in her position I most likely would have done the same, but as a reader, it made me feel sad for Peta, and mad at Katniss. I tried to figure out if there was any other way that they could’ve won, but as I ponder back on the book, I realized that Katniss was very smart in her decisions and knew that they were for the best.
I think that you pointed out great morals in this book. Our world is just like their world, we are hanging by a thread, killing each other off one by one. Our world has been, and still is in a constant fight. We are barely surviving, but we all have people who can help us through it, our family. I think it was important to show how much Katniss loves and cares for her family, but most of all her little sister. Her character is so caring and kind, but unfortunately most people these days don’t have good character and attitudes like Katniss. This helped me realize that we all need to start becoming a little more selfless, and start caring more about others.
I was really shocked by how sad and graphic this book was, but it helped me learn important lessons while being entertained. The first thing I learned was, “Life is like a game.” You have to find your friends and know who to trust. You need to protect yourself from people who are trying to hurt you or bring you down in your life. The second lesson I learned was how to be a strong person and face trials in your life with courage and love. Being courageous and loving will help you tremendously throughout your life. These are all important lessons I learned, but the biggest lesson of all was learning to watch your actions because you never know who is watching you. People are surrounding you all the time, so you need to be making the right choices because they could change your life.
As you can see, I learned a lot of things from this book. I often think of the book and wonder if our world will ever come to that extreme. I hope that our world will never become like theirs, living in poverty, and killing for entertainment. This is something that has a very slim chance of happening, but is still a scary thought. I loved this book and the originality that you brought to it. It is not like any other book out there, it is one of a kind!
Sincerely ,
Michelle Skonnard
You have captured the lives of millions with your amazing way of writing. Earlier this year, it seemed to me as if the whole world was reading, or had read your books. So in need for something to read, I picked up “The Hunger Games” and embarked on a journey I would’ve never expected. I am not someone who reads for hours, but I couldn’t put this book down. I loved your use of different dialogue, and the strange plot. The story is so disturbing and twisted, but somehow, you made it okay for the audience to read. Most of all, I love the different elements you put in the books. You put many different genres together to form great writing.
Even though this book is very exciting and adventurous, I was disappointed by how sad I was while reading it. I thought of myself in Katniss’s shoes, leaving her family, and going to her almost certain death. I thought of leaving my best friends, and how much that would affect my life. I don’t know what I would’ve done in Katniss’s shoes, but I know I wouldn’t have been as brave as she is in this book. She gave me a glimpse of hope, and helped me build up more courage in my life. The one thing that disappointed me about her character was the fact that she lied to Peta on a regular basis. I know that in her position I most likely would have done the same, but as a reader, it made me feel sad for Peta, and mad at Katniss. I tried to figure out if there was any other way that they could’ve won, but as I ponder back on the book, I realized that Katniss was very smart in her decisions and knew that they were for the best.
I think that you pointed out great morals in this book. Our world is just like their world, we are hanging by a thread, killing each other off one by one. Our world has been, and still is in a constant fight. We are barely surviving, but we all have people who can help us through it, our family. I think it was important to show how much Katniss loves and cares for her family, but most of all her little sister. Her character is so caring and kind, but unfortunately most people these days don’t have good character and attitudes like Katniss. This helped me realize that we all need to start becoming a little more selfless, and start caring more about others.
I was really shocked by how sad and graphic this book was, but it helped me learn important lessons while being entertained. The first thing I learned was, “Life is like a game.” You have to find your friends and know who to trust. You need to protect yourself from people who are trying to hurt you or bring you down in your life. The second lesson I learned was how to be a strong person and face trials in your life with courage and love. Being courageous and loving will help you tremendously throughout your life. These are all important lessons I learned, but the biggest lesson of all was learning to watch your actions because you never know who is watching you. People are surrounding you all the time, so you need to be making the right choices because they could change your life.
As you can see, I learned a lot of things from this book. I often think of the book and wonder if our world will ever come to that extreme. I hope that our world will never become like theirs, living in poverty, and killing for entertainment. This is something that has a very slim chance of happening, but is still a scary thought. I loved this book and the originality that you brought to it. It is not like any other book out there, it is one of a kind!
Sincerely ,
Michelle Skonnard
Monday, December 6, 2010
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Disneyland!
I love Disneyland! From the second you walk in the door, you feel happy and kind of like a little kid again. It's fun to see all the little kids meeting their hero's and having the time of their lives. To me it doesn't make a difference knowing that they are in costumes, I still love meeting them and watching the way they interact with everyone. You are never too old to go to Disneyland! All of the workers have great attitudes, and patience, even though it is probably a very frustrating and stressful job. It is amazing how clean, and put together disneyland is with the amount of people that go through every day.
I love Disneyland during christmas time because they decorate it with wreaths, lights, and they also put up a huge christmas tree. They go all out with parades, christmas costumes, and christmas music. Along with the christmas parade, there are normal parades and water shows. We got the chance to go to their new water show in California Adventure called "World of Color." It was probably the coolest thing I've ever seen! They have a projector that shows scenes from different movies on the water while it's shooting up. There are also different colored lights that change according to what scene they are on. Something that made me nervous about this show was the fire. They periodically had fire that would shoot up right next to the roller coasters. I was scared that the whole park was going to set on fire, but they are smart, and I knew that it wouldn't happen.
I love going to Disneyland! I love the way you feel while you're there, and I wish that our world today could be more like Disneyland's "little world."
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Getting back into a routine!
It's crazy how hard it is to get back into your normal routine after a break! Thanksgiving break was a party, but now it is kind of effecting my week. I have been forgetting about some of my assignments, and have just been kind of "out of the loop." I'm hoping that I will be able to catch up on everything and not feel so stressed. I feel like there are so many things that are due in the next two weeks! All the teachers are just cramming everything in before christmas break. I am trying to make habit of reading daily, which is not going to swell! I need to get going with Pride and Prejudice, but it is so hard for me to get into it. This weekend, me and a couple friends in this class are going to watch the old Pride and Prejudice movies so we will be able to understand the book. I am excited to watch them, and to read the book as well!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)