Snow! Snow! Snow!

Snow doesn't usually fall in Jackson, but on December 5, 2009, it did! I saved some by putting it in the freezer.

Leaves fell onto snow covered wood. Snow was everywhere I could see.

Our maple tree was covered in snow. I think it was pretty and so does my mom.

When I was finished playing outside, I was cold. My mom made hot chocolate.

photos by my mom

Holding a Bird of Prey

On October 24, 2009, I held a red winged falcon at the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science.

This is what it looked like, and I think it was cool.

It got a little bit too heavy for me, and I had to wear a special glove because of its talons. It had lost some of its toes because of some poisonous snake bites from a water moccasin. It ate the snake in the end.

writing by light saber
photos by light saber's mom

A Walk in the Woods

On Saturday, October 24, 2009, my friend, brother, mom, and I went to the Science Museum. We decided to walk on the trails to get some fresh air.

On the way back to the museum, I spotted some pretty, little flowers on the side of the trail.

We also saw a show about birds of prey. This is a photo of a red-winged falcon.

post by Flower Power
photos by Flower Power's mother

The Dog

A story written together by Caleb and Callie.

The dog can see me.
The dog runs fast.
The dog takes a nap.
The dog will never stop loving me.
The dog is two years old.
He is a puppy.
He is a Chihuahua.
He is a Golden Retriever, too.
The dog turned three yesterday.
The dog likes being outside.
The dog is happy.
He likes to eat cats.
The dog is outside.
Sometimes he has to take a bath.
I can see a dog.
I can see a dog, too.
The dog likes to play.
In the winter he stays inside.
He lives in a ripped-up house.
He loves his house.
The dog looks at the moon.
He barks at it, too.
Then he gets tired.
It goes to bed.
It licks me, and he loves me very much.

The End

When I Read a Book

I open a book, I read the title, I see what the first chapter is like. It is good, I read number 2. I tell mom, "I've begun a new book." You say the book is good at school the next day. The afternoon is spent reading to chapter 4. In the bath I read chapter 5. I sneak chapter 6 when Caleb's getting ready for school. Chapter 7 is delightful, I read it under blankets. Number 8 I do when I go to Tyler and Tucker's house. 9 is something I set aside and read in April. May comes quickly, I read chapter 10, 11, 12, and 13. In June I read 14 and 15, on breaks from wading at the beach. In July I read 16. I read 17, 18, 19, and 20 in August. I finish in September, chapters 21 and 22. I put down the book, realizing that I finished another wonderful adventure.

To my books and my feelings about them.--Callie

The Science Museum Surprise

On June 26, I went with my cousin, aunt, brother,and mother to the Science Museum to see the new exhibit,
"Monsters of the Deep." The photo above shows a prehistoric coral reef.

I got so scared when I saw this mouth!!!! Look at the size of those teeth!!!!!

One of my favorite parts of the trip was seeing the two-headed snake. It looks so cool!!!

We loved to look in the tanks for fish. We were watching at a fish that was eating the algae off the glass.
It was really funny!!!

photos taken by my mom

Pet Photography

Flower Power is away at camp, but she took these photos in the last few days. I just discovered them when I was downloading a bunch from the camera. I love them. Flower Power has a way of capturing small moments and personalities of the pets. These two guys, both lovable as they come, have learned to like each other with set boundaries. Every once in a while, they will nose nuzzle each other. I've even caught the cat rubbing up against the dog's legs in a moment of affection. The photo of them both hanging out at the back doorway reveals their growing ability to be together. Thank you, Flower Power, for the photo surprises!

Our Cake Creation

On May, 27, Flower Power and Sunshine made an oatmeal creme cake. These are the steps that they used. First, they gathered their ingredients to make the icing: milk, butter, powdered sugar, and food coloring. They mixed it up. Next, they got two oatmeal creme pies. They stuck the pies together with icing.

Then, they spread icing on the sides and top of the pies. Finally, they added marshmallow's and sugar on the top of it.

YUM!!!!!

photos taken by Flower Power and Sunshine

A Winged Miracle

This morning at 10:00 am, Buddy came out of his chrysalis. I was excited! My mom, my brother, and I wanted to find out if it was a male or a female. We googled on the Internet and found a page that showed what the male and the female look like. A male has two black dots on his lower wings. A female has thicker veins. We found out that Buddy is a female! My brother named it Matilda.

I made up a poem for Matilda:

Spread Your Wings

Spread your wings my friend,
Lift them up to the sky,
Flap them in the wind,
Take off and start to fly.

Matilda is outside hanging on a chair. I am going to read my poem to her and see if she will fly!

Photos taken by my mom.
Poem and story by Flower Power.

From a Caterpillar to a Butterfly

When Buddy was first big, Mama said to give him as much milkweed as he could have and to make sure that he didn't run out.

When I saw him coming out it was pretty cool. I was the first one to see his chrysalis turn from green to clear.

Just today, I learned that the butterfly came out of his chrysalis. We waited for my dad to come home from church and for the bad thunderstorms to pass. We tried to release him in the garage because it was still rainy. He did not want to fly away. He is still outside on a chair, hanging upside down, one hour later.

This is a photo of it hanging with me looking at it. The white thing on the chair is a cotton ball soaked in sugar water. Earlier on the computer, we found out a way to tell if it is a female or male. We discovered that Buddy is a female! Now, I've named it Matilda after my friend's pet pig.

Matilda is still in the garage!

My mom took these photos.

Some Music Videos I Like

I want to share some cool videos I found on YouTube.

The first one is a song by Smash Mouth called "All Star." I like it because it sounds like rap. (Note from my dad: this video is not of the band - it's just some guys fooling around).




The next one is a song by Cheap Trick called "The Dream Police." The guy with the baseball hat is crazy, and I like the guitar. But I like drumming more.




The next song is by Foo Fighters, and it's called "Generator." That weird thingy the lead singer puts in his mouth is cool! The drumming is awesome!




The next song is by Coldplay. It's called "Life in Technicolor ii." I like the way the song starts. And I like that this video is a puppet show.




The song is by The Who (one of my dad's favorite bands). It's called "I'm a Boy." I like that it's about a boy and that it says, "My name is Bill and I'm a head case."




And finally, another one from Foo Fighters. It's a live version of "The Best of You." I like that he's letting other people sing.




These are just a few of the cool music videos you can find on YouTube.

Quick Changes

On April 24,2009, our largest caterpillar Buddy was in his container eating as usual. I predicted that he would be the first one to fly away. He was eating a lot of milkweed and was getting bigger and fatter.

This morning on April 25,2009, I walked up to the kitchen, and Buddy was in a J! I waited for my mom to get up. When she came up to the kitchen, she was so amazed!

An hour and a half later, Buddy was in a chrysalis! I was awestruck! It happened so quickly I didn't see it happen. I was watching cartoons in the family room, and my mom was in the office. We didn't realize it would happen so fast. Next time, we will watch!

Now I know for sure that he will be the first one to fly away! Winslow will probably be next.

Photos taken by Flower Power.

Our Trip to the Science Museum

The first thing we did when we got to the Science Museum was to explore a garden. There were dead vines on the columns and roof. I loved the flowers. My brother loved the cactus. We ran through the garden to see everything that was there.

Inside the museum, I looked at the fish in the tanks. There were so many of the same fish! Some fish were hanging out on the floor and near the corner.

On the deck near the lake, I found a writing journal. Many people had written in it. It was fun to read what other people had written. I wrote about how it had rained a lot and the lake had flooded. I also recorded the temperature.

The photos above were taken by my mom.

A Day at the Zoo

First, we went to the giraffes because they are first. He was sticking out his long, purple tongue and looking at us.

Then, we went to visit the penguins while they swam. They are new to Jackson, and they will stay for six months.

Then, I got my picture taken with the Star Wars people, and it was fun. I got it with Obi-Wan Kenobi, Hans Solo, Darth Vader, Boba Fett, and Anakin Skywalker.

We also went to see Inky the Clown. He was really funny, but my sticker accidentally got washed in the laundry.

Poems for Gee's Bend Project

Poems by Flower Power for a Black History Project for Third Grade

Follow the links after each poem to see an image of each quilt.

Dancing

Dancing, dancing,
everybody's dancing.
Men, women, children, too.
Everybody's dancing,
but why not me and you?

Quilt by Lottie Mooney, 1908-1992


Waves and Land

Water lapping land,
such a wonderful sight.
The sun makes the water glitter
in the morning light.
The land is striped from
farmers plowing.
The river waves rise
and start bowing.

Quilt by Annie Mae Young, 1928 -

A Secret Garden

One day, I was exploring my building
and going up the stairs at a quick pace.
I flung open a door.
I saw flowers from marigolds to queen lace.
It was such a wonderful sight.
It smelled like sweet perfume.
I stayed there until the next morning light.

Quilt by Polly Bennett, born in 1922

Our Solar System

What makes our solar system?
Moons, stars, and planets, too.
They are spinning around.
Many planets
have not been found.

Quilt by Nettie Young, born in 1917

These are great websites for learning about Gee's Bend and the amazing women who have made and are still making art from scraps of fabric.

• The Quilts of Gee's Bend in Context from Auburn University

• The Quilts of Gee's Bend: Quilters Collective History

• African American Quilts from Tinwood Media

The Snowy Day

I went out in the snow on March 1, 2009. My sister came out, too, and we had a snowball fight. Then, we went inside.

Later, I went back out and had a bunch of fun with my sister.

Then, I had more fun than I ever had in my whole life.

Then, I went back in, and my mom made us some hot chocolate. We also put peppermints in our hot chocolate.

written by Light Saber
photos by my mom