Claire's Creative Days

What I've Been Doing This Exam Week....

2012-01-26T13:27:00.000-08:00

Pavlov-Psychology, Saliva, and GT Gone Bad

2012-01-24T04:49:00.000-08:00

It all began rather innocently, if you ask me. I came into GT* one morning and found out behavioral psychology was today's topic. I expected a dry lesson on the basis of fear, or something like that.

Nope.

As it turned out, the lesson was actually interesting**. We got into a lengthy thirty-minute debate on whether the habits and activities a child was raised with would impact their career. The next few Powerpoint (all GT "lectures" are always on Powerpoints) slides dealt with associations in behavior, and some other famous figures.

And then the madness began.

The next slide featured a man named Pavlov. (Well, I don't remember his first name, but in the weeks that followed, everyone simply used his last name-Pavlov.) Apparently he had taught a dog how to salivate whenever a bell was rung. How? The next few slides explained: First, he put a dish of food in front of a dog, which caused the dog to salivate. Then, he rung a bell. No reactions that were drooling-related. Later, he rung the bell while the dog was eating his food. Because of the behavioral association between the food and the bell, afterward, the dog would start drooling whenever the bell was rung. Everyone was intrigued, but we didn't really think much of it until the next class period.

The next time we all met together, our teacher announced that we were going to recreate the Pavlov experiment. She placed small cups of lemonade powder in front of us, along with a spoon, and instructed for us to take a spoonful. Naturally, we felt the saliva forming in our mouth upon swallowing it.

Then, she said "Pavlov" every time we took a spoonful of powder. And-boom!-within 20 repetitions of that ritual, our minds had made that crucial association. Now, whenever we heard the name "Pavlov", we all began drooling.

However, most people became immune within 20 minutes of the experiment. Around six kids still salivated at the mention of the name, including 2 of my good friends-and me.

* * *

What followed started out as harmless. The still drooling participants of the experiment called out "Pavlov!" in the hallways to each other to get a good laugh, while onlookers gave them blank stares. It seemed like a game-a fun inside joke between whoever had the elective at that block. It was also a common way to get revenge, because it seemed better at the time to give back that stolen (insert item here) than to face the wrath of the Pavlov.

But things escalated quicker than anyone could imagine.

One boy burst into school the next morning, quick to tell everyone in GT what had happened to him the night before. His sister had gotten a hold of his cell phone, he'd said, and recorded herself saying "Pavlov". Then she put it on repeat while he slept. To his shock, he woke up with saliva all over his pillow! Later on, his dad attempted to "recondition" him by slapping him (lightly) on the arm while shouting "Pavlov". Now, whenever anyone said "the P-word" as it came to be known to save humiliation, he would flinch back in fear.

The new common threat for thieves, teasers, and plain old annoying people? "I'm gonna Pavlov you if you don't stop!"

From the insanity, a "Jingle Bells" parody sprung up:

Pavlov bells, Pavlov bells,

Pavlov all the way!

Oh what Pavlov it is to Pavlov

Over Pavlov's grave-hey!
Pavlov bells, Pavlov bells,
Pavlov all the way!
Oh what Pavlov it is to Pavlov
Over Pavlov's grave!

And every day at school I would walk in with fear in my heart, hoping that I would be the first to say "Pavlov" to my friend, one of the last of the ones who were still conditioned. It was like a little race every day-whoever could say "Pavlov" first got to cheer as the other one groaned in horror about what was coming.

But just as soon as everything started....it stopped.

* * *

I first gained my immunity while on the bus ride portion of a field trip. My friend sat next to me, slamming me with the P-word: "So I'll stop talking about Pavlov if you Pavlov and Pavlov and Pavlov, but I don't want to Pavlov about Pavlov because Pavlov's a really great guy, isn't he Pavlov?"

I waited anxiously for the telltale saliva.

Nothing.

I began laughing and laughing as my friend continued to Pavlov me, until he turned around and looked. "What is it?" he asked.

Oh, you have no idea how panic-stricken his facial expression was when I shouted, "I'm immune! I'm finally immune!" He could no longer annoy me!

In GT, I was confirmed of what I had suspected-"Pavlov" no longer controlled me. I dashed down the hall after class ended, clicking my heels together and hollering, "I'm free!"

An 8th grader from my class tried to stop me. "But don't you miss it, CJ?" he asked. "The saltiness of the liquid that springs forth from your throat every time somebody says Pavlov..Pavlov...Pavlov..."

He was attempting to recondition me. But it didn't work! I would never (unless we attempted that experiment again, but after how far we all took it, I think our teacher is regretting it) have to drool in the name of that word. Just a few weeks later, the same friend who caused my immunity became immune himself. There was nobody left to play the Pavlov game.

But I've told all my friends about what happened. Maybe I should condition them!!

Image by FlamingText.com

__________________________

*Because apparently I "think differently".

**For another interesting experiment we discussed: Asch Conformity Experiments

A Ketchup Post, In Which CJ Hopes For Snow And Praises The Wonders Of Copy Machines

2012-01-20T16:28:00.000-08:00

Cool button of sorts, eh?

Anyways, welcome back! It's 2012! And by the way, before we get to the Ketchup itself...there is some....

I'd just like to debunk the "little" rumor going around about the world ending. THE WORLD IS NOT GOING TO END IN 2012. Please see the four bullets below for further evidence:

1.Boredom. Have you ever gotten so bored with a project or activity that you just...let it...slip...awaaaayyy?

This probably happened with the Mayans and their calendar.

2. THEY DIED! Pretty self-explanatory. They all died out or were attacked, and there was nobody left to finish the calendar.

3. To freak people out. "Hey, let's leave off all the years past 2012 on this thing to scare the rest of civilization!" Why not? Practical jokes have been around for a while... ;)

4. Marketing. Corporations do anything to promote their movies or product sometimes. So, why wouldn't Big-Giant-Company-That-Made-2012-The-Movie plant a false rumor to draw more attention to their movie?

Anyways.

Before I interrupted this post with that breaking news bulletin...

Where were we...oh yeah, I hadn't even started.

So I'll begin...NOW!

Ketchup:

After my Maryland post, we began driving up to New Jersey. Inspiration hit over the car ride, and I began taking some pictures.....

Interesting fact: We saw 2 Hawaii license plates in a row-literally! The second car was right behind the first!

Please note that all of these were taken in a moving vehicle, which explains the shakiness on some. :) I think they came out pretty good....

Once we got there, we had a great time in New Jersey! (I would have blogged more, but we were all gaming so much-too much. ;) ) One of my relatives gave me an epic (it really is-this isn't an exaggeration!) zine book- "Watcha Mean, What's A Zine?" The whole book looks like it's a zine itself, and provides all kinds of cool tips and addresses to zine libraries! Thanks, Aunt K!

We got to do some zining ourselves. My grandparents, on a road trip in August, decided to pass on a typewriter to me, and now we're using it for many purposes*. My younger cousin M decided to use it to make her own zine: "M's Information Of Mystery." It was filled with articles on mysteries, myths and why Selena Gomez should write her own books, as well as free coupons to places like a concert or island getaway. Another cousin, H, and I attempted to make another issue of our zine, "It Might Seem Odd To You"-we never finished. :( Oh, well, we can always finish it at OBX! The one article we did get to crank out was about H's hatred towards spinach, supported by the newly-formed Anti-Spinach Union (an organization firmly opposed by L and S and their newly-formed Spinach Lovers Union).

We also over-played Plants vs. Zombies (as usual..), found a fantastic new pizza place, gave presents, and went to see a movie.** It was a nice way to end the winter break.

But then, upon getting home, disaster struck. I now had various zines with me (including one of my own) that were begging to be copied and distributed. Since our other printer needed new inkjets earlier, my parents killed 2 birds with one stone and bought....

An EPSON printer, which included.....

(wait for it)

(dramatic music)

A BUILT IN COPIER.

It was like all my problems had disappeared.

Before, I had used the painful "Scan and Print" technique with zines. I would run zines through our scanner, then take the image files, put them on Word, and print them. The edges were often cut off, and the color was strange and off-kilter. Not very professional.

So, upon hearing that we now owned a copier and I wouldn't have to start saving up money to go to somewhere like Minuteman, I think I began jumping up and down in absolute elation.

And after actually making 5 copies of "M's Information of Mystery", I. Felt. Awesome. It just feels great to make copies of something and see your work (or a friend's or family member's) times 5. I don't know why.

Well! I think that's enough ketchup for your metaphorical hot dog (read: I need to quit ranting about the "magic" of copiers ;) ).

Also, if you have any snow superstitions, please post them in the comments! I've been hearing about a possible sleet coming our way....

(Sorry for all the random font switching. I had to copy and paste part of this post)

Next Time, On Claire's Creative Days: Pavlov: A Cautionary Tale of Psychology, Saliva, And GT Gone Insane.

______________

*We also used it for some secret correspondence and spy activity later on.

**The movie was "The Adventures of Tintin". Very good movie! Lots of good chase scenes. :)

First Post-of the New Year!

2012-01-09T16:30:00.000-08:00

Happy 2012!
(We're not gonna die, by the way.)
I'll have a big ketchup post for everyone soon!

And in the meantime, I've been hearing about some HTML tricks. I hope this one works...

We're In Maryland! :D :D

2011-12-28T04:54:00.000-08:00

Hello, fellow bloggers! How was your Christmas? I had a great one-I got lots of awesome gifts and got to spend time with my family. Thanks to all relatives who gave gifts! I'll be writing thank yous anyday now... ;)
Anyways, I am now in Maryland, home of L, S (blogger for Wii Little Movies), and M. We have been having fun with my typewriter, and are trying to launch spy stakeouts on each other! (So far, nobody is getting anywhere.) Did I mention we didn't spend too much time on the computer?
Today, we're going to New Jersey! My other cousin, H, will be there, and we have plans to make another issue of our zine.* My camera was finally repaired, too, so Cousin Studios is back!
I'll have another post (which is hopefully more thought-provoking then this, possibly with poetry) when we get there.
In the meantime, without my epic HTML.... :'(
Blog Ya Later!

*Zines are small handmade books that are like magazines, but randomer. Some have a clear topic, some are comics, and some are filled with random poetry and art. You can hide zines on the street to brighten a person's day-it's part of a harmless art form called guerrilla art. Really, it's harmless. It creates explosions in thought, however. CJ learned how to make zines at her awesome summer art camp.

Merry Christmas!...

2011-12-25T10:31:00.000-08:00

If you are reading this blog right now...
Get off. And go spend some time with family.
Merry Christmas, everyone!
I will be back tomorrow with a post. Soon, this blog will be converting to a travel edition for our New Jersey winter trip.....

Snowy Superstitions

2011-12-15T13:41:00.000-08:00

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas, all right! Last year, school was closed 3 days early due to snow. The year before, snow blanketed the area a week or so before Christmas, before rain came and washed it all away on the afternoon of the 25th. I'm not even going to bring up the snowstorm that hit mid-January of 2010. Meanwhile, this year, it's actually been....warm?!
If there are any fellow Virginia residents or viewers from other snowless states who want to change the dreadful state of seeing grass and not white stuff, keep reading! I've decided to compile a list of snow superstitions. Some have brought snow...some haven't. Some are from friends, some were tested by me, and others are off the internet. Try them all, or just a few, and who knows? Maybe our longing for the white flakes will be fulfilled!

1. Flush ice cubes down the toilet. To avoid clogging, use small ones, or better yet, let them melt before dumping them in.
2. Wear pajamas inside out.
3. Put a spoon under your pillow. Variation: First put the spoon in your freezer.
4. Perform the Ceremonial Snow Dance. First, draw snowflakes in a circle on a piece of paper. Then, lay the paper on the ground and dance around it while making sweeping snowlike motions. It also helps if you mumble a poem or song about snow while doing this. I've tried this all the time-once, it actually snowed! Variation: Jump around outside in your inside out pajamas.
5. Type a poem or story about snow on your computer's word processor. The more you type, the harder it snows! This has worked for me too. Variation: Type "snow" 1,000 times on Microsoft Word. Yes, it HAS to be Word!
6. Freeze a white crayon and put it under your pillow. Variation: Put the white crayon in the window.
7. Light a green candle.
8. Sing "Let It Snow" in the shower.
9. Freeze a penny.
10. Run around the house with white toothpaste on your nose, screaming.
11. Yell "Snow Day!" into your freezer.

If you have any more, post a comment!
Internet sources:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080211141542AAx71H7
http://www.nbc15.com/blogs/amycarlson/35692079.html
http://www.proteacher.net/discussions/showthread.php?t=216761

O Christmas Tree.....

2011-12-11T15:31:00.000-08:00

We got our tree a little earlier this year then usual, because Dad is going to be leaving for a business trip. Today we began decorating, and I decided to take some photos of the ornaments and lights, as well as set up some abstract shots!

I like how it looks like the angel is looking into the tree.

Ever wanted to see what a Christmas tree looks like from the inside? Well...now you know!

An interesting abstract shot.

One of my favorites! I took it lying on the floor looking up.

Abstract shots:

Temporary end of the abstract. (Don't worry, there's more. ;) ) Continue!

This was the only good shot I could get without flash. I like it better with the lights on- it looks like Pooh and Piglet are skiing down a slope covered in lights, or are jumping over lights.

Meanwhile, in the far corner of the room....

....the dolls begin gathering at the site of a MALL SANTA FACEOFF! Whoever picks up the most shoppers wins!

Our two contestants:

Contestant 1.

And, Contestant 2, who bears a coincidental likeness to Yours Truly.

Of course, we all know who won. (Need a hint? They made this blog.) ;););)

Back at the tree decorating area.....

Not all that glimmers is gold-it may be an apple ornament.

I like this shot.

Abstract Break:

End of the abstract!..stay tuned for the grand finale....

This is my favorite picture! I'm still trying to figure out why, though...

Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, the dolls gather once again!

AND NOW, PRESENTING....THE GRAND ABSTRACT FINALE!
These remind me of glowsticks! I made them by shaking up the camera. One of them is now my blog background. (Find which one, and I'll give you a button for your blog! Post your answer in the comments.)
Enjoy!

So, fellow bloggers, have you gone the earlybird route along with us and picked out/decorated a tree already? Write about it in the comments!

*Note: The following is an experiment in HTML. If you just see random computer jargon or something like that, do not be alarmed.*

Snowman Symphony

2011-12-10T14:23:00.000-08:00

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.....let's celebrate!.....with a horde of instrumental snowmen.....

We went out to get our Christmas tree today, by the way. Pictures of that coming soon....

The Blogging Buzz Strikes Back!

2011-11-28T16:05:00.000-08:00

Two of my friends, Laney and Yoshi (yes, that's an alias), have started blogs! They will be on my blog list, and the links are in this post:

Laney's Luxurious Life:
www.boycottchipsandmore.blogspot.com

The Life of Yoshi:
http://ohsnapitzyoshi.blogspot.com/

Thank you both for spreading the blogging buzz! Hopefully this will start another chain reaction of kid bloggers-I'll have to get you two to paste my "Kids Can Blog" button on yours.....

Another Warning

2011-11-28T13:48:00.000-08:00

And then, the insanity continues....with Cyber Monday!
Play fair....no hacking...no meanness on chats....don't wear yourself out....no swiping a deal somebody beat you to...
Don't be like them.


"Oh no, hand cramp!" "Go get some ice, hurry!"

Note: Once again, all quotes are from real commercials. :O

Stay Sane!

2011-11-25T05:58:00.000-08:00


"Could you read my list?""It's all crossed out."

You probably know what today is.....

"That's because I got everything on it. BOOM!"

....so, if you (and hopefully you won't) go shopping, don't be like these people.....

"You know why they call it Black Friday? Because I'm a savings ninja."

"Which aisle?"


"IT'S HERE!"

Happy Black Friday!...(gulp)
Note: All pictures were snipped and all quotes were copied from REAL COMMERCIALS. Yes, that's right. Why do they want us to go insane?

OCBFD! (The Abbreviation Will Be Explained Later.)

2011-11-20T10:56:00.000-08:00

OCBFD=Obsessive Compulsive Book Fair Disorder.

If you know me well, you know I let out little squeals of joy and occasionally start getting wobbly knees walking up and down the aisles at 5 Below or Barnes and Noble. Why?
I love erasers, sticker roles, fake hands, gum, and other trinkets and knick knacks. At 5 Below you can get things like this!:


Yes, those are erasers.<3

And this!:


How true. That's a bumper sticker.

And, of course, THIS!:


Duct tape. An endless source of fun on youth retreats.

Oh, and did I mention you can get all that for 5 bucks or less? Hence the name.
Barnes and Noble (as well as the aisle of Klutz and American Girl books at our local craft store, and any library) gives me the same reaction. Any book lovers out there will automatically feel the urge to stare at the covers, look at the description, and find the next volume in a series.

Mix these two feelings together, and you know how I feel at the school book fair!
Every year is torture for me. Shelf upon shelf of multicolored graphic novels and quiz books and the next book in that series and....more! What to buy?
Then, as if that isn't enough, there's the school supplies section. I nearly break into a happy dance looking at some of the stuff available! Laptop and smartphone erasers! An "Everything is better with bacon" bookmark! Stickers with the most ridiculous slogans:
"I'm olny human. I make misteaks."
"If Number 2 pencils are so popular, why are they Number 2?"
And, of course, the $100 bill and peppermint-scented erasers that are around every year.
This year at the book fair, I think I've had to exhibit massive amounts of self-control just to go past some of the tables. Most of the books this year have been seen-and wished for- in Scholastic's book magazine (another source of squee-ing* for me). Of course, they price some stuff ridiculously, slapping "$8.99" on one hardcover and "$25.66" on another.
So many novels, so little cash....
Who else has been to a school book fair? What makes you jump up and down with joy? Post a comment about your experiences!

Coming Soon on Claire's Creative Days....Poetry! Doodles! Thinking inside the box! And-forensics? Cool! Wow! Um...!?!

*Squee (verb): An extreme declaration of happiness and joy. ex."CJ squees over tacky erasers and knick-knacks."

Creative Ketchup Post!

2011-11-09T08:41:00.000-08:00

I'M BACK!!!!!!

And, what better way to start out a new life in the blog world then with some creativity....

1.There's a new protest: http://www.standagainstsnapz.blogspot.com/
2.THIS IS SUPER IMPORTANT! A team from our school entered the "World Series of Innovation" from our GT class and made it to the NATIONAL LEVEL! Their idea is called "EduHarmony", a program that pairs up teachers and students in a process not unlike online dating. If they win, our GT classroom will win 2,500 dollars. That kind of money would change our class. We could buy more cool tech stuff (like IPads!). So please, vote for EduHarmony, and share the link with EVERYONE! Post it on Facebook, Twitter, Blogger, whatever! Call your friends and family! Start a chain email! Vote here: http://www.nfte.com/world-series-of-innovation/vote.html Thanks in advance!

Sorry for all the exclamation points. I'm hyper at the moment. :)
Blog ya later!

Haiku

2011-06-10T14:23:00.000-07:00

Last week of sixth grade*
Will be spent taking exams
Oh, cruel irony!

*Our last day of school is on Thursday of next week (teacher workday on Friday). Why can't it be now? :(

The Kindness Project

2011-06-07T16:29:00.000-07:00

Laney, all of our friends, and I, recently started yet another project at school, entitled....
(unveils awesome logo)

The Kindness Project.
The whole idea of this is to spread joy and happiness throughout the school- but in secret. We all write down quotes/proverbs ("A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step"), compliments, ("Nice shirt!"), ideas ("Show kindness to a stranger today"), and our own wacky takes on life ("Life is a theme park, you have to figure out which rides are good and which ones are going to make you barf."-CJ). Then, we hide them in lockers, in between the pages of books, on shelves, near water fountains, next to chip bags in the cafeteria, ANYWHERE that we know someone is going to look. It's so fun to hide these and then look 10 minutes later to find them gone. We saw a group of people passing one from table to table during lunch, and later on, we found a boy reading one who was grinning from ear to ear! This is really amazing, and I hope it keeps up!

Blog ya later,
CJ

Spring Break, Part II

2011-06-01T13:36:00.000-07:00

Part II: Maryland
The day after the end of the retreat, we packed our bags and drove up to Maryland. It was very misty outside-so much for looking out the window to kill time! I ended up just listening to my Mp3 for a while. We finally arrived at the house of L, S, blogger for Wii Little Movies, and M, who wasted no time in showing me an "epic" Wii game: Just Dance 2. This is one of the best dance games I have ever played. It has a nice mix of oldies, pop, instrumental, and cultural music to pick from. It's also a good workout- by the 3rd song I was sweating up a storm! So, we ventured upstairs to play S's favorite computer game, Plants vs. Zombies.
TIME OUT!
This is probably the 10th time I've brought up Plants vs. Zombies and haven't explained fully what it is. S, the gaming expert, could probably tell you in a heartbeat. I'm not exactly an expert when it comes to this game, but here goes....

You play a homeowner with a house that is about to face a typical zombie attack. You have no weapons whatsoever to defend your turf with... no weapons, that is, except plants. These are no ordinary plants, though- each one has special powers and defenses. The sunflowers produce sun energy you can buy more plants with, some mushrooms hypnotize zombies into helping the plants, and the walnuts are one of the ultimate defenses thanks to their tough outer shell. You circulate through the different levels (Nightime, Pool, Roof), collecting more plants and discovering more zombies until you defeat the Final Boss (typical) and save your yard. The game doesn't end there, though, because there are also plenty of mini-games based on other games from Pop Cap, and even a Zen Garden.

I kind of like this game, but not with the burning passion and desire S does. (I think that game turns some of us into zombies- we find ourselves playing for hours!)
TIME IN!
S also introduced me to two awesome books: The Field Guide to Monsters/Aliens. At first, I was thinking, This is going to be WEIRD. But it turned out to be really cool! The guy who wrote them was super creative: he featured the monster/alien's habitat, "sightings" of them, journal entries from those who had seen them, and some very realistic looking field sketches. (I was afraid to go in the bathroom for days thanks to that picture of the "Toilet Snake"!) We would've made a whole video for Cousin Studios about monster hunting, but of course my camera had to run out of batteries.
The next day was pretty much the same as the first- Plants vs. Zombies, field guides, Wii, more Plants vs. Zombies. We did three fun things, though:

A) That Jumpy Place
As it so happens, my cousins also happen to have this ~~good fun exciting epic~~ AWESOME jumpy place by their house called That Jumpy Place. As soon as you walk inside, you see all the inflatables towering over you, and you think, woah! There are huge slides that twist and turn, an inflatable basketball court, 2 huge obstacle courses complete with tunnels, mazes, hurdles, climbing walls, and slides, and so much more! S, L, M, H (another cousin that came from Massachusetts), and I had a great time playing a fun tag game that often gets played at jumpy places: Run From (insert name here). One person decides to chase everyone (in this case, L) and everybody else has to split up in groups and hide/jump away. S and I often took up residence at the tops of slides and in the heart of the obstacle course, and I secretly spied for L. (I didn't get any major info, though.)
On the car ride back to the house, H and I started our own radio show-The H Show! H reported on a sudden doughnut storm and a monster sighting of his that occurred the night before.
After we ate some lunch and watched a much needed redo of "Friday", it was time for...
B) The Egg Hunt To End All Egg Hunts (fine, maybe not)
Each kid got a basket and was instructed to search for a certain color of egg so we all would get the same amount of candy. I must say, the adults had us beat! They put eggs in the sneakiest of places: under the thick grass beneath the trampoline, wedged in between closely growing branches on a tree, tucked beneath the dirt in the mulch pile. Even though the policy was "No hints!", everyone soon gave in!
Our candy prizes consisted of chocolate eggs, jellybeans, and quarters. Since the adults had banned the computer (where was THAT policy when we needed it?), we started an (not taped, thanks to the state of my camera) episode of Trampoline Gladiators. I think L was the winner, because the rest of us had accidental injuries thanks to a fateful slip of the foot.
After a many more rounds of Plants vs. Zombies and Angry Birds, my mom announced that there was a contest to enter called....
C) The First Annual Easter Family Coloring Contest
We were all assigned a cheesy picture to color (think smiling bunnies painting 5 foot eggs), and had until dinner to draw our way to a prize. I had to color in some smiling bunnies hanging up colorful lanterns, and I tried to be as neat as possible. After all, it was a contest! My fellow competitors were L,M, and my sister R. (S and H were still playing Plants vs. Zombies- the things that game does!) Before long, it was time for dinner.
It was Easter dinner, so it was about an hour before we could resume our previous activities. Soon, we all found ourselves lying in bed, wondering who would win- or would we all take home a title?

The next day....

Wow! After walking downstairs, we discovered that all of us had gotten a prize. I forget what M got, but L was awarded for "Most Realistic", me for "Neatest" and R for "Most Unique Color Scheme. All the kids also had Easter baskets filled with Lindor chocolate bunnies and carrots, along with a La La Loopsy doll or Lego kit, depending on your gender. After a frenzied flurry of activity regarding packing, we went home to VA to resume our normal lives. That concludes my spring break.

Blog ya later,
CJ

The Spring Break I Forgot To Tell You About

2011-05-30T05:10:00.000-07:00

I had a fantastic spring break!....

...and then I forgot to blog about it, causing one of the largest post recessions in Claire's Creative Days history.

:' (

Oh well, let's not dwell on the past, shall we? Here is a quick (okay, maybe not) summary of each of my spring break adventures.....

Part I: Volunteering
This was probably one of the most memorable parts of Spring Break. At the camp we helped run, I met lots and lots of new friends, and their signatures are all on my picture frame I got at the retreat. At first, arts and crafts seemed boring because our prep consisted of doing nothing but cutting yarn. And cutting some more. And then cutting some more. But it all paid off in the end, because now I can make a mean friendship bracelet! :) We also set up an egg hunt for the kids at the start of the week. I paired up with a new found buddy, and using the simple yet cunning strategy of "divide and conquer", I helped her win the hunt for her age group, $5, and a whole lot of candy!
It wasn't all work and no play for us, though, because we got plenty of free time in between camp. The house some of the kids were staying overnight at had this AMAZING basement! There was this beautiful mural on the wall of a city close by to where we were, and things only got more intriguing from there. The furniture ranged from movie theater seating to wraparound sofas to cozy couches which laid under a bit of wall that jutted out, making sitting seem like crawling into a totally different room. Furthermore, there were lots of secret corners and rooms nestled in between the space, so you could easily just hide somewhere for hours and listen to music. My favorite area was a study zone covered from head to toe in pillows and books. Nobody else noticed this place, so I got some much yearned-for alone time!
The backyard also provided plenty of activities. It had an open patch of grass perfect for games of jump rope, a basketball hoop, picnic benches, and a secret hideout behind a rusty shed. There was also a huge deck we all liked to hang out on (and eat snacks on!). The neighbors had a dog named Lucy, and we all liked to talk to her between the cracks of the fence-or when we were looking out over the fence when we were behind the shed.
One of my favorite memories was when we all started picking dandelions (the streets were covered with hundreds of them; I was sad there were so many weeds- but so pretty!) to make a long daisy chain for one of the younger kids in our group. (We ended up making rings, anklets, a wand with the "wishing ones" and a crown, too- then she became the Dandelion Queen!) It was then we got a genius idea. Looking around the yard, we saw that there were lots of dandelions (the yellow and "wishing" ones), along with other colorful varieties of weeds. There also were dozens of discarded water bottles under the porch. So, we thought, why not make bouquets? We started a "floral arrangement" station at the picnic table, and filled bottles up with dandelions, purple, blue, white, and green weeds, and little orange or white blossoms from a bush. Some of the best weeds were crawling up the shed, so that ended up being how we discovered the secret place. The bouquets were beautiful, and we displayed them proudly on the deck tables as centerpieces.
We also got to make several fun outings. First, we went to McDonalds and all bought McFlurrys. Later on in the week, we got to go to Chick-Fil-A for their awesome lemonade and milkshakes! That trip was followed by a drive to the park for a game of Ultimate Frisbee. (I am not the most athletic person in the world, so a friend and I walked down to "High School Hill", the steep incline the high school kids had their egg hunt on.) There was also lots of takeout pizza!
The week concluded with a cookout at the camp building, where we all had some great food- and saw some great jump roping!

*pants* Oops. I said that was going to be short, didn't I? Oh well....
Blog Ya Later!

Stay Tuned for Part II of CJ's Spring Break- In Maryland! Just Dance 2! Monster Hunting! Jumpy Places! (groan) Plants Vs. Zombies! Jellybeans! Trampolines! Egg Hunts! More Jellybeans....

A's New Blog

2011-05-29T16:26:00.000-07:00

Does anybody remember A and S from the post Fun With Trains way back in 2009? Well, I have great news: A has a blog! It is called Life Before The Dinosaurs, and it is all about, well, life before the dinosaurs! It's a very cool blog, and I must say I learned a lot. Check it out today!

Retreat Today!

2011-04-18T04:14:00.000-07:00

Hello! If you have been reading my blog lately, you'll know about the retreat where we'll be helping kids downtown. Today is the first day! I am really excited, especially since I'll be helping with "Crafts"- what a perfect job for somebody like me. :) I will post more later as the camp lets out at around 7:00 pm... oh, look at the time! Gotta get in the shower... :)

Blog ya later,
CJ

Spring Break!... Amongst Other Things

2011-04-13T04:51:00.000-07:00

Hello, bloggy peoples! It is I, CJ, who has not posted in an extremely long time thanks to a homework overload. No, really! We're having the dreaded benchmarks again, which means study guides, study guides, and more study guides. Argh. Do you agree? Head on over to my friend yc123's blog, YC Fun Blog, where she suggests a no-homework PJ day!
Now, back to the point. Spring Break is coming up, and I already have an answer to the dreaded question:

Person: (talks) (finishes discussion with other person) (turns to CJ) So, are you going anywhere for Spring Break?
CJ: Yes.
Person: Cool! Where?
CJ: My kitchen!
Person: (rolls eyes)

Yes, it's the sad truth. Our family has decided to stay home this year.
BUT!
There is good news. I will be doing 2 exciting things:
1.) I'm going to the day portion of a youth retreat my church is hosting. We'll be heading downtown to help host a church camp for kids in a poor community.
2.) We'll be visiting L, S, and M in Maryland for the last couple days! Yay! *charges camera batteries and begins brainstorming movie ideas*

Oh, and I got to see the movie Soul Surfer on Sunday! It was a great, inspiring movie and I would highly recommend it. You have to be willing to cry a bit, though.

Blog Ya Later,
CJ

This Valentine's Day, Don't Eat Dove!

2011-02-16T04:49:00.000-08:00

As you can see, I have not posted in a very long time. But, I am writing to inform you of a new project that has taken the place of the Lays Boycott....
Laney always brings Dove chocolates in with her lunch, and they always happen to be the ones with fortunes in them. Even though we love them a lot, we don't think boys would appreciate these as much because of some of the phrases on the wrappers:
"You know what? You look good in red."
"Buy flowers for yourself."
"You're gorgeous."
Then, as Valentine's Day approached, it got worse.
"Make someone melt."
We actually went around at lunch and surveyed boys! Most of them said the chocolates made them feel "creeped out" and one even said it was "wrong". The letter of protest has already been written, I just need to type it up and mail it. Hopefully we will once again save consumers- and get coupons!

Blog ya later,
CJ

Update: Valentine's Day has passed. But.... it's still the week of Valentine's Day, and we know everyone has a lot of candy to consume...

Creative Chalk Art!

2010-12-10T13:32:00.000-08:00

Have you ever heard of the chalk artist Julian Beever? I just found out about his cool chalk art! Here's the link if you want to see some cool art: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbVHLo1M4sQ
Remember, you are looking at chalk!
P.S. Do not turn your sound on when watching this. All the backround songs are about love and other things I do not want to mention. ;)

I'M FREEEEEEE! FREEEEE!

2010-12-04T06:47:00.000-08:00

If you have read the title above, you may have made the non-accurate guess that I have just made it out of jail during Capture the Flag, or have escaped a prison dangling over a rickety bridge over a cliff, or both. Fortunately, this is not the case. Instead, I have better news.....

(you better be sitting)

DI IS STARTING! YES! YES! YES!
(madman laugh) WHAHAHAHA!

Our team name is CAKES, which is an acronym of all our team members' names. I'm the "C", and my friend Soso, blogger for Soso's Prose, is the "S". Add in our team coaches, and Soso's younger brother, and you've got..... McPCakes! (Wait....what?) Our challenge is to perform a story and use three techniques to do it! We also need to incorporate a "Technical Spectacle" (gulp!). Our team loves improv, science, and the arts. We hate Justin Bieber and Sun Chips! Plus, all of us are DI or OM veterans. I think this is going to be a great season!

....and now I'm freeeeee...
free fallin!...

Because in DI, I'm FREE to express myself (and my hate for Justin)!

P.S. DO NOT give us any ideas for our performance. We could be disqualified if we get too much help.

What Is Wrong With The World?

2010-11-29T16:08:00.000-08:00

I am mad at the world for a multiple number of reasons.

1. Every song is inappropriate, yet people act like they are still really great. I think that artists should stop making these songs (probably the reason why we have so many "cursers" in gym class, they think it's okay, it's NOT!). Maybe they should write about something non-explicit, like sunsets or how much explicit songs stink. I just found out that one of my favorite songs (Dynamite) has part of the lyrics cut out because they say some things I will not mention.

Well, after finding out the truth, here's what I wish would happen to every radio playing that song:

WAHAHAHA!
Sorry, my temper kind of got the best of me and now I am stuck in bold font. Oh well, I deserve it.

2. The entire world treats us kids like sales targets. We are KIDS, not sales targets. And plus, the Macy's Day Parade has gone too commercial. Everything is sponsored. Thanksgiving isn't Thanksgiving anymore, it's the prelude to Black Friday. Feel the same way I do? Wish the companies had some restraint? Copy my blog button and paste it on your blog with pride! (Look for it by my "Kids Can Blog" one.)

So, that concludes this post.
Next time...we will have a bit of poetry (I see your grin, Mom)!

Stunts

2010-11-20T05:40:00.000-08:00

A lot of you have been wondering what stunts I am good at. Here is a video clip of me doing my Epic Sequence move. Kids, if you want to try this at home, jump up really high, bounce on your bottom, try to do a handstand, and then flop down and do the worm. This was not my best try, but it's the only video footage I have of it, so oh well.

It's Cold Season....

2010-11-12T15:58:00.000-08:00

...but colds aren't the only thing spreading (although I caught one, forcing me to sleep with the humidifier, use up all the tissues in Keyboarding, and drink enough water to run out of bathroom passes in my agenda).
A familiar epidemic has once again returned....The Blogger Buzz!

Two of my friends at school have new blogs. Want to look at them? Go to my blog list and look towards the top. Also,don't forget to check out the old but good blogs of Soso and Vicki (Vicki's Fun Times, Soso's Prose).

Laney is also thinking about getting a blog called Laney's Luxurious Life (Coming to a blog list near you!).

So, I will get an ice cold water (ha ha) and BLOG YOU LATER!

Can I Have Some Ketchup, Please?

2010-11-12T15:46:00.000-08:00

I have not posted here for a really, really long time, so it's time for a..... Ketchup Post! I haven't been posting because of (duh duh duh...) BOOK REPORTS! (Enter Toccata in Fugue and lightning streaks....) OK, it wasn't that bad. So, here's the recap, starting with our trip to Maryland.....

Before we left Maryland, Cousin Studios got a great new section of movies: Webcam! Our cousins have an awesome webcam with all these cool effects like avatars, snow, and the ability to draw on videos. We started a new movie series called The M Show where we disscuss the arts, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, balloon fights, and mysterious indoor blizzards. (Don't ask.) Plus, when we were about to leave, I got loaned Mario Kart! Only the most awesome video game ever! Then we drove home and school started up again......

Although we were pressured with 9 Weeks Tests, quizzes, Book Reports, reading logs, and more, we still found time to start new fads. Eraser City and The Lays Boycott Club died down (stay tuned for the rest of the story!), and in their place sprang up....

The JBBC (Justin Bieber Boycott Club). We all hated this music "star" so much that we decided to boycott him! In between talking about his awfulness, we make up song parodies about him (Justin Bieber has rabies, rabies, rabies, OH!).

Paper Skateboarding. Laney's friend K loves real skateboarding, but after playing with a Post-It in math class, he got an idea to make paper skateboards. We fold Post-Its, draw cool designs on them, and then use everyday objects as half pipes, railings, and obstacle courses. K even has a popular bartering business where he trades skateboards for Mentos, and he is thinking about selling skateboards through the school store.

Flipbooks. Yet another fad involving Post-Its, flipbook making has become an art. It all started with K's friend D, the Post-It guru, and began circling its way around other GT classmates. I have made several, including ones about a marathoner, people crushing Lays bags, and archery practice.

Comics. I wrote a graphic novel about the Lays Boycott Club (the sequel is coming soon!), and this fad was born! Before long, there were comics about everything, from erasers to a typical day at middle school.

Then, there was the GA fundraiser. At the end of the month, I had 7 duckies (not counting the X-Ray duck I lost) and 11 subscriptions- enough to go to the Mega Party and get VIP status! Thank you Mom and Dad for doing Christmas shopping to help our school! Everybody claimed it was a ripoff- but they were wrong. There were 6 inflatables, including an obstacle course, jousting ring, giant-scale game involving a wrecking ball(again,don't ask), and the "sticky wall." Not to mention soda and the opportunity for VIPs to beat the crowds and arrive 25 MINUTES EARLY! WOO WOO!

Also, some good news... I'm going to a forensics competition! I am in the category Serious Poetry and I am looking forward to competing.

So, that concludes yet another..... Ketchup Post!

Blog Ya Later!

P.S. Thank you, Laney, for spreading the word and getting your friends to read. It was getting quiet around here!

Trampoline-ing!

2010-10-16T15:40:00.000-07:00

Hello from good old Maryland! This is CJ, reporting live after one day at the L\M\S house. Today described in 3 words: TRAMPOLINE! TRAMPOLINE! TRAMPOLINE! We bounced and bounced for hours and came up with cool new moves (my favorites are Endless Buttbounce and Epic Sequence). Our two new Cousin Studios movies are Trip or Treat and Trampoline Gladiators. We're playing Flashlight Tag after dinner! (Pizza, yum!) Will post soon....

Mini Vacation

2010-10-10T13:06:00.000-07:00

HOORAY! :):):) Mom just told me that we're heading up to the house of M, L, and S, blogger for Wii Little Movies for L's birthday! I'm excited because 1.I love traveling 2.I love relatives 3. Traveling is an excuse to chew gum. ;) I hope we will stay off the computer, play lots of Phase Ten (fun card game) and Monopoly, and hopefully make some Cousin Studios films. Speaking of Cousin Studios films, here are some highlights from The Ten Day Road Trip Of Awesomeness. :^)----[---{

Dwarf Hairstyling. J did pink, K did purple. I love the purple one's hair, don't you?

And, finally, the Music Club commercial. This is the second take; during the first one K threw a ball at J's head and yelled at her for using the Rock Band guitar. Ahh...good times.;);)

BLOG YA LATER!

Chips That Cheat: The Story of The Lays Boycott Club

2010-10-10T09:00:00.000-07:00

Picture this. Your table has been called to get in the lunch line, and after purchasing your meal, your eyes dart toward the chip section. Which yummy Baked Lays snack will it be today? The salty spiced BBQ chips that take you back to grilling season? The Sour Cream and Onion chips with their mouthwatering powder that makes you lick your fingers? The Original flavored chips we all know and love? Or will you settle for a bag of Doritos or Cheetos? You select a tempting bag of BBQ, pay for it, and run the 10 yard dash back to your table. Later, after a ~~disgusting~~ delicious school lunch, you open your barbecue chips, looking forward to another snack of paradise.......

.....and let out a piercing scream.

Why? Because you've been ripped off. There are only about 8 or 9 large chips in the bag. Oh, who will save you from snack sorrows?

And, with an incident like this, the Lays Boycott Club was born (only in this case, Laney, a future blogger, bought BBQ and Vicky, blogger for Vicky's Fun Times, got Original). Everybody agreed to start the protest with a letter to Frito-Lay. But wait! What was their address? Luckily, I found it at the bottom of the package.
One "B Day" and afternoon later- TA-DA! The letter was complete-and typed! Here is the final draft:

September 15, 2010

Dear Frito-Lay,

We could be sending you this letter for many different reasons. We could be complimenting you on your perfectly salted chips. We could be marveling at your commercials. But, unfortunately, this is not a happy letter. This is a letter of complaint.

On the thirteenth of September, some members of our organization opened bags of your chips and gasped in horror. There were only a few large chips in the bag, and everything else was just air. The customers were very unsatisfied. “These chips are a rip-off!” declared Vicky, and everyone agreed. You have a product that tastes good, so can’t you put more of it in the bag and let consumers get their money’s worth of the product?

So basically, it all boils down to this. Make some improvements to your chips, or we will start a boycott and never eat Lays chips again.

Sincerely,

The Lays Boycott Club

“Sending letters to Lays so they change their ways”

Pretty impressive for a couple of kids, huh? There were plenty of other plans besides the letter, though. K wanted to set up a Facebook page. I was planning to write about it here. (And here I am now!!) Laney and Vicky decided to make signs and buttons.

But would it all work?

To Be Continued....

Eraser Explosion!

2010-10-09T07:29:00.000-07:00

It's Life Science. Everyone is busy working on boring worksheets about lab equipment- that is, except one boy. This boy is the only one left standing after a horrific brainwash of science materials. He starts picking at the pink eraser on his pencil. He picks at it harder. It finally breaks and falls onto the floor. The boy doesn't notice. That's unusual, he thinks, suddenly wondering about the hole at the top of his Dixon pencil. How did it fall off?......

Enter Eraser City.

Because of several incidents such as the one described above(that did not actually happen from what I've seen, but it could), the population in Eraser City has suddenly increased. Between today, yesterday, and the day before, 11 new residents moved into the counties.

Here they are!

Suzuki. Suzuki got her name from a Japanese motor company. She is from Japanese descent. She loves sushi and lives next to Jean-Claude in International County. Because Suzuki was created on an eraser-plus the metal part- broken from a pencil, she gets to wear shimmery "clothes" every day. Suzuki was created by me.

Jean-Claude. Jean- Claude is a French eraser. He was created by me on a strange rubber part found under a desk that appears to be an eraser. There are rumors that Jean-Claude is opening a baguette shop in the new county, CJ County. As you know from the paragraph above, Jean-Claude lives between Suzuki and Luigi. He has a record amongst his neighbors for Biggest Mustache.

Sunshine. Sunshine is an extremely happy eraser. She lives in CJ County and is Sweet Rose's sister. (Their personalities give it away.) Sunshine, just like her name says, is always smiling like the sun and will cheer you up if you're down. She was created by me on a regular orange eraser. Sunshine is also another *tattooed resident, hers is the sun.

Lila Lemon. Lila Lemon is a regular yellow eraser created by me. She carries out a dramatic life in CJ County with her neighbors. She loves acting and started a petition to build the CJ County Playhouse. (Play house, not Playhouse.... you get the point.) Although her last name is Lemon, Lila Lemon is always in the limelight-that is, when she's not sharing it with her eraser pals!

Shimmer. Shimmer is a yellow sparkly pencil grip with a face scribbled on who was created by Laney. She is another cousin of Sweet Rose. Her house is located in another new county, Laney County. Some of Shimmer's best talents include whipping up tasty smoothies and playing the piano. She owns Shimmer's Smoothies on an intersection in Laney County.

Tic Tac. Tic Tac is a red eraser broken from a pencil made by Laney and me. He got his name because we thought we had found an eraser on the floor, but it was a REAL Tic Tac! Tic Tac says if he had a flavor, it would be cherry. He lives in CJ County with Sunshine, Lila Lemon,Super Small Seth, and Waffle Willie.

Waffle Willie. Waffle Willie was named by K and created by me on a broken green regular eraser. He has curly hair and lives in CJ County. Waffle Willie became Cranky Christopher's friend because of their love for waffles. He owns a new restaurant (Wondrous Waffles) in CJ County as well. Waffle Willie even has a waffle tattoo! It says, in rebus form, "I Love Waffles."

Snowy. Snowy is one of Frosty Phillip's cousins. He was created by me on a white eraser broken from a pencil. Snowy lives very close to Frosty Phillip's Island on a nearby island called Freezing Warm Island, which is half cold and half hot. He is a champion at making snow angels.

The Guardian Angel. The Guardian Angel was given to me from Laney as a present. In reality, she serves as a paper clip holder. She lives in CJ County and creates happiness for all the erasers. The Guardian Angel's house is surrounded by a river and a garden and is in the center of the county.

Princess Pink. Princess Pink is Sweet Rose's cousin. She was created by me on a broken pink regular eraser. Princess Pink enjoys researching medieval times and playing dress up. She lives in the old castle in Laney County. Princess Pink, like her other cousins, shows excellent kindness and manners!

Super Small Seth. Super Small Seth is a distant cousin of Tiny Tim and Miniscule Millie. Like his cousins, he was created on a tiny scrap of a red eraser broken from a pencil. He lives in CJ County and loves music and art. The three of them even have their own song!

Stay tuned for more eraser madness.... BLOG YA LATER!

Next Time, On Claire's Creative Days... The true story of the Lays Boycott Club! The first eraser heritage chart! Plus, popular dance moves at the school dance! All this and more on the next blog posts...

*If you are a parent and have been reading about the tattoos (my mom was), THEY ARE FAKE! They are just washable. :):)=)

Reasons Why Keybording Should Be Illegal

2010-10-07T14:20:00.000-07:00

1. You know how in the media, people keep talking about how we'll become obese if we don't get enough excersise? You know how much we've learned about "reducing screen time" in gym over the years? Well, guess what? Thanks to Keyboarding, we get an extra ninety minutes of screen time every other day.
2. Keyboarding too often (like during ninety minute periods, hint hint) can cause one of the most severe injuries known to man (and woman): FINGER CRAMP. This horrible problem is even worse than stomach butterflies and writer's cramp! (In that case, it must be pretty bad!)
3. In Language Arts, we've learned about using descriptive words when writing a story.
Instead of this: I went home on the first day of school.
Write this: I raced home, my feet dancing on the pavement, on a first day of school I was bound to never forget.
Well, in Keyboarding, we've learned enough letters to write some great descriptive and just plain old unique words. Here's a list:
horror
raining
Kool-Aid
jester
knoll
salad dressing
silent judges

OK! Some of these are phrases. I don't care. My point is that whoever wrote the Keyboarding computer program manual must have flunked Language Arts and spent all of his or her time thinking of boring words to torture us, such as....
lass
lad
sad
fall
sales

Yawn. Where's my blanket.....
4. Again, this is LA (Language Arts) related. We have been told over the years not to read in a drawling monotone and add excitment! and adventure! to the story by reading with feeling.
How much feeling do you think a Keyboarding teacher is using while they read off "a, space...a semi semi, space, asdjkdlf, space....." from a computer screen in a drawling monotone? Zero.
5. It's just plain boring, and no kid should have to spend the remainder of their middle school years turning into a little secretary.

I rest my case.

Intresting Islands and Honey Badger Madness

2010-10-04T14:15:00.000-07:00

Eraser City, as you may know, has two major islands outside the mainland. I have never gone into them in depth, so here goes....

Badger Island is the perfect getaway when searching for a warm, sunny spot to live out your vacation dreams. There are bamboo cabins, a smoothie and souvenir shack, and awesome party spaces on the docks! If you like studying the science of the ocean rather than surfing in it, there is an observation deck, underwater museum, and a field full of honey badgers to study. Unfortunately, as convicts leaving the jail in Chaotic County using the secret passage found out, there's an underwater prison, too. Spy Bob often heads here for relaxation after chasing down erasers who rap about anchovies (hint, hint).
Frosty Phillip's Island is where you should go if you're searching for something that is the exact opposite of Badger Island! It is FREEZING and snows every day year round. The population is ten: erasers one, polar bears nine. That doesn't mean you can't have fun, though! Frosty Phillip is happy to let tourists into his home to hold sledding contests, make snowmen, and buy snow globes. If you want to buy hot chocolate and other groceries or chow down on a lemon-lime icee, make sure to check the convenience store and slushie shack. If your feet are sinking in snow, you can get snowshoes for free at the local shop. And if you just want to get out before you become an ice cube, stop by Freezin' Flights Travel Agency!

Each island also has mini islands. Badger Island has Little Badger Island and Mini Badger Island, and Frosty Phillip's Island has The Island Of The Wild Polar Bears.

Now......on to the honey badgers.

When Eraser City was still springing up, all of the buildings were being named after stuff Laney, K, and I were obsessed with. Laney and I are crazy about zebras, and K loves honey badgers. It's very random, but what can I say, he loves honey badgers! If you counted how many things in Eraser City were named after honey badgers, you'd be surprised....
*The Honey Badger Blast at the amusement park.
*Honey Island at the water park.
*Badger Island.
*Honey Badger resturant.
*The Honey Badger Hotel.
*Annnnnd....there was that dance Laney and I made up about Lays bags, zebras, and slow dancing that had honey badgers in it........
So, in other words, a lot, not counting the stuff I missed! I guess this is going to be another one of our quirks this year.

BLOG YA LATER!

Next Time, On Claire's Creative Days....Jean-Claude moves to International County! Reasons why Keyboarding should be illegal! Plus, the story of the Lays Boycott Club! All this and more in the next few posts....

Eraser City Goes Global

2010-10-03T12:06:00.000-07:00

If you read the breaking news at the bottom of the post about ducks, limo rides, and subscriptions, you may know that this post is about Eraser City going global, which is exactly what has happened thanks to International County. International County hosts a variety of cultural eateries (including another restaurant by Cranky Christopher: IHOW! The International House of Waffles), the library, the My Little Pony Song Writing Headquarters (Don't ask), the Zebra Peace Gardens, and two new residents from around the world. Introducing......

Josephina Paper. Josephina is Mexican and is (gasp) not actually an eraser. Because we were having an eraser shortage, we drew her face on a scrap of notebook paper. Josephina was created by me and is bilingual. She loves tacos and will probably become friends with Hot Tamale after meeting him. (They are both big taco lovers!)

Luigi. Luigi is not a Mario character in this case, but a white eraser (again) broken from a pencil created by me. He loves Italy so much that he got a tattoo of the Italian flag on his back! A big pizza lover, Luigi lives two houses down from Josephina. The house in the middle is for my duck. (Yes, I made my GA duck a house in Eraser City!)

I promised Mom that I'd play Othello after snack. So until next time.... Blog ya later!

P.S. Breaking Eraser News! Learn about the chain of islands and their islands! Find out some weird facts about the importance of badgers in the eraser world! All this and more in the next blog post....

Subscriptions and DUCKS!

2010-10-02T08:06:00.000-07:00

So, here I am in History, about to go to some assembly about a magazine subscription sale our school does for fundraising, sponsored by Great American Opportunities. I'm thinking....Yawn.

That is, until I actually got there!

When I did, they were playing Hey Soul Sister (catchy!!). And that was just the beginning! Apparently, now by doing magazine sales, we can help out our school and do fun things, too. The more magazines we sell, the more cool prizes we can win, including....
*An inflatables party in our gym!
* A stretch limo ride to Cici's.(drool...pizza with meatless sauce....unlike the cafeteria....)
* A speaker that lets us play our Mp3 music out loud. (Handy when watching Chopped with cousins!)
*.....and last, but certainly not least.....

DUCKS!!!!!

The mailman duck I won already for turning in some letters for relatives about our sale. He came with a bag of Warheads so I could "feed" him. Most of them ended up in my stomach, though. When I make my first sale on GA's (Great American's) website, then I'll win the duck with the laptop. There are a few other ducks up for grabs, but I couldn't find images for them. Boo hoo. :(

I'll post more about the sale in the future, but for now, I have to say....Blog Ya Later!

P.S. ERASER NEWS FLASH! Eraser City goes global! Meet Josefina and Luigi! All this and more in the next blog post....

The New Residents

2010-09-29T14:07:00.000-07:00

Sorry about all the eraser bios, it's just that I have big news, which I am talking about in this post. Eraser City is BOOMING and is now divided up into (so far) 2 counties:

Chaotic County is very large and busy. There are lots of schools, homes, and businesses, including the Lays Boycott Organization! (To be explained in another post....) Zeke\Zoey, Hot Tamale, Minuscule Millie, Tiny Tim, and Spy Bob all live here.
Calm County is used for fun and recreation. There is a water park and amusement park, arcade, dollar store, shark infested pond(or at least that's what the rumors say..), and candy store here. There was only one resident here- Candy Cathy, owner of the candy store on C Crossing-except she hadn't moved in yet, so the place was as good as empty.

That is, until enough erasers arrived that we had to create a new subdivision! Introducing.....

Cranky Christopher. Cranky Christopher was created by L\Laney on a red eraser. As his name suggests, he has a very negative outlook on life. He owns the restaurant Cranky Cooks on C Crossing. Hardheaded as he is, Cranky Christopher has one weakness.....waffles...

Mrs.Plaid. Mrs.Plaid was created by me on a pink eraser. She is an elderly eraser who wears plaid every day. Her house is in Criss Cross Forest, right next to Plaid Creek. Even though she lives alone, Mrs.Plaid's friends stop by every day. She was inspired by L\Laney's love for all things plaid.

Sweet Rose. Sweet Rose was created by me on the back of another pink eraser- this one the color of a rose, unlike Mrs.Plaid's hot pink. Unlike Cranky Christopher, Sweet Rose is always very cheerful and excited about the world around her. Ironically, the two of them are next door neighbors! They have personality clashes most of the time.

Well, I have to go fry some bacon(that's dinner at our house!), file some papers, and practice for Keyboarding (ew....) but I'll be back soon. Blog Ya Later and Happy 102nd Post!

Finally....The Big 100(or 101)!

2010-09-27T15:00:00.000-07:00

Without realizing it, my post about Hot Tamale was my 100th post! (This will be my 101st, but oh well!) THIS IS GREAT! YAY! YAY! :):) I've been waiting for this to happen for forever! (I think those 6 random posts about the weather helped....) Everyone post lots of comments! THIS POST IS SPECIAL!!!! I'm so excited that this post will probably be followed by 5 other posts of jubilation!!!
Pie! {]
Candy! {}
Balloon! O------

THIS IS SO AWESOME! IT'S MY BLOG'S CENTENNIAL!

BLOG! YOU! LATER!

Meet Hot Tamale!

2010-09-27T14:51:00.000-07:00

You heard right, folks! Hot Tamale mysteriously turned up claiming to be Frosty Phillip's long lost cousin. He is bright red and was drawn on the back of another eraser broken from a pencil. Created by L\Laney, Hot Tamale lives in a house by the airport so he can visit his cousin. He loves Mexican food! Hot Tamale also revealed that Frosty Phillip lives on a remote snowy island north of Badger Island (population 10). Now his friends can visit- after buying snowshoes.:):)

Oh yeah, and thanks to L\Laney for posting a comment! It was getting lonely around here.
Blog ya later!

Eraser Invasion!

2010-09-24T04:34:00.000-07:00

6th grade not only brings new friends(like L, who may be reading my blog. Hi!), more homework (groan), and another year of Destination Imagination (YESSSSS! *dances around the room in sheer joy**dreams about challenge*), but certain "fads from the past". Such as eraser buddies.

Introducing our new erasers!

Zeke and Zoey Zebra. These two were created on opposite sides of a Pink Pearl eraser by me and are brother and sister. They were inspired by L's love for zebras. As you can probably tell by their last name, Zeke and Zoey love zebras, too. They wear stripey clothing, own a house called "Zebra Mansion" and teach at the Zebra School in Eraser City. Zeke and Zoey love rapping and often get arrested for singing about anchovies and disturbing the peace. (????)

Spy Bob. Spy Bob was made by L's friend K. He was drawn on the eraser at the top of a pen cap (K has an erasable pen!) and patrols the city, often arresting Zeke and Zoey for anchovy related crimes. Spy Bob owns several buildings in Eraser City, including his house, the air base, and "Area 51." He likes flying over to Badger Island (K likes honey badgers) and renting a hut for vacationing.

Tiny Tim. Tiny Tim is tiny. He was made by L out of a broken eraser from a pencil. He loves hanging out around his tiny house and visiting Badger Island's underwater aquarium. Tiny Tim has a sister named Miniscule Millie and is friends with Zeke and Zoey.

Frosty Phillip. Also created by L, Frosty Phillip doesn't live in Eraser City. He lives in an igloo in the middle of nowhere, complete with a garden of icicles and sled slopes, snowglobe rooms, and Christmas rooms! His friends have not visited yet....it's very cold up there.....

I will be updating on the chaos of middle school soon (if I can survive Keyboarding first....). So, BLOG YA LATER!

Yay...

2010-09-06T13:51:00.000-07:00

Back-to-school is to-mo-row
Guess who is so ex-ci-ted......

Get Your Ice Cold Lemonade!

2010-08-31T09:11:00.000-07:00

So here I am, getting the mail, minding my own business, when I hear a car drive by, followed by shouts of "LEMONADE! 25 CENTS A CUP!"
This can only mean one thing. I look down at the street corner of the third nearest cul-de-sac and see kids waving signs and screaming like crazy next to a table. A lemonade stand!

This was the scenario last Saturday, and I hopped on my scooter to check it out. Turns out, my friend S and some other girls were holding a stand- and after a ride around the block, there were 25 cent cookies too. Mom let me go over for a while, and after distributing origami fans all around, I was soon appointed to "patrol the streets." Translation: I was the one who yelled "CAR!" when someone drove near. I was even able to get a van from some company to pull over. I'd also tell people about our stand, too- an action that made one man buy so many cookies, we only had one left!

When there was a lack of customers, we'd run to a trampoline in the front yard, jump on it, and try to grab the nearest tree branch. It was fun- and it helped pass the time. S also told me about a remarkable feat they'd accomplished- getting the nieghborhood UPS truck to buy some lemonade. WOW!

The lemonade stand was a success! We made about $11 and hope to make some more sales soon- at the fall yard sale, perhaps? :^)

Dwarfs and DVDs, Part 2

2010-08-29T04:40:00.000-07:00

PART 2

CJ: Dad, where do I put my 125 Cousin Studios films?
Dad: We could burn a DVD.
CJ: But Dad, not all our videos are, well, DVD-worthy....
(flashback)
L: (is playing recorder)
S: (is watching Pokemon: Rise Of Darkrai)
CJ: (is videotaping the movie) Quiet, L! I'm videotaping it!
(flashback ends)
CJ: So that's why. And besides, most of our cousins would rather hang out online (coughcoughYouTubecoughcough) then watch a DVD.
Dad: They'd watch it.
CJ: I doubt it. Ooh, I know! Let's look up family sharing sites on the web!
(looks up sites)
CJ: ALL the good ones cost MONEY!?! I'm doomed! Oh, where will it put my 125 Cousin Studios films???
THE END

And if anyone would be kind enough to offer a solution with their comment, it would really help. Thank you!

Dwarfs and DVDs

2010-08-28T13:36:00.000-07:00

I'm back from our trip! From making recycled gadgets in Massachusetts to trying out the hilarious Plants Vs. Zombies game in New Jersey to playing laser tag for the first time in Ohio, I had lots to do everywhere!

And now, a Cousin Studios update......

Cousin Studios had great fun making a new series of videos called We Are The Dwarfs, starring two dwarf brothers with crazy pink and purple hair who live in the hills (and sometimes a Sweet Streets apartment). In Episode 1, the dwarfs go swimming and have a who-can-stay-underwater-the-longest contest. But later, they encounter The Monster Of The Deep Pool (who is really my cousin K). Will they escape the monster's clutches? Or will they suddenly develop super powers? Episode 2 takes place in Sweet Streets, where the dwarfs head to a hair salon after learning that they're having a bad hair day-the hard way. They meet the enthusiastically fancy hairdresser Charlene and her less then enthusiastic daughter Sammy, both intense fans of We Are The Dwarfs. But after settling into "the special chair," the brothers hear about an unsettling method of hairstyling known as "The Dunk Tank." What does it all mean?
We also made plenty of Behind The Scenes movies about dwarf styling, swinging, and pool balance games, plus a silent movie you won't see in the 1960s (think stuffed Pokemon, kids faking sleep, weird faces, unnecessary camera flipping, random talking, and laser lights jammed into something with no storyline whatsoever)! S has also been dropping some hints that as soon as he finishes his Poptropica help videos, he'll be moving on to Plants Vs. Zombies cheats.

Cousin Studios has a big problem, though. Read the following:

OH, WHERE DO I PUT MY 125 COUSIN STUDIOS FILMS?
by CJ

CJ: Hmm. I wonder how many Cousin Studios movies I have.
(counts)
CJ: Oh, gosh. I have 125!! These are going to clog up my computer- and besides, I want to share them with family. There's only one solution for this problem- YouTube!
CJ: Wait a second. What if they have age limits? Then I'd be arrested! I better check the website..
(duh duh)
(types)
(duh duh)
CJ: Safety....no. Privacy....no. Age restrictions....yes! (clicks)
(duh duh duh duh)
CJ: YouTube accounts are only allowed for kids....
(duhduhduhduhduhduhduhduh)
CJ: Ages 13 and up. Wait, did that say.....
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Mom: Why are you screaming?
CJ: YouTube is (sob) only for kids (sob) ages 13 and up! WAA!
Mom: Don't worry. Go to Tangle. It's a good social site.
CJ:(goes to Tangle): Mom, this site is for Christan videos. Ours don't really fall under that catagory.
Mom: Do too.
CJ: Do not.
Mom: Do too.
CJ: Do not.
Random Person Appointed As Narrator: Intermission!
To be continued...

In Massachusetts!

2010-08-13T06:52:00.000-07:00

The first part of our trip is over, I'm in Massachusetts! I would post more, but my cousins want to play Pokemon Moon......they're really good at computer games , especially S of Wii Little Movies fame. PLEASE VISIT HIS BLOG! Bye!!!!

BEEP BEEP BEEP

2010-08-10T12:18:00.000-07:00

We interrupt this blog and the lives of its loyal, dutiful followers for a PSA, which, BTW (by the way) stands for Public Service Announcement. OK, there were TMA (too many acronyms) in there.....

THERE ARE 2 DAYS LEFT BEFORE OUR ROAD TRIP.
YES, I SAID 2.
YES, I AM NOT JOKING.
YES, I WILL TRY TO POST.
YES, WE WILL HOPEFULLY SHOOT MOVIES.
YES, I AM STUCK IN THIS BOLD FONT.
YES, I AM SIGNING OFF NOW......

Waiting...And Waiting And Waiting And Waiting

2010-07-28T07:36:00.000-07:00

August 12.
So close, and yet so far away.
The start of our summer road trip- and my first one that covers 10 hours in one day.

WHEN? WHEN WILL THE DAY COME? EVERY DAY IS ALMOST LIKE A REPLICA OF THE DAY BEFORE! WE NEED SOMETHING NEW HERE, PEOPLE!

Every day, I cross off squares on my calender with a red inked pen. It isn't helping.
Mom and I talk about travel plans hourly. That helps, but afterward I almost hear a little voice in my head, taunting me: "15 days more, CJ! 15 days more!"

The theater camp's exhibition is this Friday. Time seems to just inch along until then.

And then, there's that Nationals game next week on Sunday. I'll have to do a lot of waiting then, even: waiting to catch the next Metro ride, waiting for the loud fireworks to end, waiting for Ryan Zimmerman to hit a homer, waiting for cheese pizza to be dished up on my plate at Carraba's, however you spell that.

And all that bounces along in my brain and mixes with our theater finale song and my Mp3 soundtracks for the trip.....

(Chicago trumpets with German music)
There's a sad sort of clanging from the clock in the hall
And I'm waiting for the break of day....
And up in the nursery an absurd little bird
Is searching for something to say... 25 or 6 to 4!

All that waiting is just too much.
However, on a lighter note, I won 2 games of Solitaire yesterday.

Death By Heat In Virginia

2010-07-26T05:23:00.000-07:00

It...is...so...hot!

Temperatures have gone to 104 degrees.
Swimming feels like pure joy.
Only a Sonic Campfire Blast can save us all!

That's your typical week this year- hot, hot, hot!

Mom heard me talking in my sleep one night. I mean, yelling in my sleep. Mom was in her room when she thought she could hear somebody (me) saying:
"It's too hot! It's...too....hot!"

Going outside would melt you to pieces- trust me, I tried! I sat under a shade spot in our swing chair, wrote a poem about hot weather (obviously), slammed into a tree, and after spending 10 minutes there, gave up!

And I can't wait for August. Note my sarcasm.

I have considered starting a yard sale with origami fans to get money to go to youth group retreats.

Caramel ice cream is in hot demand.

I'm so tired, I can barely type...these...sentences.....

Typical.

Will we survive?Tune in next week to find out! And now, yet another commercial for a GMC vehicle we don't really need......

Summer

2010-07-21T08:42:00.000-07:00

Hope you're enjoying your summer! I know I am!
Wait! That means today is my first picture post! Yeah!

8 Days A Week?!?, Part 2

2010-07-20T05:47:00.000-07:00

There are several theories behind the "8 Days A Week" mishap.
My mom, a fellow blogger, said that maybe they count Sunday again as another day of the week in England. "Or maybe they have 8 days per week over there...."
Our cousin K, creator of the Cousin Studios box office hit "Llama-O-Rama", also had a solution. "But I'm not going to tell you, you'll have to figure it out for yourself," he said. Suspense!
And then, of course, there's.....
QUINSDAY.
Duh duh duh duh.....

It all started after the earthquake in Chile. A few of our classmates claimed that on a certain TV channel that most of us "probably didn't have" announced that the earthquake shifted the Earth's rotation, which made every week have an extra day called "Quinsday." We would have an extra day off of school each week and 400 days (something like that) in every year, and they weren't lying, and if we though they were, look it up on Bing.
So I did.
And what were the search results?
Something to do with a European concert.
Duh duh duh duh...
BUSTED!!!! =)

So maybe, the Beatles were early believers of the only 3-hour day in the middle of Wednesday and Thursday. Hopefully, they weren't.

So, for now, the mystery remains unsolved....

8 Days A Week?!?

2010-07-14T05:29:00.000-07:00

My cousin J, Cousin Studios actor in Woman vs. "Wild" and commercials, rode with me on the way to the Outer Banks. The car ride was great, and I got a bag of potato chips out of it! But we listened to The Beatles for practically the whole car ride. And that's where the trouble kicks in.
Yes, Yesterday and All You Need Is Love are good songs. But The Beatles made an error in one of their songs, if you listen carefully.
I forgot the correct lyrics, but the incorrect tune goes something like this:

Hold me...
Love me....
Eight days a week!

Oh no. Stuck in font.
To be continued.....

Ketchup Time!

2010-07-09T16:08:00.000-07:00

What happened in the last few weeks...

CJ graduated! I'm going to middle school this fall. On the last few days of school, everyone celebrated with a bowling outing, a picnic with pizza, and goody bags stuffed with pencils, goodbye DVDs, gum, candy, and (sigh) advertisements from local sponsors. Then, school was finally over! Done with! Gone!
After that, I took a volleyball camp (OK, I guess) and a water camp where we got to play with sprinklers and slime and bubbles for a few hours (fun fun fun!) After that, my cousins came to go to our annual family reunion at a beach house at the Outer Banks!
We had a great time! We swam in the ocean, which was incredibly freezing for about 5 days in a row. We swam in the pool, forever playing Category and Shark. Later, we'd get in the hot tub. This year, we had color-themed days. Our family had Green Day (not the annoying, bad-word-using band). Mom made Mexican tacos! There were also a lot of games of Beano, Solitaire, Dutch Blitz, Pokemon Monopoly (with powers when you rolled doubles), and Werewolf (a slightly scary\gruesome but fun card game). Add in some "oranges" (parts to a game), a sudden rainstorm, lots of glow sticks, water balloons with smiley faces, a walk on the beach at night, volleyball, homemade board games, and our cousin L's return from a wedding in Wisconsin, and it was a memorable vacation! I'm still trying to cover everything in my sketchbook.
Cousin Studios Update: We recently started shooting our 5th film: Woman versus "Wild." Abby Sunlaw is a typical ten year old girl, but when she spends a night in her backyard, she'll face incredible challenges. Jumping off the bottom step of her front porch, fending off wild mosquitos, and finding some salt for her dinner are just some of the obstacles in her way. Can she do it? Find out-after the commercial break.
After getting home, 4 of our cousins stayed at our house, where we had more adventures. We headed to a baseball game\ fireworks show and were up until 12:00, saw Toy Story 3 (it has a shocking ending, but my lips are sealed), went to Sonic, and had feetball tournaments. I'll have to post the beginner's guide on this blog sometime around. Plus I got my Tdap shot, which didn't hurt as much as I thought it would.
And now that everybody's left- and that I've concluded this post- I'm just sitting around, folding origami dresses ( THANK YOU FOR THE AWESOME KIT GRANDMA AND GRANDPA!!!), reading, sketchbooking, writing letters, and dreaming about our upcoming ultimate 10-day road trip in August....

OOPS, I Did It Again...

2010-07-04T06:25:00.000-07:00

I FORGOT TO POST! NOOOOOO....
A big, huge long, catch-up post is coming soon!

The Bookworm

2010-06-18T04:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I was rereading one of my favorite books when I saw an inchworm crawling across the page. He raced around all over it. I had to flip the book over just to let him go. What a bookworm!

Water Country Aftermath

2010-06-12T16:18:00.000-07:00

We went to Water Country, as I said we would, and it was FUN! I really hope I can go again. My favorite rides were:
*Jet Scream, a really fun flume ride with lots of hills, twists, and turns.
* Surfer's Bay, a huge 8-foot wave pool! They turned the waves on and off every 10 minutes.
* Hubba Hubba Highway, a waterway with fun road signs and sprinkles of water everywhere. This place was cool because there was a current created by some machine that just pulled us along. No swimming required.
* The Nitro Racer. They gave us a mat to lay down on,and we pushed off into this huge racetrack filled with water with lots of hills.
We went on some other rides, too, and saw a dive\acrobatics show called Aquabatics. We rated it 4.5 out of 5 and hope to come again soon!

Water Country USA

2010-06-12T04:55:00.000-07:00

Hooray! Today Dad and I are going to Water Country USA. It's our first time going. I'll try to do a follow up post after that. Maybe with some pictures attached.

Blogging At School

2010-06-09T08:53:00.000-07:00

Guess where I am writing this- at a computer in school! Today is Field Day, and we hopped, jumped, ran, and threw our way through all the events. They are giving out Good Sportsmanship awards for people who are being good sports. I wonder if I will get one?
Right now, we're just lounging around and playing games and drawing cartoons. I have to converse with my friends, so- BLOG YA LATER!

Unforgiving Rain

2010-06-01T14:11:00.000-07:00

Rain, rain, I thought you were done-der,
But I'm wrong, because there's thunder.
Why you are mean makes me wonder!

And After Tiring You Out With Stupid Weather Updates..

2010-06-01T13:51:00.000-07:00

Mom wouldn't let me
Go out and play.
"After a rainstorm?"
"The sun just won't stay!"
So thanks a lot rain,
You are such a pain,
You ruined my day.

Another Weather Update

2010-06-01T12:58:00.000-07:00

The sunshiny shower
Didn't last half an hour.
The rain has let up.
The sun's here to stay.
Now I've got to go
So I can play.

Oh Great, Sun AND Rain

2010-06-01T12:51:00.000-07:00

Well, as they always say....
"A sunshiny shower
Won't last half an hour."

oh no! stuck in font....

Too many weather posts. Will wait a while...

Good Weather!

2010-06-01T12:50:00.001-07:00

Rain, rain, I guess you weren't here to stay
Now don't move back so I can play

Bad Weather?

2010-06-01T12:45:00.000-07:00

(Read Post no.1 first.)

Rain, rain, quit playing pranks
The sun might be out but we won't give our thanks....yet

Bad Weather

2010-06-01T12:40:00.000-07:00

Rain, rain, go away
Come again another day
CJ and friends want to play
The skies were so nice on Memorial Day
How can you betray us this way?

Video Crazy!

2010-05-31T06:34:00.000-07:00

Oh yeah, did I mention that another wonderful part of summer is pulling out a camera and shooting random videos of your yard at 7:30 pm?

Ever since I found my camera in a back corner of my closet with dead batteries, I've been shooting videos of unusual topics, including me chasing my sister, upside down places (created by flipping my camera upside down), and other things. After charging the batteries, that is. And yesterday, my neighbor and I shot 40-something wacky ones involving us playing sports, jumping off swings, and running. Boy, were there a lot of ones 0f us running! I would post one, but I can't for privacy reasons. S0 here's a different one I took on vacation while we drive past "South of The Boarder" on the way to Georgia...

(aka The Tackiest Landmark Of The South...)
Blog ya later!

Relaxed Days

2010-05-30T05:42:00.000-07:00

Gotta enjoy these days while they last! Lounging in the hammock, reading, listening to Nationals games, homemade strawberry ice cream...

Memorial Day

2010-05-28T16:04:00.000-07:00

Today is the start of our Memorial Day weekend! Congrats to the Army, Navy, etc!

Busy

2010-04-18T06:05:00.000-07:00

I haven't been posting because I've been busy going to Tybee ( see Mom's blog) and playing Amazing Grace on the recorder, but also because I'm making a new blog! Hint 1: It has to do with the states.

Blogging Vacation

2010-04-02T06:28:00.000-07:00

I've been on a little vacation recently. That's because we're going somewhere special for spring break!
Stay tuned.....

Well...

2010-03-16T13:47:00.000-07:00

ECHO... ECHO.. ANYONE OUT THERE?

Avereges And Such

2010-03-14T13:59:00.000-07:00

I just calculated the average of comments on my blog:

2.294867blahblahblahiforgottherest.........................
In other words, 2.

Interesting.

Hmm. How do I GET OUT OF THIS FONT?

And the only reason why I did that was trivia.

Try it on your blog!

Instructions:
1. Take the amount of comments for every post you've ever done. Add them together.
2. Divide by the number of posts.

Have fun!

Uh oh, my font's not working..........

DI News:

2010-03-14T06:23:00.000-07:00

WE WON!
WE'RE GOING TO STATES!
At first, we thought we lost after they finished calling the winners for our problem. But then they announced, "And now, the winners for Group B." GROUP B?!? We didn't know if we were in that group or not. But then they called us for 1ST PLACE! How exciting!
The school we went to this time was called Hermitage High. It was a nice little school that I could navigate very easily. There were also some cool pieces of student art, especially in our areas. Dad got the entire thing on video. I'll only have to see if I can post that...
BLOG YA LATER!

Really Cool Video Update

2010-03-06T15:33:00.000-08:00

The link might not have worked.
Let me know if it doesn't.
If not, go to Youtube, look up OK Go New Video, and click on the link that says OK Go- This too shall pass- Rube Goldberg edition.
SO COOL!

Really Cool Video!

2010-03-06T15:26:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qybUFnY7Y8w

Click on the link above for a cool, crazy video involving physics and creativity!
Unless you saw it already... Won't be surprised if you have.... Mom did!

So What's DI, Anyway?

2010-02-25T04:04:00.000-08:00

DI is an after school program I do that is very similar to OM (Odyssey of the Mind). In fact, according to web sources, the two evolved out of one big Odyssey of the Mind program!
DI stands for Destination Imagination. You are given a scientific, mathematical, or theater related problem you must solve with a few twists. For example, last year our skit about superstitions had to include a two- person costume. Working together with a team in your age group and coaches, you figure out the solution. You get a lot of time, it lasts from October to March.
Later in March, you present the solution to the problem at a school somewhere in VA. There will be judges there who score how well you solved it. After going to Spontaneous, where you get scored on solving an improv-related problem, there will be an award ceremony. The winners move to the next stage on competition!

Even though it's not tournament time yet, I know most of this from OM last year. We made it all the way to State Finals but didn't go to World Finals. (I know! They actually have World Finals, where there are teams from other countries!) I don't know how far they go in DI, though...

Sorry for the confusing post.

BLOG YA LATER!

Why Haven't I Been Blogging...... Long Story

2010-02-16T04:06:00.000-08:00

FRIDAY: Yay! A weekend of kicking back and watching the Olympics. Dad and I went to McDonalds.
SATURDAY: Watched the Opening Ceremonies, which we had Tivoed . Sat on the couch for the whole day watching some cool sports.
SUNDAY: Valentine's Day! We ate heart shaped pizza and watched even MORE Olympics. I ended up doing my laundry while watching Nordic Combined.
MONDAY: Had that ever- creative after-school program, DI.

There!

Belated Movies

2010-02-09T05:27:00.000-08:00

Cousin Studios, on a recent (December) trip to New Jersey, did A LOT of filming. We shot 4 advertisements, 4 Behind The Scenes, 8 bloopers, 23 videos, and 1 feature film: Animals Got Talent! A take on the other popular game show, 7 Littlest Pet Shop animals from around the world compete for fame, glory, and a trophy that's bigger than them! Starring the Abominable Snowman as a judge, this video has lots of commercials and is 37 minutes long- the longest flick we've made yet! Hilarious!
P.S. This is cute: One of the young cousins voiced all the animals, and they all sang about their gender or species!

This Blog is Experiencing Technical Problems...

2010-02-05T10:25:00.000-08:00

Will....Post....Later......Must.......Play.........In.........Snow.....

The Long Awaited Answer.....

2010-01-27T04:04:00.000-08:00

A ton.

Pretty tricky, isn't it?

A Riddle

2010-01-18T09:24:00.000-08:00

Forwards I'm heavy,
Backwards I'm not.
What am I?

I'm Bored

2010-01-08T05:25:00.000-08:00

Amount Of Snow On The Ground:

Less than an inch

School Delay:

2 hours

Yawn........

Avacados ARE Neglected

2010-01-07T12:59:00.000-08:00

There has been a movement going around in class about avocados. Everybody suddenly thinks they are neglected- because, they are always mistaken for disgusting vegetables when they are really wonderful fruits, as my friend Soso said in her lunchtime speech. There are buttons being exchanged, posters, and even a deal stating that if you pay 99 cents a month to help avocados, you will win a T-shirt. The money will be used to "buy one of these wonderful fruits and treat it with the dignity and honor it deserves," another Soso quote. Kooky as it seems, I think I've been convinced. So stand up fellow bloggers, avocados ARE neglected!

Catch Up (Or Ketchup)

2010-01-02T13:17:00.000-08:00

I (if I counted right) have not posted in 9 DAYS! Wow, that's a new record. So, let's play catch up.

Christmas! Our family celebrated both meanings of Christmas. We got- and gave- some cool creative gifts. My favorites? The computer monitor, lettering book, Razor scooter, and all those creative things. Then we packed up and went to NEW JERSEY! I know I said that post would often appear in 3 days, but I was so busy having fun with L, S,M, our youngest cousin H, and our grandparents to post. We shot lots of videos, played Michigan Rummy (AWESOME card game), played Wii, tried some new computer games, and made up some pretty wacky songs.
Here's a poem I made up about my cousin L winning during Michigan Rummy (look it up on Google if you don't understand this poem).

Speechless
I'm speechless, nothing to say
Not going to lay a card today
L rules with her perfect deck
Keeps her poker chips in check
Gleaming stacks of red and white
My coin vanished from the right
At least the little millionaire
Always has a chip to spare.

And do not forget to look up Michigan Rummy!
Also, this is my first post in 2010! WOOOOO!
I didn't stay up till 12 like last year, instead I tried ten.

BLOG YA LATER!

We Wish You A Merry Christmas.....

2009-12-24T09:51:00.000-08:00

We wish you a merry Christmas,
We wish you a merry Christmas,
We wish you a merry Christmas,
And a happy New Year!

The trip to NJ
Will often appear
On my blog in the next four days
To give bloggers great cheer!

Now give me a lot of comments,
Now give me a lot of comments,
Now give me a lot of comments,
And write them right now!

I won't stop until I get some,
I won't stop until I get some,
I won't stop until I get some......

"CJ!!!!!!!!"

"I'm coming!"

(Let's just say we're a little behind on our cookies...)

A Day In The Artic Tundra

2009-12-20T13:23:00.000-08:00

The animal tracks in the neighbors' yards looks like a caravan of squirrels were doing a happy dance in the newly fallen snow last night. They are right next to holly trees bending over to make hideaways, my tracks from sledding this morning, and suspicious looking lumps in the fields of white. Logs? Rocks? I don't know and I won't know until I come back later this afternoon. All these snowy landmarks are whooshing by- my secret fort, the partially frozen swampland, another lump or two. It will take forever just to get my sled up the hill.
There's my friend going sledding with his dad. Sometimes I wish I had a plastic sled like his, it would be so easier to carry. Soon it's good-bye to him as well and he joins the others on my mental map of things I've seen. My boots are filled to the brim with ice that couldn't have possibly gotten there. How many lumps to the driveway? How many? HOW MANY?
I pass another friend's house. They're going away for winter break, and I wish they were here. I remember how we hiked in the woods together during the big snow in March and discovered a hidden world filled with endless hiding places and snow-covered trees. When are they coming home, anyways? This joins the sea of unanswered questions in my mind, which turns into a tsunami. Suddenly my little map of the Island of Landmarks is flooded.
But then one image floats onto my island: the driveway. And I'm there! And I'm home! And-I'm alive.
Now, how to get those frozen boots off.....

98.1 Headlines

2009-12-19T04:35:00.000-08:00

Blah, Blah, economy,Blah, Blah
Blah, Blah, swine flu,Blah, Blah
Blah, Blah, Ukrops has been sold,Blah, Blah

OH WAIT- That's not Blah Blah news about Ukrops!

Waaaaaaaahhh!

COMMERCIAL BREAK
Kmart.......
Target......
Kroger.....
Support the troops.....
Jewelry....
Win a cruise.....

MUSIC BREAK

Jingle Bells
Jingle Bells
Jingle all the way......
(we know the rest)

Back to the news......

Oh yeah, just to inform you that VIRGINIA where it almost never snows is getting a 100% chance of snow, and then it might snow 12-16 inches tomorrow in the evening and maybe a little bit on Christmas Eve too.....

WAHOOOOOOOOOO!

Christmas Time

2009-12-14T14:00:00.000-08:00

Break in a few more weeks
Reddened and rosy cheeks
Kitchen with smells so good
Christmas trees made of wood
Nativity up high
So my sister won't spy
Closets packed head to toe
With secrets I don't know
Chestnuts upon a fire
Songs from the local choir
Favorite books in a bin
Visiting all our kin
Candy canes please a crowd
Santa's truck is so loud
Homemade gifts stowed away
Until it's Christmas Day
Decor lights up a bush
Stars sail by with a hush
Hauling out winter gear
2010 is here!

Time Flies.....

2009-11-30T15:37:00.000-08:00

it was
a hot November afternoon
my neighbors and i were hiking by the creek
i was being tour guide
showing the landmarks
of the woods
that one of them had never seen before
because it wasn't in his yard.

then
we heard a cry
from somewhere else around the bend
yelling
"h2o!"

it was the boy
who hid among the various trees
letting his anger
sizzle away.

we kept hiking
and figured out why he had
yelled his cry. there was
a new river
that we had never seen before
curling toward the trees
and branching away.

and he was stuck on the other side.

so we built a bridge
with a huge big stick
and just as he was about to walk across
my mom called my name.

my mom didn't know where i was
but she knew i was in the woods
but that wasn't enough.

i raced home
dragging my pants in the mud on the way
and bogging my shoes down
and rescuing them later
while running by the huge tree
then to the log pile
then to the driveway
then up to my own back porch.

my mom let my shoes sit outside
and threw my clothes in the wash
just like she did when we had that water fight.
and when i showed her the map i drew
of the new terrain
she thought it was quite amazing
but thought we weren't on the boundary line
like when we discovered what the environmentally protected area is.

and to think it happened
at least
two weeks ago.

CJ's Highly Unusual Thanksgiving

2009-11-27T05:30:00.000-08:00

MORNING
1.Eat breakfast
2.Brush teeth
3. Get dressed
4. Watch the parade! Lots of cool floats and bands and a new Santa float this year!
5.Eat lunch
AFTERNOON
1. Watch football
2.Walk around the block
3.Watch some more football
4. Play with my sister
5.Shower
6.Change
NIGHT
1. Eat the annual Crazy J Dinner, which includes bacon, berries, bagels, spaghetti, green beans, sweet potato somethings, bread, and pork.
2. Do the annual "What we are thankful for" round around the table.
3.CHOCOLATE PIE!
4. Watch Electric Company
5.Brush teeth, change
6.Play in my fort
7. Watch Iron Chef America
8. Bedtime!

I Have

2009-11-25T11:15:00.000-08:00

I have
I have
I
h
a
v
e
have
writer's block
it's not a block of writers

writerswriterswriters
writerswriterswriters
writerswriterswriters

it's an awful
d
i
s
e
a
s
e
that turns interesting things
into

boring dumb stuff

it is a monster that
LOVES
turning
wonderful writers
into one of it's kind
stamping with fury
because
they
ran
out
of
good
things
to
write.

A Broken Down Computer

2009-11-17T03:56:00.000-08:00

My computer is typically nice and sweet. But recently, it won't let me send any emails to people! And a few days later, I typed in a post, saved it, pulled it up later, published it, and this is what happened:
20%20202020
Yes, my annoying computer broke down AGAIN! Time to call in our household mechanic (a.k.a. Dad). I am actually typing this post on my sister's computer. I'll try to get the real deal up as soon as I can!

Itch, Scratch, Itch

2009-11-16T12:27:00.000-08:00

I%20am%20suddenly%20getting%20stressed%20whenever%20I%20go%20on%20the%20computer.%20First%20it%20happened%20when%20I%20was%20typing%20my%20report%2C%20now%20it's%20happening%20as%20I%20try%20to%20think%20of%20something%20to%20type!%20I%20feel%20itchy%2C%20scratchy%2C%20itchy%2C%20and%20very%20sweaty.%20I%20think%20I%20better%20stop%20blogging%20and%20go%20outside%20and%20play%20sports%20with%20my%20neighbors%20or%20hike%20in%20the%20woods%20or%20find%20a%20river%20or%20make%20a%20map%20or%20make%20Christmas%20gifts%20or%20read%20a%20book%20or%20fold%20an%20airplane%20or%20shoot%20a%20movie%20or%20use%20the%20bathroom%20or%20STOPPPPPPPPPPPP!%0ABlog%20Ya%20Later!%Pr

The Rocky Tower

2009-11-10T13:19:00.000-08:00

Today at recess, my friends Soso, S, and I went over to the far corner of the playground by the woods when we got a surprise. Somebody had been there before us, and they had raised all the playground rocks in the area to make a giant raised platform! It looked exactly like a tower! We kept looking around, and we saw 2 more in the area. Before sitting down, I dug pathways from one island to the next, and S made footbridges to connect the island towers. Then we all sat down to watch the football game. I spy something to FINALLY do at recess!

Quick Poll

2009-11-08T06:43:00.000-08:00

QUESTION: How many Thanksgiving advertisements have you seen so far?
How many Christmas advertisements?
I've seen about 5 Christmas and 0 Thanksgiving.
Post your answer on the comments page!

The reason that I'm asking this is that I'm surprised that none of those giant stores are talking about their big Thanksgiving sale.
And speaking of ads, here's a Cousin Studios one about a school called Kentucky University.

The Fads Return

2009-11-06T04:01:00.000-08:00

Ah, 5th grade is here and everybody is trying to make the most of it with some FADS! Here are some of the clubs, media, fake products, etc. so far...

1. Paper Punch World. Paper Punch World was a land of notebook paper folded shops, where paper punched people, animals, and food lived. There were tourist signs that decked our desks, encouraging kids classwide to be creative!
2. Eraser Hotels. It has become a very popular trend in Mrs. C's class for kids to organize their desks and decorate them with beads, posters, bottle caps, and paper accessories so they look like hotels. And on Fridays, if your erasers are taking up space in your desk, you can send them to these hotels for a weekend stay and they'll get returned on Monday!
3. Magical Llama Beans. This product was fake, but it raised a lot of attention! Two girls made up a fake product that turned you into a llama, and before long, the class went crazy! A few kids made up their own products, like Taco Balls and Magic Fries.
4. The Secret Spy Society. My friends Soso, J, and I made a club that took place at the top of the playground slide, where we watched the happenings of recess. If there was too much gossip or a dodge ball fight, the Secret Spies would investigate!
5. The Playground Olympics. During the last week of September, lots of kids got together to sign up for unique, crazy, invented sports contests. If you didn't want to play sports, you could always broadcast the game!
6. The Home Run Derby. We have invented a new sport. It's kind of like a home run derby. L and C shag balls, E and S pitch, S also catches, and I keep score!
7. The C Chronicle. Our class started a student- run class newspaper. Anyone can drop an article in the box hanging from my desk as long as it's appropriate. So far we have an advice column, games, sports, class news, comics, Soso's Local column, and just plain stories! I can't wait for it to come out!
So anyways,
(in newspaper font...)
Blog Ya Later!

Dusty Jorunals

2009-10-31T04:17:00.000-07:00

For our contest, the winner who got the closest to the actual answer was.... Chatty Kelly!
Here were the actual answers....
Green House: Nobody! Just the plants.
White House: The President!

And now, back to the post.

Help! I can't get out of this font! I guess I'll have to type the rest of the post in it!
Unless I can think of something while in the bathroom.
One second, please...
...
OK. I'm done using the toilet. I didn't come up with any ideas of how to get this font off except to click the button over and over.
1.Didn't work.
2. Didn't work.

3. Sorry, more technical difficulties! It didn't work.

So let's just continue.....

Despite my computer's craziness...

I haven't been blogging lately because I have the dreaded Writer's Block. Even the stuff that might be interesting to you suddenly isn't to me! Here's what suddenly became boring before I blogged (Aak! Too many B's!):
1. I've been doing a report on sea stars.
2.I'm entering a poster about drug and alcohol abuse into our school contest.
3. Our class is having a contest to see who can think of the most baby names.
4. E and N beat S and L in our fake World Series baseball tournament at recess.
5. I just turned our Cousin Studios videos into 8 and 9 minute movies on Imovie.
6. Our entire trip to Maryland just got stuck in my sketchbook.
7. Everything else!
Darn, now I have to go downstairs and eat. Please be patient......
...
I'm back from breakfast.
So anyways, today I knew the only way I was going to be able to post today was if I copied something from one of the dusty journals in my closet. Mom says I have more than a college graduate! I thought I'd share a poem with you from my 3rd grade journal called Wind's Blow.

Wind's Blow
The wind blows when the
clothes are wet. It blows
the leaves of trees off
and sometimes branches.We
have to hold onProxy-Connection: keep-alive
Cache-Control: max-age=0

o
our hats.
Sometimes the wind is
angry and it's a
tornado! The trees fall
down and houses rip
apart. The plants and animals
are scared until the
storm's over.
The kids are wearing jackets
and the air is getting
chilly. The forecast
says it's going to rain
down
down
down
all because
of the
wind.

Well, that post was more than I expected.....

Contest!

2009-10-27T03:51:00.000-07:00

I am posting a riddle on my blog.
Post whatever you think the answer is on the comments page.
The winner will get a mystery prize!
Q: There are 7 houses on a street. They are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple,and white. Mr.Red lives in the red house. Mr.Orange lives in the orange house. Mr.Yellow lives in the yellow house. Mr.Blue lives in the blue house. Mr. Purple lives in the purple house. Who lives in the green house? Who lives in the green house?
Good Luck!
Blog Ya Later!

Extreme Makeover: Desk Edition

2009-10-26T03:53:00.000-07:00

My friends and I enjoy building "Eraser Lands" at school. We take our erasers, draw faces on them, and build a world for them in our desks out of bottle caps, desk tools, and paper accessories, including paper punch pets and food. But sometimes, it gets our desks just a tad bit messy! Recently, though, I looked in a friend's desk and noticed her awesome world but messy desk. But we've changed that!We put all her school supplies on one side so she has a giant area for her to build her world in. She now has a hotel with a TV\Laptop area, little cafe, and sleeping zone with a chandelier made out of a paper clip and beads! You can even give her erasers at the end of the day for an "overnight" and then she'll return them!Someone else is getting a rock and roll arena in their desk next. I can't wait to get started!
Now I will put the first photo ever on my blog, of some past erasers.....
...
Updated: The photos cannot download on my computer. ARGH! Sigh...

Well, anyways,
BLOG YA LATER!

Movie Madness!

2009-10-22T04:04:00.000-07:00

Here is one of the videos we shot at the W house. This one's called Zip line International!
(S is working the controls, I'm holding the camera and narrating.)