Frozen Pond

This poem is a translated version of a famous German poem.
A big pond has frozen over;
The little frogs are lost in the depths,
No more will they croak or jump,
They promise themselves, half dreaming:
That they will find room up there in the open,
And they want to sing like nightingales.
The warm-wind has come, and the ice has melted,
Now they row (swim) and  land (on the pond side) with pride
And they sit on the banks nice and bright
And the croak like before the pond had frozen.

If you want to read the original poem here it is:
Ein großer Teich war zugefroren;
Die Fröschlein, in der Tiefe verloren,
Durften nicht ferner quaken noch springen,
Versprachen sich aber, im halben Traum:
Fänden sie nur da oben Raum,
Wie Nachtigallen wollten sie singen.
Der Tauwind kam, das Eis zerschmolz,
Nun ruderten sie und landeten stolz
Und saßen am Ufer weit und breit
Und quakten wie vor alter Zeit.

Completed Wonder Literary Essay

Auggie is constantly being judged and discriminated my his physical challenge. An important idea is the support he gets from his friends and overcoming obstacles in life. In "Wonder" by RJ Palacio, Auggie keeps asking himself the question, "How will I get through school?" I can't imagine what it is like to be Auggie! But, this story is all about that challenge Auggie has to face. Overcoming challenges to grow.

Throughout the story, Auggie faces many obstacles in school. He is like a captive zebra, in a herd of wild horses. Like the zebra, he was babied, and different, but still heading in the same direction and with the same roots. At first Auggie struggled to accommodate to his new life. I guess he just didn't know what to expect! For example, on page 37 in the second paragraph the Palacio writes, "I still kept my head way down… no one sat down next to me." This excerpt shows that Auggie didn't know how to handle getting through his normal school day, yet. And what made it even worse was that no one would sit next to him! Can you even comprehend how that mast have been for Auggie?

Also in the story, Auggie gets constant support from his few friends and family. He is like a newborn eagle stranded in his nest. Like the eagle, Auggie doesn't know how to metaphorically "fly", he is stuck in his own world, and overcomes his own difficulties. For example, on page 267 the first and second paragraph the author writes, "Yo, dude… and we started walking over to Amos." This shows that people do really care about Auggie, because in this excerpt the most unlikely people- Henry, Miles and Amos- come and help out Auggie when the other kids were bullying him. But Henry, Miles and Amos also bullied him at one point. Why did they help him? Because they cared. They used their strong "wings" to help him fly. That proves that Auggie gets support from his friends.

By the end of the story Auggie has gotten through school. Not only has he overcome challenges but he has met them head on. These challenges are other kids and classmates, and he has become great friends with them. For example: on page 307-308, Palacio writes, "And the next thing I knew… everyone wanted to get close to me." This shows that all of the people in his class and school have disregarded his differences and know become great friends. Because it is not enough to be friendly, you have to be a friend. Even the"popular" kids came over to him, they wanted Auggie to be in their memories of picture. Like Augie says in the excerpt, "… Everyone wanted to get close to me."

This essay has proven, that overcoming challenges makes you grow. And indeed Auggie has grown. No more will he fret a school of kids discriminating him. He made it through school! If Auggie decided to continue being homeschooled do you think he would have grown so much? This connects to the real world because we all have to overcome challenges, but sometimes we will need some support doing so. For example when we go out on on our own in the world (past college) we will run into problems with running our lives. Most of the time those challenges will prepare us for the next one, failure leads to success. But sometimes friends and family will have to help us. So, overcoming challenges to grow.

Feeding Cleo

I slowly unzipped the icky plastic bag. In the bag were 30 lively, desperate, fast crickets. Crickets that were 2 centimeters long! That is big for a cricket! I hate Cleo's "friends" (the crickets). I gingerly reached into the bag and grabbed a cricket. I was fishing around and occasionally touching a loose limb or two. But, I just couldn't get a hold of a cricket. Then I had no idea what was accruing then: I watched in horror as a brown little body was wriggling out of my bag. "Dad, the cricket!" I yelped. He clenched his fists around it but it escaped. Then I quickly reacted and smacked my hand down on the cricket. "What do I do!? What do I do!?" I was screaming now. I definitely did not want a cricket loose in our house! "Squish it. Come on squish it!" My dad yelled. My mind was racing all thoughts were coming through at once! The poor cricket. It will get all over my hands! Would I be a cricket killer? Oh, why this! "I don't-" SMACK! I looked up just in time to see my dad raise his hand. Ahhhh! I crushed a cricket. I squealed in disgust when I saw my hand! At least the cricket didn't get loose in our hand.

AHW (Literary Essay - Wonder)

Auggie is constantly being judged and discriminated my his physical challenge. An important idea is the support he gets from his friends and overcoming obstacles in life. In "Wonder" by RJ Palacio, Auggie keeps asking himself the question, "How will I get through school?" I can't imagine what it is like to be Auggie! But, this story is all about that challenge Auggie has to face. Overcoming challenges to grow.

Throughout the story, Auggie faces many obstacles in school. He is like a captive zebra, in a herd of wild horses. Like the zebra, he was babied, and different, but still heading in the same direction and with the same roots. At first Auggie struggled to accommodate to his new life. I guess he just didn't know what to expect! For example, on page 37 in the second paragraph the Palacio writes, "I still kept my head way down… no one sat down next to me." This excerpt shows that Auggie didn't know how to handle getting through his normal school day, yet. And what made it even worse was that no one would sit next to him! Can you even comprehend how that mast have been for Auggie?

Also in the story, Auggie gets constant support from his few friends and family. He is like a newborn eagle stranded in his nest. Like the eagle, Auggie doesn't know how to metaphorically "fly", he is stuck in his own world, and overcomes his own difficulties. For example, on page 267 the first and second paragraph the author writes, "Yo, dude… and we started walking over to Amos." This shows that people do really care about Auggie, because in this excerpt the most unlikely people- Henry, Miles and Amos- come and help out Auggie when the other kids were bullying him. But Henry, Miles and Amos also bullied him at one point. Why did they help him? Because they cared. They used their strong "wings" to help him fly. That proves that Auggie gets support from his friends.

By the end of the story Auggie has gotten through school. Not only has he overcome challenges but he has met them head on. These challenges are other kids and classmates, and he has become great friends with them. For example: on page 307-308, Palacio writes, "And the next thing I knew… everyone wanted to get close to me." This shows that all of the people in his class and school have disregarded his differences and know become great friends. Because it is not enough to be friendly, you have to be a friend. Even the"popular" kids came over to him, they wanted Auggie to be in their memories of picture. Like Augie says in the excerpt, "… Everyone wanted to get close to me."

This essay has proven, that overcoming challenges makes you grow. And indeed Auggie has grown. No more will he fret a school of kids discriminating him. He made it through school! If Auggie decided to continue being homeschooled do you think he would have grown so much? This connects to the real world because we all have to overcome challenges, but sometimes we will need some support doing so. For example when we go out on on our own in the world (past college) we will run into problems with running our lives. Most of the time those challenges will prepare us for the next one, failure leads to success. But sometimes friends and family will have to help us. So, overcoming challenges to grow.

Literary Essay - Wonder 2

Auggie is constantly being judged and discriminated my his physical challenge. An important idea is the support he gets from his friends and overcoming obstacles in life. In "Wonder" by RJ Palacio, Auggie keeps asking himself the question, "How will I get through school?" I can't imagine what it is like to be Auggie! But, this story is all about that challenge Auggie has to face. Overcoming challenges to grow.

Throughout the story, Auggie faces many obstacles in school. He is like a captive zebra, in a herd of wild horses. Like the zebra, he was babied, and different, but still heading in the same direction and with the same roots. At first Auggie struggled to accommodate to his new life. I guess he just didn't know what to expect! For example, on page 37 in the second paragraph the Palacio writes, "I still kept my head way down… no one sat down next to me." This excerpt shows that Auggie didn't know how to handle getting through his normal school day, yet. And what made it even worse was that no one would sit next to him! Can you even comprehend how that mast have been for Auggie?

Also in the story, Auggie gets constant support from his few friends and family. He is like a newborn eagle stranded in his nest. Like the eagle, Auggie doesn't know how to metaphorically "fly", he is stuck in his own world, and overcomes his own difficulties. For example, on page 267 the first and second paragraph the author writes, "Yo, dude… and we started walking over to Amos." This shows that people do really care about Auggie, because in this excerpt the most unlikely people- Henry, Miles and Amos- come and help out Auggie when the other kids were bullying him. But Henry, Miles and Amos also bullied him at one point. Why did they help him? Because they cared. They used their strong "wings" to help him fly. That proves that Auggie gets support from his friends.

By the end of the story Auggie has gotten through school. Not only has he overcome challenges but he has met them head on. These challenges are other kids and classmates, and he has become great friends with them. For example: on page 307-308, Palacio writes, "And the next thing I knew… everyone wanted to get close to me." This shows that all of the people in his class and school have disregarded his differences and know become great friends. Because it is not enough to be friendly, you have to be a friend. Even the"popular" kids came over to him, they wanted Auggie to be in their memories of picture. Like Augie says in the excerpt, "… Everyone wanted to get close to me."

Cleopatra the Spider

Guess what!? I just got my new pet tarantula yesterday! As some of you know I have been wanting this creepy-crawling cutie for months now. And as a birthday present, I finally got her. Anyway my tarantula in very docile, and I think adorable. She is a Chilean Rose Hair, which is one of the most friendly types. I decided to name her Cleopatra, or just Cleo. I named her that because I have a fancy for Greek and Egyptian mythology and queens.
Here she is:

Here I am holding Cleo.

Grammar 1/9/15

3b. Frying his body all day, / Jacob Johnson / got a horrible sunburn by afternoon / because the cheep suntan lotion from his brother / became a thin liquid / and dripped into the sand.

4a. All kinds of vegetables, / from celery to fresh tomatoes, / were laughing or dancing or playing / in the salad bowl, / and the salad dressing / that had been as quiet and unnoticed as the bowl itself / suddenly giggled with glee.