A Whole Lot of Crazy Quotes

It's that time again...I have a full page of cute kids' quotes hanging on my fridge and would like to share them with you. Rus is entering a more thoughtful stage and is coming out with less funny quotes than before; however, I still find myself jotting down some of his 5 year old expressions of sweetness...

About his new, baby sister (Filia), Rus observed, "She is almost as pretty as Stella." On another occasion, he exclaimed, "She is as beautiful as a helicopter!"

"Sissy is a beautiful roommate."

"I know why Filia can't talk. It's because she doesn't have any teeth!"

"Filia is my little friend. She is my little peanut!"

"Don't tell Filia about Santa Claus because it will make her sad and hurt her feelings."

"Grandma, I wasn't happy when I was born because Daddy was still in high school (he meant college), and only Mom was a grownup and had to work for us."

"My brother has a kiddish name, but Mom has a womanish name."

"Uh-huh is just the old fashioned way to say 'yes.'"

"Mom, your dinner is like a party in my mouth."

Rus is growing in his understanding of basic theology. I love hearing his sweet insights during our Bible times. We enjoy reciting the Children's Catechism together, and I'm encouraged by how well he applies these truths to every day life; however, he still gets a bit muddled at times.

For instance, he stated quite dogmatically, "The Bible said that children must worship their parents."

When we were discussing the 10 Commandments, I asked Rus if there was anyone/anything he might be tempted to love and worship more than God, and he answered without hesitation, "Baby Filia."

When we talked about what it means to not commit adultery, Rus said, "When I'm Dad's age, I'm going to marry "R" (his sweet friend from Kindergarten) because I can't stop loving her! I wonder why I can't stop loving her? She's the one I've chosen to be my wife because she is very patient and quiet during class time." He also said, "I would NEVER break my promise to "R." She is my best friend, and I love her!"

"Mom, I want to go to Disney World to refresh my memory of when I was a baby."

"On some insects there's a distinction with legs and feelers."

Referring to a special outing when we bought T-ball stuff, Rus said, "Mom, I had a nice time with you today. Maybe I'll never forget that time." :)


Tert is becoming our resident comedian - a perpetual source of laughter for his parents and siblings.

Whenever Tert notices that I am tired or becoming discouraged, he immediately starts imitating his daddy's tone of voice. For instance, if I say that I sure could use a nap, he'll say, "Well, then get some rest, Sweetie!"

On another occasion... "You didn't wash my blanket?! Well, then WASH it, Sweetie!"

The other day, I was relishing a few uninterrupted moments to get ready in the bathroom. Tert, my only son who is NOT potty trained, began to bang loudly on the door, calling, "Can you speed it up?!"

Tert, who has informed us that he wants to be a trumpet when he grows up, has been known to blast out some shocking statements...

He particularly struggles with the forbidden phrase "shut up," and will craftily weave it into every day conversation. Then he'll remind himself, "I NOT need say "shut up." Occasionally, he'll settle with a "SHUT DOWN!"

From the potty chair..."Hey, Sissy...Are you thinking what I'm thinking? ...SHUCK (shut) UP!"

"This fridge is SELFISH! I can't find my drink!"

"You're distracting my feelings!!"

"Quiet, Leo!! No more eruptions!!!"

After his baby sister's immunization, he announced, "I need tell Daddy that the nurses did SHOOT our baby!"

"Daddy, I broke your cup. It was your AWESOME cup."

"My sicky (sippy) cup SUCKS!" (referring to the air escaping from the nozzle on his sippy cup)

"Hey, Daddy! Come look at Mommy's big bum!"

"Mama, I want to whistle (whisper) something in your ear."

"I'm sorry to bover (bother) you, Mama, but may I shoot Lydia?" (with a Nerf dart, of course)

"I love you cross my heart!"

About Article Below...

Hi! This is Stella and I just wanted to let you know that the article that you see below is another article that I submitted to my class newsletter...
ENJOY!!

Spelling Bee Champs

This was an exciting year for Stella and Leo. They both won their individual spelling bees at our homeschool Co-Op, and Stella went on to compete at the regional level today. The words were much harder this year than last. Her first word was oolong, and nearly half of the kids were eliminated during the first round! She made it to round three and ended up coming in 8th place out of 28 kids. Needless to say, I'm very proud of her diligence.

Pluto Debate (Mater)

The kids are studying Apologia Astronomy this year. We recently learned about the ongoing debate over whether or not Pluto should be considered a planet. I assigned each of my older kids a point of view which they had to defend in an organized debate. I think that they had fun in spite of themselves. :) Stella and Leo presented their positions to their younger siblings and parents last night and did an excellent job...

Pluto Debate (Leo)

As there have been debates, complaints, and arguments as to Pluto's Planet hood, among even the most brilliant of scientists, I have decided to conclude, along with many other scientists, that Pluto is not a planet.
The first complaint I have against Pluto being a planet is against its size. Any object of this size orbiting the sun can hardly be considered a planet. Many moons in our solar system are much bigger than Pluto. These moons include Earth's moon, Io, Europa, Ganymede, Callisto, Titan and Triton.
My second point involves the complaint against Pluto's highly elliptical orbit. Pluto's orbit is the most highly elliptical of all the other planets. It also is the only planet that intersects with another planet's orbit. In this case it changes places as the ninth planet with Neptune. Pluto is the only planet that has a diagonal orbit instead of the ''flat plain'' orbits the other planets possess. Many comets possess this "diagonal" orbit as well; therefore, if Pluto were a comet, this would be natural.
My fourth point is that Pluto is a misfit. The planets beyond the asteroid belt are all Gas Giants. If Pluto were a planet, the drastic change of weather between Neptune and Pluto should be taken into account. Another road block as to Pluto being a planet is that Pluto's moon's size. most planets are minute compared to the planets they orbit. Charon. Pluto's moon, could be a double-planet system with Pluto.
My fifth point is that Pluto looks much like a comet. A comet is a space object with ice and debris mixed in. These features describe Pluto. Pluto is also the only planet that does not have a hot inner core, and, though many objects in the Kuiper Belt are smaller than Pluto, there still remains one space object that is larger than Pluto.
Based on the facts that I have gathered about Pluto's size, Pluto's off center and inclining orbit, Charon, Pluto's moon's size, and the reasons for Pluto's looking like a comet, there is evidence to cause someone to believe that Pluto is a space object.

Pluto Debate *Stella*

Many people think that Pluto shouldn't be a planet. I think that it is only fair to bring into the light the facts, and examine them for ourselves. Many people are doing this, and it is resulting in one big debate. I have decided to go on the side of those who believe that Pluto should be a planet. I will now present my points.
Size-
Many people think Pluto shouldn't be a planet because of its size. After all, it is smaller than some of the other planet's moons. Mercury is smaller than Jupiter's moon-Ganymede. There is no debate about Mercury. So its being smaller than another planets' moon can't be used against it.

Orbit-
Pluto is the only planet that comes inside of another planet's orbit. But, crashing in to a comet could've easily changed its orbit. In fact, Mercury's orbit isn't too much different than Pluto's orbit. Some people could argue that Pluto's orbit looks like that of a comet's orbit, but given these facts, Pluto's orbit still looks much more like that of a planet. A crash with another large object could have made Pluto's orbit slanted. Pluto could have had an orbit much like the other planets a long time ago.

Pluto's Moon-
Many people use Pluto's moon as being evidence against it being a planet. Charon is bigger than Pluto. However, Charon could have gotten pulled into Pluto, just as Triton was pulled into Neptune. In 2005, two other smaller satellites were found orbiting Pluto, Nix and Hydra.

Misfit-
Misfit. This is the term people have generously given to Pluto. The other planets are gas giants. Well, there is no reason for us to say that all of the planets past the asteroid belt should be gas giants. It makes sense that the planets in the coldest part of the solar system should have planets made of ice and rock. Pluto is also past the Kuiper Belt. There could be another group of planets past the Kuiper Belt.

Comet-
Some people say that Pluto could be a comet. Well, the comets that we know make lots of changes.They form comas and burn off material. Pluto doesn't have changes like that. Another argument is that comets have changes like that because they come near the sun. Pluto doesn't come near the Sun. Well, the comet-like objects that don't come near the sun are in the Kuiper Belt. Pluto is not in the Kuiper Belt.

What is a Planet?
People call a planet a-large body that orbits the Sun. What does large mean? Comets and other large objects in space could even be called planets.

Kuiper Belt Object-
Another point is that some say Pluto could be a Kuiper Belt object. Pluto is bigger than the other Kuiper Belt objects. Pluto is also not located in the Kuiper Belt, so this puts a stop to this argument.

So, we have brought the facts in. It is time for us to make a decision. My conclusion- Pluto is a planet. Now, think about all the facts and make your conclusion. Pluto is a planet to me, and to many other astronomers. To some Pluto is the new term of dwarf planet. Which one is the right answer? I guess the debate will have to go on, but let everyone decide for themselves, what do you think?

About our Trip to the Maple Sugar Farm, and Other Odd Pieces of Information... By: Tert

That guy put buckets on three trees. Then he put one bucket on the tree. This is my snapper. I can cut... snapper off... HEY! HEY! (His snapper is a piece of plastic...)
He put one bucket on.
Put my movie on now!
Then he drilled it. He was drilling the tee, I mean a tree, teehee!
His bulldozer...
Then he drilled it and... (voice growing softer...)... banged it!!! Freaky...
THUD!!!
Oops, sorry...
(No damage done...)
I'm done.

By: Tert

What I'm learning about in School... or not.... By: Rus

Rus: I said I didn't want to talk about the animals from school.
Stella: But if you don't tell, they'll never know!
Rus: They? Who's they? 'They're' on the computer? Who?
Stella: Not 'THEY' are on the computer!!!
Rus: Well, I'm all out of ideas... Goodbye!

About our Trip to the Maple Sugar Farm By: Rus and Tert

(This is Rus' account of our trip to a nearby Fruit Farm/Maple Syrup Farm.)

Hi, this is Rus. I learned all about how to make maple syrup. I saw the whole thing. (Them tapping the trees.) The man tapped the trees. We saw snowmobiles. (There was a snowmobile track running through the farm.)
He drilled holes in the tree. It was icy there. (In the parking lot.) He put a hanger on the tree. Then he put a bucket there. The man said that it takes 40-50 gallons of sap from sugar maple trees to make 1 gallon of maple syrup. It takes 100 gallons of sap from birch trees to make 1 gallon of maple syrup. Then we went on the snowmobile trail, saw the snowmobiles. There, I'm all out of ideas... (Walks off...)


Tert said to add that there were 2 buckets on the tree.

By: Rus and Tert

The Princess and the Pea By: Stella

Once upon a time there was a grand castle sitting on the top of a hill. In this castle lived a queen and her son.

Because the queen wanted grandchildren in her old age, she encouraged her son to depart in search of a princess. The prince, who was delighted with this plan, eagerly set off three days later.

The only problem was that he couldn’t find a princess. To be certain, there were plenty of ladies-but

not any real princesses. They were too pompous and mean. The prince’s hopes were dashed. He

slowly turned his horse around, mopped his frustrated brow, and rode home. His mother ran to him

when he came in. She sighed and called a servant.

Secretly she questioned, “Will he ever find a true princess?”

One year later, the prince was staring blankly out the window in his private room in the castle. The

gardener was caring for the plants. The new flowers were popping their petite heads up and

seemed to be ducking down again.

The prince mused gloomily, “Another storm is coming soon.” He sighed. The prince had had a

sense of despair ever since his expedition. His mother worried about her son, who used to be so

cheerful. The distraught prince seemed to never be his old self. Little did she know what this day

would bring…

Later that evening, as the prince was looking over some business papers, he heard a gentle rap at

the door. He stood up and opened it. There in the doorway stood a mournful picture. The long

golden hair of the girl was drenched. Her traveling cloak was soaked, her face dirty. Her hazel eyes

looked up at him. She curtsied and murmured, “Please let me in. I am the Princess of the Golden

Hills. I got stranded in the storm.”

The queen had come in by this time, and looking at the tattered figure, contemplated, “I’ll give her a

chance to show if her story is true.” She then exclaimed aloud, “Ah-my dear! Please come in. You

can head up with a servant and warm yourself. I will prepare your room!”

The girl was rushed off, murmuring her thanks as she went. The queen hurried upstairs. She bustled

into a room, locked the door, put the key in her pocket, and looked around the room. She had told a

servant to bring up several mattresses. She put mattress after mattress against a wall. She then

positioned several feather beds on top of those. Under all of these she placed a pea. She pushed

a ladder up next to the mattresses, and was done.

“Ah, because of the girl’s supposed heritage, she will feel that pea. If she is a princess, that is!” The

queen slipped into bed, hoping her plan would work…

The next morning the girl came to the breakfast table. Her golden hair was back in a braid, and her

eyes sparkled. She sat down happily.

“Well my dear, did you sleep well?” The queen studied the girl as she replied.

“Oh yes, thank you! I slept wonderfully!” The disappointed queen looked down. She was hoping that

this lovely girl, who had such a sweet personality, was to be her son’s long-sought-for wife.

The queen looked up as the girl explained, “Well, there was one thing. I was going to bed, but as I

was trying to get to sleep, I felt something. It was bruising me terribly. I got up and looked under the

bottom mattress, and found this.” She paused. In her little white hand was the pea! The queen’s

heart leapt for joy. The prince smiled.

A month later the prince, because of his love for the sweet princess, proposed to the girl. She

blushed, smiled, and as a response put her dainty hand in his strong one. They were married with a

beautiful wedding. They lived happily and had many children.

Who would have guessed that this would come of the prince searching and

despairing of his hope of ever finding a real princess?

By: Stella

For: Fundamentals of Writing Class

Grade: 6

About Paragraph Below...

Hi! This is Stella, putting another thing from school on the blog. This time it is a paragraph about Jesus and the Rich Young Ruler. This story is in Matthew 19:16-30.
Enjoy!!!

By: Stella

Jesus and the Rich Young Ruler By: Stella

Many years ago, on a hot day in a land far away, there was a young ruler. He was very rich. He had had very many blessings from birth. His wealth was the thing most important to him. He grew up and traveled. One day he was looking around. He had heard of a Teacher. This Teacher's name was Jesus, the Messiah. The ruler had need to talk to the Teacher. He saw a very big crowd of people with a man on a hill, who was talking to them all. He was preaching. Every now and then he would go down and touch a sick person, and they would be healed. The ruler was amazed. He walked up to the crowd. People moved for him, and he approached Jesus. Jesus turned to him. Jesus' soft loving eyes looked kindly on him. They looked like they knew everything. All of the ruler's secrets and dreams seemed to be revealed in the eyes of Jesus.

"Teacher, what must I do to gain eternal life?"

"Keep the commandments."

"These I have kept, every one."

Jesus looked deeply at the ruler and replied, "Go, sell all of your wealth, and give it to the poor! Then come, and follow me."

The ruler felt crushed. Give up all of his wealth? How could he give up his life, and follow this man? Nay, it was too much!

Boscawen Report- By: Stella

This is a report that I had to do on Boscawen.

-My Hometown-

Boscawen, NH

My hometown is Boscawen, located in the Merrimack County. Even though Boscawen is a small town, that doesn’t mean it isn’t a busy one! I have enjoyed learning about my hometown and am excited to share my discoveries with you.

Now I’ll give you a little history on Boscawen. This town wasn’t originally called Boscawen. It was called Contoocook. On April 22, 1760, Boscawen was officially named a town by Governor Wentworth. The town was named after Lord Edward Boscawen who was a British admiral and was involved in the 1758 Siege of Louisburg, an important battle in the French and Indian Wars.

Settlers liked Boscawen because it was level and perfect for farm land. It became known for its abundant apple, pear, and cherry orchards. Boscawen was also surrounded by the Merrimack River, and the Contoocook River. This made it a great water source for mills in the area.

Now that I gave you some history of Boscawen, I am going to tell you about some of the places in Boscawen! The 104 acre NH State Veterans Cemetery is a very well-known place in Boscawen. It is one of the 43 State Veterans cemeteries and 135 National Veterans Cemeteries located in the U.S.

My favorite place in Boscawen is the Boscawen Public Library. The Boscawen Public Library was built in 1915 by famous Boston architect, Guy Lowell. In the library you can find a wide selection of books, a movie shelf, computers, and books on CD and tapes. In the summertime, the library runs an excellent program that encourages children to read.

Another significant place in Boscawen is the famous Hannah Dustin Memorial. Hannah Dustin was a brave woman who lived from 1657-1736. The story of her heroism is one of the most exciting and inspiring I have ever heard.

One morning Thomas, who was Hannah’s husband, was at work outside the house. Spotting some approaching Indians, Thomas frantically ran toward the house calling out warning. Hannah urged him to go on with some of the children. He found it impossible to choose between any of them, so he resolved to try to save them all. He was able to hold the Indians back by occasionally turning and shooting his gun.

Meanwhile at the house, Hannah was captured along with Mary Neff. They were taken by the Indians and marched up toward Canada. An Indian family claimed Hannah, Mary, and a boy named Samuel Lennardson, who had been captured about 18 months before. The Indian man told Hannah and Mary not to pray, but when they were doing some work that he had given to them, they found the time. When they looked troubled, the Indian man would tell them, "What need you trouble yourself? If your God will have you delivered, you shall be so!"

Hannah heard about where they were going. They might be sold to the French as slaves after being jeered at and put up for show. She secretly communicated with her fellow captives and started planning an escape soon afterwards.

Just a little while afterwards, Samuel learned how to use a tomahawk and taught this skill to the women. When the captors and captives reached an island, the Indians let down their guard. The water was flooding, and the Indians went to sleep. Shortly after midnight, Hannah, Samuel, and Mary positioned themselves and killed 10 of the 12 Indians. Only two of them escaped, an Indian woman and a boy. Hannah and her companions quickly filled up some canoes with supplies, a tomahawk, and a gun. Hannah scalped the Indians as proof that she and the others truly had killed their captors. Later she was given lots of money for these. She and the others took turns rowing the small canoe, and they finally made it home. Hannah and the others had a joyful reunion. Hannah later wrote these famous words,

"I Desire to be thankful that I was born in a Land of Light & Baptized when I was young and had a good education by my Father, tho' I took but little notice of it in the time of it—I am Thankful for my Captivity, 'twas the Comfortablest time that ever I had. In my Affliction God made his Word Comfortable to me.”

I had the special opportunity to visit the Hannah Dustin Memorial-located in Boscawen. To get to it we went to the park and ride that is on the town line. There was a sign to mark the trail. We walked down the trail, which was covered with snow. At the bottom of the hill we saw the memorial in the distance! Following the railroad tracks, we reached the imposing statue. My little brother described its size better than I could! As he looked up at the statue of Hannah Dustin, he exclaimed, “It’s bigger than Goliath!” Visiting the memorial was really worth the trek through the snow. I thought that it was amazing to see this famous landmark.

My hometown is very special to me. Though there are lots of places to discover and learn from, the best part of living in Boscawen is having my family and friends all around me.

(Links I used for research…)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boscawen,_New_Hampshire

http://www.hannahdustin.com/index2.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hannah_Dustin

Groundhog Day

Groundhog Day…what is its significance? On February 1^st or 2^nd, this holiday is celebrated all over the United States. When Punxsutawney Phil, the world’s most famous groundhog, comes out of his burrow, he looks at the ground. If he sees his shadow, he goes for another six week long nap while we settle in and wait for spring. Phil is spoiled rotten with a heated burrow and is fed dog food and ice cream before his big day. The groundhog, also called a woodchuck, is responsible for one of our favorite tongue-twisters…

How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? A wood chuck would chuck all the wood he could chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood!

By: Stella

Written for-Article in the Class Newsletter at the Co-Op

Valentine's Day

Valentine’s Day…what does this really mean? Nowadays it is hard to think of Valentine’s Day as anything but a flood of cards, candy, and writer’s cramp. This is far from the real meaning of this special day. Valentine’s Day really was used to commemorate a very special person-Saint Valentine. During the life of Valentine, Claudius ll ruled. Claudius wanted his military to be strong. He came to the conclusion that married men were not as likely to help in the military, so he sent out a decree that outlawed marriage! However, Valentine continued in his marriage ceremonies, and was arrested and thrown into prison. Claudius at first took a liking to this prisoner, but then when Valentine stood up for his faith, he was furious! Saint Valentine was martyred on February 14^th. This is the true meaning of Valentine’s Day.

By: Stella

Written for- Article in a Class Newsletter at the Co-Op

Info. about Paragraph Below...

Hi all! This is Stella! I just wanted to give a little info. about the post below...
I was assigned to write about the Battle of Bunker Hill. This was an important battle in American history. One interesting fact is that the battle was not really fought on Bunker Hill. It was fought on Breed's Hill, but it is now know as the Battle of Bunker Hill.
I decided to write a paragraph in dialogue, but it is written from a perspective of a fictional character who was there-Amy Thompson.
Enjoy!!!

*Stella*

Battle of Bunker Hill

Amy Thompson's thoughts recorded in her journal-1775

As I awoke in the night, I heard the watchman walking up the street,
"All's Well! 1:00-and all's well." I looked at the place beside me. My brother was gone!
"Oh Tom? Where are you Tom?" I grabbed a dress and hastened to slip it on. Carrying my shoes, I tiptoed out on bare feet down the steps-careful not to wake Mother or Father. My brother was seen in a mass of people, lanterns, and farmers on Breed's Hill!
I ran to him calling, " Tom! What are you doing?" He looked up with surprise and motioned to me.
"Little Sis, we're digging forts and putting up guns for provision against the British." I cut him off before he could tell me to go home,
"Tom-let me help!" I grabbed some supplies and skipped off. All night we worked. It was thrilling when in the morning the British saw us. Tom raced down the hill with me, and told me,
"Go home! It's too dangerous here!" He ran off. I pretended that I was heading home, but then I tiptoed to the hill again. The British were rushing up the front of the hill! Soon smoke was all over the place, balls were flying, and British falling. Some of our troops fell too. Some brave men dragged them to the supplies area. I bathed the wounds of men, and they smiled at me.
One man said, "Oh little girl-thank you! You look just like my own precious daughter. Ah-she'll miss me." He sighed. I was touched, and I cried and cried. When he was on his deathbed, I held his hand.
"Be brave my little girl! There will be more battles, and more dead. There will be many fallen. I am proud to die for my country. This country will go on to be a great nation."
He smiled and then said, "Long live America!" These were the last words of this brave man-willing to die for his country. Tears raced down my cheeks.

About Article Below By: Stella

Hi All! This is Stella, and I wanted to give you some info. about the post below...
For Bible I wrote a journal entry, written in the perspective of Peter, one of the twelve disciples. Here it is...

Peter's Journal 28 A.D.

I have decided to record some events that have happened since following Jesus, our Messiah. My pen will have to put these things down quickly, for I shall put out my light soon. We are bunked in the home of the gracious Israelite man, John, living in this town. Ah! I wish that all of the people would be as gracious as he. Last night, we had but the shelter of the sky and some dust for our beds. We were given the power of Christ to cast out demons, heal the sick, and preach. We don't exactly have the looks of those with authority. I and the others were sent out with but one set of clothes, no money for our belts, and with no food. We sometimes are accepted, but sometimes we are not as fortunate. Praise God for His kindness in letting us be gifted with some of His power and, even better, the knowledge given us by His Son. Ah, but I must go and get my rest. The preaching and healing are tiring work, and who knows, but I might be not having such a warm place to sleep tomorrow. I will record more later.
Peter-Humble Disciple of Christ-

Leo's Fictional Account of the Battle of Bunker Hill

John Pitcairn woke up along with two other soldiers. He saw strange blurs along the tops of Breeds hill and Bunker hill. As he rubbed his eyes, he could focus clearly. He saw Ole Yanks with guns, trenches, and many men. The guidance of General George Washington had helped the men obtain this artillery. He had taken charge of this scatter of farmers and artillery. Nose Blowing: "Col. Washington of this colony {Virginia} being appointed Generalissimo of all the American forces raised... made a demand of 500 Riflemen from the frontiers," wrote schoolmaster, John Harrower, in a letter to his family in Scotland, ''So many men volunteered that Washington had to find a way to choose between them. He took a board of a foot square and with chalk drew the shape of a moderate nose in the center and nailed it up to a tree at 150 yds. distance and those who came nighest {nearest} the mark with a single ball was to go. By 40 or 50 the nose was all blown out." The men had obtained this amazing feat overnight. The company was astonished. From their point of view, these were lazy farmers. Every time they had tried to get them to work, the farmers and hunters had refused. Now they found that these men were far from lazy. In December General "George had ordered Colonel Henry Knox to go to fort Ticonderoga and retrieve the captured British canon there. Knox seemed an unlikely choice to be Washington's ordinance chief. With his portly and good natured personality, he had obtained all his knowledge of artillery from books he had read at his Boston book store. Nonetheless Knox was a man who got things done, even colossal things. He and his men, using oxen, sleds, and rafts, transported fifty-nine pieces of heavy artillery along a wintry mountainous, three-hundred-mile trek. When the artillery arrived in late January 1776, Washington put them to good use. On the evening of March5, 1770 he had stood at the front of the crowd on a snowy Boston square when a volley of British bullets claimed their first martyrs" (Keessee, Sidwell, 113). Now six years later the Redcoats found themselves at the muzzle-end of Henry's heavy guns.
"Get up men, the doom of Boston is at hand!'' John called to his comrades.
"What? What's that you say?" mumbled a member of the company. {A company is a group of soldiers usually led by captain and made up of at least two platoons}.{A platoon is a subdivision of a company, commanded by a lieutenant}" (Hakim, 93).
"Our doom rests upon those Yanks.'' By now Alan and Jeremy were up and getting their arms along with many others. John, being chief of the Lobster Backs, ordered the troops to attack head on, though, as they later found out, it would have been wiser to attack in surprise from the back. As the Redcoats had begun their march up the hill, the Americans, in direct contrast to their enemy's hopes, held their ground. Their commanders, knowing the disadvantage of short-range muskets, commanded them using these words, "Do not fire until you see the whites of their eyes.'' The leaders of the Yankee Doodles proved very reliable, considering the fact that they had defeated the Red Coats once before. But could they do it again? They could! The third time the Americans had run out of gunpowder and fled. More than 1000 British were wounded that day. The Americans lost 441 men men. The British had won but what a price to pay for two unimportant hills...

Our Play By: Stella

Hi All! This is Stella, and I want to tell you about a play that we did!
We were assigned to write a play about William and Caroline Herschel, the discoverers of Uranus. We were really excited and I wrote the play, and Leo helped mostly with making the props. We gathered up our costumes, learned our lines, and did our play! Maybe we could get the video of it on this blog... Not sure!!!!
Anyway, I have pasted the script below...
Enjoy!

Shivering on Stage Written By: Stella

Character Page
(This is the character page, and it lists the characters in the play, and who plays them...)

William Herschel-Leo
Caroline Herschel-Stella
Father-Rus
Mother-Rus
Little Dancer-Tert
Telescope Customer-Rus
Goverment Official-Rus
Astronomer Friend-Rus
Narrator-Mater



Narrator: Our play today is called- Shivering on Stage. This is a true story about a brother and sister. This brother and sister would stumble upon one of the most important things in our universe.
William and Caroline Herschel lived in Germany. It was the eighteenth century. They were not alone in their family of 8. Their father diligently homeschooled them.
(Seated at a table, father in a chair, surrounded with books and papers. William and Caroline seated and doing their schoolwork.)
Caroline: “Father?”
Father: “Yes Caroline?”
Caroline: “What is this note? I forget? Is it a quarter note?”
Father: “Yes my daughter.”
Caroline: “Thank you!”
William: “Father! I’ve finished my math sheet.”
Father: “Alright son, bring it here.”
Narrator: As the children grew up, their minds grew, and they weren’t satisfied with their small home in Germany. William left and went to England to become a musician, walking in his father’s footsteps. Caroline continued to live at the house.
(Mother seated in a chair. Caroline walks up to her.)
Caroline: “Look what I’ve brought in Mother! It’s a letter from Will! He says that he is coming back! He doesn’t say when though, hmm, I wonder why?”
Mother: “Daughter! Don’t get too excited! Did you finish in the kitchen?”
Caroline: “Yes Mother. Oh Mother! I wish that I could be in his place! I wish that I was better and fit in. It is hard because I miss Father too… Him being on his trip and all. I wish that I could go to…”
William: “Hello- anybody home?”
Caroline: “Will! Oh how we have missed you! I have been wishing that I could be in your place! Oh, what is England like? Do you like it?”
William: “One question at a time! I am coming home for a little visit, England is wonderful, and there are many wonderful people there. Here, I have a gift for you. Go up to your room and open it! I have to talk a moment with Mother.”
William: “Mother. I have a proposition to make. Please hear me out and don’t say anything till I am finished saying what I have to say. I have been thinking that it is high time that Caroline should be beyond the kitchen, and this house. You know how she longs to go outside into the world and I hate to see her held back. I would like to take her to England with me. I have a good place as a musician there. It would all work out. Please say yes?”
Mother: “Son, you know that I can’t say yes. Your sister isn’t pretty enough to fit in. Ever since the fever came, she didn’t grow beyond 4 ft. 3. She is only fit to be a servant. She won’t ever marry.”
William: “Mother. Just for a time. She needs to go beyond this house.”
Mother: “Son, I don’t approve. You know that I can’t say yes. I can’t refuse you though, so I am just staying out of this. I will be greatly displeased if you go though.”
William: “Mother, this is a decision that I have thought over well, and I can’t have anything else stopping me. I need to do this.”
(Mother looks at her son for a while, and then walks off.)
Narrator: Even though William was upsetting his mother, he told Caroline about his plan. After staying a couple days, they both left for England.
(William playing instrument with Caroline. Little Dancer does a dance. Audience claps.)
William: “Thank you, thank you!”
(William and Caroline walk off the stage and start walking home.)
Caroline: “Oh Will! This is so exciting! I have never enjoyed myself more.”
William: “I’m glad! Now I have to go to my shop, I am going to sell some more telescopes.”
Caroline: “I better go back to house. I have to make dinner. Good luck!”
(Caroline goes off stage- William stays on and goes to his shop.)
Telescope Customer: “Sir, do I understand that you sell telescopes?”
William: “Yes sir, I do. They are highly approved of, I can guarantee!”
Telescope Customer: “Alright. I’ll take one. If I like it then I will come back and get some more.
William: “Thank you sir!”
Narrator: “The next day…”
(Telescope Customer hurries over to William. William is in his shop.)
Telescope Customer: “Wonderful! I’ll take 20!”
William: “Thank you sir! Here you are!”
Narrator: Yes, William was successful in his telescope industry! Caroline wasn’t left out however. Every evening the brother and sister would study the sky…”
(William and Caroline in a lab studying the sky.)
William: “Caroline, what would I do without you? You know how to set the telescope strait better than I ever could, and you are so good at studying! You fit in much better here than in our house.”
Caroline: “Thank you Will!”
William: “I think that I have figured out how to make this telescope more powerful. It works much better now.”
Caroline: “You are very good at lenses. You know Will, I think that we make a great team!”
William: “As do I!”
Narrator: “William and Caroline worked hard, and studied a lot. They were amateur astronomers! But something was about to happen that Caroline thought might interfere with their work…
Caroline: “Will, it’s not fair! Everything was wonderful, and you had to wreck it!”
William: “Caroline, you don’t understand, I think that you will really like her. She will be a wonderful sister-in-law for you, and wife for me!”
Caroline: “No! We were a great team! Now you’ll be too busy for me, and for astronomy!”
Narrator: “William and Caroline were back to normal, and were about to stumble upon something wonderful. It happened one quiet evening. William and Caroline were working hard, as usual.”
William: “Caroline! Look at this! What is it?”
Caroline: “It might be a comet?”
William: “But it is shaped like a disk!”
Caroline: “It couldn’t be another planet?”
William: “A planet, I didn’t think of that.”
Narrator: William and Caroline marked it down in their charts. They rushed over to their friend’s house, and much to their surprise…
Astronomer Friend: William! Caroline! You have just discovered… a planet!!!!”
Caroline: “Surely you’re mistaken?”
Astronomer Friend: “No! It is a planet! Oh, let us notify the government officials tomorrow morning, EARLY!
Narrator: William and Caroline were highly commended by the government officials, and they received large sums of money. They also had a meeting in England held in their honor.
Goverment Official: William and Caroline Herschel, you have made a great discovery. We have an offer that we hope that you will accept. We have met with everyone, and we have agreed to pay you to become full time astronomers. Will you accept?”
William and Caroline: “Yes sir! That is what we desire most!”
Goverment Official: “Good! Everyone give a cheer for, William and Caroline Herschel!”
(Mother walks up.)
Caroline: “Mother!”
(Hugs Mother.)
Mother: “Your father wished with all of his heart to come, but he couldn’t. I came instead. Caroline, I admit that I didn’t think that much would come of you, but oh, how I was wrong! You are such a wonderful daughter and I am proud of you and your brother!”
Caroline: “Thank you Mother!”
Narrator: William and Caroline went on in their study of astronomy. William found two of Saturn’s moons, and Caroline found many comets. Who would have thought that this homeschooling brother and sister would make such a difference in astronomy? This is the end of this story, but who can tell, will you be in the next one?

Written By: Stella
Directed By: Stella and Rus
Narrated By: Mater

Definition Poems... By: Stella

Hi all! This is Stella, and I wanted to share with you some definition poems that I wrote.

I have put them below...

Enjoy! :)



*Stella*

Kindness is...

A loving word when your friend feels down...

A hug and a kiss to cheer them up...

Sacrificing your own interests for those of others...

Sharing...

Caring...

Kindness is love, joy, and peace put together...

Friendship is...

When you see someone new and go over and say hi...

Listening to the other and caring...

Protection on another...

Surprising one another...

Helping each other in trouble and pulling the other one out of it...

Friendship is walking on the path of life with a loving friend by your side...



By: Stella

Stellarium By: Stella

Hi all! This is Stella! I wanted to write about this cool new program that we downloaded onto our computer. It is free, and we have enjoyed every minute of it. A lady at the planetarium recommended it to us because it is what they use in their planetarium and in the shows. It is called Stellarium. I personally like the name-can you tell?!

Anyway we downloaded this program onto the computer. After we downloaded it onto the computer we fiddled around with it a little bit. It is really neat!

There is a button that you can press on it and you can set the time to the present time.

There are several buttons on it, and you can- (if you decide to download this) scroll over them, and they tell you what they do.

One group of buttons that I think is really neat, is there are a couple of buttons that say- Constellation Lines-Constellation Art-and Constellation Labels. They are really cool. If you click on the Constellation Lines, then it connects different groups of stars, and you can see the stick figures of the different constellations. Then there is a button which you can press and it says- Constellation Labels- and you can click that and it labels all of the constellations. Cool huh? The neatest one of all in that group though-at least I think so- is a button which says Constellation Art, and it makes all of the constellations pop up in really detailed pictures! We love looking at the different constellations, and seeing how many of them we know! (Sometimes the constellations take a minute to come up, so don't be worried if they don't pop up right away, or if all of them don't pop up at the same time.)

Another REALLY cool thing that this program does is it labels, sattelites and nebulas. Also, if you click on a star, it pops up in the top left corner of your computer with its name, light years away, etc.

There is one button that you can press and it looks like a circle. This zooms in on the planets, and they look cool, but there is a different way that gives much more detail, and it labels all of the planet's moons, etc. To do this, you simply scroll up on your mouse once you have clicked on the object. You can't zoom in the first way I mentioned, and then do this. You have to be looking at the sky without zooming in, and then click on the object that you want to see, and if then there is a play-pause button, and if you are having trouble viewing the planets and their moons, then you can just click the play-pause button. (You can also use these buttons and the fast-foward button to zoom ahead in time, or behind in time in the sky.)

One other thing that I really find handy is a search tool, where you can type in the name of whatever you want to see, and then you can click enter, and it will find it for you. Just a tip-if you try to enter Earth into the search guide, it won't help you. It'll just point your direction down to the ground.



This is just a little input on this program-but if you want to- Go and try it for yourself! If you want some more information on this, then just post a comment or e-mail us....

Thanks so much!





Stella giving info. about- STELLARIUM!

Field Trip at the Planetarium By: Stella

Hello all! This is Stella-here to tell you about our field trip to the planetarium. We went there for a Christmas party. It was really fun! The part was for members! We got a membership there at the planetarium, which we have enjoyed every minute of from the time that we got it. It offers great deals, and they also throw parties sometimes for its members. Anyway, we got an e-mail telling us about the party, and we immediately looked at the calendar to see if we could go. There was an empty space! YAY! On the night of the party, we hopped in the car, and on the way the boys talked all about the constellations, and were sure that they were seeing them. I don't know-maybe... :)
We walked in the building, and then signed in. We went to our first destination- the craft room. In the craftroom they were doing a really cool project. They called it- stained glass stars. There were some sheets of paper on a big table, and they had stars cut out of them. We grabbed a seat, and the lady there explained what to do. With the stars on the table, they were on a rectangular piece of paper, and we took pieces of tissue paper, and put the tissue paper, (which was in thin rectangular strips as well), crisscross, on the piece of paper. We decorated the star this way, putting glue on the edge of the star, so that the pieces of tissue paper would stick! Then, we took the paper, and we folded it in half, once we had decorated with as many pieces of tissue paper as we wanted. It was really neat. Then we cut out the star, and we glued a riboon onto it so that it could hang on the Christmas tree. We really liked that project, and finally ripped Rus away from talking the lady's ear off with all of his 'knowledge' about astronomy. We all had a laugh after that. :)
We then hung up coats, and walked around the Discovery Center while we waited for the 7:00 p.m. show to start. We tried a couple of the exhibits, and then got into line for the show. We waited, and finally the doors opened. We walked in and we were amazed by the stunning show. A couple of times, we got so dizzy that we had to look down, but it was sooooooooo worth it! We had so much fun learning about Mars, Jupiter, and its four moons, stars, constellations, and so much more! We walked out of the planetarium, eagerly awaiting the next field trip at the planetarium...

By: *Stella*

About Jovian Tales By: Stella

Hello All! Fasten your seatbelts for a wild ride to Jupiter with me, Stella here ready to take you, now grab your copy of Jovian Tales (A Newspaper Article- Jovian is a term used when referring to Jupiter) and let's BLAST OFF!

Stella

The Jovian Tales Written By: Stella December 2, 2010

Jupiter-a far off planet- our protective mother, with her four moons and gaseous surface. Jupiter is just beyond the asteroid the first of the gas giants. Mysteries lie just beyond the asteroid belt. Luckily part of the curtain of knowledge has been pulled back revealing...

Galileo Returns

Or did it? Well, unfortanately Galileo is crashed somewhere in Jupiter. Luckily we got some cool info. from it, before it blew up. Poor Galileo. It got us lots of pictures in its path from Earth to Venus to the Asteroid Belt to Earthto Jupiter, and to it's unfortunate ending.

Loony Moons

Jupiter's Moons, mysteries in the night sky-but are they? Now that we have information from Galileo-we know a lot! There are many satellites (moons) of Jupiter- 60 to be exact. The four biggest are- Stinky Io, Icy Europa, Giant Ganymede, and Rocky Callisto.

Four Moons-One Tune-LOONY!!!!

Over Protective Mother

Yes-Jupiter! Jupiter blocks out a lot of asteroids from hitting Earth. Whew- I guess sometimes over-protective mothers are good things!

How Old Are You?

Don't want to say? Maybe you do. In Jovian years 12 years equals 1 Earth year! Your second opinion on that?!

Jupiter, it's not so mysterious anymore-is it? How wonderful is the gift of learning!

All Articles Written By: *Stella*