December 31, 2010- I'm A Traveling Man
Hello, Second Graders!
My name is Stanley Lambchop. I have begun my journey via the internet and the United States Postal Service. In order to fit into an envelope and a laptop, I have to be folded in half. Hope I arrive at a destination soon and get a chance to stretch my legs. Ready or not world, here I come!
 [Image from http://www.blogger.com/goog_277093815] |
| It's a good thing I packed some Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies and a flatbread sandwich for a snack. Good bye! Check out this link to my song on YouTube The Flat Stanley Project Song |
January 1, 2011- Paris, The City of Lights
Happy New Year, everyone! Bonjour!
Thanks to the speed of the internet, in just a few seconds flat, I arrived to meet Hunter's grandmother in Paris, France, where she took me to the Eiffel Tower. This amazing landmark was built over 100 years ago in 1889. Did you know that there are 1,671 stairs in the tower? Phew! It's a good thing I am in great shape and could make it to the top and then back down again. Check out this picture of the tower.
[image from http://www.eiffeltower/eiffel-tower.jpeg]
This is a picture of me with the tower in the background.
Beautiful Paris was nicknamed The City of Lights many years ago because, at night, it was one of the most well lit cities in the world. It is the capital of the country of France.
For all of you second grade French students, the word for grandmother is memere, and the name of the Eiffel Tower is La Tour Eiffel. The word for Paris is still Paris, but it is pronounced Pa-ree.
After our climb, Memere and I paid a visit to The George V Hotel, one of the most elegant in the city. As you can see, it is a wonderful place, and we were treated like royalty. I was sad to leave, but knew I had many exciting events ahead of me in the USA.
Allons-y! That means Let's go! We are headed for a new adventure across the Atlantic Ocean in a city known as the Big Apple. Thanks for the tour, Memere. We'll always have Paris! Au revoir!
That's right, Hunter and his family also took me to New York City for some more adventures. They brought me near Central Park, which is one of the world's most famous recreation areas. It is the home to a zoo, a skating rink, and even a castle! Check out this link to see a map of the park.
Later that day, I hopped into a taxi and zoomed across town to meet Jessie's grandmother. She tucked me into her pocketbook,
and led me on a tour of some of New York city's most famous buildings. Did you know that this part of NYC is actually built on an island? It is called Manhattan Island, and was purchased from Native Americans in 1626 for 60 Dutch guilders. Since it is an island, it is surrounded on all sides by water. But you second graders already know that from learning about maps in Social Studies, don't you?
Next, Grandma Sue took me to a police station, where some of the officers recognized me. As you know, I am pretty famous, and they probably knew about me because of those crimes I've solved. Remember how I posed as a painting in a museum to catch those art thieves? Anyway, one of the officers took a picture of me in front of one of their squad cars. Then, the siren went off and they had to leave quickly. It was very exciting!
All of a sudden, I was incredibly hungry. Grandma Sue took me to a street vendor (remember this vocabulary word?) and we bought a hot pretzel to share. It was bigger than I am, and it sure was delicious!
Finally, we went by the theater on Broadway where one of my favorite musicals, The Lion King, is playing. It reminded me of my new book The African Safari Discovery. Have you read it yet? For some reason, I just can't stop humming "Hakuna Matata" now. It's probably because on most days, I have no worries. It is lots of fun to travel around the world with my friends. I can tell that I am going to have some great adventures this year.
Before I hit the road again, I caught a glimpse of the George Washington Bridge, which is also one of my favorites. Did you know that it is one of the world's busiest bridges? It connects New York and New Jersey, and spans the Hudson River. We didn't have time to cross the bridge to see the sights, and I didn't have the flat rate return toll of $8 in my pocket. So, I posed for this picture before we said goodbye. Look for me at the bottom left side.
Thanks for the tour, the pretzel, and the great photo opps, Grandma Sue! I waved and headed south to visit a new friend.
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January 4, 2011 - In My Mind, I'm Going To Carolina
It's not just Carolina in my mind, [1968, James Taylor], I'm actually here! It only took two days for me to arrive in my envelope. Trevor's oldest brother opened it up, gave me a snack of Slim Jims and a flask of lowfat milk, and we were off. A few months ago, he visited all of you in the classroom. He was the young man wearing a camouflage uniform, and even went to the same school as you do. But now, his job is protecting our country while he works reparing aircraft at the Shaw Air Force base in Sumter. It's a lot warmer here than it is at home, so I didn't even need my coat. He showed me some of the really cool old airplanes that are kept on the base. Wow! He already knows that I love to fly!
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When our visit was over, he mailed me to some other friends of the family in San Diego, California. Thanks for the hospitality!
January 6, 2011- California Boys
Here I am in California! This warm weather is really making me feel spoiled. I know that you are probably getting some snow back home. Trevor's friend Jake gave me some shorts and a t-shirt to wear, and we headed off to the Sea World, one of my favorite places. It's a good thing I'm laminated, because I got soaked when we watched the dolphin show!
Click this link to see what I saw at Sea World.
We did a lot more sightseeing together that day. Jake and I visited Palm Springs, a desert city with sunshine almost every day. It was an unforgettable place with beautiful scenery. We took the aerial tramway from the desert floor to the top of Mt. San Jacinto. Boy, what a difference in temperature there was from the bottom to the top. If the temperature was 70 degrees at the bottom, and fell 30 degrees during our trip to the top, do you think I needed my jacket? It's a good thing I planned ahead. From the peak at 10,000 feet, which is about two miles high, we could see for hundreds of miles around us. Although I didn't want to desert my new friend Jake and this wonderful area, I knew that I would soon have to leave.
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[image from http://www.palm-springs-hotels.com/]
So, as the sun set over the glistening Pacific Ocean, I again climbed into my cozy envelope and headed for Washington, DC, where my buddy Rhys was sending me. What a capital idea it was to mail me to The White House!
January 8, 2011- The Capital City
Here I am in the capital city with the First Family, the Obamas. What a fabulous place to be a guest!
Click on the link that will pop up for this song, Hail to the Chief, which is often played when the President enters a room. http://www.archive.org/download/HailToTheChief_482/hail_to_the_chief_64kb.mp3
Believe me, I know how cool it feels to have a song written just for you!
I am spending time with President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, their daughters Sasha and Malia, and also their dog Bo. Bo is a Portuguese water dog, and he sure loves to play fetch.
Here is a picture of the First Family
