Well, one of the most wonderful times of year has finally arrived. It's school vacation week! After a long and exam-packed week at school, I really need a break. Due to my many travels, I had so much work to make up! Now I'm all caught up and ready to run with the wind!
February 20, 2011-California Dreamin'
The first place I headed was California to visit Cooper's sister Kimber in Los Angeles. Did you know that L.A. is our country's second largest city? I couldn't wait to see it. I was one of Kimber's first guests in her new apartment. I helped her out by planting some flowers on the patio. Since I really enjoy gardening, I have to tell you that, back at home, I buy my flowers by the flat. A flat is a large container of plants which are sold in an array, like 4 x 6 or other combinations. We also planted some very flat sunflower seeds. In the California sunshine, they should grow tall very quickly.
Kimber also let me help out with the cooking. Check out the chocolate chip pancakes that we made together. They were delicious.
I really enjoyed spending time with her, and loved her new home. We could even see some snowy mountains in the distance.
Here is a postcard of the state. The city of Los Angeles is in the south. Sacramento, the capital, is in the north central region, and is marked with a star.
When it was time to say goodbye, she took me to the Post Office. This time, my trip would be short, and I was headed to visit teacher friend Ms. B., who was visiting Arizona. I had no idea that teachers took vacations, too!
February 22, 2011- Arizona-Travels With A Teacher
I arrived in Scottsdale, Arizona after a quick journey. The weather was warm and the sky was bright.
Ms. B took me hiking in the mountains, and the view was incredible. I also got to see some interesting varieties of cacti. Remembering what happened when I got too close to a cactus on my visit to Abigail's aunt in New Mexico, I kept my distance.
Here I am as we played hide and seek on our hike. I tried to blend in with the scenery. Speaking of scenery, check out this beautiful view of Sedona
While I really enjoyed my visit with Ms. B., I knew that I'd see her when we both returned to school next week. She brought me to the Post Office, stuffed a new SSR book, Cactus Hotel, into my envelope, and mailed me home to my family. Ms. B. and I both knew that I needed to keep up with my daily reading. It was actually a great idea since I had a long flight ahead of me. When I got home, I was really hoping to do some cross country skiing with my dad while the snow lasted. Thanks for the book and all of the sightseeing, Ms. B.!
February 25, 2011-An American Boy's Prison
I awoke to the sound of the rain drumming on the roof and beating at the window. I didn't even remember arriving home in the middle of the night. It's vacation week. It's not supposed to rain, I sadly thought. Slowly and hungrily, I slid out of bed and headed downstairs for breakfast. Arthur was already sprawled on the couch with the remote in his hand and his eyes glued to his favorite cartoon. Great, I thought. "Stanley, we are out of pancakes and your favorite cereals," my mother said. "You can have some Cocoa Puffs or some Kix if you'd like." Visions of Frosted Flakes and Cinnamon Toast Crunch were crushed in seconds. "But mom, those other cereals are so.....spherical" I protested. "Don't we have anything else?", I begged. "How about a muffin?," she suggested. I could already tell that this was not going to be such a wonderful day. Little did I know that it would only get worse... much worse.
After breakfast, my mother told me that Arthur would soon be leaving on a play date. At least I'll have the tv to myself, I thought. Then, she told me that we had to drive to the mall on an errand. My cousin, Penny Porkchop, was having a birthday that weekend, and we had to pick up a gift. Well, I really don't like shopping, but sometimes a trip to the mall includes a detour to the arcarde. I hurriedly changed my clothes and got ready to go.
As my mother headed east, I watched a DVD from the back seat of the car. "So which store are we going to, ToysRUs or the Lego Store?," I asked her.
"No, Stanley, it's mumble mumble mumble." I adjusted the volume of my DVD.
"I can't hear you. What store are we going to?" "Well, Stanley, this will be quick. We are running into the American Girl Store to pick up one of the new dolls". "WHAT?" I screamed at the top of my lungs. This was every boy's worst nightmare. The American Girl Store!! This was just not right. This was NOT happening to me. This was a GIRL store, and I wanted no part of it. What if somebody saw me?
"Now Stanley, you know that we use our indoor voices in the car," my mother said sternly. "Why don't I just wait in the car while you go in?," I suggested timidly. "Of course you can't . That is just not safe. We'll be in and out of the store in a jiffy," she said. I slid just as far down as my seat belt allowed, and saw my dreams of the arcade and the toy store float out the window. How much worse can this get?, I thought anxiously.
Due to the weather, the parking lot was jammed. We circled around until we found a spot for the car. My mother and I tried to dodge the raindrops and puddles as we sprinted into the store. As we entered, I pushed the brim of my cap down in an effort to hide my face. "Now Stanley, you know that I don't like you to wear hats indoors. Please take it off." Reluctantly, I did. My daytime nightmare was closing in all around me. Get me out of here! I screamed silently.
The store was as packed as the parking lot. But instead of overflowing with cars, this place was bursting with...gulp...girls. Help me!, I thought.
I couldn't say farewell to these dolls quickly enough!
My mother asked me to hold the bulky American Girl shopping bag while she fumbled for the keys in her purse. As I held it, I heard someone calling name from just a few cars away in the parking lot. It WAS the girl from my class! She smirked at me as I catapulted into the car and quickly closed the door. "Let's stop for ice cream", my mother suggested cheerfully. Somehow I knew that even the delicious flavor of my favorite ice cream would never erase the horrible taste of the day.
Later that evening over dinner, my father sympathized with me over the afternoon's events. Since I had no appetite, I was sadly pushing the mashed potatoes around on my plate with my fork. "Your mother and I are sorry about how your day turned out, Stanley. It just couldn't be helped. But we do have some good news for you. You were just invited to visit Emma's family in the United Kingdom, and you leave tomorrow morning." This was the first good news I'd heard in a long time. It sounded exciting! "Since this is such a last minute change, Stanley," my mother added, "you will have to miss Penny's birthday party tomorrow. But I've already called her mother, and she said that they'd love to have Arthur take your place. It's back at that American Girl Store at the mall. I wonder how he will feel about being the only boy at the party." Suddenly starving, I scooped up a heaping forkful of mashed potatoes and opened my mouth.
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Well, I sure love ya, tomorrow! Check back in a week for an update on my European vacation and much more! Your traveling friend, Stanley
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