New Kid

On the first day of, I walked into the loud, crowded bus.  People were talking loudly and yelling.  The aisle was packed and gave no personal space.  I remembered the first rush of nervousness and excitement, as I walked down the aisle and looked around for an empty seat.  Many people were pushing in the line, trying to get into a seat as soon as possible.  When I walked down to nearly the last seat, a patrol told me to sit in a seat with two other children.  I sat down quietly, trying to make myself smaller, so that the two other students wouldn’t be squished and annoyed with me.  They must have been friends, because they were chatting away.  I felt left out and very nervous at first.  The two friends started talking to me.  They included me in their conversation, and soon I was a lot less nervous as I realized how kind the students could be.  I just hoped the other students and teachers were understanding and nice like them. 

Soon, we arrived at school.  Many questions started forming in my head, as I walked into the big school—only making me more nervous.  “Will my teacher be nice?  Will I make any friends?  Will I fit in, or stay the ‘new kid’?  Will I be able to find my classroom?”  They kept echoing in my head, even though I told them to go away.    I had heard that many people got lost, so I paid careful attention to all the turns in the hallway.  Even though I did this, I still couldn’t find my classroom.  I reached my classroom after searching for several minutes. 

I realized the students were very helpful and not in the least bit mean.  They guided me around the school, and they told me what to do.  I also realized the teachers were nice and understanding.  The teacher let the new kids introduce themselves.  After that, I felt as though I had been officially declared a Floris student—not just some new kid.  They explained how everything worked, and told me about the daily routines.  Soon, I learned what WFLO was, and how to work the SmartBoard. 

Then, it was time for lunch.  I didn’t know where to sit.  Many people invited me over.  It felt special.  Many people wanted to be with me—maybe even be friends.  I felt special.  I took a seat with some kids who seemed pretty eager to sit with me.  Lunch went by in a flash, and it was time for recess!  Many groups of children formed, so I joined one of them.  They kindly invited me to play with them.  Recess went by even faster than lunch, and it was time to pack up sooner than I had expected.  The day had just seemed to start, when it ended. 

Over the next few days, I got used to the daily routines, and the expectations.  They became a part of my life.  I made new friends, and soon, I was no longer the “new kid.”    

Taylor Swift Concert

I was never as hyper and sleepless as I was before I went to the Taylor Swift concert.  The concert was at the Verizon Center in Washington D.C.  I couldn’t believe that I would actually see Taylor Swift in person and breath the same air as her.  I see her on posters on my walls and in videos every day, but I would actually see her live, thanks to my parents.  They spent lots of money to get the tickets!  The concert was very exciting and lots of fun, but in the process, some interesting things happened.

I invited my friends Kyra and Vivian to the concert even though they weren’t big Taylor Swift fans (Swifties).  They aren’t Swifties, but they are my friends and I knew we’d have a good time together no matter what.  My friends came over to get ready for the concert a few hours early.  We painted our nails red in honor of the Red Tour. As I was holding the nail polish bottle, my sister was doing some sort of eenie meenie miney mo thing.  I don’t even know why.  She pointed at me, and knocked the whole bottle of nail polish out of my hands.  In my head I was thinking, “Nooooooooo!!!” as I watched the nail polish spill all over the wall, my album, and the floor.  “Chloe!” my mom yelled, “Why were you fighting with Angie for the nailpolish bottle?  No more paint!”  Chloe looked down.   My parents now have to repaint the wall and I was impressed that they didn’t freak out about it.  I had been wanting to paint my face red in hopes of getting noticed and invited to Club Red.  Club Red is a backstage party after the show that is invitation only.  No amount of money can buy you an invitation, which I like.  Otherwise, it would be a party of rich Taylor Swift fans, rather than a party of extreme Taylor Swift fans. I was a little worried that my unpainted face would not be chosen for Club Red, but I was still excited for the show.  I grabbed the posters we had made and some markers for the car so that we could decorate our faces.  

As we were riding to the concert in the back of my parents’ blueberry colored minivan, my sister Chloe in the middle seat and my parents in the front, my friends and I ended up having a marker fight.  My friend, Kyra, drew a star design on my other friend, Vivian.  When she was done, she drew a dot on Vivian’s face.  Vivian took another marker, and said, “I’m armed!”  Eventually, Kyra gave up on trying to draw on Vivian, and she started drawing on me.  I had to grab the last marker, and yell, “Stop!” My friends rolled their eyes, “Fine then. Be that way.” I didn’t need another mess.

By the time we got there, it was only 6:30--the concert started at 7:00, yet the whole place was crowded.  We showed the security guard at the front our tickets, and she told us we had to get our iPad checked in by the guest services people.  That was why we had to hide it behind our shimmery and red posters, because we didn’t feel like going to the guest services.  We pushed our way through the crowds, and went up lots of escalators to get to our seat.  

As we sat down, I felt like I was going to trip and roll over all  the people and land towards the bottom where the stage was, because the seats went upward in a steep slope.  I leaned back to feel safe.  The place was loud and I almost had to shout for my friends to hear me.  It was even louder than when our cafeteria gets out of control.   I was shouting the answers to the Taylor Swift trivia questions that were played on the giant screens hanging from the ceiling.  I got all of them right.  Saying that I am a fan would be an understatement.  I am one of her most extreme fans.  I know that she was born on December 13, 1989 at 8:36 am in Room Number 8 in Reading Hospital In Reading, Pennsylvania.  And I know that her favorite food is cheesecake, she is twenty-three years old, her height is 5’11”, her first unpublished song was “Lucky You,” and her first published song was “Tim McGraw”.  Soon, the screens stopped playing trivia questions, though.  The concert was starting!

As the lights dimmed, the room got louder and louder.  All the fans were screaming, including me.  The room started to quiet down as some random guy appeared on the stage, and started singing some song I didn’t recognize.  

“Who is this guy?” I shouted to Kyra, who was seated next to me.

“I don’t know.  He’s probably just opening for Taylor Swift,” she shouted back.

We listened and watched the guy singing for a few minutes.  He sang some country songs that I didn’t recognize.

“I think his name is Brett Eldredge,” Kyra shouted to me, as the guy started singing his second song.

“Oh, and who’s that?” I asked her.

“I don’t know,” Kyra replied.

“Are you ready to see Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran?” the Eldredge guy said in between his second and third songs.

The room got loud again.

“Okay,” he said, “Well, I have a song for you that I wrote, it’s called, One Mississippi.”

“Ugh, he’s hogging the Taylor Swift concert,” Kyra complained.

“Yeah!  Why would he even ask us that, if they aren’t coming out yet?”

“I don’t know, but I hope he leaves soon,” Kyra said.

We listened to three more songs and finally--FINALLY, this Brett Eldredge guy left.  The lights brightened up again.

After him, the lights went up for a minute or two, then darkened again.  Ed Sheeran came out and played “Lego House” with this super long guitar solo which was super loud, and I had to cover my ears.  Ed Sheeran sang some of his other songs that I didn’t really recognize.  Kyra got excited when he sang “You Need Me Man, I Don’t Need You.”  Kyra loved that song, so she stood up and yelled all the lyrics.  Then he did a mash-up of “Thrift Shop” and another one of his own songs.  Ed Sheeran started to “kiss” the microphone as he sang his next song, “The A Team.”  “Hopefully, no one else will be using that microphone...” I thought.  After that, he sang a song from the movie, “Pitch Perfect,” a movie Kyra loves.  Then, he thanked the audience and drank some water.  He walked back stage and the lights went up again.   During his songs, Kyra held up the “Ed Sheeran, Marry Me?” poster.  She actually didn’t want him to marry her, she just wanted to look like a crazy fan, because she is crazy.  She took it down as soon as he went backstage.

It was intermission time.  My friends and I talked to each other about how Taylor hadn’t even come out yet, and it was all Brett Eldredge’s fault.  The lights dimmed again, and the room got louder than ever.  The red curtain showed Taylor’s shadow on it.  I knew it had to be Taylor Swift on stage, but I couldn’t believe it. Even when she started to sing “State of Grace,” I couldn’t believe it was her.  She sang a few other songs, then threw her hat into the audience.  I was so mad that I didn’t get that hat!  The rest of the concert was still fun and exciting though.  She sang lots of songs-- some even from her other albums.  I screamed the words loudly to all her songs.  I didn’t cry like I had expected--I guess it was just too surreal to believe that she was actually there.  I must have thought it was a dream.  Everybody started standing up, so my friends and I couldn’t see.  We had to stand up too in order to see.  Because of this, the people behind us were complaining.  They wanted us to sit, and thought we were holding up our posters too high.  I was like, “Too bad!  You can stand too!  We’re just living our lives!  So whatever to you!”  But I just thought it in my head, so I wouldn’t get in trouble.  After a few songs, I realized how much more amazing Taylor Swift was than people credit her for.  She sang with a beautiful voice on tune, and she wasn’t even a little nervous on the stage.  I could tell by how natural her moves were.  

I couldn’t believe it was over so soon.  My mom said, “Get your stuff, girls!” We grabbed the posters.  We walked out and my mom called my dad to pick us up.  We were all hyper until we piled into the car.  I looked at the clock and realized it was 11:00 at night.  My sister said, “I’m tired.” She yawned and fell asleep.  Chloe’s head started falling to one side.  My mom told me, “Angie, hold her head!” I stuck my hand out and let her lean on my hand as I gazed out the window.  I was really disappointed that I didn’t get invited to Club Red. Even though The Taylor Swift concert wasn’t perfect like I had imagined, it was still a great experience.  I had the time of my life at the concert, and I wish I could go to another one.

The next day at school,  everyone asked how the concert was, and each time I would reply, “It was perfect!”

Mother's Day 2013

Thank You, Mom

As I look at the beautiful red tulip, I think of you.
We don't say thank you enough.
I don't say thank you to the tulip for it's beauty.
I don't say thank you for spending so much money on me
Or driving me places
Or cooking
Or cleaning
Or encouraging me
Or teaching me independence.
I want you to know that my life wouldn't be as beautiful without you in it.
I wish I could write you a song like Taylor Swift...

But this poem will do.

Written with Love,
Awesome Purple Pear

A perfect field trip

A terrific field trip would be at Virginia Beach, because we could learn about the waves, and how the make their motion, and sea animals.  We could also have a lot of fun, because we can play in the water, and in the sand.

The field trip would not be of no use to the education of students, because they could learn about many things there.  One thing is sea animals, because they could learn about the dolphin and fish that are there.  They could learn about the different levels of the ocean based on sunlight, if they go scuba diving.  They could also learn about the waves, and how they form, crash, etc.  They could learn all sorts of things about the ocean!

The students can have fun, because they can play in the sand and ocean.  They could build sand castles, with moats from the sea water, or bury themselves in the sand.  They could boogie board in the ocean, or just splash around.  Maybe they would like to just sit in the shade and talk.  But whatever they decide to do, it will be fun.

Who I am

I am in sixth grade.  My favorite sport to watch and do is gymnastics.  I am on level six.

A gymnastics movie, Stick It, is a great movie.  Stick It is my all-time favorite movie.  It is about a girl named Haley who breaks a law, by accident.  While doing cool biking tricks with her friends, she accidentally breaks part of a house.  Haley’s punishment is that she has to go to a gymnastics camp called the Vickerman’s Gymnastics camp.  She says that she would rather gone to juvy than go to the gymnastics camp.  She used to go there, and she doesn’t try to hide her hatred.  Once Haley gets to the camp, the other gymnasts there don’t try and make her feel welcome.  At the end she becomes a big rebel.  The other gymnasts start to like her, and they become friends.  The movie is very hilarious. 

Taylor Swift a gymnast, but she is my favorite celebrity of all time.  If you came to my house, you would see how much I am in love with her.  Taylor Swift is my idol, and I love her songs.  She writes all of her own songs and has a great personality.  Taylor worked really hard to reach her dreams, and I admire that.  She is great at singing and playing the guitar.  She has won many Grammies, and other awards.  I love her music.  My favorite album is her first album, simply named Taylor Swift.  My favorite song by her is “All Too Well,” which is from her latest album “Red.” 

Although Taylor is my favorite artist, I love listening to other artists’ music, as well.  My favorite song that is not by Taylor Swift is “One More Night” by Maroon Five.  My favorite type of music is pop, but I love country as well. 

In the future, I want to be a children’s author.  An author writes books, and stories, which I love to do.  Writing stories for kids is especially fun, so I will be having fun while I am doing my job.  Instead of writing essays for the SOLs, I will be achieving my dream of being an author for children.  I hope that one day, my stories will be bestsellers, but for now I am just a kid.  Even though normal kids can’t change the world, I hope to someday make someone read a good book, so I will work hard towards my dreams just like Taylor Swift worked hard to achieve her dream.

School lunches

               School lunches definitely do not taste good.  Airplane food tastes about as good as school food.  That shows just how bad it is.  Most people think school lunches are gross, and I agree.  Students shouldn’t be forced to eat stuff they don’t like.  I know one food that almost everybody loves.  Tacos, but not just any tacos, there should be tacos from Taco Bell.  The tacos should be a lunch choice, because many people love tacos.  The regular school lunches are disgusting.  The fruit isn’t fresh, the salad is old, and most of the other choices taste rotten.  Tacos from Taco Bell taste fresh.  Students will like the food better, and the lunch lady won’t have to worry about people wasting food.  Some people don’t eat their lunch, and their money and food will be wasted.  If there are tacos from Taco Bell for lunch, most of the kids will look forward to great food, which is fresh and tastes delicious.  Another thing I hate about school lunches is the drinks.  The juice tasted okay, but doesn’t taste good.  Don’t even mention the milk.  Once, my friends found a chunk of pie in a milk carton.  I was absolutely grossed out, and I couldn’t eat after that.  They should have better drinks.  Fresh milk would be okay, but smoothies would be the best.  They are delicious and healthy.  Lots of people enjoy smoothies, and many students would like it better than chunky milk.  If they added smoothies and tacos to the menu for food at school, I would actually like the school lunches.

How to Survive a Long Flight

A few summers ago, I took a 13 hour flight to China and it was the worst experience at the beginning.  I was bored, cranky with the flight attendants and the food tasted terrible. Then I figured out some strategies to make the flight fun.  These tips might help you in the future when you go on a long flight.  In order to make your flight more enjoyable, you should bring something to entertain yourself, be nice to the flight attendants and bring your own food.

Bringing your own entertainment can make a long flight bearable.  If you don’t bring anything to entertain yourself, you will be bored for a long time.  I suggest bringing electronics.  If you have an iPod or iPad, then you will have many apps to play with.  Electronics are only allowed for part of the flight, so make sure to bring other items, such as books.  Reading books can help the time pass.  When your eyes get tired, you can watch a movie.  Check out the movies the airline offers, but since the selection is restricted for kids, you should bring your own movies and DVD player.  This way, you can watch movies that you like.  A long flight can make you stare at the seat in front of you for many hours without good entertainment.

Besides quality entertainment, the flight attendants can make your flight more comfortable, because they give you the food and drinks, help with the carry-on bags, and sometimes provide the headphones.  Flight attendants are perky but short tempered.  Think before you make a request.  If you are polite to the flight attendants, they might give you what you need quicker, instead of slowly or not at all.  They will serve you before others.  If you make a special request, such as an extra cup of water, they will give it to you.  Make sure to be polite to the flight attendants, so they make your flight more enjoyable.

One last tip is to bring your own food, because the airplane food tastes stale, undercooked, and over microwaved.  Ramen is a great food to bring, because it tastes good, and can be eaten after adding hot water.  Another food to bring is gum, because as the plane takes off, your ears can pop, and chewing gum prevents it.  Bring some extra snacks so, if you get hungry, you can eat a snack between meals.  Bringing your own food can prevent you from eating disgusting airplane food.

You should bring something to entertain yourself, be nice to the flight attendant and bring your own food if you want your long and boring flight to be enjoyable. You will have a good attitude when you get off the plane.  Your parents will be in a good mood and more willing to buy you whatever you want on your trip.  If you become a good traveler now, you may even be open to more job opportunities in the future.