Self-Portrait

12 years old

Cat Poems: Cat in my Hand

Cruising down the beach with a cat in my hand
Sitting on the beach put the cat in the sand        

                                                                    

Chilling on the beach putting on cat lotion      
Swimming on the beach with the cat in the ocean

Playing on the beach building sand castles
Running on the beach the cat is such a hassle

Looking on the beach for sharp shark teeth
Scuba diving on the beach see that cool coral reef?

Dashing on the beach like all the little fishes
Sunset on the beach making wavey wishes

Cruising down the beach with a cat in my hand
sitting on the beach put the cat in the sand

Cat Poems: You had to of Known

What?                                                                               
Why are you screaming?
911 emergency?
Should I say you are drowning?
Or bleeding?
Perhaps suffocating?
What?                                                           

Oh, that?
Come on
You had to of known
That I kept a secret stash
Of dead mice
In that corner

Washington D.C.... The trip of a lifetime!

Last week I went on my amazing safety patrol trip to Washington D.C. It was the trip of a lifetime, and I would like to thank all of the people who contributed money donations for this trip. Ok, first of all, the first day of the trip I had to wake up at 3:45am and get ready. Then my mom and I left at about 4:00am to go pick up my friend and we drove to the mall where the buses were. The buses left at about 5:45am and were driving all day long to Washington D.C. We got at the hotel at about 8:30pm and we were all SO tired. For the next three days, we went to memorials, The Capitol, even the White House! They were all astounding, but my favorite was the Jefferson Memorial. I liked it because the people who made it put all of his writings around the statue of him on the wall. It was really inspiring, and made me want to be like Jefferson one day. The next day the patrols took a little trip to Busch Gardens, Williamsburg. It was a pretty blue-ribbon theme park, if you ask me. There were roller coasters so insane, that you were dropping straight down upside down with your feet hanging. Pretty intense, if you ask me. My favorite ride there was Der Whirlberwind, the swings ride. Anyway, overall, this was a mesmerizing trip. I saw life-changing things, and read transcendent writings. To rising (or not rising) safety patrols---this was, is, and will be one of your most stunning trips that you go on. I know it was one of mine. So enjoy it while you can. And I know you all want to see these fabulous pictures that I got/took from my trip, so here they are!:

My friend and I at the Capitol

Looking across from the Lincoln Memorial to the Washington Monument

At the Lincoln Memorial

With my friend Charlotte at the World War 2 Memorial

At the Iwo Jima Memorial

Safety Patrols at The White House

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial

Eleanor Roosevelt

Meeting with Congressman John Rutherford:
Note:  Just because I am with him in this picture does not mean I am FOR him.  All the Safety Patrols had to meet him in the Capitol whether we agree with his policies or not.  He did say one thing that I liked-- that in his day there were only boy safety patrols (he was one), but now they are also girl patrols and that is the right way. 

Library of Congress

The most healthy thing I ate during the trip.

Meeting with Congressman Ted Yoho
Note:  Just because I am with him in this picture does not mean I am FOR him.
All the Safety Patrols had to meet him.
I wish he didn't support Trump.

Busch Gardens Williamsburg

I am home!

The Holocaust

We were supposed to go to the Holocaust Museum with our Washington DC trip, but it got bumped so we could meet two of our Congressmen, so my parents asked me to do a small report on the Holocaust.

They asked me to answer these 5 questions:

1.  What was The Holocaust? Well, I will do my best to explain. The Holocaust took place in World War 2 and was from 1933-1945. It was basically the killing of 6 million (out of the 11 million) European Jews. A man named Adolf Hitler was the man running the whole thing. He was a German politician, and the leader of the Nazi Party (the soldiers who killed the Jews). One of his quotes was," Make the lie big, make it simple, and eventually they will believe it." I don't know about you, but that quote is literally the dumbest thing I've ever heard. Anyway, in the Holocaust, there were camps. Certain camps...for Jews, where most of them died because they just simply didn't have enough resources to. Even worse, in the camps, the families were separated, and at the end of the War they rarely got together again. The Holocaust officially ended on September 2nd, 1945.

2.  What is the Holocaust Museum? Okay, so the Holocaust Museum is the official memorial for the Holocaust. It's full name is the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM). Inside, there is everything you need to know about the Holocaust. There is documents, pictures, even diaries or stories of people who experienced the Holocaust wrote. The museum was built not only for a Holocaust memorial, but also to help citizens around the world prevent genocide, promote dignity, strengthen democracy, and most importantly, confront hatred. I like that. Anyway, it was built in 1980, Washington, D.C. The museum has approximately 12,750 artifacts, 80,000 historical photographs, 200,000 registered survivors, and 40 million visitors. Surprisingly, there has been one shooting in the museum in 2009. But other than that, the museum has been perfectly safe since then.

3.  Why should people go to the Holocaust Museum/why must we always remember the Holocaust? First of all, you need to know about the Holocaust. Like, NEED to. So a good way to learn about it is by going to the Holocaust Museum. Also, the Holocaust Museum has really cool artifacts and documents, pictures, too, and in general, it's just a really cool thing to see. You know, what other people experienced. That's why people should go to the Holocaust Museum. Now, we should always remember the Holocaust because of what a hard time it was for all of the European Jews. We have to remember it because it could have been something much worse. Also to show respect to the people who died in the Holocaust, and to acknowledge the great evil (things) done. I think we should also remember the Holocaust to be glad that someone hasn't done something like that to us.

4.  Reflect on the Holocaust. Ok, I can't really answer this question, because then I would be saying everything I did in question one, and that wouldn't be a good blogpost. So, instead, I will put in pictures and say a little about them:

Ok, so this was a quote from a Holocaust survivor. He was a writer, professor, and political activist. He was born in 1928 and died in 2016.

This was also another quote the same survivor, Elie Wiesel.

This was a quote from the USHMM. I really like this quote because it really says how much damage words can do. For example; if you tell a lie, and something bad happens because you told it, the damage is the words of the lie, not what happened.

This was a quote from Martin Niemoller. He was a German theologian. I don't know exactly why or how he died, but it possibly was because someone killed him. He was born in 1892 and he died in 1994.
   Those are all the quotes and pictures I have in this post. You can find more quotes about the Holocaust here.

5. Do you think the Holocaust could happen again? I hope not. I googled someone who made some signs to follow to see if something like the Holocaust is happening. Two of the signs were classification and symbolization. Classification means to classify groups of things (or people) that have the same similarities. Symbolization is sort of the same thing, except it also means what the thing or person symbolizes. Another two signs are discrimination and dehumanization. I did not know that dehumanization was a word. Anyway, discrimination means to discriminate certain people who have certain qualities. Now, dehumanization refers to depriving a person or a group of qualities. Basically like looking at some one and saying, "Well, they aren't human. They are an animal. Or a monster." It's a really cruel thing to do. Then there is polarization and organization. Polarization is like to cause people to separate into opposing groups. Like the North pole and South pole. They repel each other. An organized body of people with an particular purpose is organization. Those signs were the only one obvious to me, but you can read the article here.


Interesting Fact: The Holocaust was longer than World War 2.
Interesting Fact:  Another word for "Holocaust" is Shoah.

MineCraft

MINECRAFT. Have you heard of of the game MineCraft? It is one of my favorite games to play. People say that it is a video game, but I think it is educational. Some schools even have kids play MineCraft in classes! MineCraft is a game where you create your own world. You have ten lives, and you can lose them if you fall from a high place, drown, get killed, stuff like in real life. The only thing that is not realistic in MineCraft is the mobs. Mobs are monsters that spawn in the dark. They are usually things like skeletons, zombies, spiders, creepers, etc. They all try to kill you. Another unrealistic thing is portals. We don't have portals on Earth...yet. Well, at least I hope so. Anyway, there is two game modes you can play in; survival, and creative. In creative mode, you have it all easy. You have access to every single block or thing in MineCraft, you can make portals, even fly! But in survival mode, you have to basically get everything by yourself: you have to hunt, make your own home, kill anything that attacks you, etc. Just like you would in real life. Well, except for you basically are born in the forest and have to go on from there. That is not realistic. Ok, one last thing; how you can play on MineCraft. You can play it on a iPad, Xbox 360,

iPhone, computer, phone, laptop, stuff like that.

Sooooooooooo that's pretty much all about                  Here's a pretty cool picture I found of

MineCraft, you can check it all out on YouTube.         something someone built in MineCraft:

 I hoped you learned a few things about this game

and maybe even download it! Byyyyyyyye!

                                                                           

                                                                     

                                                                                                                                                                  

                                                                           

Rainbow Loom

Stretch. Pull band over. Rainbow Loom bracelet! Rainbow Loom is awesome! It is one of my favorite things to do when I'm bored. I make bracelets, charms, pencil decorations, even barefoot sandals! Pretty much anyone can loom, just start out with the single chain bracelet and you can do much more from there. One of my favorite creations is the Flutterized Butterfly Pencil Hugger/Ring. It is SOOOOOOOO cool. But it is the hardest design that I have made with Rainbow Loom yet. But it is worth all the hard work. In the end, it turns out to be really pretty. You can make it into a ring, pencil hugger, charm, ring, bracelet, or necklace. Barefoot Sandals are also one of my favorites creations with Rainbow Loom. It isn't like a normal sandal, though. it has a pretty top that goes around your ankle and toe, but no bottom to it. SO pretty. You can check out Rainbow Loom designs on the internet and you can make them on YouTube. So the next time you feel bored, go make a beautiful and fun to make Rainbow Loom creation! 

                                           

                                        

                                          Here is a picture of the Rainbow

                                  Loom     

Cats

CATS OMGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE THEM SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!! So sorry about that, I just love them so much. They are my favorite animal/pet. Did you know that cats are originally from Egypt? You probably did. Cats are known for their awesome acrobatic bodies and amazing hearing. Cats can live up to sixteen years, which is only a little bit longer then a dog. The longest living cat on was named Creme Puff. She lived up to 38 years and three days. I know, right? SO LONG. Very impressive. There are about 200 cat breeds on Earth. Which is, when you think about it, a LOT compared to other things. Cats can weigh up to 9.9 pounds. However, the heaviest cat in the world weighed 21.3 lbs, and his name was Himmy. Impressive, too, but I hope he's OK. Now, you may be thinking, "Well, we know what cat lived the longest, but which cat breed tends to live the longest?" Good question. Well, Burmese cats tend usually live the longest, from 18-20 years. So if you want a nice cat that will keep you company for quite a long time, get a Burmese cat today! Sorry- I don't mean to sound like an advertiser but I love cats...so yeah. Well, that's pretty much the basics of cats, you don't exactly need to know anymore...unless you're a cat lover-like me. Here are some pictures of the cutest things on Earth (well, in my opinion):

March For Our Lives

On Saturday, March 24, I went to a march for gun safety. I really didn't want to go. I was afraid that there would be a shooter there. I even cried! But I still had to go. My family had to drive downtown to go to the Hemming Plaza where some kids and adults were giving speeches and singing songs. I kept cautiously looking around to see if anybody had a gun. But nobody did. Then a person came up on the platform where people had been singing songs and giving speeches. The person gave us a few chants to practice, and when we were done we started to march to the County Courthouse. I wasn't as scared as I was before I was there when we started to march with all those people, but I was still scared. While we all marched, we chanted several things, such as "Not One More!" and "Show Me What Democracy Look Like! This Is What Democracy Looks Like!" I felt a little proud to be there with my sign and chanting with all those people. It felt like a good and right thing to do. Once we all got to the County Courthouse, all of us stood in front of it and did more chants and took a picture of it to send to the local news so everybody could see how many people are fighting against guns. It was moving. After that, my family went home. After I had the experience, I wasn't so scared about it anymore. It had been a great experience, and a wonderful time. Here are some pictures of the march:

Ducks in the Pool

I love ducks and all, and cute little baby ducklings, but I like them out in nature where they belong, NOT in my POOL. These ducks (2 of them, a boy and a girl, probably a couple) keep coming in my pool, and it feels like EVERY FLIPPING 5 SECONDS!!! Every time they fly in the pool and start swimming, anyone in my family who is there starts throwing pinecones in the pool, getting a pool net, screaming at them, and god knows what else to get them away. Oh, and guess what else adds to the fun?! IT'S MATING SEASON!!! CURSE THE MATING SEASON!!! WHY?! Just why does it have to be this pool?! And if the ducks build a nest by the pool, were stuck with them because it's illegal to touch their nest!!! They will teach the cuuuuute little ducklings to swim...in OUR POOL!!! Awww, the little ducklings are so cute CURSE THEIR PARENTS!!! My mom says that she is going to buy these HUGE yellow balloons with big red and black eyes on them. Hopefully it will scare the ducks away. It's supposed to. They are called Scare Eye balloons and they look like this:

I know that they are supposed to freak the ducks out of the pool, and I hope they do, but honestly-they freak me out. Anyway, just warning anybody who has a pool and that it's mating season. For ducks, anyway. BEWARE THE DUCKS! And curse them, too. But not the ducklings.

Get Your Own Flipping Room

I come home from school
To hear a loud BOOM!
I run upstairs to find a mess,
Can't my sister get her own flipping room?

I often hear crashes and bashes and booms,
Through I really wish I could hear flowing lagoons.
How come my brother gets a nice queen bed
But I can't have my own flipping room?

Making messes is my sister's thing
And she does it in an instant- ZOOM!
Getting presents is nice, privileges too
But the first thing I need is my own flipping room.

"At least you don't share a bed with her"
says my mom referring to my sis (at night she spreads out and blooms)
If I honestly shared a bed with her, she'd just roll right off
Seriously, people, I'm not joking; I NEED MY OWN FLIPPING ROOM!

At last I'm in my cozy bed.
Ahhh, no more crashes and booms.
Oh god, she's snoring? You've got to be kidding me.
Why can't I just have my own flipping room?

Book Review: Are You There God, It's Me, Margaret

Date Finished: 12/30/17

Pages Read: 149

Rating: 7 out of 10

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Author: Judy Blume

Setting: School, Margaret's House, etc



Margaret Simon is 12 years old, and she just moved from New York to the suburbs. As anyone else would, she wants to fit in and have friends. And when she and her new friends form a secret club called the PTS's (Pre- Teen-Sensations) to talk about growing up girl stuff, Margaret decides to take part in it. In the club they have boy books, they have to wear bras, and if one of the girls gets her period, they have to tell each other what it was like. Even though it's great to talk about all this stuff with her friends, Margaret knows she can already talk to God about all this stuff. Anything that's on her mind-even wanting to grow. This book was good. I liked that it was about girls and puberty, because I will go through some of that stuff soon. This book made me think about what it will be like to start growing as a girl. My favorite part was when Margaret went to Norman Fishbein's party and played a game where she had to kiss a mystery guy. I think you would like this book if you are a girl and would like to know what it will be like when you start to grow up and go into puberty. I think the lesson in this book is, "It's okay to not have a religion and still talk to God."

Book Review: Wonder

Date Finished: 12/22/17

Pages Read: 312

Rating: 7 out of 10

Genre: Fiction

Author: RJ Palacio

Setting: School, August's House, Outside, etc



August (Auggie) Pullman is not like any other ordinary kid. He does ordinary stuff. He eats ordinary stuff. H e has ordinary stuff. But he does not look ordinary. Ordinary kids don;'t make other kids run away from them and scream on the playground. Ordinary kids don't get stared at wherever they go. And ordinary kids look ordinary. August is not an ordinary kid. He has had 27 surgeries since he has been born, and now he is 10 and just about to go into 5th grade. Problem is, he has to actually go to school...and he has never done that before. August knows that this will not be easy- especially with his face. What will happen at his new school? Will he make friends...or will he be bullied the whole year through? This book was  pretty good, I liked the story of it. This book made me think about what it is to be a privileged kid, and it also made me think about what it must be like to have a disfigured face like August's. My favorite part was when August met Summer, because at first she was the only girl who was nice to him. I think you would like this book if you like a good book about what it is to be a friend. I think the lesson in this book is, "It's not enough to be friendly. You have to be a Friend."

Story Thieves 3: Secret Origins

Date Finished: 12/3/17

Pages Read: 370

Rating: 10 out of 10

Genre: Fiction book about Adventure

Author: James Riley

Setting: In a comic book called Jupiter City


   

Bethany and Owen are no longer jumping into books - but does a blue fire portal count, too? Bethany keeps seeing a mysterious man who's always outside her house. And when she decides to follow him, she and Owen are amazed at what they see. When they find out the blue portal leads to a comic book world named Jupiter City, they are determined to find out why there are no superheroes (or villains) in the city, and who Doc Twilight (the mysterious man) really is. But when they are saved by Doc Twilight and he is then captured by the greatest villain ever, and the only one remaining in Jupiter city, The Dark, they are also determined to take down The Dark and rescue Doc Twilight. But how can they do it? Surely they will need the help of old and new friends to save the day. But who is Doc Twilight really? And who is this Nobody, and what is he really up to? Will Bethany and her friends save the day? Or will they come crashing down? And what kind of villain's name is the Rotten Banana? This book was also soooooooo good, it was definitely the best book I've read in the Story Thieves series, even better then The Stolen Chapters. This book made me think about books and the characters' lives and how different they are. My favorite part was when Charm met Gwen, because it is so funny how they act towards each other because of how different they are from each other! I think you would like this book if you like LOTS of adventure -and of course books. I think the lesson in this book is, "Be careful with who you Trust (basically Nobody)". READ THIS BOOK! 📕📖📗📘📙📚(And also read the Pick the Plot book that Owen gets thrown into by Nobody. You either save him or kill him.)

Book Review: Story Thieves 2; The Stolen Chapters

Date Finished: 11/7/17

Pages Read: 354

Rating: 10 out of 10

Genre: Fiction book about Mystery and Adventure

Author: James Riley

Setting: In a book called Story Thieves 2: The Stolen Chapters ( yes, in the book the characters are trapped inside a book named that)


Owen Conners would never jump into a mystery, especially without his friend, Bethany, and her permission. So how did he end up in one and with his memory erased? In the beginning of the book, Owen and Kiel are in the book (but they don't know it) at Owen's mom's library that is on fire. A man in a question mark mask and a Sherlock Holmes hat and coat appears in front of them with some mysterious news. Because of Kiel and Owen's erased memories, they don't know that below them in the sewers, Bethany is in a room filling with water and she will have to jump out of the book soon so she doesn't drown. But then she will have to abandon Kiel and Owen forever! What will she do? What will happen to Kiel and Owen? Will they meet new allies on their mystery? And who is this Doyle really? This book was sooooooooooooooooooo good- it may even be the best book I've read in the Story Thieves series! This book made me think about books...as it would. My favorite part was when I met the new character Moria, because she is so funny. I think you would like this book if you like LOTS of mystery and adventure -and of course books. I think the lesson in this book is, "Be careful with who you Trust".  Oh, and here's a piece of advice: READ THIS BOOK! 📕📖📗📘📙📚

Book Review: Tortilla Sun

Date Finished: 10/15/17

Pages Read: 218

Rating: 5 out of 10

Genre: Fiction book about Mystery and Adventure

Author: Jennifer Cervantes

Setting: Mostly New Mexico



This book was called Tortilla Sun, and it was about a girl named Izzy. Izzy is 12 years old, and is anything but lazy, for she will search for adventures until she finds one. Izzy also loves to write.  Problem is, she isn't good at finishing her stories... in her writings or in reality. So when Izzy finds a baseball in a memory box of her moms with the words Because...Magic with a space between them, she is determined to find the missing words, even if her mom has to send her to New Mexico. This book was pretty good because it was about adventures-and I love adventures. I also like food...and this book had a LOT of food in it.  But this book was also kind of sad because some people die or almost die in this book. Anyway, this book made me think about adventures and my adventures in life. My favorite part was when Izzy and her friends, Mateo and Maggie, go up in the hot air balloon with Maggie's yarn ladder to heaven. I think you would like this book is you like adventures and mystery. I think the lesson in this book was, " Go out there and be adventurous". I hope you enjoyed the review- and the book if you read it too!

Fruit; A Poem by ZoeCreates

Oranges, Grapes, Bananas indeed. 🍊🍇🍌
Lemons, Pineapples, every fruit has a seed. 🍋🍍
Strawberries, Apples, Peaches galore. 🍓🍎🍑
Blueberries, Tomatoes, I want some more! 🔵🍅
Avocados, Coconuts, Cucumbers are yummy. 🥑🌰🥒
Peppers and Pumpkins go to my tummy. 🌶🔶
Limes, Berries, Grapefruit are sliced.🍈💥👛
Watermelons and Figs are diced. 🍉 o
Cantaloupe, Honeydew, and Plums are fine. ⥀💚🍑
Cherries and Starfruit are mine! 🍒⭐
Papayas, Mangoes, and of course Pomegranates. 💛🔸🔴
Pears, Kumquats, every fruit on the planet! 🍐⭖
Fruits, Fruits, there are so many. 🍏
Fruits, Fruits, there is more than plenty. o

Book Review: The Great Green Notebook of Katie Roberts

Date Finished: 10/7/17

Pages Read: 105

Rating: 9 out of 10

Author: Amy Hest

Genre: Fiction book about Family

Setting: School, Katie's House, The Trolley Car Café, Outside (Texas)



The Great Green Notebook of Katie Roberts is about a girl, who is obviously named Katie Roberts. This book was supposed to be a notebook, Katie's Great Green notebook. The book, or notebook is about Katie and her family. Katie has a Mom, two brothers named Billy and Seymour, and a Stepfather because her real Dad died in the war. Katie also has a friend named Lucie, who is her so called "soulmate" and a person who she can tell anything to. Katie is very intelligent and definitely has a mind of her own. She encounters many obstacles and experiences throughout the book, like her mom, a new Café, and even crushes on boys! But what will happen to Katie when she is forced to train a boy named Rudy in spelling? I thought that this book was good because it is sooooo funny. Why? Because Katie has lots of tiny stories that she writes into this book along with her life story. Some stories are headlined, "The Mean Mother", by that famous kid author Katie Roberts. I think that's pretty funny. Sometimes it says, "ANNOYING BOSSY MOTHER EXAMPLE #1234 and so on. This book made me think about my life and how it is compared to Katie's. My favorite part was when Katie goes to the school dance. I think you would like this book if you like comedy and the importance of life and family. I think the lesson in this book is, "Live Your Life and live it Freely".
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Book Review: Looking for Me

Date Finished: 9/24/17

Pages Read: 161

Rating: 6 out of 10



This book, Looking for Me, was a book about a girl named Edith who has a remarkably huge family. This book is written in poetry form. Edith thinks that she is just plain old number four in her big family. She's not that old, so she doesn't exactly get privileges, and she's not that young, so no one holds her hand and she can't get away with stuff. But slowly from the beginning to the end, Edith realizes that she is way more then plain old number four. This book was okay. It wasn't the best because it was sad. The book made me feel pretty grateful for what I have, though. My favorite part was when  Edith plays in the rain with her little brother, Melvin. I think you would like this book if you think you don't play a important part in your family. I think the lesson in this book is, "You are always Something". I hope you like this book if you read it.
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Book Review: Abby Spencer goes to Bollywood

Date Finished: 9/18/17

Pages Read: 249

Rating: 3 out of 10

This book, Abby Spencer goes to Bollywood, was about a girl named Abby who has a father from India who is a famous Bollywood actor. Abby goes to Bollywood to meet her one of a kind Dad. But, he doesn't want Abby to tell anyone that she is his daughter. So Abby has fun with some of her Dad's friends, like Shiva, Mina, Bina, Shaan, and even her Grandma Tara! Abby soon finds out that the life of a movie star isn't so grand. She barley ever gets to spend time with her Dad, let alone talk to him. One day, she happened to walk by a group of photographers who were trying to get a glimpse of  her Dad, or as they called him, Naveen Kumar. One photographer calls to Abby. She ignores him. Again and again he asks her if she knows where her Dad is. Finally, Abby can't take it anymore. "Leave me and my Dad alone!" she angrily yells out. As soon as she says it, she regrets it. What will dad say? Or even worse, what will he do? Read Abby Spencer Goes To Bollywood to find out. I didn't really like this book. I thought that it was a little too boring. My favorite part was when Abby goes shopping with her Dad's girlfriend, Rani. I think if you were 9-15 this book could interest you. I think the lesson in this book was, "Think before you answer." If you decide read this book, I hope you like it because I didn't.
                               Don't forget to check out the link- there is some cool stuff there!
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