Wednesday, November 16, 2011

I Am a Purple Cow

by Hannah

My mom and dad were purple. Their spots were purple like a grape. The rest is purple like lavender.

The other cows wish they were purple, too. Mom and Dad told me how to be purple: wish upon a purple star that comes out every Saturday night. You have to wish three weeks in a row, then you are purple forever. Only if you want to be another color, you can wish on another star. Then you will become the color of the star.

My milk is purple and tastes like grapes. I breathe out purple air.

Being purple is fun. You can play hide-and-seek with your friends and nobody will ever find you because you blend in with the lavender flowers.

My owner likes me. The first time she ever saw a purple cow, she laughed and was happy because her favorite color is purple.

Lots of people come to see my family. The give me rubs n the back and I give them rides. I love being a purple cow.
Picture modified from graphic from wpclipart.com, a free use, royalty-free collection of clipart. 

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Poem of Praise

by Christina

God is silver.
God is gold.
God helps us do as we're told.
God is precious.
God is sweet.
God will guide our hands and feet.
God is mighty.
God is strong.
God will help you all day long.
God will always be our friend.
And He will endure 'til the end.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Hera’s Quarrel

by Christina

Even Hera wasn’t mad at Hermes, except for once, when he had killed Hera’s hundred-eyed guard, Argos. Hera was taking a stroll through the main temple when she stopped to admire a painting of Zeus. She had been here many times, and knew here was where she had Argos protect the pretty white cow, that she knew was actually Io, one of Zeus’s mortal wives. Hera expected to hear Argos’s greeting, but it didn’t happen. There, underneath the painting, was Hermes. And slumped beside him was Argos, all hundred of his eyes closed. Hera knew in an instant Argos was dead, and saw Hermes had his back to her. She felt anger rise up, and before she could stop, she punched his shoulder blades and shouted, “Hermes!”

Hermes flew up in panic, and his winged sandals fluttered as he hovered in front of the painting.
Hera grabbed a torch and threw it at Hermes.

He swiftly avoided it, rubbing his tender shoulder blades. The torch burned away the marble, and one of the painting’s eyeballs. It showed the dining room, with Athena shoveling apricots and olives into her mouth.

‘Hey, cut that out!” gasped Hermes.

Hera snatched a new torch and threw it at Hermes, who avoided it and flew to a tree. The fire ate at the painting’s ear, piercing a hole into Aphrodite’s dressing room. Aphrodite stood there, putting on a red lip balm.

“Argos was bored,” protested Hermes. “So I decided to put him out of his misery. I thought to bore him more would work, and it did. He was bored to death.”

“You bored him to death!” roared Hera. “You little jerk!” She sent another torch at Hermes, but he dissolved it with water from the cow trough.

Hermes said, “Well, of course, Hera. I didn’t want Argos to think I was going to kill him.”
Hera was so full of fury that she leaped for Hermes.

With a flick of his wrist, Hermes grabbed a rope and bound Hera up so tight she could hardly move. She was wrapped from head to toe, like a mummy, or a fly wrapped in threads.
Hera gave a muffled gasp, because she realized that she had bound the cow with this exact rope! Hera struggled, but all she was rewarded with was her face freed, because Hermes had it loose for her to breathe. Hera looked up and scowled at Hermes, then said, “Okay, forget about Argos. What about the cow?”

Hermes stared at Hera with a strange look. “I didn’t do anything with the cow,” he said.
Hera’s fury bubbled up again. “HERMES!” Hera’s shout was so loud, Athena nearly choked on an olive pit, and Aphrodite’s lip balm slipped through her hands and fell on the floor, leaving a large, red stain on the marble tile.

Hermes fell from the branch he was sitting on and tumbled on to Argo’s dead body. He flew back up and perched on Hera’s head. “What, Hera? Two of my siblings ask me to get rid of Argus. I do it because I don’t like Argus. Not one bit. Even you,” said Hermes, leaping off her head, “don’t like Argus that much.”

Hera wobbled and fell, breaking the rope and falling on Argus. As if to prove Hermes’s point, Hera scrambled off Argus with a look of disgust, and unwound the rest of the bonds. Then she looked up at Hermes, who was hovering over her. “So?” she said challengingly.

Hermes landed on the ground and gave her a look of complete confusion. Finally, after many seconds, he said, “So what?”

Hera paced back and forth in front of him. “Why didn’t you let Argos guard the cow?”

Hera did not notice that Athena and Aphrodite were peering through the holes, listening to every word. However, Hermes noticed but decided to show no sign of it and to choose his words carefully. He advanced slowly towards Hera.

Hera became frightened and with every step Hermes took forward, she took two steps backward. No god had ever challenged her like this before, except for Zeus. After all, she was the queen of Mount Olympia, the one queen chosen out of all other of Zeus’s wives, the second most powerful god and the most powerful goddess.

But while Hera thought these things, Hermes was growing angrier by the second. He finally spoke. “What’s so special about a cow? I have many cows. I have Apollo’s whole herd, and their offspring, and their offspring’s offspring, and even more offspring still! And does even one of them seem special? Do I single one milky white cow from all other white cows? Then do I tie the cow up to a tree and have a guardian that I order to watch her day and night, day and night, day and night? Then do I take my entire wrath on a god sitting where the guardian was?” He advanced with so much force Hera lost her footing and landed in a pile of cow dung.

Hera spat in disgust and gasped as she feverishly tried to clean the huge brown stain on the back of her white robe. But then she heard a loud, thundering voice.

“Hera!”

It was the voice of Zeus. Hermes watched as Hera stalked out of the room, but before turning to go into the hall, she turned around and hissed, “You did an impressive show, jerk. Just save your pretty words for the judge’s hammer!”

And with that short speech, Hera was gone.

Athena and Aphrodite climbed out of the holes to cluster around Hermes.

“You will think of some good words, right?” said Aphrodite.

“After all,” added Athena, “you are the god of all those who use their wits.”

Hermes smiled at Athena. “And you are the god of wisdom and war with real meaning.”

Both of the gods smiled at him. “You will be sure to see our rocks at your feet,” they said in unison. And just as Hera had disappeared, the two goddesses were gone.

Aphrodite: Goddess of Love and Beauty

by Gloria

Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, was the only Olympian without a mother or a father. Nobody knew where she came from. The West Wind, Zephyr, saw her first, in the pearly light of dawn, as she rose out of the sea on a soft cushion of foam. She floated lightly over the gentle waves, and was so beautiful, that Zephyr almost lost his breath for a moment.

“Where am I?”, she asked dazedly, looking around her.

“Don't be afraid”, Zephyr soothed, “I will help you. You can trust me.”

Just then, Eos, goddess of the dawn peeked over the horizon, her rosy face glowing. Then she saw Aphrodite, and excitedly exclaimed,“Uncle Zephyr, blow the maiden to Cythera, the graces will meet her there. I must tell Zeus, because she is an immortal being, possibly even a goddess! Zeus needs to hear about this!”

“As usual, my niece,” Zephyr breathed, “you are right.” And with gentle puffs, he guided Aphrodite to the flowering island of Cythera, where the Three Graces were waiting. As they spotted Aphrodite nearing the shore, three swans told them what had happened. All at once, they started chattering.

“I will give her my jeweled robe, for if she is going to Olympus, and is a possible goddess, she needs to dress nicely to make a good first impression. Oh! I’d better get my comb, and some ointments too.” fluttered the first grace, that was the least practical, but also the one most attentive to details called Style.

“Olympus!” screeched the second grace, who was quite the drama queen, and was called Drama “Well she has to arrive in style, and flash. I will get my golden chariot for her to ride in.”

The third, who was practical and convincing, called Persuasion, replied “She will need attendants, of course, and creatures to pull the chariot, but they must fit her personality, so I will see if I can find eight doves, willing to carry a possible goddess around. That shouldn't be too hard.”

“But what about ATTENDANTS!!!!!” screeched Drama, who was getting very anxious.

“Duh, if she becomes a goddess, she’s going to be the goddess of beauty, or something like that, so we wouldn't be, so being her attendants would be the next best thing, and we probably fit her personality.” replied Style knowingly, and maybe a bit jealously.

When Aphrodite landed on Cythera, the Three Graces welcomed her, and explained that she was a possible goddess that she was a possible goddess. They dressed her in Style’s s soft shimmering robe, and decked her in jewels, combed and styled her hair, adding quality ointments to her already flawless face. When she was ready, they placed her in Drama’s golden chariot, pulled by ten of the gentlest, most graceful, strongest doves Persuasion could find, and went up to mount Olympus.

When they reached Olympus, the gods and goddesses had no doubt that she was the twelfth god, and so she was given a golden throne in the hall of the gods.

Zeus, the chief of the gods, was afraid that the gods might fight over Aphrodite’s hand, so to prevent it he quickly chose a husband for her.

“Hermes, Poseidon and Hades are already married,” Zeus reasoned, “ and Apollo does not want to marry, so that leaves Ares and Hepheastus, Hepheastus is the more faithful of the two, so Aphrodite will marry Hepheastus.”

Hepheastus, god of the forge, could hardly believe his luck, and put all his skill into making the most beautiful jewels for her. He made her a girdle so perfect, and so interwoven with magic, that anyone who saw her while she was wearing it, would instantly fall in love with her. That was a mistake, because she was too irresistible already.

Aphrodite loved gaiety and glamour, and hated being the wife of sooty dirty Hepheastus. Daily she grumbled, “if only I had been given a choice! A little choice between Ares and Hepheastus, Ares is so much more handsomer, I would have chosen him. Oh I can’t believe my rotten luck...”

Once a year, Aphrodite returned to Cythera, and dived into the sea from where she came. Sparkling and young, she rose from the sea, as beautiful as on the day she had first been seen.


Cave Houses

by Hannah

Long ago people lived in caves. They are holes in the side of a hill. It's wet and dark. Bears and bats live in it. I wouldn't like to live in a cave house.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

My Visit to Aunt Dawn

By Christina

I went to my aunt's. She lives in Georgia and has a small farm. She has chickens. Only the rooster Midas will let us hold him. Sometimes I got to hold the baby chickens.I feed them grasshoppers, crickets and corn. My aunt has three dogs. Goldilocks is the most obedient. One day, on the Fourth of July, we set off fireworks. It was fun. My favorites were the Sparking Tree, the Exploding Eyeball, the Charcoal Worms, and the June Bug. I like Aunt Dawn's house. I hope I can go back again.

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Treaty

By Gloria

If Christina makes an inappropriate comment, I will calmly correct her and will try to remember.

Christina stays up later and our alarm is set for 7:00 a.m. so I can get some sleep and Christina will stop arguing about waking up at 7:00.

If Christina asks why a question is inappropriate, I will calmly answer and explain if I can.

by Christina

If I say something inappropriate or do something wrong, Gloria will sweetly and kindly correct me. She will not hurt or get angry. And I will listen to her and apologize. If I do not understand, I will ask her and she will explain to me.

If I stay awake for an hour after she goes to bed, I will allow Gloria to stay asleep until 7:00 a.m. instead of the previous 6:00.

(Assignment from Sonlight LA Core G)

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Water in our Houses and After it Leaves

by Gloria


How water gets to the house, and what happens after the drain

Water Stages

By Christina


Liquid, Solid, Gas

Snow Memories

By Danielle as told by Grandma Dee

I loved and still love the winter. I loved snowdrifts.

My brothers and I would go out and get up on the fence posts. The snow was piled up really high, sometimes as high as the fence post itself. We would stand on the post and fall off into the snow and get covered in it.

Other times, we would make slides out of the snow piles, slide down, and, again, get covered. We also would make tunnels in the drifts of snow and play in them.

I really loved those times playing in the snow. Now I can’t because I live in California.