Blackwell's 2nd Grade Bloggers

Flat Stanley in North Carolina

2009-12-04T12:58:00.000-08:00

My niece Briana sent me the Flat Stanley to enjoy some time in North Carolina. Here is Flat Stanley enjoying some time at the Womac Army Medical Center Labor and Delivery floor here at Fort Bragg. He is scheduled to get some Army time this week.

Flat Stanely in Washington DC

2009-12-04T11:44:00.001-08:00

I got to go on another trip with Emily's Uncle Bill, we were lucky that we got to fly to our Nation's Capital in Washington DC. We visited then famous Smithsonian Museums and got to see a lot of the city.

I got a picture of the Washington Monument and 2 of our famous buildings. The FBI building and the Internal Revenue Service Building.

Your Friend,

Flat Stanley

Flat Stanley in China and Japan

2009-12-04T10:40:00.000-08:00

Dear Class,

I went to China, with Emily's Uncle Bill; it was quite an exciting trip. We stated out in Dallas, Texas and flew to Chicago, Illinois. We got on another plane and flew 13 house from Chicago to Shanghai, China. It was a very long plane trip and I was very tired when we arrived. Shanghai is the largest city in China, 20 million people live there.

We stayed in Shanghai for 5 days before going to Suzhou, China for 2 days. Suzhou is an important center for China's silk industry. The city was built in 514 BC the city has many hotels and beautiful gardens. They have great hotels with lots of good food. When night falls the city is quiet and peaceful.

Suzhou is 3 hours north of Shanghai by plane. It was really nicer and not as much pollution. The food had been different from ours but good.

Our next town to visit was Beijing, while we were there we met a Chinese girl whose name was Emily She. I guess her family liked the American name of Emily.

We go to go to the Great Wall of China, it was amazing. The wall is approximately 4000 miles long. The wall was built in the 7th century when China was still divided into many states. In the fall the mountains are blanketed by colors, creating an amazing view. This could be the best season to visit.

When our trip to China was over we flew to Japan. We had dinner at a beautiful place outside the airport in Japan and they let me play the piano. The Gardens are very beautiful in Japan. Our layover in Japan was short only about 6 hours.

We left Japan at 6:00 pm on Friday and arrived in Dallas at 3:00 pm on Friday. We arrived 3 hours before we left.

Love, Flat Stanely

Prague (Praha) Czech Republic

2009-11-25T09:58:00.000-08:00

Palace of Prague....It is the largest ancient castle in the world (570 m long, on average 128 m wide, area 7.28 hectares). Constructed in the 9th century by Prince Bořivoj, and is still the seat of all Czech rulers

The clock was built in 1410....info as follows....
The Astronomical Dial shows the medieval perception of the Universe: the Earth is the center. The blue part of the dial represents the sky above the horizon, the brown part the sky below it. There are Latin words ORTVS (east) and OCCASVS (west) written above the horizon, and AVRORA (dawn) and CPEPVSCVLVM (twilight) below. There is a Zodiac ring, which represents the stars in the sky and it moves according to it. The two clock hands bear the signs of the Sun and the Moon. There are three circles on the dial, showing different time: the outer circle with Schwabacher numerals shows the Old Czech Time (“Italian Time”), the circle with Roman numbers shows the Central European Time and the inner circle with Arabic numerals shows the “Babylonian Time”: the length of an hour differs there according to the season – it is longer in the summer, shorter in the winter. The Prague Astronomical Clock is the only one in the world able to measure it. Furthermore, the little star by the zodiac ring shows the sidereal time.

Flat Stanely at Rhine Ordnance Barracks, Heidelberg Castle, and Heidelberg Bridge

2009-11-25T08:43:00.000-08:00

Hunter with Stanley at the Christmas Bazaar at Rhine Ordnance Barracks.....Zucker means sweets (candy)

Me with the Heidelberg Castle in the background....one of the most popular in all of Europe

Heidelberg Bridge and old city (Cathedrals) and a barge
Entrance (city gate) to the old city
with the night lights on

Heidelberg was destroyed during the 30 years war with France...it is over 700 years old ( built in 1212) and added to around 1600...was also struck by a lightening bolt., in the late 1700's

The French burned it in 1689
alot of this was religious to do with the Holy Roman Empire and Martin Luther (the German one not MLK)

lots of history....:)

Flat Stanley at the Rhein River, Rheinstein Castle, and the Shongau Castle

2009-11-25T08:34:00.000-08:00

More pics from the wkd...these are the Rhein River...with the Rheinstein Castle and the Shongau Castle...the RheinS was built
in 900 AD Not sure of the other one...will find out...they are about 30 minutes apart on the South Rhein

Flat Stanley traveling in Germany

2009-10-27T10:52:00.000-07:00

More Stanley photos....

Xmas village in Ramstein Germany,... large Nutcracker

A Bavarian Restaurant...boys drinking out of steins ( just sprite was in them)

Enjoying the Bavarian "fresco" painting on the wall...

Climbing the Boulder at the Air Force Inn Hotel

He and we had a great time
we are going to Prague on friday (yay, that will be so much fun)

take care and enjoy your weekthe Graves'

Flat Stanley in Sea World

2009-10-27T10:38:00.000-07:00

Quade Karper was nice enough to take me on his visit to Sea World's annual Howl-O-Scream. We had a blast. When we first got there we went straight to the Shamu Believe show. I met Amanda outside the gate. She was in charge of crowd control and doing an excellent job. Next I met a guy selling Shamu puppets. He wasn't so nice as he almost let one eat me. During the show I wanted to ride on Shamu like the trainers were, but Mr. Goss was afraid I wouldn't survive it and be able to see the rest of the park. Shamu sure did some cool stuff though.

After the Shamu show, we went to Jack-O-Lantern's house. He is the star of the Howl-O-Scream show after all. We waited at his house at the edge of Frightmare Forest for him to come out. When he came out, he tried to eat me too. Oh dear.

When we left Jack, we walked around to the penguins. Luckily they were behind glass, so no danger of being eaten here. After we left the penguins, we stopped for a drink and popcorn. It was really good.

Next up was Happy Harbor. I met some skeleton pirates, Shamu & Dolly and then went to Pirate University and met some real Pirates. They thought I was cool and should join up with them, I didn't want to leave all the fun I was having with Quade, so I passed on their offer.

When we left Happy Harbor, we checked out the flamingos and fed the ducks. They loved the little pellets we fed them. Next I ran into skeleton Forest Gump. I sat on his lap to wait for the bus, but it never seemed to come, so we moved on to a new attraction for Howl-O-Scream, Fanta Sea. We walked through an underwater maze. It was really cool. I saw juggling clown and even a mermaid.

From there we moved to the Clydesdale Hamlet. A Clydesdale named Jake thought I'd be a good mid afternoon snack, but luckily his handler kepts me from becoming horse snack. The Clydesdale's dog King was there to welcome me. He ran right over and gave us a good look and decided we were ok, so he went back to chewing on his stuffed Clydesdale. I heard that the Clydesdales are packing up and leaving Sea World at the end of November. It sure will be different without the big guys around.

Last on our visit was Dolphin Cove and Coral Reef. The dolphins were splashing around and really liked the food we fed them. At Coral Reef I saw some jelly fish and piranhas up close. I saw sting rays and sharks and then some colorful frogs called Dart Frogs.

Finally it was time to say good-bye to Sea World and Jack, until next year.

Flat Stanley in Germany

2009-10-19T11:48:00.000-07:00

Just received Flat Stanley yesterday (14th) He is well....Took him to Bible study this morning and took his photo with the ladies here in Mannheim Germany....He enjoyed that.... We have many adventures planned...

My family is enjoying this adventure with him as well as your class.... We are all originally from Texas.

My name is Lonna, Husband in Russ (we have 3 boys ages 20, 14, and 9 and have been a military family for over 20 years.....

Photos of Stanley's arrival to our Mannheim Mail Room, then we took him along the Rhein River....Mainz GE is the city in the backgroud...

Along the way we found another "Flat Stanley" and thought we would take the photo of him too with our boys.

Shiann took Flat Stanley to Sea World - San Antonio

2009-10-19T11:44:00.000-07:00

Shiann took Flat Stanley to Sea World. He had a great time! He saw Shamu, fed the dolphins, and posed for many pictures. Come to the 2nd grade hallway to see the great pictures!

Cedar Park, Texas

2009-10-19T11:37:00.000-07:00

Stanley showed up to visit our family in Cedar Park, Texas which is a city just a few miles outside of Austin, Texas. Austin, as I'm sure you all know is the state capital.

We have four people in our family and Stanley spent time with each of us.

Robert, the dad of the family, is a polics officer. Stanley thought it was very interesting to see what police officers do at work. Robert also has a police dog, named Dega, to help him at work. Stanley liked her.

Jessica is the mom of the family. She is a tax accountant. Stanely went to work with her one day and jessica took Stanley to all the games the kids had while he was there. Stanley also went with Jessica to visit the Dr. because Jessica is having a baby!!! The Dr. Says the baby is going to be a boy!

Tim is the oldest child of the family. He is 16 and is in high school. Stanley got to go watch Tim play in a football game one night.

And the youngest in the family is Abby. Abby is 14 and she loves to play soccer. Stanley went to watch Abby play soccer one Saturday while he was with us.

We thank Stanley for coming to visit with us and are sad to see him leave. We sent you all pictures of the things Stanley did with us while he was here. Hope he has a great adventure the rest of the year!!

Love, The Ramos Family

2009-10-19T11:21:00.000-07:00

Mission San Francisco de la Espada (more simply Mission Espada) was a Roman Catholic mission established by Spain near San Antonio de Bexar in northern New Spain in 1731 to convert local Native Americans to Christianity and solidify Spanish territorial claims in the New World against encroachment from France.

Founded in 1690 as San Francisco de los Tejas southwest of present-day Alto, Texas Mission San Francisco de la Espada was the first mission established in Texas. There are older missions currently in West Texas, but they were in Mexico at the time they were established.'

Three priests, three soldiers and supplies were left among the Nabedache Indians. The new mission was dedicated on June 1, 1690. A smallpox epidemic in the winter of 1690-1691 killed an estimated 3,300 people in the area. The Nabedaches believed the Spaniards brought the disease and hostilities developed between the two groups.

Drought besieged the mission in the summers of 1691 and 1692, and the Nabedache wished to be rid of the mission. Under threat of personal attack, the priests began packing their belongings in the fall of 1693. On October 25, 1693, the padres burned the mission and retreated toward Mexico. The party lost its way and did not reach Monclova until Febrauary 17, 1694.

The mission was re-established in the same area on July 5, 1716 as Nuestro Padre San Francisco de los Tejas. The new mission had to be abandoned in 1719 because of conflict between Spain and France.

The mission was tried once more on August 5, 1721 as San Francisco de los Neches. As the Nabedache were no longer interested in the mission, and France had abandoned effort to lay claim in the area, the mission was temporarily relocated along the Colorado River in July 1730. Mission Tejas State Park, in east Texas, encompasses the original site of the mission.

The mission relocated to its current location in the San Antonio River area in March, 1731 and was renamed San Francisco de la Espada. A friary was built in 1745, and the church was completed in 1756.

Mission Espada's aqueductMission Espada's acequia (irrigation) system can s= till be seen today. The main ditch continues to carry water to the mission = and its former farm lands. This water is still used by residents living on = these neighboring lands.

The use of acequias was originally brought to the arid regions of Spain and= Portugal by the Romans and the Moors. When Franciscans missionaries arrive= d in the desert Southwest they found the system worked well in the hot, dry= environment.

In order to distribute water to the missions along the San Antonio River, F= ranciscan missionaries oversaw the construction of seven gravity-flow ditch= es, dams, and at least one aqueduct =E2=80=94 a 15-mile network that irriga= ted approximately 3,500 acres of land.

The acqueduct is a bridge to transport water over water, in this case, the = irrigation water over Six Mile Creek.

Stanley wanted to go swimming but its against the law at the dam.=

Mission San Juan Capistrano

2009-10-19T11:17:00.000-07:00

Mission San Juan Capistrano (originally christened in 1716 as La Misión San José de los Nazonis and located in East Texas) was founded in 1731 by Spanish Catholics of the Franciscan Order, on the eastern banks of the San Antonio River in present-day Bexar County, Texas. It is about six miles from the Alamo.

The first primitive capilla (chapel) was built out of brush and mud. Eventually a campanile, or "bell tower" containing two bells was incorporated into the structure, which was replaced by a long hall with a flat roof and an attractive belfry around 1756. Around 1760 construction of a larger church building was begun on the east side of the Mission compound, but was never completed due to the lack of sufficient labor. Mission San Juan did not prosper to the same extent as the other San Antonio missions because lands allotted to it were not sufficient to plant vast quantities of crops, or breed large numbers of horses and cattle; a dam was constructed in order to supply water to the Mission's acequia, or irrigation system. (the Mission reportedly owned 1,000 head of cattle, 3,500 sheep and goats, and 100 horses in 1762). The outpost was also subjected to frequent Indian attacks.

Some 265 neophytes resided in adobe huts at the Mission in 1756; by 1790 the natives were living in stone quarters, though their number had dropped to 58.

Flat Standley thought the bells were really neat, but they were not ringing.

San Jose Mission - Queen of the Missions

2009-10-19T11:08:00.000-07:00

Queen of the Missions

San José was the largest of the missions in the area. At its height, the community contained about 350 Indian neophytes, sustained by extensive fields and herds of livestock. Viewed as the model among the Texas missions, San José gained a reputation as a major social and cultural center. It became known as the "Queen of the Missions." Its imposing complex of stone walls, bastions, granary, and magnificent church was completed by 1782.

So rich an enterprise was a natural target for Apache and Comanche depredations. Although they could not prevent raids on their livestock, the mission itself was almost impregnable. The danger was when working the fields or during travel to and from the ranch or other missions. With technical help from the two presidial soldiers garrisoned there, San José residents learned to defend themselves. Already proficient with bow and arrow, the men also learned the use of guns and cannon.

Mission San José has become a lasting symbol throughout the centuries for the Spanish mission frontier in Texas. Having fallen into disrepair and partial ruin over the years, the San Antonio Conservation Society and the Federal Government among others, undertook to restore portions of the mission community in the 1920s and 1930s. The church, which had lost its dome, bell tower, and a wall, was rededicated in 1937.

In 1941, Mission San José was declared a State Historic Site, and later that same year, a National Historic Site. When the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park was established in November 1978, the Spanish colonial mission was assured of protection in cooperation with the Archdiocese of San Antonio and the parish.

The Rose Window

La Ventana de Rosa, the Rose Window, is located on the south wall of the church sacristy. The window has been described as the site where the Host was shown to gathered mission celebrants during the Feast of Pentecost.

The window, sculpted ca. 1775, has been the object of both legend and admiration. It is considered one of the finest examples of baroque architecture in North America. The meaning behind the name is currently unknown, but legend has it named for Rosa, the betrothed of Juan Huizar who many believe created the window.

While we were here, Flat Stanley insisted on having his picture taken at at well on the mission grounds.

Flat Stanley - Mission Concepcion

2009-10-19T10:59:00.000-07:00

Mission Concepción was established in 1716 in East Texas. The mission was moved in 1731 to San Antonio. Founded by Franciscan friars, this is the best preserved of the Texas missions and church services are still conducted here.

The Battle of Concepción was fought here on October 28, 1835 between Mexican troops under Colonel Domingo Ugartechea and Texian insurgents led by James Bowie and James Fannin. The 30-minute engagement, is described as "the first major engagement of the Texas Revolution".

Located at 807 Mission Roadin San Antonio, Concepcion was designated a National Historic Landmark on April 15, 1970 and is part of San Antonio Missions National Historical Park.

Concepcion is about two miles south of the Alamo and although it is being redecorated inside, Flat Stanley enjoyed his visit.

Flat Stanley in Washington

2009-10-15T07:46:00.001-07:00

Wyatt sent Flat Stanley to visit Athena in Washington. Athen took him to see the shore since she lives very close to it. They went to see the city of Seattle. While in Seattle they rode the monorail and saw the Space Needle. Stanley got a little scared when he saw the volcano, Mt. Rainier. Later on he thought it was cool.

You will have to come by our classroom to see all the wonderful pictures Flat Stanley came back with.

Flat Stanley is back from California

2009-10-15T07:44:00.001-07:00

Flat Stanley visited Damien's family in Corona, California. While he was there he visited Damien's old school, rode rides at Castle Park. and went hiking. Stanley had a great time!

Flat Stanley does a 13.1 mile walk

2009-10-05T13:49:00.001-07:00

Ms. Dee Dee took Stanley to Odessa to do a 13.1 mile walk. They both survived! The night before the walk - Stanley went shoe shopping - but the Mayor of Paint Rock said he could not buy shoes. Poor Stanley and Dee Dee. ;( Stanley also visited the kids and horses at Sonrisas.

Flat Stanley in Ben Wheeler, Texas

2009-10-05T13:44:00.001-07:00

Stanley had a wonderful trip visiting Trinitye's grandparents. While he was there he saw different kinds of birds, butterflies, and hummingbirds. He had have never seen so many hummingbirds! Stanley also helped take care of the flowers and vegetables in the garden. Stanley can't wait to visit East Texas again!

Flat Stanley goes to Springtown, Texas

2009-09-30T13:51:00.000-07:00

Abby sent Flat Stanley to Springtown, Texas to visit her Granny and G-Pa. While he was there played with the dogs, Spookie, Cisco, G-G, and Lady. Stanley had a great time riding the lawn mower and the golf cart as well.

Flat Stanley in Missouri with Abby

2009-04-06T10:56:00.000-07:00

Abby, Flat Stanley, & Dale Earnhardt

Missouri Nature Center

Abby, Uncle Mitch, and Flat Stanley

Baylee and Abby on a four wheeler.

Abby and her Dad celebrating his 40th birthday.

Flat Stanley, Robert, and Angel the llama

2009-02-12T10:21:00.001-08:00

Flat Stanley at Brayton Firemen Training Field

2009-02-12T09:45:00.000-08:00

More from Fire School

2009-02-12T09:42:00.000-08:00

more for Branson

2009-02-09T13:16:00.000-08:00

Flat Stanley in Branson

2009-02-09T12:42:00.000-08:00

Dear Boys and Girls of Veribest Elementary 2nd Grade,

I had a wonderful trip to Magnolia, Texas to see friends of Abbi Taylor, Mr. and Mrs. Parker. Magnolia is different from the San Angelo area because it has lots of big tall pine and oak trees and small rolling hills. There are lots of creeks too. The Parkers have a pond that has catfish and brim fish in it that boys and girls like to catch. Here is a picture of Mr. Parker and his grandson with a 5 pound catfish that they caught.

Mr. and Mrs. Parker decided to take a bus trip to a town called Branson, Missouri with a group of their friends. It was fun. I got to sit in my own seat. There is a photo of me with Mrs. Parker too. Then there is a photo of Mr. Dennis, our leader, and our bus driver. We checked into a big hotel where I met a nice friendly lady at the front desk. I also looked at tree there whose leaves had turned to red.

Branson is famous for all of the musical shows that are there. We saw four different ones—Twelve Irish Tenors (men who sang), Dino who played the piano, The Hughes Brothers and their families including 24 children and Pierce Arrow, a group of five men who sang and one very funny man who told jokes and stories. We also went to a place called Branson Landing where I got to ride on a huge silver deer.

Then we drove home in the bus through the states of Missouri, Arkansas and Texas. We drove through the Ozark Mountains where there are lots of farms. Since it was the fall season, we saw lots of beautiful trees with their leaves colored red and yellow.

I had fun and I hope that some of you will get to go to Branson someday.

Love from your friend,

Flat Stanley

Flat Stanley in Paris

2008-12-15T12:11:00.000-08:00

I was visiting Paris with Nadia and we visitited many incredible places. I was overwelmed with this beautiful city. This picture is in front of the Grand Palais. As you can see my head is hanging for so many emotions. The others pictures have disappeared from the computer but I promise to came back and take some more. Best regards Ricardo Blanch

Flat Stanley in London, England

2008-12-11T08:01:00.000-08:00

Hello Braxton, Thank you for allowing Flat Stanley to come and visit us in England. He arrived during a cold Friday afternoon and we decided to take him into London to see some of the sights on Saturday. We began by taking an overground train from our local station into the city and then had to go on the underground trains to get right into the centre. I took a picture of Stanley at the bottom of the escalator we went on to get down to the underground trains. Our first stop was at the London Eye which was erected as part of our millennium celebrations, from here we walked over Westminster Bridge to visit the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, this is where our politicians meet to make our laws. We were lucky to meet a very nice policeman who showed Stanley where Gordon Brown our Prime Minister lives at 10 Downing Street and he was kind enough to have his photo taken with Stanley. We thought it would be a good idea to visit London most famous toy store, Hamleys. Stanley posed with one of the cuddly bears and beside a sign s howing where he was. He had good fun seeing all the exciting things on display for Christmas. By now we were getting tired and had to stop for a coffee before heading to Carnaby Street which was once the centre for London fashion. They had wonderful floating snowman decorations which made us all smile. Everybody had an enjoyable day meeting interesting people who work in London and seeing some of our attractions, I hope you like the photos. Love Barbara and Jennifer Ranscombe

Flat Stanley in West Michigan.

2008-11-13T13:18:00.000-08:00

I had a cultural trip on my visit to West Michigan too. I went to the Grand Rapids Symphony on Halloween night and enjoyed spooky music. Grand Rapids is the largest city near Holland and has lots of fun things to do. I even got a chance to go to the John Ball Park Zoo there.

I think my favorite part of the trip was visiting Lake Michigan and seeing Big Red the lighthouse. Some people are surprised to know that you can’t see across Lake Michigan – it’s so big!

More of Flat Stanley in Holland, Michigan

2008-11-13T13:13:00.000-08:00

I had a chance to explore Holland’s beautiful downtown too. The sidewalks are heated underneath so no snow or ice will stay on it!

I visited a great bookstore that has a bunny, a chinchilla and a bird living I it!

I was excited to choose my own pumpkin and help carve it into a jack-o-lantern.

I also got a chance to trick-or-treat for the first time. It was a beautiful Halloween night and there were so many kids out collecting candy all over the neighborhood.

Flat Stanley in Holland, Michigan

2008-11-13T13:09:00.000-08:00

My envelope was opened by the O’Connor family in Holland, Michigan. Holland is a city of two lakes – Lake Michigan and Lake Macatawa. When I arrived autumn was in full swing and all the trees were full of yellows, oranges and reds. I got my first taste of the beautiful fall colors on my trip to the DeGraaf Nature Center. The nature center has lots of quiet trails to explore and many of them follow a little bubbling creek.

Flat Stanley visits Civil War battlefields

2008-10-20T08:09:00.000-07:00

I am coming home on monday and this weekend we spent doing civil war stuff. first was stones battlefield around murfeesboro, tennessee, then shiloh national military park and then ending with corinth national interpretive center and battle field. it was pretty cool. got lots of stuff to bring home and my hands and pockets are full of "stamps" stamped on me everywhere.

later
flat stanley

Flat Stanely in the Smoky Mountains

2008-10-20T08:06:00.000-07:00

just a note to let you know that the smokies are still smoky and the north carolina trip with the biltmore estate was really just one word.... BIG... you know the family house here has 43 bathrooms!!! and not a one for guests to use.

Flat Stanely at Cade's Corner

2008-10-20T08:04:00.000-07:00

we went to Cade's Corner in the great smoky mountains today.... what a backward look at people who use to live here... look it up on the internet to see where it is.

tomorrow we go to Ashville, NC to the Biltmore Estate... that is the largest family home in America... should be awesome

later
flat stanley

more from Alaska

2008-10-20T07:58:00.000-07:00

Flat Stanley visits Alaska

2008-10-20T07:52:00.001-07:00

Dear Mrs. Blackwell. Stanley had a great time in Alaska. He was here in the late fall. Too late to catch salmon and too early for much snow. It was starting to get cold though. He got to take a boat ride on the Kuskokwim river, the second largest river in Alaska. He helped clean snow and ice off of the window and got to drive the boat. He looked for a moose but did not see one. It was a snowy windy day!. The river froze up completely a few days later! He was sad to have to leave so soon.

We would be glad to see him again some time!

Sincerely,

Ky Burden

Flat Stanley in Helen, Georgia - Anaruby Falls - Smith Creek - Unicoi State Park

2008-10-15T09:48:00.000-07:00

this was an awesome place to sit and think and pray... awesome

anaruby falls, smith creek, unicoi state park, Helen georgia... the falls were another 1/2 mile up stream from this awesome creek.

wish you all were with us

love ya
the traveling trio

North Carolina & Tennessee State Line - Flat Stanley

2008-10-15T09:46:00.000-07:00

we strandled two states today

The Smoky Mountains - Smokey the Bear

2008-10-15T09:42:00.000-07:00

sorry about the delay, there was an interruption in internet facilities... can you believe... this fancy place doesn't have WIFI

went to the great smoky mountains today and met some new friends... some wore this funny little hat and he let me try it on!!

will bring you some information that the park ranger gave me

see ya later
flat stanley

Flat Stanley in the Atlanta Zoo

2008-10-15T09:38:00.000-07:00

this guy is in the atlanta zoo!! he looks friendly, but he might still like paper kids to nibble on

Flat Stanley in Toccoa, Georgia

2008-10-15T09:37:00.000-07:00

today we went to a little town in east georgia called toccoa to see the falling water!! wow, what a lot of water to stand under for a shower... but it was cold! since I would fall apart, I decided to not play in the water... this was so cooool

later
flat stanley

Flat Stanley in Alabama

2008-10-15T09:32:00.000-07:00

Alabama has been a neat place to visit. we spent more time in a traffic jam and missed seeing the race track up close, but we did see talladega race way and all of the stuff left behind after the race there this past weekend. (there was a nice lady at the visitor center who fixed my arms and legs from coming unglued) this trip is cool....

Flat Stanley in Louisiana

2008-10-13T14:17:00.000-07:00

Had lunch in Louisiana with LSU Tigers.

Flat Stanely in Vicksburg

2008-10-13T14:13:00.000-07:00

Vicksburg was awesome with all the guns, ships and the river too. Vicksburg National Park in Vicksburg, Mississippi was so cool...all the park rangers were so used to having a lof of us Flat Stanely's around that they even stamped my backside just to show you after I get back to Veribest.

Flat Stanley crosses the Mississippi River

2008-10-13T14:12:00.001-07:00

Flat Stanley in Ft. Worth

2008-10-13T14:10:00.001-07:00

Stanley is on a road trip with Suzy Johnson (retired counselor at Veribest). The first night he spend the night in Ft. Worth.

More of Stanely in Las Vegas

2008-10-13T14:05:00.000-07:00

While in Las Vegas - Flat Stanely stopped by M&M's World and the Harley Davidson Cafe. He dined at seveal resteraunts and buffets. Stanely loved seeing the sights of Las Vegas.

Flat Stanley went to Las Vegas

2008-10-13T13:57:00.000-07:00

Mrs. Blackwell took Flat Stanely to Las Vegas. He had so much fun. While he was there he saw the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign, Le Reve at the Wynn, visited downtown, and many different hotel and casinos.

Flat Stanley in Ft. Worth

2008-10-13T13:55:00.001-07:00

Flat Stanley visited Mrs. Wallace's Kindergarten class in Ft. Worth Texas. The students wrote the following letter:

Dear Friends,
Thank you for sharing Flat Stanley with us. We would love to meet you but we are far away. Thank you for Stanley's visit. Have a great day at your school!

Sincerly,
Mrs Wallace's Kindergarten Class

Flat Stanely has returned from Brockport, New York

2008-10-01T06:48:00.001-07:00

Flat Stanley visited Abby's sister in Brockport, New York. While he was there he got a healthy workout by doing 100 push-ups, 40 minutes of cardio and a 6 mile stationary bike ride. He is feeling better than ever.

Stanely was able to dine on cheese pizza, corn, seasoned fried and milk in the Harrison dining hall.

Stanley enjoyed his college campus life in Brockport.

More of Flat Stanley in Kerrville

2008-09-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

Flat Stanley visits Kerrville, Texas

2008-09-30T06:58:00.000-07:00

Mrs. Blackwell,
We are Cade Luebke's grandparents and live in Kerrville, Texas. A couple of weeks ago, Flat Stanley arrived in the mail and we've been trying our best to make his visit with us as enjoyable as possible for him. He has followed us through our normal day-to-day activities and we've been able to take him with us for some special adventures too.
Shortly after arriving here in Kerrville, Stanley went with us to visit one of our neighbors who was convalescing in a nursing home after knee surgery. The man had a German shepherd dog named Echo and the dog was having a hard time understanding why his master wasn't home. So we picked up Echo and drove him to the nursing home where the dog and the man were very happy to see one another, and Stanley was there for the happy reunion too.
Later that day, Stanley went with us to Boerne, Texas to attend our granddaughter's 6th birthday party. While there, he was able to enjoy both a pony ride and petting a variety of animals including chickens, rabbits, goats and even a pot-bellied pig.
During the week, Stanley had fun feeding the deer in our back yard. He found if he hung on the fence post perfectly still, the deer would come right up to him while they ate the corn he had scattered on the ground. He enjoyed this so much, we later took him to a park in town on the Guadalupe River and he fed the ducks there, and a goose too.
Probably the highlight of Stanley's visit occurred this past weekend when we took him along with us and two of our grandsons to a hot-air balloon festival in Abilene. Stanley not only got to play with the boys on all the toys and watch the balloons set up and fly away, but he even got to go up in one briefly.
Thanks so much for sending Flat Stanley to our home. We hope he enjoyed his visit as much as we did.
Karen and Dick Luebke

Flat Stanley in New Braunfles

2008-09-30T06:47:00.000-07:00

Hi Everybody,

Thank you so much for sending Stanley to visit us here in New Braunfels, Texas. He had a very busy week, going here and there. But, he had a fun time and did some fun things.

Here are some of the fun places he went, met some fun people and just had a BLAST!

1. First Protestant School, Zebra Class - ages 4

2. New Braunfels Vetinary Clinic, Cody Vet. Tech

3. Schlitterbahn

4. Dr. Dehoyas, Dr. Office

5. Clearsprings Catfish Resteraunt

6. Landa Park Golf Course, Mike Woolsey and 3 children

7. Naeglins Bakery, Oldest Bakery in Texas, with Irene Schwanz. A TV commercial was taped and produced by Bank of America.

8. Comal County Rodeo Queen Contest with Bethany and Cory

9. K.L. Ranch Campground, owner Dave Bretzke

10. Flat Stanley in his tube, after floating on the Guadalupe

11. Papa Docks resteraunt in Canyon Lake

12. Canyon Dam at Canyon Lake

Again, thank you for having Stanley visit our fine town. New Braunfels is the "beauty spot in Texas". You all come visit us when you can.

Dixie, (Cade L. Grammie)

Flat Stanely in school - in Hawaii

2008-09-29T10:31:00.000-07:00

Hawaii meets Flat Stanely

2008-09-29T10:29:00.001-07:00

More of Flat Stanley in Hawaii

2008-09-29T10:26:00.001-07:00

Flat Stanley in Hawaii

2008-09-29T10:23:00.001-07:00

September 25, 2008

Dear Veribest Second Grade:

Thank you for thinking of us to send Flat Stanley to visit. We believe he had a very good time. Conner and Alex were very excited to have a visitor.

The first thing they wanted to show Flat Stanley was their soccer game at the nearby Army Post, Schofield Barracks. They played a tough game and had a lot of fun,

Next the boys thought Flat Stanley would have a great time at Hanauma Bay. It is a really neat place to go snorkeling, and you see so many different types of fish, turtles, sea urchins, and so much more. Actually, Flat Stanley was mistaken for a sea turtle by one of the sharks that bit his arm. Once the shark realized it was Flat Stanley, he let go, but Flat Stanley needed a few stitches to put his arm back on his body. Flat Stanley then decided to lounge on the beach, but he was always reminded to reapply his sunscreen. He even had a little fun taking some pictures near the Palm Trees.

After Hanauma Bay, we enjoyed the beautiful views of Kokohead Crater, which is the remains of the last active volcano on Oahu approximately 10,000 years ago. There is also a nice picture of town, and the beautiful sunset with Diamond Head Crater in the background (Alex and Conner have already hiked to the top of Diamond Head, which included nearly 300 stairs). Then we had some really good Mochi Ice Cream Balls, which is a Japanese dessert, at a nearby ice cream parlor.

The next day, we showed Flat Stanley around Hickam Air Force Base. We stopped to take a few pictures near the jets and one near a very fragrant Plumeria tree. Plumerias are also used to make leis. Next we went to Pearl Harbor, which is connected to Hickam Air Force Base. We took a picture near one Japanese ship visiting the port, and also one American ship.

On Flat Stanley’s last day, Conner and Alex wanted to take a picture of Flat Stanley with their classes at Mililani ‘Ike Elementary.

Thank you, again, for letting Flat Stanley come to Hawaii to visit us. We had a lot of fun with him.

Your Friends,

Conner & Alex Osborne

Flat Stanley visit's Boerne, Texas

2008-09-25T09:55:00.000-07:00

Flat Stanley visits Boerne, TX

Stanley showed up in our mailbox on a September day. We were very excited to show Stanley our home. Cade’s aunt Katy, uncle Ryan and cousins Morgan and Landon live in Boerne. Boerne is a historic German town. We took Stanley to see our library, school and our famous Bear Moon Bakery. But Stanley enjoyed playing with Morgan and Landon the most. He even got to help us celebrate Morgan’s sixth birthday. We can’t wait to hear where Stanley goes next.

Thanks for visiting,

Katy, Ryan, Morgan and Landon

Flat Stanley in Sheboygan, WI

2008-09-24T09:52:00.000-07:00

Flat Stanley is on his way back from Sheboygan, WI. Here is a copy of the email we recieved along with pictures:

Dear Cade and Classmates,Today I took Flat Stanley with me to my swim team pracice. He had a lot of fun (he got a little wet too). He posed for a picture with me and my teammate Kelly Becherer. She is leagally blind and made it to Bejing in the Paraolympics. She won two bronze medals and one gold medal. Stanley was happy that the Cowboys won. He is sad to leave, but he is on his way home. Thanks for sending Flat Stanley to our family!-Nicole

The class was so excited to hear from Nicole and Stanley.

Flat Stanley

2008-09-15T09:35:00.001-07:00

Flat Stanley is officially on his way across the USA. He is on his way to visit: Del Rio, Texas; Brockport, NY; Mililani, Hawaii; Mavietta, Georgia; Sheboygan, WI; Boerne, Texas; Kerrville, Texas; and New Braunfels, Texas. Hopfully Stanley will have a good time on his travels. Keep checking back to see how he is doing.

Spelling List for Week of September 8, 2008

2008-09-08T07:20:00.000-07:00

jet
bed
set
met
best
men
any
net
pen

Challenge Words:
left
hello
head
again

Review Words:
get
let

Sentences:
We took a jet to see Grandpa.
We washed his car and got wet.

Welcome

2008-08-24T08:05:00.001-07:00

Welcome to Veribest's 2nd grade blog. We hope to update it at least weekly during the school year.