Back to School Blues

School shopping is stressful because there is so much stuff to choose from and you can't get everything.
Another downer is that I might not get to go to the Cock'n'Bull guitar circle again until November.

What did Holden learn today?

There are such things as RangeRovers.

What would Holden do?

Spend his time wisely in the next week. 

"Uncle" Dave

Dave plays the mandolin in the guitar circle.  He is a funny guy.  One of my favorite things he does is that he always wants to have me stay longer and he says my parents can leave me there.  He is also funny when I wear paste in my hair and he calls me Justin Bieber.  Also, he isn't afraid to tell me I wear too much cologne!  He gives me good advice about who to tip and what to own when I'm older.  Cars and guitars! 

What did Holden learn today?

The Hartford Whalers were a hockey team.

What would Holden do?

Tip his barber, his waitress and his bartender. 

Skimboarding on State Beach

Can you do a moondoggie or a Scoldin' Holden on your skimboard?  When I was in Martha's Vineyard, my Uncle Jim helped me practice and came up with different names for skimboarding tricks.  A moondoggie is a 180 and Scoldin' Holden is a 360.

What did Holden learn?

There are lots of things to do at the beach.

What would Holden do?

 Keep practicing. 

Tuesday on the vineyard

I went to the flea market and Nana bought me a leather wallet. I bought a Swiss army knife for only four dollars from the same man who sold me a knife last year.  We also went to Menemsha and I got splinters on the dock before checking out the lobsters.


We spent Monday on South Beach and I got knocked over by the waves.

Taller!

The ducks are getting so big.  It's so surprising how fast they grow.  We've had them two weeks and just 14 days ago, their whole body fit in your hand.  Now, their bills are bigger.  Their feet are bigger. I would call them plump but I don't want to hurt their feelings.  Each one has a light purple mark at the end of their bill that wasn't there when they first came or now shows up because they're bigger.  Three of the seven are bigger than the other four.  We are wondering if those three are males, not working out, or hogging (or would it be ducking?) all the food.  

The bunnies are also growing.  We fed them apples tonight and they liked them.

It is hard to all the chores and still have time to play with them.

What did Holden learn?

 The ducks don't rush out of the pool when there's thunder and lightning.  

But when they finally get out, they're smart enough to go under their house.

What would Holden do?

Enjoy this time with the ducks and bunnies. 

*This entry was written around 8/10.  Photos were taken today 8/19.

 

Funday Sunday

On Sunday, I went to the Cock'n'Bull because Steve's friend Joe was in town from Texas and he plays the harmonica.  We played with him last year and had a special guitar circle on Sunday instead of Wednesday so we could see him again. It was fun.  The harmonica sounded great during "Wagon Wheel," "Brown-eyed Girl" and "The Weight." 

More fun...
We went swimming and ate dinner at the Ostrander's home.  And, when we were told we had only five more minutes to play, we all hid in Eric's closet and used spyware equipment to avoid being found.  Nobody could find us until the security camera went off when Tom was searching and he figured out what we were up to.

What did Holden learn?

A harmonica player needs to know keys and have a good ear.

What would Holden do?

Eventually learn how to play another instrument (the harmonica). 

BUSY,BUSY,BUSY

I love my dad.  Because of my dad, I can see one of my teachers during the summer (he is working on my 3rd grade teacher's house).  I can work with him and even though it's hard, I learn a lot.  Plus, I can get paid now.  Thursday was the first day I earned my own money working with him.

I love my nana.  On Saturday, Westport had its annual festival.  Nana volunteers at the Heritage House and does A LOT for the festival.  Because of her, I ran the 5K Fun Run .  I'm happy because I was in the top ten. There's confusion about how I placed, some say 4th while others say 7th.  Either way, I'm proud to be in the top ten.  My time was 25:15, not my best time, but I feel good about it.

After the race, I went to Nana and Papa's to shower and get dressed.  Yes, I was dressed for the race, but not in nice clothes.  Then, I participated in the Open Mic.  One more thing...besides sitting on the hill listening to good music, I spent my afternoon ambushing some of Nana and Papa's friends/relatives with the marshmallow shooter my parents bought me from one of the vendors in Ballard Park.

What did Holden learn?

It's normal to be nervous before a race.

What would Holden do?

Go out strong.  Maintain your pace. 

Tuesday Wednesday Replay

I have been SO BUSY.  Ladderball.  Unicycling. Skateboarding.  Directions blowing away.  Watching the Olympics.  Playing Settlers of Catan. Eating Pop Tarts. Getting a blueberry milkshake at the caboose.  Sleeping.  Those are all the things that happened at Nana's when I spent the night.

Rode in the car early in the a.m. for a long time.  Made wolves howl.  Saw baby coyotes.  Collected some arctic fox hair and watched them go through tubes.  Hiked.  Ran off with a bunch of kids, away from our parents.  Watched a HUGE snapping turtle and HUMONGOUS fish swim.  Those were the highlights of my trip to Wolf Mountain and the Rogers Environmental Center.

What did Holden learn?

Coyotes are louder than wolves.  When they howl, it sounds like there

are more of them than there actually are.

What would Holden do?

Grin BIG.