John Paul

Flying Model Airplanes

Sunday, January 27, 2008 by Sarah 3 Comments

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Saturday was lovely. The temperature was 34 F, the sky was clear, the wind was not extremely bad, and even that died down later in the day. On this lovely day, Dad took Johnathan, Landon, Alexander and I to fly model airplanes with Mr. Wilson at a place for model airplane flyers. (The same Mr. Wilson that took me in the air balloon.) Mr. Wilson owns two model airplanes. One without a motor called the Gentle Lady, and one with a motor called the Cessna 170. We flew the Gentle Lady first.

This is the remote control. The same control is used for both planes.

To Launch the Gentle Lady, we thread a little string through a backwards hook on the bottom of the main body, or fuselage. Then the holder of the plane steps backward until the string is taut. The string is fastened on the ground across the field. The end of it is rubber.

We let go, and the string pulls the plane quickly and it sails into the air with the string still attached.

The string falls off when it is not pulled tight anymore, and the airplane is free to glide for a couple of minutes.

The airplane gets closer and closer to the ground.

Then it lands.

When it does land, Landon runs after the plane to bring it back, and Alexander or John Paul runs to get the string. Once Alexander bent over and grabbed for the string. He thought he had it in his hands, and so he went through all the motions of pulling it (he has to put his weight into the string because it doesn’t want to be stretched tight) without having it in his hand.

Sometimes Alexander with his little legs can’t keep up with us.

Dad readies to launch the plane.

Then Mr. Wilson got out the Cessna. He filled it up with fuel, and tried to start it, but it wouldn’t start. Mr. Wilson figured that he had plugged the tube that was supposed to be plugged into the fuel into the place for exhaust, and the tube for exhaust into the fuel.

He fixed that and then started the airplane with this thing that spins the propeller fast and starts it.

After a few crashes, it took off.

Vroom!

Neeroom!

Zoom!

This airplane really doesn’t have a limited time of flight, (except for running out of gas or crashing, of course.) You can steer it close to the ground and then back up into the air, unlike the Gentle Lady. It is also very fast.

The Cessna crashed and broke a propeller, so Mr. Wilson went home to get a spare. In the mean time, we went to eat lunch. Mom came to the restaurant to take John Paul home, because he was cold and did not have snow pants. He was a little tired of watching Dad and Mr. Wilson fly the airplanes. I could not believe Alexander did not want to go home, because he should have been needing a nap and usually little kids have short attention spans in watching stuff.

We met back at the field, and Mr. Wilson flew the little Cessna.

But first Dad and Mr. Wilson had to search for the perfect runway. Dad played with this picture a little.

Later we got out the glider.

A perfect landing.

Mr. Wilson showed me how the controls worked, and then he had me fly his hand pretending to be the airplane. Then he tossed it up in the air and let me control it down onto the ground.

I crashed, nose down. On my second try, I stalled and forgot which way was up and which was down and the planes wings flew off. Fortunately, we were able to put it back together again.

To give you an idea of the wingspan…

I got to launch the plane into the air for Mr. Wilson to fly. It bumped my head gently because I wasn’t holding it level.

Alexander never tires of tracking back and forth to collect the string.

Even at the end of the day, the airplane is still a source of fascination for him. Alexander behaved himself quite well considering his age.

By the time we got home, Alexander proved how much fun he had had in a predictable way.

A+M+D+G

My Day with Alexander

Saturday, January 19, 2008 by Sarah Leave a Comment

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Today I spent a lot of time with Alexander. I was getting afraid that he was having too much Star Wars play. So first I helped him get dressed, then I showed him how to fold his pajamas and put them away. Next I danced with him to music, which he really liked. Then I had him help me sort clothes by handing him some clothes and then telling him which pile to put it onto. After we had taken our piles of clothes and put them away, We started to make cookies. I took pictures and had Mom take pictures.

Mom making dinner.

After lunch I took Alexander downstairs and we looked at a book with pictures of birds and listened to my Identiflyer. He loves doing this and pressing the buttons. I am teaching him to know the names of common birds. He knows robin and blue jay well, but he sometimes calls cardinals ‘red jays’ and today he called a red-winged blackbird a ‘red blackbird’. Johnathan took these pictures, and he did fairly well.

I added this effect to this picture. I like it.

After he woke up from his nap, we peeled apart a chicken together.

After that we ate supper, and then I helped Alexander into his jammies and put him to bed. He was extremely tired from everything we had done that day.

A+M+D+G

When It Rains, It Pours

Thursday, January 17, 2008 by Sarah Leave a Comment

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One person can’t get sick in this house without at least two others getting sick. Now John, Alex and Joseph are on antibiotics for strep throat. When it rains, it pours.

Sleeping Beauty

Friday, December 28, 2007 by Sarah Leave a Comment

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I just finished watching my new movie that I got for Christmas, the ballet Sleeping Beauty in my nice, new, warm, and blue bathrobe. Oh, it was a beauty! (ha) The dancing looked very difficult and lovely. It made my blood pump. The fairies in it had lovely solo parts, and it was amusing at the part when Aurora pricked her finger. She went around the courtyard, showing everyone her pricked finger. She must have been so protected that she had never pricked her finger before! There was lots of jumping, and it made Alexander, Joseph, and John Paul want to jump around also. They jumped and spun and did anything else they thought was ballet-like. I love ballet!

A+M+D+G

Angelica and Augustine

Friday, December 21, 2007 by Sarah Leave a Comment

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We decided to name the babies that died in Mom’s miscarriage a few days ago and the miscarriage before Maria. Landon, Maria, John, and I got to name the babies. We called the first baby Augustine Michael and the second baby Angelica Therese.

A+M+D+G

Picture of John Paul

Wednesday, November 21, 2007 by Sarah 1 Comment

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I love this picture of John Paul in a tree.

A+M+D+G

The Keebler

Friday, November 9, 2007 by Sarah 2 Comments

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Thursday night, I dreamed about hot air balloons. Noon Friday, I learned Dad was going to take Landon, Maria, Johnathan, and I along in his friend Mr. Wilson’s pick-up truck while he chased the hot air ballon Mr. Wilson was flying with his instructor and helped him inflate and deflate the balloon. Maria said she wasn’t going to come because she had seen hot air balloons on television.
When Dad arrived at three, we piled in his truck and went to a park in Brandon. Soon Mr. Wilson arrived and we began to help him set up the balloon. First we got the balloon bag out of the car. The boys helped roll it a little way from the car. Then we got out the basket and put it upright.

Next we tipped the basket on it’s side and Dad and I began to take the 200 and some pound balloon out of it’s bag. It was like a magician’s scarf trick in that it kept coming and coming. Meanwhile, Mr. Wilson’s instructor arrived.

Now we turned on the fan and began to inflate the balloon with cold air. Mr. Wilson informed me that I was to help him buckle down the top of the air balloon’s vents so the heat, when it was applied, would not escape. I passed off the camera to Landon.

Filling up!

Buckling down.

This is why it’s called ‘The Keebler’

Beginning to rise!

The inside.

After the vents were closed, Mr. Wilson gave me a rope attached to the top of the balloon and told me how to ease up the balloon into the air as the burner heated up the air inside the balloon. This was hard as the balloon was EXTREMELY HEAVY!

Getting directions. I have to wrap the rope around my waist but not tie it and pull. I am told to let go if I have to. Then Mr. Wilson demonstrates what he does not want to happen by cupping his hand to his mouth and calling into the sky, “Let go of the rope, Sarah!”

The balloon is not very heavy in this picture yet. For now I am able to smile and wave.

Now the balloon is big and it takes all my strength to hold on. I ease it up.

Going up!

All the way up.

Dad loves this picture.

When the balloon was completely in the air, I rushed in and added my weight to help keep the basket down. Mr. Wilson had me step up into the basket on a side that was trying to escape into the air. This was a lot of fun. It was similar to those rides in the entrance to the grocery store where you are rocked back and forth. The wind pushed the balloon up. Sometimes the basket would lift. I leaned to this sneaky side trying to go up, and then to that side, trying to keep my balance. I called to Landon to take pictures of me in the balloon.

When the basket was level and everything was ready for the take off, I heard Mr. Wilson say to his instructor, “Can we take her along?” I held my breath. The instructor’s answer was yes, if Dad would consent. She went over to talk to him, and Dad nodded his head. The instructor had only been giving him directions on how to cast off the rope, which was tied to the pick-up. THen Mr. Wilson asked, and Dad said: YES! We lifted off. I wished I could have had the camera, but Dad was getting into the truck and, “I can’t come back! I don’t know how it works!”

sarah.frederes.com/wp-

Wheeee!!

Mr. Wilson’s touch-and-go.

We flew low over the country. We saw many pheasants, deer, rabbits, and cows. I even saw a fish jump out of Beaver Creek we were flying above. The bottom of the creek was visible, as the water was transparent. The sun was out and there were no clouds. The ride was smooth and the air was fresh, cool, and crisp. However, it was not too cold. The only shivers I had were from excitement. The ride was smooth and gentle, except when Mr. Wilson practiced landing with a touch-and-go. I was instructed to bend my knees, face the direction we were going, and grab the basket in two places while we landed. It wasn’t quite as bumpy as I thought it would be. After we touched ground, Mr. Wilson squeezed the fire on and we rose into the air.
When we gained speed and height, Mr. Wilson let me squeeze the handle that controls the fire. I could just reach it by standing on the balls of my feet and reaching my arm high above my head. At first, Mr. Wilson told me when to use the fire, then the instructor told me she wanted to try something new. She squeezed my hand whenever it was time to use the fire. She helped me land the ballon very gently with almost no hard bumps. We touched ground, then lifted off a couple of feet and glided along the ground, and alighted again. This was repeated several times, like a stone skipping across water. Finally we came to a halt behind a car racing track that was not in use at that time.
Mr. Wilson took over and we again gained speed and height. He did not quite get that it was actually the instructor who had made the landing and he said, “Now you can’t make me look that bad.” We didn’t tell him what was actually going on until we had landed for good.
All too soon, it would be sunset, and Mr. Wilson landed the balloon. This time it was much bumpier, and I was smashed between Mr. Wilson and the instructor, who took turns falling on me. It didn’t hurt that bad. Dad pulled up in his Mr. Wilson’s truck and all together we began to put the balloon away.
First Dad pulled the air balloon onto the ground. Then Mr. Wilson and his instructor squeezed the air out of the balloon. Then everyone helped put the balloon into the bag. When the balloon was in, Johnathan jumped on the bag to get the air out. Finally, everything was loaded into the back of the pick-up truck.

Squeezing out the air.

Stuffing the balloon into the bag.

We returned too the park, had a few snacks, and then we went home. I had not expected to have ridden in the balloon that day.

A+M+D+G

Hot Chocolate

Wednesday, October 24, 2007 by Sarah Leave a Comment

J+M+J

I was sitting at a little table outside with Landon, John, Alexander, and Joseph drinking hot chocolate. Before we drank any, we all howled at the full moon that was just rising, even Joseph. I had to help him drink his. He was sure it was going to be too hot, even when I had tested it to be sure it wasn’t. He flinched when he took a drink, yet he really wanted to. He kept coming back for more.
I think I have finally gotten the recipe just about right. It took quite a while. The biggest thing was that for three years I have been adding cinnamon to hot chocolate. When I do, I have to stir it a lot because the cinamon separates itself from the mixture. I have just realized that cinnamon adds a gritty texture and a bad taste to hot chocolate. What I confused with a missing ingredient was really one ingredient to many. I want to put the recipe here, but Landon thinks it should be secret, so I will leave a couple ingredients out for now. Maybe I will put them on later.

1/2 cup boiling water
2 T butter
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup white sugar
1 pinch of salt
5-1/4 cups milk (Whole if you want a scrumptiously creamy treat.)
1 T vanilla extract
3/4 cup half-and-half cream (Only if you don’t use whole or two percent milk.)

Bring water and butter to boil in a saucepan. Combine the cocoa, sugar and pinch of salt. Bring this mixture to an easy boil while you stir. Simmer and stir for about 2 minutes. Watch that it doesn’t scorch. Stir in 3 1/2 cups of milk and heat until very hot, but not boiling. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Divide between 6 mugs. Add the cream to the mugs of cocoa to cool it to drinking temperature. (optional)

A+M+D+G

Miss Sarah

Thursday, September 20, 2007 by Sarah Leave a Comment

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Today I started my first job as a teacher. I am in charge of non-syllabus science projects for Maria and John Paul. My little pupils minded me quite well in our first session, though Maria made it clear when I told John something that she already knew that, and was bored (I am not even sure she did; Mom dosen’t think she did). She got caught up in our class as we went along.

First I had Maria and John take a composition book and I wrote that it was their science journal on the front. THen we began the ‘spearament’, as Johnny would say. We unbent paper clips and rubbed them on a strong magnet until they were magnetized, then I explained to them that the atoms inside the paperclip, which had been unorganized in random fashion before stroking, were now lined up in neat rows. (I used a whiteboard to draw a model). We then poked the magnet into a cork and floated it on water, and when it pointed north I told my pupils about the poles in the magnet. Then we wrote a paragraph about the experiment and both little artists drew a picture of the atoms in the paper clip before and after it was magnetized. They then glued them in their journals. John narrated the whole thing fairly well to dad, who called from work to listen to John tell about it.

John and Maria are looking forward to having class next week. I am planning on making lemon juice and baking sodamoving rockets and cars. I am keeping this a surprise.

A+M+D+G

The Fair

Saturday, August 18, 2007 by Sarah Leave a Comment

J+M+J

Dad took us to the fair, not in Sioux Falls but in a town thirty minutes away, Parker. Some of our friends reccomended it to us It was ten times cleaner than the Sioux Falls fair, with much less immodesty and tattooes. We saw sheep, rabbits pigs, cow, camels, alpacas, turkeys, geese, and more! I got to bury my hand in the prize-winning wool, still on the body of the sheep!

I went on four rides. All of them, except the ferris wheel, were spinning rides. They were extrememly fun. One you twirled and went over little hills on the ground while going in cirlces. Maria and I went on that one. The other you went in a big circle in the air annd made yourself twirl with a little wheel. Landon and I went on that one. Then there was another that you spun while going in a slanted circle in the air, so at the top you were at an eighy-five degree angle to the ground, and you were laying on your back with you feet in the air. Maria, landon, and I all went on that one. in the beggining of the ride, after we were all on and buckled in, Maria decided she didn’t want to go on the ride. But there was nothing she could do about it. By the middle of the ride, however, she didn’t want it to stop! In the ferris wheel, the same thing happened with both her and John Paul. Landon and I had to reassure them, in the very start, and they loved it when we got going. There where mud races going on, and when we went to the top of the ferris wheel we could see them. They were boring.

Then we ate a delicous roast beef sandwich, then we watched the fireworks. They were big, and the grand finalle was beautiful, a golden fan streched out below little golden corkscrews, which were below the BIG fireworks.

And that wrapped up our trip to the fair.

A+M+D+G

John Paul Tries to Decipher his Heritage

Friday, May 18, 2007 by Sarah Leave a Comment

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One day, John Paul decided he wanted to know more about his ancestors. Here is the rather interesting conversation he had with Mom.

JP: Mom, who borned Dad?

M: Grandma.

JP: Who borned Grandma?

>M: Great-Grandma

JP: Who borned Great-Grandma?

M: Great-Great-Grandma.

JP: Who borned Great-Great-Grandma?

M: Great-Great-Great-Grandma.

This type of thing went on until John Paul couldn’t remember how many greats Mom had used. (To tell the truth, I think she was loosing track as well.)

JP: Mom, who borned you?

M: Groan

A+M+D+G

Our 911 Episode

Sunday, February 18, 2007 by Sarah Leave a Comment

It was a gorgeous Saturday afternoon. Maria was teasing Landon with the phone. “I am going to dial 911, Landon. I am going to call the police.” Landon grabbed the phone from her, and someway or another the button to call was pushed, then the button to hang up.

Ring-a-ling-a-ling! My dad answered. “Hello… No it must have been one of the kids… That’s fine… OK, sorry about that… Bye.” Turning around to Landon and I he said, “That was the police! They’re coming over here to make sure we are all right.”

When the Police car finally pulled up, Maria was nowhere to be seen. The policeman who came to the doors name was Officer Bill. “So, who was on the phone?” he asked promptly. “I think she is hiding.” my Dad replied. “I will go down and try to dig her out.” Dad did not succeed in getting her out. So Of. Bill came downstairs to Maria, who was crying hysterically. Despite all persuasions, Maria would not come out from the covers of her bed. Eventually we returned upstairs, where Of. Bill gave John Paul, whom the officer had named “his buddy,” stickers for himself, Alex (who was at the docter,) and Maria.

Five minutes after Of. Bill departed, Landon and John Paul were patroling the basement with belts on, toy guns in their belts, and their junior officer stickers on their shirts, pretending to be policemen.

This is the true account of our 911 episode.

Friday, February 9, 2007 by Sarah Leave a Comment

John Paul thinks he is superman. He is five years old and his B-day is Aug. 30. He enjoys legos and duplos, playing in the dirt, video games, television, trains,

Macaroni & Cheese is John Pauls favorite food. His favorite color is orange (or blue, he doesn’t know which.) Star Wars, (he has seen 4, 5, and 6,) Larry-Boy, and Superman are his favorite movies.