Christmas in Hungary

Hungarian children celebrate Christmas twice!  Once on December 6^th which is Saint Nicholas’ Day and once on Christmas Day.  The children aren’t allowed in the living room until the bell rings because their parents are decorating the Christmas tree.  On the day of Christmas they eat a special holiday meal called streudel.  When they go to church if it is snowing they might make a snowman.

Instead of stockings in Hungary they use their favorite boots.  In Hungary they call Santa Claus Mikulá.   At dinner they eat a bread called beigli.


The largest Christmas tradition is the Betlehem Play, a short play about Jesus with songs and poems.  The kids are usually in costumes.

Full Metal Turkey: A Thanksgiving War Story by Me

"Oh yeah, I can eat whatever I want," I heard from the farmer.  "La la la la la la la!"

I am going to take a rest.  Aaaaahhh.  It's morning time.  It's always vacation for us turkeys.

"Pssst.  Bridger!  It's Thanksgiving."

"Really?"

"Yes really."

"So what's Farmer Nut going to do?"

"Chop our heads off with an axe."

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!  Call the Turkey Army!  Call the Turkey Cops!"

"There's no such thing as the Turkey Cops or the Turkey Army."

"Oh yeah.  AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!  Then let's climb the gate!"

"But we don't have hands."

"Oh.  Well what are we going to do?"

"Umm...get Farmer Nut?"

"But he's the one who's going to chop our heads off."

"OK.  Then what do we do??"

"Ummm... I don't know.  Maybe we can get our turkey friends to attack Farmer Nut and all of us will throw chicken eggs at him and humongous nuts."

"Deal.  OK.  I will build a fort."

"I will get the other turkeys and the humongous nuts and eggs."

"OK.  Guys!  Get in position!  Farmer Nut is coming!"

ERRRRRAAAAA!  Charge!  Whacha!  BAM!  BOOM! POW!

"Hey!  Where's Farmer Nut?"

"I don't know.  It's too smokey.  Just keep firing!"

AAAAAAAAAA!

The war lasted for two years and eight months.  Several soldiers died.  "We don't have many left, but we    won't surrender."

"Guys!  Come here!  Grenades! I found some grenades!  Quick!  Pull the pin and throw them!  Try it!"

"OK."

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, BAM!

"O.M.G.  Now attack with them."

"Yes sir!  I will guard base and make new weapons."

"Alright.  Sweet.  We got a good war.  Oh yeah."

"I will make dynamite.  I have the recipe.  Let's see here...gun powder, vinegar, plastic oven mitts, and a pin.  Now let's set the pin on fire and throw it."

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, BAM!!

"Wow!  That works better than grenades!  Hey look!  We won!  Farmer Nut surrendered and the turkeys ROOOOOOOOL!  And I have to say one more thing before I do the rest:

Zoo-Wee-Momma!

Farmer Nut said he won't chop our heads off or eat us either.  And now I will raise the flag in victory."

The End

Wimp Yourself

Mr. Paine showed this to me today.  Wimp Yourself.  Like in Diary of a Wimpy Kid.  

Here is what mine looks like.

More Books That Are Good

Wabi Sabi  by Mark Reilstein

This book is about a cat that doesn't know the meaning of its name.   This book would be better if it took place in the jungle.  I would like to ask the author what will happen next because I don't understand the last part of the story.

The best part of this book was...it came with a CD and I got to listen to it on the computer.

Alec's Primer by Mildred Walter

A girl taught a boy named Alec how to read because he didn't know how.  But no one was supposed to teach slaves how to read.  If I were a character in this story I would want the boy and his family to be slave free.

The Haunted Castle on Hallows Eve by Mary Pope Osborne

My favorite part of this book was when Jack, Annie, and Teddy turned into ravens.  Because it would be fun to be a raven.  But it would be difficult because I would get sea sick flying at ten thousand feet.

Rodrick Rules by Jeff Kinney

I am reading another book by this author because... it super duper drives me nuts.  If I could ask the author a question, I would ask...how do you write your books so funny?  This book is really silly.

Listen to the Wind by Greg Mortensen

There were some poor children in Afghanistan who didn't have a school.  A man named Dr. Greg helped them build a school even though we are having a war there and there are bad guys there.  But these people were good guys.  This story would be different if the story was in Florida because in Florida every kid has a school.  

The author wrote this book to teach about other children in this world and for his friend Haji Ali.    This book made my mom cry.  I don't know why.  

I learned that for twelve dollars a kid there can go to school for a whole year and some kids in America give their pennies to Dr. Greg so he can build more schools.  

A Spooky Halloween Story by me

Once me and my friend Mr. Paine went trick or treating.  After we went to every house we started heading home but then we saw another house so we went and knocked on the door.  It just magically opened!  We went inside the house but then I saw a ghost throwing ice balls at us.  So me and Mr. Paine went walking up the stairs.  Mr. Paine just said "BBBAABBB!"  all day long until we saw another room.  We ran so fast so we wouldn't get caught!  But before we got to the door a vampire was throwing axes at us and chasing us!

But we made it.  Mr. Paine just hanged on my back but then he got off when he saw another room but it was really messy.  But then little people were chasing us!  And one of them was in a helicopter!

We got to the door and we started at the beginning and guess what was chasing us?  A vampire, a ghost, an ice ball, some axes, and a lot of mini-people!  The door was clear so me and Mr. Paine got the door opened and slammed it behind us.

I said, "Next time, let's play chicken."  "Good idea," said Mr. Paine and I went home and went to bed.

Editor's note: Mr. Paine is Bridger's 2nd grade teacher.

Some Books I Like. Some I Don't.

Saladin: The Warrior Who Defended His People by Flora Geyer

The character in this book is Saladin.  He was in a war for a very long time.  I would like to be his friend.  I would say to him... "How cool, you can ride a horse and shoot a bow and arrow at the same time."  But I think it is weird that he got married when he was 14.  

I would not recommend this book to a friend because...it's poor.  It was too hard for a kid in second grade.

In Flanders Fields: The Story of the Poem by John McCrae by Linda Granfield

The poem made me sad.  Like a dozen million people died.  If I could give this book a different name I would call it... "The Field of the Dead."  This would be a good title.  

What I'm Reading This Week

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

I like this book because it drives me nuts and it is silly. And I am almost finished with it.

They Called Her Molly Pitcher by Anne Rockwell

I liked this book because it is about a war with George Washington.  Did you know that George Washington made Molly Pitcher a sergeant?  

The Discovery of the Americas by Betsy and Giulio Maestro

If I were a character in this book I would be fair to the Native Americans.

The Three Questions (Based on a Novel by Leo Tolstoy) by Jon J. Muth

In this book I learned that the most important time is now and the most important one is the one you are with and the most important thing is to help the one you are with.

I like this book because... the boy saves two pandas from getting killed by a tree.  And it is about a boy who asks the three most important questions. I can't tell you the three questions because I want you to read the book.