Anyone for Sno-Cones?

Hello future readers!

Earlier this week, Susan and I were playing in front of my house. Susan was brushing up on her jacks, and I was playing with my click-clacks.

Click-clacks are a lot of fun. You move the string up and down to make the balls hit each other, and if you're really good, (I'm not), you can make them bounce up and down really hard so they hit each other top and bottom. They sound just like firecrackers. Stephanie can do it, though, but she always gets bruised arms.

Anyway,  We were just hanging out, when Raychel comes running up to us all excited..

She told us that April and Wendy were in front of their house selling sno-cones for 15 cents a piece!

That sounded outta site! I had just enough from my allowance for one sno-cone. Susan jumped up, put her jacks away, while Raychel was trying to hurry us up so we could go over to April and Wendy's house.

When we got there, the sisters were standing behind their picnic table with a Snoopy Sno-Cone Machine sitting on it!

I've been begging my mom for one of these things all year, but she wouldn't budge. She said making popsicles in the freezer with plastic cups, plastic spoons and Kool-Aid was good enough, and I didn't need a sno-cone machine. Why don't mothers understand these things?

Anyway, the girls were happy to see us. They told us their uncle had just bought them this sno-cone machine, and they couldn't wait to try it out. April was saving for a Michael Grey t-shirt, and Wendy wanted to buy some new outfits for her doll. Well this beat a lemonade stand by a mile, so we told them we'd buy some sno-cones!

Wendy got out the bag of ice, put some in the top and turned the crank in the back, while April got the little shovel to scrape the ice out of the blade cup in the middle.

There were 3 flavors, cherry, lemon and lime. I chose cherry, Raychel chose lime, and Susan picked lemon.

It was another pretty hot day, so that sno-cone tasted so good!

We paid the girls, and walked over to playground and sat on the bleachers to enjoy them! They were really good. We got to talking about how lucky April and Wendy were to have an uncle who gives them groovy presents when it's not even their birthday.

This got me to thinking...I could use some extra money. Maybe I could make a batch of my Kool-Aid  popsicles,  and sell them for a quarter a piece! Wouldn't that be far out? I could save enough money to buy myself something cool, maybe even a sno-cone machine!

Until next time, future readers,
Your friend,
Julie Newman

Saturday at Sam's Snack Shack

Hello future readers!

You know what I really love about summer in a small town like Springfield? I can do pretty much what I want, (well, not bad stuff, but why would I want to?), and go where I wanna go as long as I'm home in time for dinner. Our town is pretty safe because everybody knows everybody else, and none of the grown-ups are gonna let anything bad happen to us kids. So as long as I behave myself, do my chores, take care of my dog and eat all my vegetables, I can enjoy sweet "Mother Freedom". (that's a song by the group, "Bread").
Anyway, this past Saturday, it was pretty hot. Kim and I were at the playground, but all the equipment was so hot from the sun beating down on it, there really wasn't anything to do. So I suggested we go to Sam's Snack Shack for something cool. Kim thought that was a great idea. She still thinks it's kinda weird that our little town doesn't have McDonald's or Burger King. I've been to those places when I visit my aunties and uncles, but you know what? I still think Sam's is better! So Kim and I left the playground, and rode our bikes down to Sam's.

When we got there, Sunny was already there, sitting at a table, so she waved us over. Danny and Jason were there, too. Sam just got a new pinball machine, so the boys were taking turns trying to beat each others scores. I don't think they'll ever wanna leave! Y'know, with the jukebox and the pinball machine, this place is starting to remind me of  "Arnold's" on the TV show "Happy Days". All that's missing is The Fonz! (one of the coolest guys on television!) Kim ordered a scoop of vanilla ice-cream, and I ordered an extra large glass of Coke over ice because I was so thirsty. Sunny was drinking a creme soda float.

We were all having a pretty groovy time, talking, drinking, eating, and *ugh!* playing pinball. After a while, Sunny said she was tired of hearing all the ringing, bumping and dinging that darn machine was making, so she got up to put some money in the jukebox.

Outta site! She chose "Jive Talkin'" by The Bee Gees. I love that song. Kim kept tapping her spoon to the music and after a couple of minutes, got up to dance with Sunny.

Jason finally got tired of playing pinball, (I think Danny was beating him!),  and sat down at the table with me. I asked him how everything was going, and how was it living with his dad all time now. He says his dad's a really cool guy and that he really missed living in Springfield. He also said he didn't even mind that he was gonna have to repeat 4th grade again, because now he'd be in the same grade as Danny.

I hung out at Sam's until dinner time. It's a good thing I didn't have any ice-cream, because my mom was making lasagna tonight! Far out! I wonder if there are places like Sam's for kids to hang out in the future.  I think it would be sad if there weren't. A kid needs a place to relax and let it all hang out away from parents and teachers sometimes.

Until next time, future readers,
Your friend,
Julie Newman

Independence Day Pool Party at Jennifer's!

Hello future readers!

Happy 4th of July! Some of you may remember there was a July 4th party at Danny's last year. Well, this year the party is at Jennifer's house. And guess what? She has a swimming pool in her backyard! Far out! She's gonna barbecue hamburgers and hot dogs all by herself! My mom would never let me do that!

Anyway, there was all kinds of other groovy things to eat like corn dogs, Jell-o, whipped strawberry mousse, popsicles, and lots of ice cold lemonade.

It was a super party! Everybody was there, including someone new, Danny's friend Jason.

                                              (That's me in the big floppy hat!)

Let me clue you in about Jason. His mom and dad are divorced, and he takes turns living with them. When Jason's with his dad, he goes to our school and he's in the 5th grade .But Jason's mom lives outside of Springfield, and she teaches him at home. Then, right after St. Patrick's Day, she just up and took him away. No one knew where. Jason's dad was worried sick. Then right before the last day of school, he finally found them in a little town in Colorado, living with Jason's aunt. His dad had to go to court, and now Jason lives with him all the time, now. Only since he missed so much school, and his mom isn't really a teacher, he has to go all the way back to 4th grade, and his time in 5th grade isn't going to count. I feel bad about that. My mom says Jason's mom is very sick and it's a shame she did that to him. But I know Danny's happy because Jason and his dad bought a house 2 blocks away and now he'll actually have another boy in the neighborhood to play with!

Anyway, back to the party...we were all having a dynamite time, talking, eating, listening to music, and welcoming Jason back to Springfield.  Cheryl volunteered to fill up the inflatable pool up with the garden hose.

All right! Swim time! We all had our swim suits and towels. Some of us jumped in the water, and others sat around and rapped before they got in the pool.

I was having such an outta site time, I didn't want to come home! But at 5 p.m. I came home, wet, slightly sunburned, and dead tired.  I'm going to take a nap now, because tonight me and my mom and Kim and her family are going to Springfield Park to watch the fireworks.  I hope Independence Day is just as groovy in the future. It's one of the best things about summertime! Happy July 4th!

Until next time, future readers,
Your friend,
Julie Newman