Jumps and Hoops For Our Community Center

Hello future readers,

For the past 2 weeks, us kids have been all over town collecting pledges to raise money to buy new sports equipment for the Community Center. It's a really big deal. The City Council will match all the money we make. That means if we make $50, they'll give us another $50! Isn't that outta site? The boys were gonna shoot hoops and the girls were gonna jump rope. So this Saturday, we all met in the gym at the Community Center, and Shante' explained the rules, (since her dad is the director).

Everyone was gonna work in 2 minute rotations. That meant we'd each have 2 minutes to shoot hoops or jump, before the next person got their turn. (Mr. Crawford didn't want us to get too worn out!) The boys would get a point for every basket they made. Since counting jumps is kinda hard, the girls would get 5 points for jumping for 2 minutes straight without making a mistake. Our pledges were gonna pay by the point. I was so excited! I really wanted to do a super job and gets lotsa points!

 Stephanie and Melody would keep score. Danny, Jason and Kyle would shoot hoops, and me, Shante', Susan, Bridget, Robyn and Kim would jump rope. Shante' was up first for the girls, and Kyle was up first for the boys. But the guys would have to switch up more than we would, 'cos there's only 3 of them and there's 6 of us girls.

"Cinderella, dressed in yella, went upstairs to kiss a fella. Made a mistake and kissed a snake, How many doctors will it take?"

"Eevy, Ivy, Over. Here comes the teacher with the big fat stick. I wonder what she's got for arithmetic?"

"Oh my, I wanna piece of pie. The pie's too sweet, I wanna a piece of meat. The meat's too red, I wanna piece of bread. The bread's too brown, I have to go to town. The town's too far, gotta take the car. The car's too slow, I almost broke my toe. My toe's got a pain, gotta take the train. The train was a wreck and I almost broke my neck. Oh my, I wanna piece of pie....."

We all took turns shooting and jumping for about an hour and a half 'til Shante' finally called "Time!"

Water break! Jumping rope makes me really thirsty!

After everyone got a drink, we all gathered around to see how many points everyone got.

I only jumped for 3 turns without messing up. But that's still 15 points. From all the pledges I got, that's almost $30! WOW! We're gonna be able to get some groovy equipment when we put all our money together! Mr. Crawford was so happy, he offered to treat us all to sodas and french fries at Sam's Snack Shack! Far out!

I'm really proud of all of us. We raised money for the Community Center, got a lot of exercise and had a lotta fun! I'd say that adds up to a pretty dynamite day! Do people still do stuff to raise money for school and their community in the future? Maybe you don't use money anymore and have everything you need. But if you still do, I hope you raise lotsa money for other people who might not have everything they need.

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

Anybody Wanna Buy A Dog......CHEAP?

Hello future readers,

If you're a little confused by the title of this entry, let me clue you in. No, I'm not really selling my dog, but right now I'm mad enough to do it! My dumb dog messed up almost my whole 3 day weekend! Lemme tell ya what happened...

Friday morning I got up to go to school, I got dressed and made my bed.

I packed up my books in my book bag. Last night I just finished a project for Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday. It was a composition and a poster I colored for the Art board in my class. I couldn't wait to show it to Miss LaSalle. I gave it one last look to see that everything was just the way I wanted it.

I thought it was really far out, (even if I do say so myself!).

Then my mom called me down to breakfast. I grabbed my radio and went downstairs and left my project on my bed. Usually when I go downstairs, Boomer follows me, only this time he didn't.

Sometimes I like to listen to the radio in the morning when I eat my breakfast. My mom doesn't mind, because she can hear the weather report  while I listen to "Way Out Wally's Morning Show".

I didn't know it at the time, but Boomer was still up in my room.

Usually after I finish my breakfast, I feed Boomer his. When I called him and he didn't come, I went upstairs to find out why.

"Oh NO! Boomer, you BAD dog! That was my homework! MOMMMMYYY!!!!"

Boomer just sat on my bed, chewing away, like he wasn't doing anything wrong! My mom came running up the stairs , after hearing me scream and saw what Boomer had done. She took him downstairs and locked him in the kitchen.  By now I was crying my eyes out.

It took me 2 days to finish that project, and I didn't think Miss LaSalle would believe a stupid excuse about my dog eating my homework! (Do kids still use that excuse in the future?) My mom came back upstairs to calm me down and told me she'd write me a note, and that Miss LaSalle would understand. She also told me that I have to do my project all over again, and turn it in when I went back to school next Tuesday. That means I would have to spend most of my 3 day weekend doing that project, and I had plans this weekend! I was gonna sleep over at Raychel's house, and her mom was gonna take us to the museum and out to a fancy restaurant for lunch in the next town. My mom said that I could still go out to the museum and the restaurant, but the sleepover was out. Thanks a lot, Boomer! My mom says that when you have a puppy, these things sometimes happen, and that I would just have to deal with it. *sigh* I guess this will teach me never to leave my homework lying around again. AAARRRGGHHHH! What a way to start the weekend!

Well, I hope you guys had a nice weekend, anyway.
Until next time, future readers,
Your (really MAD) friend,
Julie Newman

New Year's Eve Fun and Friends!

Happy New Year, future readers!

I hope everyone had a dynamite time ringing in the New Year! I know I sure did! I invited 5 friends over for my annual pajama party! My mom got a new movie camera from my Uncle Richard for Christmas, and said I could use it if I was VERY careful!

                                                         Isn't it groovy?

My mom and I set up the island of blankets on the floor and I got out my Honey Hill Bunch Clubhouse. Jennifer, (who brought her Lil' Kid doll over), Shante' and Wendy had a super time playing with it.

Meanwhile, Sunny brought over her Hungry Hungry Hippos game and she and April had fun playing with that.

And I was having a groovy time filming everybody!

Later after we put the toys away, we decided to have a pajama fashion show! The big red blanket was the runway, and I pretended I was a big time movie director and fashion show hostess.

"Ladies and...um,..uh ladies. Presenting the latest night time fashions from New York!"

                                                      "Yaaaay!"

"Here we have Miss Wendy Miller sporting a beautiful lavender evening outfit accented with hearts. She shows off her funky style with her pom pom cap, black shades, and a beautiful sparkly red Christmas boa. Fuzzy lavender slippers completes the look. Isn't she beautiful? Thank you Wendy."

"Next we have Miss Jennifer Murray in a fabulous bubble gum pink outfit, with embroidered butterflies and matching slippers.  She is ready for opening night at the movies with her gorgeous superstar sunglasses and ready to party in her New Year's Eve crown and blue Hawaiian lei. Simply divine, Jennifer!"

"Coming to the runway now, a special treat, direct from Paris, the beautiful Miss Shante' Crawford. Doesn't she look warm and cozy in that superb lime green outfit with rainbow polka-dots and green and white fuzzy slippers? And Shante's not afraid to be outta site and Dyn-o-Mite with her tie-dye hat, shiny boa, and pink and white sun shades! Show'em what you're made of, Shante'!"

"Fashion not only looks good, but is really comfortable too! Miss April Miller, with an identical look to her sister Wendy, shows us that this outfit is so comfortable you can do the splits in it! And then go right out and celebrate the New Year in style! Just wonderful, April, thank you."

"Like a ray of sunshine, Miss Sunny Albright steps onto the runway in a rainbow of beautiful colors that makes the world brighter! Her sky blue outfit with big, bold hearts just puts a smile on your face. And speaking of smiles, Sunny shows us fashion can be funny with her sideways cap, hot pink sunglasses and ducky slippers! Thanks for sharing the happy side of fashion, Sunny!"

Then my mom took the camera from me and said it was my turn! All right! She did the speech for my outfit.

"Here we have the fabulous Julie Newman decked out in full holiday regalia! Julie's really got the Christmas spirit in her Charlie Brown Christmas PJs and Santa Claus slippers! And she looks all ready to be the Toast of Time Square in her gorgeous New Year's crown! And giving a nod to the nostalgic 60s, Julie struts her stuff in these gorgeous pink and white cats' eye glasses. Isn't she wonderful? Thank you Julie! And now let's have all our models back on the runway, for a group shot!"

*giggle* Thanks Mom!

Then it was time to settle down on our sleeping bags for snacks and some T.V.!  Time for the Twilight Zone!

At 11:55, my mom passed out horns, and turned on Dick Clark so we could ring in the New Year!

I hope whatever year this is for you is your best one yet! And I hope you'll keep on reading, 'cos I got a lot more groovy stuff to share with all of you! Happy New Year, future readers!

Until next time,
Your friend,
Julie Newman