Rylie

Rainbow rode home on the bus with me.  We spent the night at my Great-Grandparent's because my NaNa was sick.

My Pap's dog wanted to play with Rainbow but I didn't let him.  I didn't want Rainbow to get hurt.

In the morning we went to breakfast with Santa Claus.  We got our picture taken.

NaNa washed Rainbow.  He is really clean and smells great.

I love Rainbow. He was very good at my house and I will miss him.  I hope he can come back some day.

Grant

My name is Grant and I am 6 years old.  Rainbow came home on the bus with me.  We had pizza for a fun supper.  We played together with my sister Olivia and my dog Tucker.  On Saturday we had cereal for breakfast and helped with the chores.  We put up our Christmas tree and Rainbow helped to put the ornaments on.  I had a peanutbutter and jelly sandwich with a banana for supper.  On Sunday we went to church and then we went to a big Italian resturant called Olive Garden.  I had lots of fun showing Rainbow how to have a good time.

Samantha

My name is Samantha.  Rainbow helped us make home made rolls.  Then we practiced the piano and colored on my chalkboard wall.  My family gathered for Thanksgiving at my Grandma and Grandpa's.  We ate turkey, noodles, mashed potatoes, stuffing and rolls.  My Mom took her pumpkin bread and I took my home-made trail mix (made from cereal, pretzels, nuts and seasonings.)  It was yummy.

 We went to see Christmas lights at Oglebay Park.  We had chicken fingers and smiley-face potatoes.  I spent the night with my Grammy and we had s'mores (You toast marshmallows over a fire. You put a square of chocolate on top of a graham cracker.  Then you put the toasted marshmallow on top of the chocolate and put another graham cracker on top.  They are very sticky.  I had so much fun with Rainbow.  I hope he had fun too.  He can visit any time.

Rainbow and Grace

Rainbow came home with me on Friday.  We went to a resturant called Ponderosa. It has a buffet.  I ate mashed potatoes, corn, macaroni and cheese, chicken wings and gravy.  For dessert I had blue, red, and orange jello and some chocolate and vanilla swirl ice cream.  After dinner we went to the Christmas Parade.  On Saturday I had to go to my swim meet.  There I had some cheese and pepperoni pizza. I played in my room and watched some TV.
On Sunday, my Mom cooked breakfast we had eggs in a basket, bacon and hash browns. Eggs in a basket is an egg cooked in the middle of a slice of bread.  Rainbow and I played dress up for a while.  Later we had Tacos for dinner.  I am so glad Rainbow came to visit.

Happy Thanksgiving

On the 4^th Thursday of November we celebrate a holiday called Thanksgiving.  We spend time with our families and have big dinner.  Some of the things we traditionally eat are turkey, mashed or sweet potatoes, green beans, corn, and pumpkin pie.  We are honoring the 3 days of prayer and feasting that was held by the Pilgrims and Wampanoag Indians in 1621.  They built a town called Plymouth Plantation in what is now the state of Massachusetts. The pilgrims came to the new world from Holland.  They sailed on a ship called the Mayflower.  They were looking for a new place where they could practice their religion.   The Pilgrims and Indians were celebrating a good harvest and the peace between the 2 groups of people.

If you would like to learn more about the Pilgrims and the 1^st Thanksgiving you can visit this website:

http://www.plimoth.org/  

Here is a recipe for cooking a turkey.

How to Roast Your Turkey

To prepare the turkey for roasting, first remove the giblets (and save for gravy or stuffing). Next, rinse the bird inside and out and pat dry with paper towels.

·         If you are stuffing the bird, stuff it loosely, allowing about ½ to ¾ cup stuffing per pound of turkey.

·         Brush the skin with melted butter or oil. Tie drumsticks together with string (for stuffed birds only).

·         Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh. The thermometer should point towards the body, and should not touch the bone.

·         Place the bird on a rack in a roasting pan, and into a preheated 350 degree F (175 degrees C) oven. Use the following chart to estimate the time required for baking.

·         Bake until the skin is a light golden color, and then cover loosely with a foil tent. During the last 45 minutes of baking, remove the foil tent to brown the skin. Basting is not necessary, but helps promote even browning.

Weight of Bird	Roasting Time (Unstuffed)	Roasting Time (Stuffed)
10-18 lbs	3-3.5 hours	3.75-4.5 hours
18-22 lbs	3.5-4 hours	4.5-5 hours
22-24 lbs	4-4.5 hours	5-5.5 hours
24-29 lbs	4.5-5 hours	5.5-6.25 hours

·         The turkey is done when the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F (75 degrees C) at the thigh.

Jaxsen

My name is Jaxsen and I am 7 years old.  Rainbow cam home with me in my Mom's car.  We played all evening.  We had a snack of Nachos. We got to stay up late because we didn't have school on Friday.  Friday was a special holiday, Veteran's Day.  On this day we honor all of the men and women who serve or have served in our armed forces.

Saturday we went shopping at Walmart.  We had lunch at Subway.  I had a roast beef sandwich, apple slices and chocolate milk.

On Sunday, my mom made us ravioli (stuffed pasta squares) and garlic bread for lunch.  I had a glass of one of my favorite drinks, Hawaiian Punch.

Here is a recipe for Nachos:

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 onion, finely diced
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
• 1 (14.5 ounce) package tortilla chips
• 1 fresh jalapeno pepper, sliced

Directions

1. In a large frying pan, brown ground beef with onion, salt and pepper over medium heat. Break the meat into very small pieces while it is cooking. After the meat is thoroughly cooked, drain off the grease.
2. Arrange chips on a microwavable platter. Spread beans over the chips. Layer with 1/2 of the cheese, the ground beef mixture, and remaining cheese. Arrange jalapeno peppers on top.
3. Microwave on medium-high until cheese has melted. Serve immediately.

Laykin

My name is Laykin and I am 6 years old.  I live with my Mom, Dad and little brother.

On Friday I got to bring Rainbow home with me to my house.  That evening we went to visit my grandparents and we had pizza for dinner.

On Sunday, my Dad made the whole family breakfast.  We had scrambled eggs, hash browns, sausage links and milk.

My favorite restaurant is T.J.'s Sports Garden.  I like to get chicken fingers with Ranch dip and Nacho chips and cheese.

Emma

My name is Emma.  I will be 7 years old on November 12th.  I live with my Mom, Dad and 2 year old sister, Sarah.
For supper on Friday my Mom made chicken and noodles, mashed potatoes and a salad.  After supper we carved a pumpkin into a Jack-O-Lantern.  We carved a happy face and put a candle inside to make it glow.

On Saturday we went to eat at a restaurant called Red Lobster.  It is a seafood restaurant.  My parents had shrimp and I had chicken strips, french fries and milk.  On Sunday we went to my Grandma's house to celebrate my cousin's birthday.  We watched her open her birthday gifts and had ice cream and cake.

Hello from your friends at Woodsdale Elementary

Pumpkin Seeds

On October 31st, we celebrate Halloween.  To decorate we carve pumpkins. After the pumpkins are carved some people toast the seeds and eat them. Here is a recipe for toasting the seeds.
Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups raw whole pumpkin seeds
• 2 teaspoons butter, melted
• 1 pinch salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
2. Toss seeds in a bowl with the melted butter and salt. Spread the seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for about 45 minutes or until golden brown; stir occasionally.               

Rainbow went home with a student this week-end.  He will be writing to you next week.

Happy Halloween

We had a pumpkin decorating contest.

Woody had sports drink and an apple

Woody and I go to the park and play ball.
We eat cookies and have some soda.
We have a lot of fun.
My mom helps Woody to take a bath.
Woody is my good friend.

Woody had sea food

Woody and I had shrimp together.
I did not like sea food very much but Woody did.
After that, we had some drink and played games with my older sister.
We are good friends.

Woody had instant noodles

Woody and I had instant noodles together.
He liked the soup and noodles very much.
Later, we played the piano, we played together and we slept.
We had a good time.

Woody had Pearl Milk Tea

Woody and I had the most popular Taiwanese drink, Pearl Milk Tea.
The pearls are chewy and the icy milk tea tastes good.
Hot Pearl Milk Tea is popular in Taiwan, too.
We had a good time together.

Woody had dried fish!

Woody, Qbee and Naima had the dried fish together. Whenever we had the fish for snack, Qbee the cat will join us and he is always interested in the food and Woody. Woody is cute. I love him.

Woody enjoyed Moon Festival with Wendy

Woody stayed with us for Chinese Moon Festival.

We ate moon cake , we wathched the full moon and we made a pomelo hat for him.

Woody looks so cute. Woody and my family enjoyed the holiday.

Moon Festival is on September 12, 2011.

We did not go to school on that day.

It always falls on August 15 on lunar calendar. 

Woody and Ling

I am happy to take Woody home today. We had a great time together. We studied. We ate rice dumplings. I hope Woody can stay in Taiwan longer.

Woody and Tsai

I am happy to welcome Woody today. I shared with him my favorite toys.

Woody and Fang

Woody and I played with clay at Aunt's Home. My cousin liked Woody, too. It was fun.

Woody and Mill

Woody and I went to Grandma's  today. We rode the bike and had some snacks together.
We also went to a toy shop. I chose a toy car for Woody and I hope he will like it.
Grandma invited us to stay longer but Mom said no.
We were a little bit sad.

Bryce and the Birds

Hello,
We made cookies.  We went to the park.  I took a picture with my birds.

Bryce

Henry and Mudge and Mrs. Hopper

This week we read the book Henry and Mudge and Mrs. Hopper by Cynthia Rylant.  Henry's mother and father are going to a Valentine's Day Sweetheart Dance, and Henry and Mudge are staying with Mrs. Hopper across the street. Henry's never been in Mrs. Hopper's scary, old stone house with its droopy trees and dark windows and gargoyle on the door. But inside, Henry discovers a houseful of surprises -- a grand piano, a room full of costumes, and eleven cats for Mudge to play with!

When we finished the book we got to have a costume day at school.

Home with Nicholas

Dear Awesome Kids,

Rainbow went home with me and we had lots of fun.

Love Nicholas

Rainbow goes to a Dance Competition

Rainbow and I went to Dance, U.S.A. and we had a great time.  I won a high gold trophy. The competition was in Charleston.
From Josh

Woody and Emily

Woody adn I had a good time today. We played the piano and had fun. Woody, my younger brother and I played Wii together, too. I am very happy! I love Woody!

Jamy and Woody

On March 4th, 2011, I took Woody to my grandmother's home. I showed him around, told him the lifestyle in the countryside and tasted the delicious Taiwanese dinner. On the second day, Father, Younger Brother and I played Monopoly together. In the game, there are lots of traditional Chinese dishes. I want to show the game to my American friends to tell them that it is really fun to live in Taiwan.

Ann made a scarf for Woody

It is very cold in Taiwan this winter. I have many clothes to keep me warm but Woody doesn't.
Mom helped me to make a scarf for Woody, hoping that he would feel warmer.
I wish Woody can visit me soon.

Evan and Woody played with puzzles

Today, Woody and I played with puzzles together. We tried to make a CKS Memorial Hall.
Woody said he would like to go to Taipei and visit CKS Memorial Hall some day in the future.

Ty and Rainbow

We had a hot dog for dinner.  Me and Rainbow watched a  movie together.  We went ice skating.  Rainbow was scared of my 120 pound puppy.  We all played with my little brother.

Love Ty

Mr. B visited us on February 11, 2011

Mr. B came to visit Wen Ya Elementary School on February 11, 2011.
We had a good time chatting but we could not answer all of his questions.
We need to think a lot.

Rainbow had a good time!

 Rainbow and I took pictures.  I gave Rainbow a snack and we watched TV.  We played hockey and football.    We read stories and then we did back flips.  Rainbow looked at my fish.  We watched hockey on TV and then we played Hide and Seek.

Ari and Rainbow

Rainbow got to come to my house on my birthday weekend.  We got to spend the ngith at my grandma's house.  Rainbow helped me blowout my candle on my birthday cake.  I had fun on my birthday with Rainbow.  Love Ari

Rainbow visits with Ayden

Rainbow and I went to my Mom's classroom after school.  We went home early because it was snowing.  Mom was happy like me.  We watched TV and ate dinner.  Later Rainbow will go to PapPaps to see me play my new guitar.

Ayden

Woody and Connie went to 2011 Taipei International Flora Exposition

It was the first Monday in winter vacation.
Woody and my cousins went to 2011 Taipei International Flora Exposition.
It took us 1.5 hours to go to Taipei by Taiwan High Speed Rail from Chia Yi City.

We saw lots of flowers there and we like gardening now.

Woody and Yuan

Woody and I went home together.
We played the piano, sang songs and had dinner together.
After dinner, we played with blocks.
My younger sister wanted to play with Woody but I said "no."
I didn't want him to be dirty.
Mom said Woody needed a bath.
But I don't think he will say yes.

Woody and Dar

I took Woody home today.
My family said it is so cute.
I took it to visit our farm.
At night, Woody and I slept together in my comfortable bed.
We had a sweet dream that night.

Woody and Wei get ready for school

Woody and I are ready for school.
We played computer games lasat night.
We had a good time.

Rainbow and Emilee

Rainbow met my brothers, Dad, and dogs.  Rainbow watched my oldest cousin play basketball.  We had a pizza party to cheer for the Steeler's football team.  Rainbow and I had lots of fun together doing "girl" things.  We played with my toys and my cousin.  It was nice to play with Rainbow.

Rainbow visits with Devante

Grammy picked up Rainbow and me from school.  We went to her house.  When my Pappy got home we went to Uncle Pudgie's house.  We stayed the night with my cousins Derrick and Dante.  The next day my Mom picked us up and we went home.  We played Wii and Nintendo.  On Sunday went to my cousin Drayden's birthday party and then we stayed with my Dad.

Woody made cookies for the school birthday party

Woody and my class made some cookies together.
We made the cookies to make some money in the school birthday party.
Woody is happy, I think.

Woody and Yiwen read together

Woody and I took the picture in front of my family computer.
We read books, kept reading journal, watched TV and slept together.
The next day, we went to school together.

Woody and Connie went to a farm

Woody, Woody's  bigger brother, my little brother and I went to my grandmother's farm.
We had a big harvest because our eggplants grew so well.
The eggplant in my hand is about the size of Woody.

Woody and Connie rode a bike together

Woody, Woody's bigger brother, my little brother and I rode the bikes happily.
Woody said they were probably the best tigers in the world because they could ride a bike.

Woody and Connie went to a Chinese banquet

Woody and I went to a banquet.
There were lots of good food.
Woody's favorite dish is the chicken soup.
Woody was happy to sit on my head and I felt happy, too.

Woody and Connie Went to a Taekwondo Performance

Woody and I went to see a Taekwondo performance outside a Chinese temple.
Woody was surprised to see performers flying while they turned around.

Woody and Jessica Went to Kenting

Today, my family and I brought Woody to Kenting National Park.
We stayed at the Howard Resort Hotel.
Because Woody could not swim, we left him in the hotel and we went for swimming.
We had a lot of fun at Kenting.
I hope you can visit Kenting some day in the future.

Woody and Jenny Watched News

I watched the news on TV with Woody.
The news said there was a dog in a noodle shop.
The dog sat on the chair in the shop.
When the fan was on, some fur would fly into the noodle soup.
I think the shopkeeper should take the dog away.

Woody played with Sister

Woody played with me at home.
We watched TV, had dinner and I showed it o my younger sister.

Woody was lucky

In the evening on November 22, Dad was playing poker game on the computer.
Every time he put Woody on top of his head, he won the game.
My sister and I found it interesting so we wanted to put Woody on top of our heads, too.

Woody went to Taichung with Henry

This is the picture of Woody and Henry.
We went to Taichung to visit Henry's grandmother.
We saw many toys there.