Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan

Dear William,

Have you ever missed home? I have. When? Right ever since I came here. I miss home alot. It seems like it has been a million days here.

Here we have Caleb, Anna and Jacob. Caleb is very talkative. He likes to ask questions. Anna is shy and quiet. She’s the opposite of Caleb. Jacob is very nice, but sometimes he says that I can’t do boy jobs.

I wanted to write and tell you all about life on the prairie and the family here. It’s really different. I think it’s fun. I learned alot of things. Like plowing and more.

I miss home alot! Especially the ocean. The land kind of rolls like the sea.

One day I took Anna and Caleb in the cow pond to swim. They enjoyed it. I loved doing it. It reminded me of the sea.

Then one day we had a squall just like we did in Maine. We had to hide in the barn!

I miss you! I’ll write back.

Sarah team 20

May/21/2008

Dear William,

In Kansas , it’s very different from Maine. Here in Kansas I met Jacob’s kids [Anna, Caleb] , they are the most sweetest kids I ever met. There are some loud storms here. When I look up in the sky I see the colors of the sea. Jacob’s neighbors [Maggie,Matthew] came over and we have a wonderful time. Maggie brought over some flowers that I haven’t seen before. I miss you!

Love,

Sarah

When I was inside near the fire place, a crack of thunder rumbled in the sky. The morning I had to go with my Girl Scout troop I had to go to the aquarium and when we got there another crack of thunder came rumbling down. When we got inside it kept storming and when I tried to look at the fish, they weren’t there. They were hiding behind little plants. I guess they were scared too.

• Once when I went to New York to visit my Nani and Nono and we had to leave our bunny home. I missed her so much. I can’t live a day without her. I was so worried about her. That is something I missed.
• On Monday May 12,2008 there was a big storm. I didn’t know what it was called but it was like a hurricane. I heard wind and rain. The wind and rain was really loud. I was at my house when it happened. My family was all with me. Scared is what I felt. That is a storm I was in.

                      team 2o

I sighed and started weeping when I heard my grandma’s dog, Cody, died from a horrible sickness. I’ll miss him very much because me and my cousin would go to my grandma’s and play with him.  I will always remember him with all my heart!

• My first word was Mama. Usually everybody’s first word is Dada. What was your first word?
• If I could learn something I would want to learn to knit. It would be cool. I would get to make alot of things. Like sweaters, scarfs and other things. That is what I would want to learn.

• I could teach you how to draw a bunny. 1st draw a bunny like shape. 2nd add the ears and other important things. 3rd draw the face. 4th add the tail. 5th make the feet. 6th that is how you draw a bunny!

My first word was Dad. I couldn’t say mom because the letter M was to hard for me to say.

I would want to learn how to ski. It seems a little hard, but, there’s always a new thing everyone wants to learn. going down hill seems to be the hardest part about sking. You have to pass trees little hills. But I just want to try.

 I’m an expert at soccer. Here’s how to play. You kick the ball to another teammate. but it is hard to pass the other players on the other team. So try to trick them. You keep passing the ball to your teammates until you try to score the ball in the goal. Have fun!

• Have you ever been to the beach? I have.It’s so much fun.When I go there sometimes I smell saltwater from the crystal blue water.Also I smell suntan lotion on everybodyLike a coconut smell.Those are two things I can smell at the beach.
• When I go to the Beach I sometimes taste the sand when I fall or something.Another thing I taste is the food when you’re eating.Also I taste suntan lotion when my mom smears suntan lotion on my face.The last thing I taste is saltwater when I’m trying to swim it gets in my mouth.Those are four things I taste at the beach.
• At the beach sometimes I hear the wind and it sounds like it’s whistling.Another thing I hear at the beach is the waves crashing down going BOOM!Also you could hear seagulls squawking at the beach.At the beach sometimes I could hear boats playing in the water.Planes with advertisements go by and I hear them at the beach.At the beach you could hear the icecream man come with special treats.The most loudest thing at the beach that I could hear is kids yelling.those are somethings I hear at the beach.
• At the beach I can see lifeguards saving kids.Also I could see dolphins jumping and causing a show at the beach.People are everywhere at the beach that you could see.Sand is everywhere at the beach that you can see.Shells you can see at the beach because people are always looking for them.The crystal blue ocean is what I could definetly see at the beach.Those are somethings I can see at the beach.
• At the beach somethings I can feel is shells on the ground if you step on them.Another thing you could feel is water whe you are playing in it.Also you could feel sand at the beach when you’re walking in it.Suntan lotion you could feel at the beach when it’s on you.What I feel inside is happy because I can’t wait to have fun and exited because I can’t wait to get there.Those are somethings I feel at the beach.
• That is what the beach is like.

                                                            team 20 sm

Have you ever been to a beach?  It is very comfortable and relaxing.  You could see colorful seashells under your feet,  but sometimes a big sand crab might pinch your foot.  Ouch!  The sand crab made me look at the beautiful golden sand.  Have you ever seen rich sand like this before?  Then I decide to eat a sandwich. It smelled yummy.  When I tried to bite it, a bright white seagle zoomed in and took a bite of my peanut butter sandwich.  Of course, I was still hungry,  so I went to the ice cream cart.  You can get any kind you want.  Mmmmmm!  Afterwards I put on some music and fell asleep for a few minutes.  Unfortunately, our time was up and it was time to go home.  I love the beach!

•     If I could advertise for a mail mom her qualities would be a good cook,funny and nice.  All the things my mom has. A good cook because I could be picky sometimes. Funny because I want a mom with a sense of humor. Nice because I don’t like a mean mom.Those are some qualities I want a mail mom to have!
• Does my mom have those qualities? My mom totally has those qualities!My mom is nice,funny and a great cook!My mom does have those qualities!
• Some charactistics my mail order mom should not have is being mean, a bad cook and does not love me. Mean because she will make me do everything. A bad cook because I don’t like to eat bad things. Does not love me because I would be sad. Those are somethings my mail order mom can not have!
• Does my mom have those qualities? No, not at all.  My mom is the best. She will never have those qualities. My mom does not have those qualities.

Team 20 sm