Sled Hiking

I am an inventor. I took my sled on a hike and invented sliking (sled hiking). Happily Ruby stayed home yesterday so I showed her how to slike. Then she helped me write the sliking rules. 

Rules of Sliking by Fox and Ruby

1. Use sitting like criss cross applesauce. 
2. Walk uphill, sled downhill. 
3. You wear warm mitts. 
4. Use your arms to propel yourself. 
5. Share sled. 
6. Hold on for dear life. 
7. Not leaning too much. 
8. If it looks dangerous don't do it. 
9. Far sliking not for faint of heart. 
10. Be patient, be prepared to go slow. 
11. A Tim Horton's trip after is a must. 
12. Have fun! 

Undercover

Happy to try new kinds of poetry. I tried a blackout poem. It is challenging because words are limited. 

Political Cartoon

At hearing that I am to make a political cartoon, I felt worried it wouldn't be possible. I'm not an amazing artist yet and my idea was difficult to draw. I wrote instructions to say what to draw. I then asked artistic dad to help me make it. It makes me so happy to see my idea there on paper. Dad is terrific artist. Simply amazing. 

This is my political cartoon about old ideas about autism stuck in the minds of worthy, lost people. Can unlock and let new ideas in by listening to letter talkers. 

Letter Warriors Platform

Weekly I write with my friend Griffin. Here is our new political platform for the Letter Warriors Party. 

Fox: Better say real letter talkers are campaigning today. 

Griffin: Our platform is for all those that spell on letterboards.

F: The first thing is that a letter talker has the right to a real education. 

G: We very much like to learn with all the other kids. 

F: That's maybe the most important thing. 

G: Might like to play sports like other kids too. 

F: That's right. At real sports not baby sports. 

G: Wow wouldn't it be awesome! 

F: It definitely would. To talkers everywhere, we are a lot like you. Each day we not having same opportunities. 

G: Just because mouths don't work well doesn't mean we like younger stuff. 

F: Agreed. Acceptance is not judging a book by its cover. 

Letter Warriors

My Letter To The Mayor

I want each day to try new kinds of writing and it makes the letter writer in me happy to share the letter I sent to the mayor about an idea I had to make the city nicer in the summer. I thought my idea was a bit silly however I sent it anyway. Then the mayor replied saying it was well written. That's so nice to hear. I think I learned not to be afraid that an idea is too silly to share. 

Dear Mayor Jaworsky, I have a very good idea for the city of Waterloo. Not all people are able to handle the sound of lawn mowers. The idea is to have the mowing timed on a schedule so it is not happening at random times. The lawn mower sound is very painful to my ears. The fact is I'm autistic and my ears are sensitive. There are a lot of times that I'm outside then suddenly the lawn mower sound fills the neighborhood and starts a pain ruining my whole day. Help autistics like me enjoy the outdoors. It is a lot nicer looking to have a mowed lawn. The mowing on a schedule would use city workers to have the best results. It is their job so they are good at it. The timed mowing would need more workers so it would create jobs. You would be helping a lot of people. It would take thick lawns and make them look nice and amazing. It has to include bringing the grass clippings to the waste management site so they can turn it into compost and save money by selling it or using it to keep city gardens growing beautifully. Mayor think of the possibilities. Have a nice Thanksgiving. I hope you will think about it.Sincerely, Fox Bailey

Homeschool Field Trip

Today I went on a trip to the landfill. It was so interesting. It's recycling so many things. It had the most cans I have ever seen. The cans had the most amazing sorter, it had a magnet that pulled cans over a garbage hole so they could put them in forty thousand can cubes. The nicest part was watching the sorting. I think it is really amazing that recycling was invented here. It's not hard to see how landfill recycle program is making the landfill last, when so much material doesn't get buried. There are twenty years left for the landfill to get full. Time will be longer if we all try to recycle and compost. It's likely recycling will make the world better. Tall order but we should all try. 

Watching sorting

40,000 can cubes

The Poetic Artist

Dear terrific readers,
I love poetry and art. The best is the combination of both. It is hard to make art when your hands tire then stop listening to your mind. It is not easy however still can do it with some help. It is only the tiny help I needed. So much of it I could do. It is magic to me to see the amazing art I made. I think it goes perfectly together with my poem. It is a poem I wrote that's about Fall starting. It has a story of a leaf. Then I made a leafy Fall painting. I had to get mom to print poem for me. It is the creation I love most. 

In the Fall you change
You drop to the ground
The safety of the tree
Is far away

Your tree let you go
Time seems to slow
Woe upon woe
You stop low

Tasting the soil
Trapped in the sap
You're stuck in the weeds
You are stowed astray

Off tree
You are free
Team is you
You are me

Some like red
Others like yellow
Sat on a brown
How at last we shine

You taste the world
Your green disappears
You're an individual at last
You make your own way

The tree is bare
The tree is tiring
The tree rests
Sappy old tree sleeps

You sit inside a log
It is bent around
Like a snail to keep
Life safe and sound

You start your sleep
You sleep so deep
Tapping out not in
At home again

Creative Writing Project - Plains of Abraham Interviews

THE FOLLOWING INTERVIEWS TOOK PLACE FOLLOWING THE BATTLE AT THE PLAINS OF ABRAHAM IN 1759. THE SUBJECTS WISHED TO REMAIN ANONYMOUS. THE BATTLE AFFECTED FOUR GROUPS OF PEOPLE SO I TALKED TO SOMEONE FROM EACH GROUP. THEY HAD NO WAY TO KNOW WHAT WOULD TAKE PLACE AFTER THE BATTLE. BOSTON TEA PARTY LAST THING YOU WOULD EXPECT TO HAPPEN AFTER THIS WAR. 

BRITISH SOLDIER

1) TALK ABOUT YOUR CLIMB AT NIGHT UP THE CLIFFS.

THAT'S A GOOD STORY. DARING TO BRAG, THE BRITISH ARE NOT ONLY BRAVE THEY ARE ALSO SMART. TO SAY IT WAS RISKY IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT. VERY DANGEROUS. THE CLIMB WAS UP A STEEP CLIFF MASKED BY DARKNESS. HAD TO BRING CANNONS AND RIFLES. IT NEEDED TO HAPPEN FAST. 

2)  YOU STOLE A LOT OF SEVEN NATIONS LAND. HOW DO YOU JUSTIFY THAT?

I AM BRITISH AND WE ARE ENTITLED TO ALL USEFUL LAND.

3) CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE TRIP DOWN THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER?

IT IS A ROUGH RIDE. IN THE BOAT I STARTED TO FEEL SICK. I SAW A WHALE, THAT'S HIGHLIGHT. THE MOVING WATER, A LOWLIGHT.  AT HOME I AM NEVER GETTING SO SEASICK. 

4) YOU WON BATTLE BUT LOST WOLFE AND LOST 658 OF YOUR FELLOW SOLDIERS. YOU REALLY THINK IT WAS WORTH IT?

YES. GOING TO REMOVE THE FRENCH NOW. HATS OFF TO WOLFE. THE REST OF US WILL TAKE CARE OF IT. YOU SEE, BRITISH CAN ALWAYS TAX AMERICA IF WE NEED MORE MONEY. 

FRENCH SOLDIER

1) DESCRIBE THE FEELING OF BEING THERE WHEN THE BRITISH SURPRISED ATTACKED. 

IT WAS A MEAN THING TO DO. THE AIM ALWAYS TO SAVE THE PEOPLE OF QUEBEC. THAT WAS REALLY UNFORTUNATE. I THINK THAT THE WORLD IS BETTER OFF UNDER FRENCH RULE. 

2) MONTCALM RUSHED TO ATTACK, WOULD YOU SAY IT WAS A MISTAKE?

I WAS ON THE FRONT LINE BY THE WONDERFUL, TERRIFIC GENERAL MONTCALM. TO SAY HE MADE A MISTAKE WOULD BE A LIE. EYES ON TARGET, THE ONLY THING TO DO WAS RUSH. EXACTLY THE BEST PLAN UNDER THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES. 

3) NOT FINDING TARGETS AT FIRST FIRING REALLY DOOMED YOUR SOLDIERS. YOU MUST AT LEAST ADMIT THAT WAS NOT THE RIGHT TIME TO FIRE. 

IT MADE NO SENSE TO ME EITHER. IT FELT LIKE SOLDIERS PANICKED. CERTAINLY NOT IDEAL. 

4) NOT SURE THE PEOPLE SAW THE WRITING ON THE WALL ABOUT THE BRITISH VICTORY. DO YOU THINK IT WILL TAKE SOME TIME TO SINK IN?

THE BRITISH MAY HAVE WON THE BATTLE, THEY WILL NOT WIN THE WAR!

**NOTE TO READERS: HE WAS WRONG.

SEVEN NATIONS WARRIOR

1) TALK ABOUT YOUR REASON YOU'RE INVOLVED WITH THIS BATTLE. 

I ALWAYS HATE BEING INVOLVED IN BATTLES BETWEEN EUROPEANS. YOU START ON ONE SIDE, YOU HELP, THEN AFTERWARDS YOU ARE IGNORED. IT'S ON MY NATURAL LAND. IT'S A LITTLE BETTER TO BE ON FRENCH SIDE SO I HELP THE FRENCH. 

2) TALK ABOUT WHEN THE ATTACK HAPPENED. I FIND IT HARD TO IMAGINE START AND WHAT IT WAS LIKE. 

DAWN CAME, YOU WOULDN'T BELIEVE THE SOUND OF ALL THOSE MUSKETS FIRING. THE CLOUD OF SMOKE WAS BLINDING. THE BRITISH WON QUICKLY. THEN WE RAN.  

3) THE HARD PART IS OVER, WHAT WILL YOU DO NOW?

THE HARD PART IS NOT OVER, THE EUROPEANS ARE NOT LEAVING. 

4) I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT YOUR FAMILY. 

IT IS NOTHING TO YOU. IT IS THE BATTLE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT. THIS INTERVIEW IS OVER, GOODBYE. 

FRENCH (QUEBEC CITY) CIVILIAN 

1) DO YOU WANT TO LIVE UNDER THE FRENCH OR THE ENGLISH?

NEITHER MONSIEUR. I THINK THEY SHOULD BOTH GO HOME.

2) TELL ME ABOUT WHEN THE BATTLE FINISHED AND WHAT HAPPENED TO THE WOUNDED MONTCALM. 

IT WAS MONTCALM I HEARD YELLING. HE WAS HURT BADLY. THEY TRIED TO SAVE HIM, THEY FAILED. FEEL IT WAS LOST CAUSE, THE INJURY WAS TOO SEVERE. I HEARD GENERAL WOLFE DIED TOO. 

3) LOOKS LIKE THE BRITISH ARE TAKING OVER. ARE YOU GOING TO STAY IN QUEBEC?

EGAD! I NEED TO THINK ABOUT IT. EITHER I LOSE MY HOME, I'M ONLY A POOR BLACKSMITH, OR I STAY AND WHO KNOWS WHAT WILL HAPPEN. 

4) TALK ABOUT THE MASTER PLAN FOR THE QUEBEC PEOPLE. 

WE CAN'T MAKE PLANS UNTIL ALL THE WARRING IS FINISHED. THEN HAVE TO TALK AMONGST OURSELVES TO MAKE OUR OWN PLANS. I HOPE TO STAY. THE WINTER IS ALMOST HERE. THE ST. LAWRENCE WILL BE ICE FILLED. IT SHOULD STOP THE FIGHTING FOR AWHILE. 

THE BATTLE AT THE PLAINS OF ABRAHAM BY FOX

 

 

 

 

 

 

Review of "The Wild Book" by Margarita Engle

A STORY ABOUT A GIRL WHO HAS TROUBLE LEARNING HOW TO READ AND WRITE. IT'S A LOT OF WORK FOR HER. IT IS MOST LIKE VERY HARD WORK IN RPM. TAKES HER A LONG TIME TO LEARN. YOU FEEL HER FRUSTRATION. IT'S A FIGHT FOR EACH WORD. YOU BETTER FIGHT HARD TO LEARN. TALK ABOUT A TALL ORDER, TALLEST ORDER. TASTES AMAZING TO FINALLY GET IT. IT IS THE SWEETEST TASTE TO FINALLY BE ABLE TO READ AND WRITE. TASTING SUPER SYRUPY. TASTES AMAZING WITH EVERYTHING. THE STORY IS WRITTEN ALL AS POETRY. THAT'S A REALLY AMAZING IDEA. I GET A LOT OF IDEAS FROM MARGARITA ENGLE. I REALLY LOVE HER BOOKS. 

Thoughts on "We Are Displaced" By Malala

AFTER READING "WE ARE DISPLACED", I THINK IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT REFUGEES ARE NOT ALWAYS TREATED WELL WITH THE SAME RIGHTS AS THE REST OF THE HUMAN RACE. I FEEL IT IS SO NOT FAIR. IT IS SO REAL TO ME, BEING MADE TO FEEL UNIMPORTANT. IT IS HARD FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE A REAL UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THAT FEELS LIKE. EDUCATION SHOULD BE FOR THE WHOLE WORLD. I ALSO THINK IT IS SO SO AMAZING HOW STRONG THE REFUGEES ARE. THEY START LONG JOURNEYS WITH NOTHING. THEY ARE HARDLY REAL PEOPLE TO THE MEN WHO PROFIT FROM HELPING THEM. THEY ARE AFRAID AND CERTAIN OF NOTHING. THEY HATE LEAVING THEIR IN TROUBLE HOME. IT IS NOT ALWAYS EASY TO IMMIGRATE TO A NEW COUNTRY. THEY HAVE TO LEARN A NEW LANGUAGE AND CULTURE. THEY ARE WILLING BUT IT IS STILL HARD. IN MALALA'S BOOK THERE ARE SOME HAPPY ENDINGS. I APPRECIATE READING ABOUT SUCH AMAZING, STRONG PEOPLE. HEARING LIFE IMPROVED FOR THEM BECAUSE THEY WERE DETERMINED TO GET AN EDUCATION MAKES ME SO HAPPY. I'M NOT REALLY LIKE THEM AT ALL HOWEVER MY LIFE STARTED GETTING BETTER AFTER I STARTED GETTING AN EDUCATION TOO. I REALLY THINK LEARNING IS POWERFUL. LEARNING HAS LIFE CHANGING POWER. NOT FEELING SMART HAS LEFT A PRETTY BIG SCAR ON MY SOUL. I LOVE LEARNING AND READING THAT OTHERS THINK THAT IT IS THE BEST TOO. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK. 

https://www.amazon.ca/We-Are-Displaced-Journey-Stories/dp/031652364X/

Tuskless

TUSKED ALWAYS

SO ABLE

ALRIGHT FOR NOW

ALRIGHT, FINE

NATURALLY SELECTED

TIME TO ADAPT

A VERY VALUABLE TOOTH

GET A FORTUNE

POACHERS LIKE TAKING

TAKING TOO MUCH

SORRY FEAR

NEARLY GONE

HAS IVORY

HAS WEAPONS

SIMPLY REMORSELESS

NO REMORSE

WITHOUT REMORSE

NOW I'M OK

TOUGH BUT ABLE

SIMPLY TUSKLESS

NO TUSKS

WITHOUT TUSK

FIND A WAY

PLANS ARE SET

KEEP SURVIVING

SORRY TUSKS

TAKE, LEAVE

TAKE, LEAVE

POACH, POACH

UNTIL WE ARE

TUSKLESS

Zap! Look! A New Poem By Ruby

YOU ARE SOON TO READ A POEM WRITTEN FOR ME BY MY TERRIFICALLY TALENTED SISTER RUBY. YESTERDAY SHE WROTE "SENSORY OVERLOAD". THE WRITING IS SO TRUE YOU WOULD THINK IT HAPPENED TO HER. THAT IS AMAZING THING ABOUT RUBY, SHE REALLY UNDERSTANDS ME. 

Sensory Overload

Everything is super loud,
colors are so bright,
getting claustrophobic,
It's a sensory overload!

People keep pushing,
lights flash in my eyes,
why are people staring at me?
am I whining?
Oh nooo!
I can't help it!
It's a sensory overload!

I'm seeing red, 
everything's spinning,
am I going to scream?
Oh no!
I really want to!
I need to fight the urge
but I can't help it!
It's a sensory overload!

I just want to......
aaaaagh!
Oh no!
did I scream?
people are staring at me funny.
Too much.
I can't hold it!

AAAAAAAAA!