My Thanksgiving
holiday extravaganza
Performed by Scott Bray
Woodland Winter Carnival King
You are probably wondering what a leg to a bus seat, a heater hose, a broken toilet seat, and a branch have to do with each other. Well, I’m going to tell you! I’d like to explain a fun and interesting experience I had with my grandfather, father, and brother. This is the tale of our new hunting camp or as we like to call It the RB, otherwise known as a recreational bus.
It all started back in August at my sister’s birthday party. The guys were talking about hunting camp. We have used a camp in the years past at number nine-lake. We wanted something different than a camp, something that was portable and we could modify ourselves. There were Ideas of a Cabelas trappers edition tent, but Dad and gramp thought of a bus! That’s right-a school bus!! Though would have to gut and rebuild the bus. It was decided that we would make an RB. First we had to get a bus and we did – an old bus. Dad drove it home.
Keith and I started to work on the RB that afternoon in pouring rain! We soon discovered that taking the seats out was easier said than done. I had to be under the bus with a wrench and Keith had to be in the bus with a ratchet. This process took about three weeks!
Then there was the floor! Ripping up the floor heaters and taking the vents out. I was working with the crowbar while Keith and gramp were working at the heaters. They soon found out the heaters had anti freeze in them as gramp cut the hoses and anti freeze exploded everywhere. So we had to clean that up!!
Next we made closets, bunks, kitchen space with a sink and put in a stove and furnace for heat. Then, we were ready for the woods! We drove the bus to it to Where dads Friend Rudy used to park it and set up camp. Gramp, Keith and I went in two days before Thanksgiving —
Guess what we FOUND???? Yup, a broken down outhouse – I ‘ve always wanted one!! But It had to be fixed!!! So, when we went out for Thanksgiving, we came up with a plan. When we came back, we were ready to rebuild the old outhouse and we DID!! New seat, new door hinges and a roof—-ALL PLEASURES OF HOME—- maybe next year we can even upgrade to a heated toilet seat!!!
Now, for the branch!! While we were roughing it way out in the wilderness, we watched Netflix on my dad’s phone. For this we needed an antenna, so we used a six foot branch and used it to raise the antenna. Little did we know the branch made the 47 mile trip back without falling off the roof of the RB. Everything that was not tied down inside fell over like the cots, mattresses, pillows, blankets and stuff. We will be taking the branch with us next year to watch movies again.
So, now you know the connection of a bus seat leg, an heater hose, a broken toilet seat and a branch! It was the rebuilding of a bus to an RB we will use for years to come.
This combination has made a fun memory for us and I’d recommend we all make some fun memories during our Winter carnival too!!!
Mean Jean the Recess Queen
Performed by Adia Greer
Woodland Winter Carnival Queen
I…Mean Jean AM the recess queen! Nobody says anything different.
Nobody swung until I swung
Nobody kicked until I kicked
Nobody bounced until I bounced
If kids cross me I’ll push‘em and smoosh’em
Lollapaloosh’em, hammer’em, slammer’em
Kits and kajammer’em
Say what? Say who? Say you! Just who do you think you’re talking to? I always got my way…until one
day. A new kid came to school…her name was Katie sue!
A teeny kids, a tiny kid, a kid you might scare with a jump and a boo!
But then the recess bell went ringity-ring, that kid ran zingity-zing for the playground gate.
Then that Katie Sue swung before I swung, she kicked before I kicked and bounced before I bounced.
That kid I might scare with a jump and a boo was too knew to know that I, Mean Jean was the recess queen.
I charged through the playground crowd.
Like always, I pushed kids and smooshed kids, lollapalooshed kids, hammered’em, slammered’em, kits and kajammered’em as I charged after that Katie Sue,
Say WHAT? Say WHO? Say YOU!
Nobody swings until I swing,
Nobody kicks before I kick,
Nobody bounces until I bounce
I thought that would set the record straight. But, I figured WRONG!
That Katie Sue talked back, just as sassy as can be she said, “How did you get to be so BOSSY!
Then that puny thing, that loony thing, grabbed a ball and bounced away. Oh, Katie Sue was a quick kid,
She bolted quick as lightening.
Bouncity Bouncity Bounce
Kickity Kickity kick
Swingity Swingity Swing
I thundered close behind…Bouncity kickity Swingity
I, the recess queen was not amused….I raced and chased and in-your-face that Katie Sue.
No one spoke, No one moved, No one BREATHED!
Then from her bag pulled that Katie Sue…A JUMP ROPE…clean and bright.
Hey Jeanie Beanie sang Katie Sue
“Let’s try this jump rope out!”
Now here’s the thing, until that day no one dared to ask me to play. But, Katie Sue jumped and hopped and skipped away singing…
I like ice cream
I like tea
I want Jean to jump with me
I just gapped and stared like I was scared to move. So, Katie Sue sang again…
I like popcorn
I like tea
I want Jean to jump with me.
Then from the side lines I hear kids shout “Go Jean Go!” I was too surprised to even shout, I jumped in with Katie Sue…
I like cookies
I like tea
I want YOU to jump with me!
The rope whizzed and slapped…faster and faster the rope spun and flapped into a tangled disaster.
We giggled and jumped again and again…
Well now when recess rolls around that playground’s one great place. As the school bell rings
Ringity-zing, out the classroom door. I don’t push kids and smoosh kids, lollapaloosh kids, hammer’em
slammer’em, kits and kajammer’em. Cause I’m having too much fun rompity-romping around with my friends!
Bouncity, kickity, swingity, hoppity, skippity, jumpity, ringity, zingity…YESSSSSSSSS!
Letters from Teddy Stoddard
Performed by Makenzie Conroy
Many years ago I stood in front of my fifth grade class on the very first day of school and told the children a lie.
Like most teachers, I looked at my students and said that I loved them all the same. But that was impossible, because there in the front row, slumped in his seat, was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard.
I had watched Teddy the year before and noticed that he didn’t play well with the other children, that his clothes were messy and that he constantly needed a bath. And Teddy could be unpleasant. It got to the point where I would actually take delight in marking his papers with a broad red pen, making bold X’s and then putting a big “F” at the top of his papers.
At the school where I taught, I was required to review each child’s past records and I put Teddy’s off until last. However, when I reviewed his file I was surprised. Teddy’s first grade Teacher wrote, “Teddy is a bright child with a ready laugh. He does his work neatly and has good manners…he is a joy to be around.”
His second grade teacher wrote, “Teddy is an excellent student, well liked by his classmates, but he is troubled because his mother has a terminal illness and life at home is a struggle.”
His third grade teacher wrote, “His mother’s death has been hard on him. He tries to do his best but his father doesn’t show much interest and his home life will soon affect him if some steps aren’t taken.”
Teddy’s fourth grade teacher wrote, “Teddy is withdrawn and doesn’t show much interest in school. He doesn’t have many friends and sometimes sleeps in class.”
By now, I realized the problem and was ashamed of myself. I felt even worse when my students brought me Christmas presents, wrapped in beautiful ribbons and bright paper, except for Teddy’s. His present was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper that he got from a grocery bag.
I took pains to open it in the middle of the other presents so it wouldn’t be so noticeable. Some of the children started to laugh when I found a rhinestone bracelet with some of the stones missing and a bottle that was one quarter full of perfume. But I stifled the children’s laughter and exclaimed, how pretty the bracelet was. I put it on and dabbed some of the perfume on my wrist.
Teddy Stoddard stayed after school that day just long enough to say, “Mrs. Thompson, today you smelled just like my Mom used to.” After the children left I cried for at least an hour. On that very day, I quit teaching reading, writing, and arithmetic. Instead, I began to teach children.
I paid particular attention to Teddy. As I worked with him, his mind seemed to come alive. The more I encouraged him, the faster he responded. By the end of the year, Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the class and, despite my lie that I would love all the children the same, Teddy became one of my “pets.”
A year later, I found a note under my door, from Teddy, telling me that I was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life. Six years went by before I got another note from Teddy. He then wrote that he had finished high school, third in his class, and I was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life.
Four years after that, I got another letter, saying that while things had been tough at times, he stayed in school, had stuck with it, and would soon graduate from college with the highest of honors. He assured me that I was still the best and favorite teacher he ever had in his whole life.
Then four more years passed and yet another letter came. This time he explained that after he got his bachelor’s degree, he decided to go a little further. The letter explained that I was still the best and favorite teacher he ever had. But now his name was a little longer.
The letter was signed, Theodore F. Stoddard, MD.
The story doesn’t end there. You see, there was yet another letter that spring. Teddy said he’d met this girl and was going to be married. He explained that his father had died a couple of years ago and he was wondering if I might agree to sit in the place at the wedding that was usually reserved for the mother of the groom.
Of course, I did. And guess what? I wore that bracelet, the one with several rhinestones missing. And I made sure I was wearing the perfume that Teddy remembered his mother wearing on their last Christmas together.
We hugged each other, and Dr. Stoddard whispered in my ear, ”Thank you, Mrs. Thompson, for believing in me. Thank you so much for making me feel important and showing me that I could make a difference.” With tears in my eyes, I whispered back.
“Teddy, you have it all wrong. You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference. I didn’t know how to teach until I met you.”
