Felt Post- Stuck in the Middle

I think growing up in the middle of my two brothers has been a large shaping force in my life. I have traits that are like both my brothers, and I often fall on the spectrum. My mom called Ryan a disaster child. She told me when we were little she could never bring him to other people's houses. If he was left alone for ten minutes everyone on their television would be purple and there would be at least three broken things.

My brother Ian couldn't be more different than Ryan. First of all he's a pretty big kid, while Ryan is dainty. I can't think of a better word than that, maybe wispy. By the time I was five, Ian was bigger than me and almost as big as Ryan. Also Ian was incredibly laid back, he was pretty slow to walk, to talk and all those things. For the longest time he would just sit on the ground and make noises until someone brought him what he wanted.

A lot of times middle children feel ignored and have trouble finding their place. I can identify with that to an extent. I was never a joiner as a child, I quit ballet, gymnastics, soccer, basketball, softball, girl scouts, track. Also has a teenager I was pretty rebellious, I think my mom would say I was the hardest to deal with of the three. But since Ryan is six years older than me, and he's a half brother, and I was the only girl, I don't think I have the antisocial traits inherent with "middle child syndrome."

Look at that other picture, of us as toddlers, whenever I'm in a picture with my brothers, I'm making that same face. If you look at pictures when am the same age and alone, I'm cheesing hard.

Forum III Problems with project

I had two major problems with the project. One was that while I was doing it, I really didn't have faith that things would work out the way Ulmer said. I am still a little skeptical that things will fit together or any meaningful patterns will emerge. Another issue is that this project makes up a large part of our course grade. By turning it in all at once, instead of in parts, we don't get a chance to see how it will be graded. Obviously the grading will have to be subjective with this type of project. It's just that usually it takes me a few assignments to see how a teacher grades, what they like, and what they don't.

Forum II My experience

I wouldn't call this an experience one filled with epiphanies necessarily, but then we aren't done yet. It was interesting looking back at my childhood and trying to remember experiences as well as what books and movies I liked. I don't exactly think these have a huge reflection on my life so far, and my eventual path, but again, I guess we'll see. To be honest in the beginning I sort of thought this project was stupid, and I was just going through the motions. It has become a lot more clearer to me though, as I engage with the process.

Forum I Connections

Honestly I wasn't sure I was going to be able to find any patterns when we started constructing the Mystories. Sure enough though one pattern definitely, maybe two have emerged. The first and most obvious pattern is water. I can pretty much follow it through all my posts. I love the mysterious, fantasy sense of the ocean along with the powerful dangerous part.

Water shows up first in my post about the Octopus's Garden, as well as the one about Titanic and two of the childhood narratives. Also one of smells that always lifts up my mood is ocean air. There's something about it that makes me feel lighter and happier.

Another pattern that started to emerge is being rebellious. It starts in the Titanic narrative and I think it is echoed in the choice of the book Madeline. As well as my narrative about playing in the mud.

Entertainment Discourse

If there is anyone in the class that has not read this book, or at least seen the movie I would be completely shocked. Charlotte's Web is a classic. For those who don't know, it is about a pig, who realizes he is going to be made into bacon. Fern the farmer's daughter saved him when he was born a run, and comes to visit at her uncles the farm, but Wilbur is lonely. Luckily he befriends a spider, Charlotte, who comes up with a brilliant plan to save him. To introduce herself she weaves "salutations" in her web.

The Zuckerman's want to cook Wilbur for Christmas dinner. To trick them Charlotte first write "some pig" in her web. The Zuckerman's think it's a miracle and people come from miles around to see. Next Charlotte weaves "Terrific" into her web. Wilbur wins at the state fair in competition with a large pig named Uncle and he is saved.

In the end Charlotte must leavve Wilbur, because it is her time to die. But with her wisdom and the independence she has taught him he should be able to make it without her. He also has Charlotte's little spider babies to keep him company. I think Charlotte's Web is as good now as when I was younger. The characters in at are so adorable and lovable especially Charlotte, who dedicates her life to saving her friend.

Entertainment Discourse

Ludwig Bemelman's Madeline was a series of books and an animated movie, I loved both as a child. It is about an all girl's school. They live in an old house covered with vines where they all break bread together every night. The girls all follow their teacher Ms. Clevell in two perfect rows. Madeline is the only redhead in the group and she is constantly getting into trouble. I'm sure many girls can relate to reading Madeline as child because it is such a classic, I feel like everyone has read it. My children will read it, there children probably will too.

I liked Madeline I wanted to be French like her and I named my favorite doll after her. Madeline wasn't a Madeline doll, she was a baby doll. There was nothing particularly special about Madeline besides that I loved her and took her everywhere. Naturally since I was dragging this doll around everywhere, it wasn't in the best shape. She got left in the rain a few times.

I was out shopping with my aunt and mom one weekend, and like normal I brought Madeline. We went to Frugal Fannies. They have a large communal dressing you. Tons of naked people. Naturally to a child this was both fascinating and frightening. Anyways, I ended up leaving my doll there. When we got home I was very upset. My mom called the store the next day but they had thrown Madeline away. I was crushed.

I think the Madeline books send a good message to little girls. While they do encourage mischief they also teach girls to go against the grain and be different.

Entertainment Discourse-

Gila Monsters at the Airport was a book my father read to me when I was a little girl. It's about a boy who's moving to the West Coast with his family. He is from New York city and he doesn't want to move even in the least bit. He is extremely happy there. He's imagining all about how awful and scary it is going to be there. His friends fill him up with all sorts of stories.

In Arizona he imagines, scary Gila monsters meet you at the airport. He thinks he'll have to take a horse to school and be forced to sit on a cactus. He is very worried that they don't play baseball there. This book is meant to talk to kids about their prejudices about different places. I can see how this book would be a big help talking to your child about moving, being older now I can recognize this rhetorical purpose of the work.

Looking back at the book, I can see why I enjoyed it as a kid. It is easy to read, with only a few words on each of the pages. It sort of lyrical so the works well for being read aloud. The illustrations are also really really great. They are simple but very well done, and so funny. I think I'll probably read this book to my children if it's still around then. I think it has a positive message about acceptance and it also manages to be pretty educational about Gila Monsters and the landscape of Arizona.

Entertainment Discourse-diegesis

When I was younger, probably around first to fourth grade, I love the Babysitter's Club. But I got even more in The Babysitter's Club Little Sister books. They were easier to read and more relate able to me. Kristy was one of four of the 13 year-old girls that made up the Babysitter's Club. Kristy's mother married a wealthy widower named Watson and his progeny and named Karen and Andrew. Karen is the main character of the Little Sister series. Because it's for little kids every story in the series has a moral.

I remember one of the books, the theme was lying. Karen saved her money for new Rollerblades. She finally bought the. The first day she was trying them out, she fell and broke her wrist. When her neighbor asks her how she broke her wrist Karen says she was trying to jump over a family of snails so she wouldn't run them over. With each person she tells the story to her story gets more and more elaborate. She gets herself in some sort of tangle with her fibbing, although what it was about exactly I don't remember. I couldn't find a copy of the book. Finally the story gets back to her father, who reprimands her. Everyone then lives happily ever after.

The only other thing I remember for the series was a girl named Natalie in Karen's class, who had glasses and droopy socks. The pictured book is not the same one with the lying, but it's the only picture I could find.

Childhood Narrative 3

This is a picture of a day that represents an amazing memory of my childhood. it was summertime. I remember my family went to Michigan for a family reunion. That was also the third time I had ever ridden in an airplane. It is my first memory of airports or flying. We were staying at my grandmother's house. I remember her making us breakfast, and feeding my bacon to her dog, Chauncie. I also remember my mother getting us dressed and insisting we stay clean until we get there.

We went to the reunion. It was basically a barbecue/ picnic sort of thing. There were horseshoes and volleyball. I remember meeting lots of relatives, specifically lots and lots of old people. I also remember getting lots of hugs and kisses. For the grownups there was drinking and socializing. For us kids It was fun but there wasn't much for to do.

There had also been flash floods for the weeks proceeding that weekend. The rain had just stopped that Friday Everything was wet and muddy and there were all these enormous puddles. So finally after the reunion was over, my mom took us to a playground. She told us to get as muddy as we possibly could. I also remember meeting that kid with the cast, although I don't remember his name. So we all played for hours and pushed each other in puddles, and covered the slide with mud, kid stuff. Then we went home exhausted and soaked.

Childhood Narrative 2

Some of my best memories as a kid were on the beach. That's funny because it was always a huge ordeal to take me to the beach. I'm pretty pale now and it was worse as a kid. I had to be covered with 45 spf sunscreen, put on a tee-shirt after an hour, then take 15 minute breaks under the umbrella. Other than that though, it was amazing.

We always went to the beach when we stayed at my Nana's house. She lives about five minutes from the ocean, you can either walk or drive. My mom would get my brothers and I up early, and get us breakfast while she packed up soda, chips, sandwiches, towels, beach toys and all that stuff. Then we would all go, I love the feeling of the warm sand on my feet. My brother Ian and I would run into the ocean as far as we could go. Sometimes I would walk along the rocks with my dad looking for seashells and little hermit crabs. If we found one he would let us keep it for a little while, in a bucket.

Then when we were all sunburned and tired we would start packing it up. Ryan, Ian, and I would have to take our sandals down to the waters edge, rinse our feet off and put them right in the shoes. Then we would get in the car, go home, and shower all the sand off.

To this day the smell of an ocean breeze in the air is enough to make me smile.