Truth Be Told #5

Truth Be Told #5

It's Okay to Surrender Sometimes

Something has been bugging me this weekend.  It's left me scratching my head.  It's not just the lousy weather leaving me perplexed.  It all began with a project for school last week.  Here's the story.

We are learning about the Civil War in Social Studies.  I got assigned Fort Sumter for a project.

It was the first battle of the Civil War.  Unfortunately the Union lost that battle.  And what I learned in the process actually confused me.  

Everyone is always telling me never to give up.  You should always fight your hardest til the bitter end.  Those are good lessons for a kid to know.  

Then when I was reading about this battle, I found out that the General for the North, Robert Anderson, actually surrendered the fort.  He was surrounded by the southern General P.T.G. Beauregard.  Fort Sumter is on an island and the southern ships were bombarding it.  General Anderson knew there was no chance of winning, so he surrendered quickly.  He quit.  What's that all about?

But later, after reading some more, the history books say that his surrender was key.  No one died in the battle at all.  No one was even injured, and some of the important people from the north were spared.  In this case, surrender was ok in the long run.  

I hate to be nit picky, but there is still something bugging me about that.  Surrender just doesn't seem right.  

The south was happy.  They won the first battle.  This is the confederate flag I used as the background for my poster.  In case anyone from Slovenia is reading my blog, I have to let you know that the Confederates didn't win.  It took four years, but the north won and the slaves were free!

Mother Eloise says that we should send this flag to her friend Tracy Southern to remind her that South Carolina is a dumb state.

Another thing that has to do with surrender is a book series I am reading, the Twilight series.  

Mother Eloise, who is one of the people always telling me never to give up, finally gave in on this.  She finally let me read the first one and watch the movies.  She surrendered.  

We've been catching up on the movies before Breaking Dawn Part 2 comes out in November.

We watched Eclipse on Saturday while Sam was at a birthday party.  Mother Eloise says she doesn't need him catching glimpses of that movie and getting any more fighting ideas.  It was a really good movie.  We only have one more to go.  

So in this case, surrender was good again, because I would have never got to read some good books or see these movies.  It is fun to read a book first and then go see the movie.  That is the best.  I almost always like the book better, except for these.  I really think I like the movies more because they are kind of artsy, like me.  

My weekend is almost over.  I'm ready to publish my fifth post, but truth be told, something is still leaving me scratching my head this weekend.  Hmmmmm, what could it be?

Until next time, My Friends,

Ellen Louise Cullen

Truth Be Told #4

Truth Be Told #4

There's Cussin' In The Lamp Post

This is my brother Sam.

He can make a person crazy.  Crazy enough to say a bad word or two from time to time.

This is my sister Natalie.

She has autism.  Let me give you some advice, don't use bad words around autistic people.  She said a bad word this weekend when we were making cupcakes with our babysitter Amy.

We spent the rest of the weekend blaming each other for who taught Natalie that word.  It's not real bad, just kind of bad.

When we were decorating pumpkins this weekend, I had an idea.

I suggested that if we want to say a bad word, we just should say a replacement word.  I suggested Sammit. It think it is perfect.

This is how my pumpkins turned out.

We used silver glitter paint,

gold spray paint,

That one looked like a Notre Dame football helmet so we gave it to my Aunt Terri, Uncle Mike, and Jon.

I had some left over paint so I sprayed leaves (and my thumb).

The googly eyes are my favorite.

I saw some ideas like this on pinterest, but I made some of them up myself.  I want purple metallic spray paint.  If you know where I can gets some, tell Mother Eloise.

Have a nice day!

Love, 

Ellen Louise

Truth Be Told #3

Truth Be Told #3:

It Was An Apology Letter

This was on my mom's blog video last week.  Mother Eloise often puts our artwork on her blog.  This was a note Sam wrote to her but she failed to explain it.  It was an apology letter.  He wrote it because he punched the yellow Candy Land piece because he lost the game.  Even though fabulous is spelled with three S's, Sam's a pretty good speller for a kindergartner.  God help us all if he gets a blog someday.  

He writes me notes like this when he is in a good mood:

Sam writes me notes like this most of the time:

My biggest worry when Sam went to school was that he wouldn't have any friends.  Clearly I was wrong.  Kids like him.  

Here's Sam and his friend Gino:

They are a lot alike:

Things were going well until Gino tried to kiss Sam:

So then Sam decided to put Gino in a choke hold:

Here's the summer of Sam and Jacob:

 But fall football games have been all Delaney:

She's a lot like him, too.

I make no apologies about my brother.  He is who he is.  There is no further explanation other than that we love him and he makes life entertaining.  

Have a nice weekend,

Ellen Louise

Truth Be Told #2

Truth Be Told #2

We Don't Always Watch Educational TV

Even though my parents are both teachers, we still watch a lot of TV in our house.  Some people say TV is bad and books are better but you can't really read all the time.  You'd get serious eye strain.

Everybody likes to watch something different.  I like to watch Say Yes to the Dress and DC Cupcakes.  Natalie likes to watch what I watch.  Sam is into Sponge Bob big time.  Mother Eloise likes Touch and the news.  Dad likes ESPN and that dumb show Gold Rush.  

But there is one show lately that we all come together to watch.  Mom claims that she doesn't watch it, but look at this picture.

 Those are her gnarly feet propped on the edge of her new round chair.  It is kind of like a nest where she sits.  That is Alanna/Honey Boo Boo Child on our TV on the wall.  So this is proof she DOES watch the show she claims she doesn't.

I put a video about the show on the bottom of this post.  You can click on it to see what Honey Boo Boo is all about.  Be prepared to laugh.

Alanna introduces you to her "crazy family." They all have nicknames.  She has 3 sisters and now a new niece.  Everyone in the family has nicknames except the new niece Kaitlyn but she was born with two thumbs on one hand so I think a nickname is coming.

The nicknames are:

• Alanna--6--the main character---Honey Boo Boo
• Mom/June--32---Momma
• Dad/Mike--40---Sugar Bear
• Lauren--12--Pumpkin
• Jessica---15--Chubs
• Anna--17---Chickadee

I thought of nicknames for my own family.  I made them to kind of match.  They are:

• Mom/Mother Eloise---41---July
• Dad--43---Bitter Bear
• Natalie---14---Plump
• Sam---6---Buddy Boo Boo
• Ellen---12---Gourd

My mom has nicknames for just about everyone.  Some she shares, and some she doesn't.  I hear that Grandpa had many nicknames for people, too.  Especially guys from GE.  That's what my mom says anyway.

If I could rename anyone, I'd rename Taylor Swift, Taylor SWAFT.  I just think that would be so cool if she switched over from country to Rap or Deep R&B and she could be Tay-Sway.

These are the people I went to camp with last week.  I gave them all nicknames.  They were:

• Adam---Yeti   because he has big feet.
• Emily---Em Bem
• Ellen--El Bel
• Jack--Hack--because Aunt Karen's bad typing on her iPhone--it always comes out that way.

I got cool presents for my birthday.  I even got two from my pinterest board!  I was so excited.  

I got this arrow bracelet because I really like The Hunger Games books and movie.

I also got this really cool necklace.  It means Jeremiah 29:11.  It is my favorite Bible verse.  Carrie Underwood says it in Soul Surfer, too.

Have fun watching June and her crazy family.  Like mom says, try not to laugh AT them, laugh WITH them.  They really do seem nice and love each other when they are not yelling at each other.

I think my readers are "all that and a pack of crackers."
Love,
Ellen Louise

Truth Be Told #1

Truth Be Told #1

She Doesn't Only Listen to Tim McGraw

Today is my birthday.  I am a dozen years old.  

Welcome to my blog Life Inside the Lamp Post.  I earned it from getting an advanced score in Writing on my PSSA's.  My Mom, who you know as Eloise, told me I could have my own blog if I got an advanced score.  I did it!

Now it is MY turn to write!

This is my house, The Lamp Post.  My mom writes a blog called Lessons From the Lamp Post.  She always writes about me, my sister, and my brother.  Now it is my turn to tell you the truth about what REALLY goes on inside the Lamp Post.  Here is a peek at my life.

You can always tell Mother Eloise from the ring on her finger.  I got it for her for Mother's Day one year.  This is Mother Eloise's favorite weekend beverage.

My trademark is my fingernails.  I always have them painted cool ways.  We went to the football game so I painted my nails orange and black to match my school.  My favorite weekend beverage is Coca Cola.  Out of the glass bottle is my favorite, but I do collect all the cans.

My Aunt Karen got me this cool nail polish for my birthday.  I've been wanting it for so long.  It is expensive. Mom says I have to keep the lid on tight and keep it away from my brother Sam.  I saw essie nail polish on pinterest, which is my favorite thing to do.  I have my own board on my mom's account called Ellen Louise.  I have over 900 things pinned!

I even found how to make a skin cleansing mask to make my face super clean.  That is tissue paper on my face.  Don't worry, it came off.

My mom pins things for me to make her on a board called Create.  When I get bored, I pick something from there to do.  It is fun.  

My Grandma has a board called Ellen Make Me This.  She pins all kinds of stuff for me to make her, too.

This is a picture of me with my sister Natalie.  We do lots of stuff together.  

This is me and my little brother Sam.  He was actually smiling in this picture because he knew he was going to get some cake.  

He even helped me blow out my own candles.  

 Sam didn't even spit on the cake this year so we were lucky. 

 The point of this blog is to tell you what life is REALLY like inside the Lamp Post.  I have to tell you the truth.  So Truth Be Told #1 is:  My mom doesn't only listen to Tim McGraw.  She listens to other songs, too.

  Mother Eloise likes to listen to music all the time, especially when she's getting ready to go somewhere.  She is really fast at getting ready.  I'm not that fast yet.  Mother Eloise says I'll get fast when I'm a mom someday.  

This is a little hidden camera video I took of her getting ready for my birthday party.  If you notice, she is NOT listening to Tim McGraw.  She's been listening to the Zac Brown Band this week.  The song is called Chicken Fried.  You can even hear her singing!  I hope you enjoy the video.  She let me put it on here.  But from now on, I have to keep the video camera in her room when I am not using it.  

Have a nice day!

Ellen Louise