Chapter Two Fifth Grade
Dear Collin,
How is your summer going? Mine has been alright. At first I hung out with a lot of my friends, but now they’re all at camp or on vacation. The Disney Cruise was fine, especially since they had a new water slide on the ship, but now I’m back home and I’m soooooooooooooo bored!
Have you seen the Pirates of the Caribbean movie? I’ve seen it six times now, and I’m not even tired of it. I think Orlando Bloom is so cute!
Cosmic smog is clouds of organic molecules that spread over planets and possibly create the matter needed to begin life.
So because of cosmic smog, there could be plants and water on Mars, and people from earth could live there someday.
Wouldn’t that be awesome? I would definitely go live on Mars if I had the chance, although it would be annoying to have to wear a protective suit all the time.
Anyway, tell me how your summer is, I’m bored out of my mind.
Sincerely,
Glory
August 11, 2003
Dear Glory,
I’m sorry you’ve had a boring summer. I’ve been really busy, but it hasn’t been fun.
My mom took a job helping out with summer camps, so I’ve been in charge of watching my younger siblings for the past two months.
It should be easy, but they’re so picky and hard to keep track of.
The only thing my little sister Erin will eat is potato chips and grapes, and if I try to give her anything else she bites my arm.
Really. I’ve taken them swimming in our smelly pool almost every day, but my little brother keeps sneaking dish soap into the water filters so everything gets all bubbly and they have to close it down to clean it out.
I think I’d go live on Mars if it meant I could get away from my younger siblings.
They’re driving me crazy! Wouldn’t it be weird if we wrote to each other for years and years and then met on Mars?
I guess it’d be nice to have a friend up there.
Any place would be better than this apartment.
Are you like way into astronomy or something?
Is that what you want to do when you grow up?
You think Orlando Bloom is cute? Have you seen him in Lord of the Rings? He looks like an albino lizard with a mane. I wouldn’t mind having his bow hunting skills though.
Bye,
Collin
September 18, 2003
Dear Collin,
I’m going to ignore what you said about Orlando Bloom. He looks perfectly dreamy in Lord of the Rings, and I’m going to marry him someday.
I think I’d like to meet your younger brother and sister, they sound fun. But if I put dish soap in our pool filter my dad would kill me.
I do love astronomy and I really want to be an astronaut when I grow up, but my dad says I’m not smart enough.
Maybe I could work at a planetarium or a museum or something.
Or I could work for this new company called SpaceX that’s run by a guy with a funny name.
What do you want to do when you grow up?
How is school going for you? I always thought fifth grade would be really awesome because it’s my last year of elementary school, but so far it’s been about the same as fourth grade.
Maybe things don’t really get exciting until middle school.
Or high school. All the good movies are about high school.
Will you tell me all the names of your brothers and sisters?
Sincerely,
Glory
October 5, 2003
Dear Glory,
So you want to know the names of the whole Finlay clan?
Here they are. Brittany is the oldest, then Patrick, then Alex, then me.
Then there’s Gavin and Erin. My parents are Craig and Madeline, just in case you wanted to know their names too.
My dad was born in Scotland, and my Grandparents still live there, but I’ve never met them.
My dad doesn’t talk about them much. I think they got mad at him for moving away.
I don’t really know what I want to do when I grow up.
I like music and singing, but I don’t really like the songs we have to sing in choir.
We’re doing a program about fall harvest this year, so all the songs are about vegetables.
It’s really weird. For music class this year we can sign up to learn an instrument.
I wanted to do the cello, but we couldn’t afford the rental, so I’m doing trumpet instead, because we already have a used one that my brother used to play.
I guess that’s okay. I wouldn’t have wanted to carry a cello around all the time anyway.
Your dad is a jerk to tell you you’re not smart enough to be an astronaut. You still have like 10 years to get smart. Plus, didn’t they send monkeys to space? I’m sure you’re smarter than a monkey.
What do you think you’re going to be for Halloween?
Bye,
Collin
October 28, 2003
Dear Collin,
That is so cool that your dad is Scottish. Does he look like Mel Gibson in Braveheart? I’ve only watched parts of that movie because my mom won’t let me watch the whole thing. Did he leave Scotland to marry your mom and that’s why his parents are mad at him? That would be so romantic.
You like to sing? Are you good at it? You should be on American Idol, and then you’d be famous, and then I could tell all my friends that I know somebody famous, and maybe I could sell your letters on eBay and make a lot of money.
My dad isn’t a jerk, he’s just practical.
At least that’s what my mom says all the time.
He’s a defense contractor and he’s really serious about a lot of things.
What does your dad do? My mom is a nurse.
Usually she works when I’m at school, but sometimes she works all night and sleeps all day. Like an owl.
My friend Dianna wants me to dress up like Britney Spears with her for Halloween, so I’ll probably do that. Or if she changes her mind I’ll be a pirate.
Sincerely,
Glory
December 1, 2003
Dear Glory,
I don’t know why my dad left Scotland, but I don’t think my grandparents are mad at him for marrying my mom.
They really like her. I think she talks to them more than he does.
My dad is a construction worker. He usually works on roads, but sometimes he’ll do buildings too.
My mom wishes he would do something else because she’s afraid he’ll get hurt, but he says he likes doing physical labor and he likes doing something different every week.
And no, he doesn’t look like Mel Gibson.
Does your mom work during the summer? Do you just stay home alone when your parents are working? If I were ever home by myself I would eat a bunch of junk food and play music as loud as I wanted. Although, our neighbors always bang on the walls if we’re making too much noise, which happens a lot.
I’m not sure if I’m good at singing. I don’t really sing in front of people that much, and if I ever do at home, my brothers always tell me to shut up.
I just know that I like doing it. I don’t think I’m old enough to be on American Idol.
I think you have to be like 16, and by that time the show probably won’t be around anymore.
I was a ninja for halloween. It was easy because I just wore black clothes and made a mask out of my brother’s old underwear.
What do you want for Christmas?
Bye,
Collin
December 19, 2003
Dear Collin,
You wore used underwear on your face? That’s disgusting! Weren’t you afraid of getting a disease or a rash or something? Couldn’t you have used an old shirt or at least a sock or a rag? Or face paint?
No wonder you’re poor. My dad says construction workers don’t make very much. But it’s nice that your dad likes it. My dad hates his job. He complains about it all the time and says he only does it because he wants to make a lot of money.
When my mom works and I’m not in school I’ll usually go to my Aunt Sara’s house.
She lives by herself in downtown Phoenix, and I like to sit out on her balcony and watch all the cars and people go by.
She works at home writing for travel magazines, which is funny because she hardly ever goes anywhere.
Sometimes I’ll have a babysitter, which I hate.
I’m old enough to take care of myself, but my parents never let me be home by myself.
For Christmas I want a new telescope, but I’ve been asking for that for the past four years and I still haven’t gotten it.
What I always want to do at Christmas is go somewhere with snow and spend the whole day with my mom and dad.
Last Christmas we just had breakfast together and opened presents, and then my dad went golfing with some of his friends and my mom spent the rest of the day cleaning the house.
Who cleans their house on Christmas? I helped her mop the floor, just because I wanted to be with her.
What does your family usually do for Christmas?
Sincerely,
Glory
January 16, 2004
Dear Glory,
You shouldn’t tell people they’re poor, even though I know my family is poor.
It’s rude. My dad always says that the richest people are the ones who are doing the things they love.
But it would be nice for my family to have a little more money.
And the reason I made a ninja mask out of underwear is because the elastic was already there and it fit right.
I don’t think it was gross. The underwear was probably clean.
If you want to go to a place with snow for Christmas, you should come to Chicago.
We get so much snow that when they plow, they make huge piles that don’t go away for months.
There was this giant pile of snow in the parking lot at the grocery store down the street, and we went sledding down it until the store manager came out and told us to stop because we kept running into the cars.
I thought about sending you a little snow in a sandwich bag, but it would melt by the time it got to you.
Christmas at my house is crazy, but I love it.
It’s one of the only times I actually like being with my family.
This year my cousins and Grandma came to visit from Cleveland, and our apartment was packed.
You couldn’t walk around at night because people were sleeping all over the floor.
But we played a lot of games and made a lot of food.
And every year on Christmas Eve we all go help out at the Salvation Army and then go caroling at night.
I got a used guitar for Christmas. It’s pretty beat up, and one of the strings is missing, but I’ve been playing it for hours every day, and I think I’m getting pretty good at it.
My brothers and sisters don’t even mind when I play it. Do you play any instruments?
I hope your Christmas wasn’t as lame as the year before. You’re welcome to come to my house next year, you probably just won’t have a place to sleep.
Bye,
Collin
March 3, 2004
Dear Collin,
I’m sorry I said your family was poor. My dad always tells me to be honest and say what’s on my mind, but my mom says sometimes it’s okay to lie. Parents are confusing.
My Christmas was fine. I got a nice set of paints and some new clothes and movies.
We had some family friends over for dinner, which was okay.
At least we all got to be together for the day.
I would actually love to go to your house next Christmas, but my parents have already planned a vacation to Hawaii.
Plus, I don’t think my parents would send me all the way to Chicago by myself.
I don’t play any instruments. We have a grand piano in our front room, but every time I play it my dad says it’s too loud.
I don’t know why we have it. Maybe it’s just for decoration.
My Aunt Sara plays it sometimes when she comes over.
I wish I could hear you play your guitar. What songs do you know?
Lately a boy in my class has been bothering me.
His name is Michael Dunford, and he’s always calling me names or poking me or taking my stuff.
It’s really annoying. My friend Jessie says it’s because he likes me, but that’s even worse.
Boys are gross. Except for you, you’re fine.
I just hate going to school now and I don’t know what to do about it.
Anyway, hope it’s not too cold in Chicago.
Sincerely,
Glory
April 21, 2004
Dear Glory,
One time my friend Jimmy liked a girl at church and was always bothering her, and one day when he went to try and pinch her elbow, she pulled his pants down, right in the middle of church! He didn’t like her much after that and left her alone. So you should definitely pants Michael Dunford.
You should learn to play your grand piano.
Just do it when your dad isn’t around. My mom always talks about how much she wishes she learned to play the piano.
I don’t know too many songs on the guitar, I usually just mess around on it, but some I’ve learned to play are You Are My Sunshine, Wonderwall, and Semi-Charmed Life.
Tell me your favorite song and I’ll try to learn it.
Bye,
Collin