Carlos the Boogerhead had a huge backpack on, pots and pans clanging against each other, hitting his legs when he walked. Soon enough, he saw his good friend Alfonso Fonzio, who was washing his car, like he does every Friday morning.
“Hi Carlos,” Alfonso said as he tossed the sponge in his bucket. “What are you up to?”
Carlos smiled, “I’m going camping. Want to come?”
“Sure,” Alfonso replied, leaving the car to walk back in the house. “Let me just get some stuff.”
Alfonso returned with a backpack and a thermos. “Ready.”
Carlos led Alfonso down the street back to Carlos’ house. They walked around and opened the gate to his backyard. In the middle of the lawn, a tent was set up and a CD player next to it. Carlos and Alfonso dropped their packs next to the chairs and sat on the ground. Pressing play, noises of the forest surrounded them.
“This was a great idea, Carlos,” Alfonso said, opening his thermos and pouring a cup of water.
“Shhhh,” Carlos said, “You don’t want to scare that deer away.”
Alfonso looked but didn’t see anything, “Ok.”
Carlos laid back on the ground and looked up at the sunny sky. “There’s the big dipper!”
Alfonso followed Carlos’s finger to see a cloud shaped like a rabbit. “That’s a rabbit, Carlos.”
“WHO!” The CD played.
“Carlos,” Alfonso repeated.
“WHO!” The CD played again.
“CARLOS!” Alfonso shouted.
Carlos laughed and turned to face Alfonso, “That’s just the owl saying hello, Alfonso.”
Alfonso sighed and lay down next to Carlos, “Oh.”
The two friends stared at the sky and saw the stars as the clouds passed by to the sounds of owls and crickets and toads. Carlos shared a snack from his pack, and Alfonso provided dessert. “We need a fire, though. They’re smores.”
Carlos told Alfonso they were not allowed to build a fire because it wasn’t legal in this “forest,” before chewing off a big piece of chocolate and handing it back. All of the sudden, they heard a rustling. Over there. No, over THERE. Where is it coming from! It’s everywhere! Carlos quickly turned off the CD and listened for the movement again. There it is!
Alfonso motioned to a tree branch in front of them that was swaying. “What do you think it is?”
“Could be Bear,” Carlos shrugged as he watched for the next move. All of the sudden out leapt a beast with brown fur and big teeth. Alfonso and Carlos screamed but didn’t move, waiting for it to leave.
WOOF!
Carlos and Alfonso laughed as they patted Bear on the head. Alfonso looked at his watch, and, realizing the time he packed up his pack. “It’s almost time for dinner, I better go.”
“Ok, Alfonso, I had fun. See you next week.”
“See you Friday, Carlos. Can’t wait!”
Friday, March 25, 2011
Friday, March 18, 2011
Carlos Goes to the Beach
Carlos the Boogerhead walked to Alfonso’s house carrying an inflated raft. As he turned the corner, he saw Alfonso Fonzio washing his car, as he does every Friday morning.
“Hi Alfonso,” Carlos said.
“Hi Carlos,” Alfonso said, drying his red car with a towel.
“I’m going to the beach, do you want to come?”
“Sure,” Alfonso said, throwing the towel down. “Let me go change.”
Alfonso returned in his t-shirt and swim trunks and the two friends walked to the sand dunes.
“Ouch,” Carlos said, feeling sharp pokes in his foot.
“Sand spurs,” Alfonso told him as the continued to walk.
Carlos looked down and saw mini spiked balls poking in his feet. Shouldn’t have worn flip flops, he guessed as they continued to walk to the shore, Carlos still lugging the raft with him. When they reached their destination, Alfonso sat on the ground and pointed to the fiddler crabs scurrying around. “Don’t bother them, or they’ll pinch you.”
Carlos nodded and plopped down beside his friend, picking the spurs out of his feet. “I won’t be anywhere near them, I’m going in.”
Alfonso watched as Carlos kicked off his flip flops and ran to the water with his raft. Alfonso yelled, “What are you doing?”
“I’m going to float,” Carlos said.
“You can’t float in the ocean,” Alfonso laughed.
“Of course you can,” Carlos replied, “It’s water. Rafts float on water.”
Alfonso just quieted down and watched Carlos lay the raft in front of him and tried to lie down. The raft, sinking against his weight, remained still and Carlos just stayed put. Maybe if I go a little deeper in, Carlos thought as he got off the raft, moved further into the ocean, and tried to climb back on. As soon as he got on, a wave moved the raft and Carlos back at the shore. Maybe a little further, Carlos thought, and went deeper in the ocean until he was about waist high. This will work, he thought as he tried desperately tried to climb on. When he finally got situated, an even bigger wave came toward the raft and…
SPLASH!
The wave tossed Carlos and the raft upside down until Carlos was wading in the water. I guess Alfonso was right, Carlos sighed as he moved even further out. It can’t be done. Finally, he was about up to his chest before he pulled himself back on the raft and… floated. It was so nice and calm, Carlos fell asleep.
Alfonso started to call that it was time to go home. Carlos sighed and jumped off the raft, only to notice he was no longer where he started to float. WAY off into the distance, Carlos could see Alfonso waving for him to swim in. The salt of the ocean water stung him and he tried to swim in lugged the raft.
“You look like a lobster, Carlos,” Alfonso said when Carlos was in earshot. Carlos looked down and saw the sunburn he got from falling asleep on the raft. Must have forgotten the sunscreen, he thought as they packed up and went home.
“That was fun, Alfonso,” Carlos smiled as they reached Alfonso’s house. “See you next week?”
“See you Friday.”
“Hi Alfonso,” Carlos said.
“Hi Carlos,” Alfonso said, drying his red car with a towel.
“I’m going to the beach, do you want to come?”
“Sure,” Alfonso said, throwing the towel down. “Let me go change.”
Alfonso returned in his t-shirt and swim trunks and the two friends walked to the sand dunes.
“Ouch,” Carlos said, feeling sharp pokes in his foot.
“Sand spurs,” Alfonso told him as the continued to walk.
Carlos looked down and saw mini spiked balls poking in his feet. Shouldn’t have worn flip flops, he guessed as they continued to walk to the shore, Carlos still lugging the raft with him. When they reached their destination, Alfonso sat on the ground and pointed to the fiddler crabs scurrying around. “Don’t bother them, or they’ll pinch you.”
Carlos nodded and plopped down beside his friend, picking the spurs out of his feet. “I won’t be anywhere near them, I’m going in.”
Alfonso watched as Carlos kicked off his flip flops and ran to the water with his raft. Alfonso yelled, “What are you doing?”
“I’m going to float,” Carlos said.
“You can’t float in the ocean,” Alfonso laughed.
“Of course you can,” Carlos replied, “It’s water. Rafts float on water.”
Alfonso just quieted down and watched Carlos lay the raft in front of him and tried to lie down. The raft, sinking against his weight, remained still and Carlos just stayed put. Maybe if I go a little deeper in, Carlos thought as he got off the raft, moved further into the ocean, and tried to climb back on. As soon as he got on, a wave moved the raft and Carlos back at the shore. Maybe a little further, Carlos thought, and went deeper in the ocean until he was about waist high. This will work, he thought as he tried desperately tried to climb on. When he finally got situated, an even bigger wave came toward the raft and…
SPLASH!
The wave tossed Carlos and the raft upside down until Carlos was wading in the water. I guess Alfonso was right, Carlos sighed as he moved even further out. It can’t be done. Finally, he was about up to his chest before he pulled himself back on the raft and… floated. It was so nice and calm, Carlos fell asleep.
Alfonso started to call that it was time to go home. Carlos sighed and jumped off the raft, only to notice he was no longer where he started to float. WAY off into the distance, Carlos could see Alfonso waving for him to swim in. The salt of the ocean water stung him and he tried to swim in lugged the raft.
“You look like a lobster, Carlos,” Alfonso said when Carlos was in earshot. Carlos looked down and saw the sunburn he got from falling asleep on the raft. Must have forgotten the sunscreen, he thought as they packed up and went home.
“That was fun, Alfonso,” Carlos smiled as they reached Alfonso’s house. “See you next week?”
“See you Friday.”
Friday, March 11, 2011
Carlos Goes to the Circus
One Friday morning, Carlos the Boogerhead was walking down his sidewalk when he heard something. Stopping in his tracks, Carlos stood very still and heard it again. “Mew.”
Carlos squatted down really low, and looked in the direction of the cry. Beneath a bush, he saw a white, long haired cat. Curious, he thought, as he called the cat out from her hiding place. “Someone is probably looking for you.”
The purring cat leaned against his arms, showing off his gold tag. “If lost, please return to Mr. Master at the ABC Circus.”
Carlos walked with the cat to his friend Alfonso Fonzio’s house, knowing that Alfonso was outside washing his car like he did every Friday Morning. “Alfonso, I found this cat. We need to return it to the circus.”
“The circus?” Alfonso said, “That cat is too small to be a circus animal.”
Carlos showed Alfonso the tag, and Alfonso agreed to walk with Carlos to find the cat’s owner.
Carlos had never been to the circus, he had only seen them on television. The circuses he saw had people flying in the air and lion tamers and clowns. Very exciting things, circuses, Carlos thought as the two friends turned a corner to the tallest tents he’d ever seen.
Carlos and Alfonso walked through a crowd of people with faces painted white and funny noses. There were people walking on stills that looked like they were ten feet tall. There were elephants, tigers, and horses with fancy jeweled bridles. But, who is Mr. Master, Carlos wondered as held onto the cat tighter and called out for the cat’s owner.
Suddenly, a man in a top hat and a purple tuxedo jacket stopped, turned around and said, “I’m Mr. Master.”
Carlos motioned to the cat, “I found her under a bush.”
“Oh my, thank you for finding her,” Mr. Master said gratefully. “Sugar, you silly feline. You have a performance in twenty minutes.”
Carlos and Alfonso looked at each other in disbelief, “Performance?”
Mr. Master nodded and said, “She’s one of our best acts. If you’d like to stay, you’re welcome to. As my guests.”
Carlos and Alfonso eagerly accepted and was lead by Mr. Master to the first row of seats. When the seats were filled, all of the sudden the lights went down and a bright light went on Mr. Masters. “Good Afternoon, Ladies and Gentlemen. I am your ringmaster for this show."
Carlos watched lions tamed and acrobats fly and clowns driving small cars. This is better than television, he thought as Mr. Masters introduced the final act.
“SUGAR!”
Sugar ran from the opening of the tent and did an obstacle course which included tightropes and swings and driving, almost everything that was done by all the other performers. Carlos didn’t realize that a small cat could be so talented. At the end of her performance, everyone stood up and cheered for the cat, who took a bow before walking back out of the tent. The lights went up, and Carlos and Alfonso started home.
“Well, that was fun,” Alfonso said when they got to his house. “Want to do something next week?”
Carlos nodded and said, “See you Friday.”
Carlos squatted down really low, and looked in the direction of the cry. Beneath a bush, he saw a white, long haired cat. Curious, he thought, as he called the cat out from her hiding place. “Someone is probably looking for you.”
The purring cat leaned against his arms, showing off his gold tag. “If lost, please return to Mr. Master at the ABC Circus.”
Carlos walked with the cat to his friend Alfonso Fonzio’s house, knowing that Alfonso was outside washing his car like he did every Friday Morning. “Alfonso, I found this cat. We need to return it to the circus.”
“The circus?” Alfonso said, “That cat is too small to be a circus animal.”
Carlos showed Alfonso the tag, and Alfonso agreed to walk with Carlos to find the cat’s owner.
Carlos had never been to the circus, he had only seen them on television. The circuses he saw had people flying in the air and lion tamers and clowns. Very exciting things, circuses, Carlos thought as the two friends turned a corner to the tallest tents he’d ever seen.
Carlos and Alfonso walked through a crowd of people with faces painted white and funny noses. There were people walking on stills that looked like they were ten feet tall. There were elephants, tigers, and horses with fancy jeweled bridles. But, who is Mr. Master, Carlos wondered as held onto the cat tighter and called out for the cat’s owner.
Suddenly, a man in a top hat and a purple tuxedo jacket stopped, turned around and said, “I’m Mr. Master.”
Carlos motioned to the cat, “I found her under a bush.”
“Oh my, thank you for finding her,” Mr. Master said gratefully. “Sugar, you silly feline. You have a performance in twenty minutes.”
Carlos and Alfonso looked at each other in disbelief, “Performance?”
Mr. Master nodded and said, “She’s one of our best acts. If you’d like to stay, you’re welcome to. As my guests.”
Carlos and Alfonso eagerly accepted and was lead by Mr. Master to the first row of seats. When the seats were filled, all of the sudden the lights went down and a bright light went on Mr. Masters. “Good Afternoon, Ladies and Gentlemen. I am your ringmaster for this show."
Carlos watched lions tamed and acrobats fly and clowns driving small cars. This is better than television, he thought as Mr. Masters introduced the final act.
“SUGAR!”
Sugar ran from the opening of the tent and did an obstacle course which included tightropes and swings and driving, almost everything that was done by all the other performers. Carlos didn’t realize that a small cat could be so talented. At the end of her performance, everyone stood up and cheered for the cat, who took a bow before walking back out of the tent. The lights went up, and Carlos and Alfonso started home.
“Well, that was fun,” Alfonso said when they got to his house. “Want to do something next week?”
Carlos nodded and said, “See you Friday.”
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