Favorite Sentences from House Rules

"We all know that a sky with clouds in it is much more interesting than one that doesn’t have any."



“Why would I want to be friends with kids who are nasty to people like me anyway?”


"I’ve met so many parents of kids who are on the low end of the autism spectrum, kids who are diametrically opposed to Jacob, with his Asperger’s. They tell me I’m lucky to have a son who’s so verbal, who is blisteringly intelligent, who can take apart the busted microwave and have it working again an hour later. They think there is no greater hell than having a son who is locked in his own world, unaware that there’s a wider one to explore. But try having a son who is locked in his own world, and still wants to make a connection. A son who tries to be like everyone else, but truly doesn’t know how."

House Rulessssssss

While I go in deeper to this book, I can't stop thinking about my sister, Bailey. Her and Jacob can relate so much with all of their life battles. Throughout this book I've hoped so much for Jacob to overcome the things that have been thrown at him, just as I wish the same for Bailey. Bailey gets something new thrown at her everyday. Her diet is a daily struggle for her. And, just like Jacob, Bailey has to deal with with the views of other people. Jacob's mind functions different than the rest of us, as Bailey's diet makes her mind function differently too. She suffers with anxiety, and she's very hyper, always bouncing of the walls. To the family, she's just Bailey, and that's her personality, but to other people she may come off as kind of weird and annoying. It's sad and frustrating that other people can't see her like we do, she has so many good qualities about her. It's true that you can't judge a book by it's cover.

House Rules

In the book, House Rules, a young boy, Jacob, has Asperger's syndrome, he's liked by so many, but one day he is accused of murder. While reading this I'm noticing a lot of the struggles Jacob has to face with his syndrome, and it only makes me think of my little sister, Bailey, who suffers from PKU. Basically her brain won't break down protien, so she's on a really special diet where she basically can't eat anything, and is forced to drink 3 cups of special formula a day. Throughout her day to day life Bailey faces so many of lifes struggles so much harder than the rest of us. Her condition makes her brain function a lot different than ours, which results in her getting picked on a lot. Although Jacob and Bailey have completly different issues, they relate together in some way, they both are drawn away from the normal joys of this world that the rest of us take for granted. Jacob and Bailey have a constant battle everyday of their life, that will never go away.

Top Favvv Claimssss.

http://forbelieberseverywhere.blogspot.com/2011/09/music-video-justin-bieber-of-course.html
I loved this claim, obviously because it had to do with Justin Bieber. I loved the way she talked about Justin, because he's clearly amazing.

http://j-momma.blogspot.com/2011/09/ushers-moving-mountains.html?showComment=1316529290267#c5492777472373257898
This claim was basically was amazing the way she explained Usher's movements and his power from his body language.

http://oliviaomb.blogspot.com/2011/09/drumline.html
I thought this claim was good because she did the movie, Drumline, which was a really good movie to observe. There's so much intensity and movement in the entire movie.

http://thatgirl-abbie.blogspot.com/2011/09/so-you-think-you-can-dance-close.html
This video was really coooooolllllll. I loved the way she talked about the passion between the two dancers.

http://bakefacespace123.blogspot.com/2011/09/bleeding-love.html
I loved this video as well. And I loved the way she talked about the chemistry between the two dancers.

Right Now

Observe:

Words- Powerful, Important, Real

Sound- Upbeat, Melodic

Appearance- Adventurous, Alert, Beautiful

Condition- Alive, Concerned, Odd, Outstanding

Infer:

Aggressive

Energetic

Explosive

Forceful

Hopeful

Impassioned

Outspoken

Sincere

Thoughtful

Dramatic

Claim:

         In this Van Halen video, Right Now, their powerful and effective use of words, livelyness and alertness of the condition of the world, and the upbeat, melodic, sound creates a outspoken and thoughtful outlook on what the world has become.

The end of The Mockingbirds

I just finished my book, and I fell in love with the very last page, which just so happened to be the authors note.
"I decided to keep speaking up. I wrote about my experiences for the school newspaper, and I heard from even more women who'd been date-raped and from others who hadn't but who were glad the school was finally listening and acting. Other universities took notice of what happened at Brown and also started changing their policies and systems for handling date rape. Things are different now, and schools are doing a better job of protecting women.
Looking back nearly twenty years later, I know my experience speaking up and listening to others was critical to my own healing and, eventually, forgiveness."
This book was so dark and deep, but it has potential to put so much awareness out there to women everywhere, of every age. The author, after doing research, was inspired to write this story due to her own experience. Some critics said that the book was inappropriate to say the least, but how can real life be inappropriate? This happens all around the world, and this book could make so many people aware, I strongly suggest reading this book.

The Mockingbirds Scene 2

As I'm finishing up this book, I'm starting to feel more and more for Alex as she struggles with the loss of her virginity. She's feeling as if someone has died inside of her, she lost someone that she can never get back. From a woman's stand point, it's easy to relate to her. Some people get that choice of who they want to loose "it" too, while others, like in Alex's case never got to choose. She had been with a boy for an entire year, and still wouldn't let him take it from her. That right there says how sacred that was to her. I'm truly feeling for Alex right now, wishing I could get back to her what was stolen.

The Mockingbirds

This book is bothering me more than it should, but I'm determined to finish it.

Poems

My top three favorite poems that we've done in class so far have been, To You by Kenneth Koch, First Kiss by April Lardner, and Dust by Dorianne Laux. The first two are about love, I loved these poems because they made me think of my boyfriend, Mario. Like the first kiss poem, obviously it reminded me of our first kiss. It's so cheesy, but our first kiss was so magical. It was the only first kiss that gave me butterflies. When I think about it to this day I still get butterflies, so the First Kiss poem gave me that special feeling inside. Staying on the subject of relationships, I like the To You poem as well, just because I thought it was adorable, and funny the things he was relating his love too. The last poem I fell in love with was, Dust. I don't know what it was about this poem, but it really made me think. It was so deep in such an undeep way...that makes no sense, but it does...to me.

The Mockingbirds

When I was in 8th grade I got my first surgery, I remember waking up panicking, I had no clue where I was at. All I could do is cry and cry and ask for my mom. Not knowing what has just happened to you after waking up is a scary thing. Alex woke up one morning laying next to a guy she didn't know, and had no recollection of the night before. Reading the first couple pages of this book made waking up from surgery feeling the way I did not so bad. Alex automatically knew that her body had been violated in ways that she didn't even want to think about. My heart broke for her. I suddenly felt so much anger for her. Although she was drunk, this boy had to have known what he was about to do, he took everything from her in the blink of an eye, and she had she had no control. It made me even more mad when she told her friend that she was basically raped by a guy she doesn't know and all she said was, "so you lost your virginity for then first time." Like who does that? If that was my friend I'd be freaking out and making sure she was okay, and then call the cops. I'm anxious to get to the end and see how Alex overcame the rape. Rape is such a scary thing to go through, and such a hard journey to overcome. I'm courious as to how she gets through the journey and I'm praying that she comes out on top.

Elsewhere

I couldn't imagine being as young as I am and just loosing my life one day. People as talk about how there's a heaven after death, but how do we really honestly know? Faith? That's it. What if we really go to a place called Elsewhere where we age backwards, not forwards, where one day we become a baby again and get sent back to earth to be reborn again. Lizzie faces a huge battle of loss after being dead. She longs to go home to everything she knew so well, i wanted her to go back to. I couldn't imagine dying at 15. You still have so much more to do.nso much more life to live. Shenhad to leave her family and everything she loved without a choice. I myself in her shoes and I couldn't bare it. Isabel and Bailey wouldn't have there older sister anymore, Jaren would have his sister to give him rides anymore, and my parents, their first child would just be gone one day. Death always makes me think about Rodney who just left this earth one night, nobody knew it was coming. Nobody got to say goodbye to him. Death always makes me wonder about what's next. When people die I always wonder if they are really watching over us like everyone says, or did they just start a new life on a different island, I'd like to tell myself that the people I've known who have past look over me, because it's comforting, but at the end of the day I guess I don't really know. All I know is what people have shoved down my throat for years. My only hope when I do go, is that its quick and painless, and that I get to have a few words with the big man upstairs so that I can see what he's all about. I think after reading Elsewhere though, heaven sounds more appealing. I want to go to an entirely new place, I want a new adventure, not something so similar to earth. And I don't want to age backwards, I don't think I would want to age at all, I would just want to be the age I was when I died. I hope when I die, I get to see Rodney, and my grandparents again. And Jess's parents. I hope I get to meet Biggie and Tupac, that's the afterlife I want, not earth.

Jenna Hoppe

You're blog is deep gurrrrlllllllllll.<3