My new pet

This is Spot

This is Spot's Home

Spot is my new pet he is a Box Turtle, we got him on Saturday. He likes to eat dandelions, apples, vegetables and all types of fruits. We got him some turtle snacks but he likes dandelions better. He is in the aquarium in my room on my video shelves. Sunday when my Grandma and Grandpa were over we let him out on the patio. My friend Anna came to see Spots. Spots spent the whole time under Grandpas feet and then he crawled over to my Mom. He takes a bath for 20 minutes every other day. He had his bath outside yesterday. Spots doesn't like to be upside down, it makes him nervous, he wiggles his hands and feet.

Yesterday my friend Alex was on TV. I didn't watch the whole movie but I watched the parts when she was on.

This weekend my Grandma and Grandpa are going to take me to see the trains at the Botanic gardens. My sister is going, but she doesn't like trains that much.

the end (Cole typed this)

New Site

This is the Britannic underwater.

I hope you all like my new website. My Mom has learned how to add pictures, so now I will add pictures about the things that I am discussing. I tell her when to change the color of the words.

My friend Alex and her partner Chrisanne are coming to visit when Alex gets back from LA. My Dad said he is going to grill out when they come, he is a good cook. I want him to make me a burger, we will make steaks for everyone else.

Alex is going to work at The Shakespeare Theatre on Navy Pier. She is going to be in "Princess and the Pea" in the mornings for kids. I have seen this already she is a good Queen. Then at night she is in "Comedy of Errors." I have not seen this, it is for adults my Mom and my Grandma will be going with their friends. I think everyone should go see both. Don't forget Alex is going to be on TV Monday the 30th. I will remind you all when it gets closer.

The Queen Mary and others...

On Saturday I went to the library. I told you I was going to research the The Empress of Britain but there were not a lot of books on it. From what I could find there were at least 3 ships called the Empress of Britain but only one of them wrecked.



My Grandpa told me about a ship that is in California, that use to be an Ocean Liner. It is called the Queen Mary. I found lots of books and videos on this ship so I am going to talk about the Queen Mary. The Queen Mary was a much bigger ship then the Titanic. The Queen Mary was over 1,000 feel long the Titanic was only 882 feet long. The Queen Mary almost weighed twice as much as the Titanic at 81,237 Gross Tons. The Queen Mary's life boats could hold 145 people the titanic could only hold 60. The Queen Mary was also used as a war ship during the war from March 1940 until September 1946. The Queen Mary had 1,001 crossings of the Atlantic until it was docked in Long Beach, CA. The Queen Mary's Rudder weighed 140 tons the titanic was only 101 tons. I am going to read more about the Queen Mary but it sounds like it is a very large boat.

My Papa told me that he may take me out to California this summer to see the Queen Mary and stay at it's hotel. To bad my friend Alex will be here this summer, but when she comes back to Chicago maybe she can tell me what I should see while I am in California. I think I want to stay for 2 weeks, I want to go to Disney Land.

Spiders and the library

Today in school we learned about spiders. I learned that tarantulas are nice but some of them are poisonous. Tarantulas do not spin webs, some spiders go in underground holes.

I also had Tae Kwondo again today. I go three times a week. Today I got to spar at the end of class with a boy who is a black belt. It was no contact which means we just do the kick movements but not hit them. At the end of every class we have to say our home rules. I don't know mine by heart yet but I am practicing. I remember them when I see the sheet but I can't remember when my sheet is at home and I am in class. I am working on memorizing them every night.

Right now when I am telling my Mom what to write I am drawing pictures of ships. My Grandma said she is going to show me a picture of the ship my Great Grandparents went on for their honeymoon. When I find out what ship it was maybe I can research it.

I am going to the library tomorrow after school. I have to return my books and get some new ones. I get new ones and return old ones and get new ones and return old ones, it is like a pattern.


That's it for tonight more about ships this weekend.

Alex on TV

Today I read my friend Alex' blog. She wrote about me again and that makes me happy she talked about the Home Rules I have to memorize. I keep asking my Mom when Alex is coming back for a visit. Alex told me June, which is next month. Alex will be on TV May 30th. She will be on ABC Family Channel the movie is called Romy and Michele: In the Beginning. I get to watch ABC Family so I will be able to watch the whole movie, I will even TiVo it. When I know what time it will be on I will let you all know.

Today was my second time at Tae Kwondo. Master Kim said I was doing a good job. I always have to say "yes Sir" or "no Sir" that is good manners. I have to also practice these manners at home and say "yes" not "yeah". "Yeah" is not good manners.

Tonight I have been playing with my little sister. When I was practicing Tae Kwondo at home she tried to do it. Now she is in the laundry basket and I am calling it her little boat. I road around the block tonight on my bike and my Mom pushed my sister in her stroller. Now it is time for us both to go upstairs. She will watch her Baby Einstein video and I will watch TV.

This and That

I am not going to talk about ships today because I need to do some more research before I tell you about them. I am learning right now about the Empress of Britain. It was torpedoed during World War II. I will tell you more about this ship on another day when I have all the facts.

This weekend I learned how to ride my Dad's blue and silver electric motorcycle. I am pretty good at it. I have to wear a helmet and not go to fast. I only ride on the sidewalk. I stop when I go to fast and if I put it on low it doesn't go that fast.

We got our summer pool passes, and I am going to also take sailing lessons this summer. Maybe one day I will be the Captain of a big ship.

On Sunday I went to the store and picked out lots and lots of outfits for the summer. My Mom let me pick out anything I wanted. I am good at matching outfits. I also got a towel and bag that match's my new bathing suit.

Today I took my first Tae Kwondo lesson with Master Kim. It was a lot of fun I am going to go for an hour every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. I have to learn the Children's Home Rules for class. There are 10.

1. I shall show respect for my parents and family members at all times
2. I shall greet my parents and relatives when they enter the home and tell them good-bye when they leave
3. I shall be truthful at all times
4. I shall maintain a good relationship with my sisters
5. I shall help my parents with household chores
6. I shall keep my own room neat and clean
7. I shall keep my body, hair and teen clean at all times
8. I shall not interrupt adult conversations
9. I shall finish my homework and parents errands before playing
10. I shall show respect for teachers and peers at all times.

My Mom says these are good rules for everyone.

Tae Kwondo means foot, hand and art. Tae Kwondo's philosophy is to learn how to respect others, help others, be honest and always stand by the weak. (That means to help people who can't help themselves.) I will let you know how I am doing, I go back on Wednesday. You start with a white belt and then you move up to yellow green, blue, red and Black I will let you know more when I learn it.

Well I am off to watch a movie but first I have to brush my teeth. I hate to use toothpaste.

Cole

I'm Back

Hi everybody,

I am sorry I wasn't blogging, cause I wanted to wait for my Mom to come back home. She was in Cancun with her friends and Dad. When they got back I got a shark necklace but it broke, Mom has to fix it tonight. I also got a T-shirt, some shells and a Maraca.

Tonight I want to talk about the Lusitania. The Lusitania sunk on May 7, 1915 it sank in only 18 minutes. There were 1,959 people on board only 764 lived.

There were many rumors about the Lusitania, like that it held gold bars in its hull. This was just recently proven untrue a few years ago by the Bank of England. What was in the hull was compartments stored with coal, which may have had something to do with how fast it sunk. (coal is kind of like my name but it is used to make some engines go and other things) What the passengers probably didn't know was the ship was built for a warship and a passenger liner that is why it had coal in it. Also in 1913 when it was in dry dock they put guns on it that were hidden below deck in case they needed it for war. There is also talk that there were a lot of explosives being shipped but it can not be proven.

The Lusitania was sunk by a German submarine that fired one torpedo. The question is there were two blasts during the sinking. What made the other blast. It was thought that it was caused by the ammunition that the boat may have carried but in 1993 Ballard filmed the wreckage and felt that the second explosion was also caused by the torpedo. The thing I find interesting about this ship is there were a lot of people that tried to salvage this ship but nothing was really found of much value. This may have to do with the Royal navy sending down divers in 1948. They never said what they were doing there. Also captain Turner did not go down with the ship. He got in a lot of trouble later. He should have gone down with the ship like other Captains did.

Been Busy

My Grandma Bella is typing for me today, she and Pappy Mike came on Daddy's Birthday the 29th. We had cake and sang Happy Birthday. Mommy and Daddy went to the airport on Saturday and went to Cancun for a few days So Bella and Pappy Mike are watching Payton, Janee and me til the 8th and then Grandma Liz will be taking over. We had a surprise visitor, Fauve, she came home, I hope she stays. This is very short I'm, just is too busy to dictate, all my readers will just have to forgive me. Love, Cole

Birthdays and other things

First I want to say Happy Birthday to my Grandma Paulette it is her birthday today and tomorrow is my Dad's birthday. So happy birthday to both of them.

Today I will start talking about my favorite ship. First did you know that the Captain of the Titanic, E. J. Smith was also the Captain of the Olympic when it crashed in to HMS Hawke. The Olympic did not sink but I think Captain Smith had a problem running in to things. Violet Jessup was a stewardess in first class when the Olympic had it's accident. She was then transferred to the Titanic. When the Titanic was sinking the officers were having problems getting the 3rd class people in to the lifeboats because they didn't speak the same language. One of the officers asked Violet to get in to the boat to show the other women what to do. She did that and was handed a baby by one of the woman when she got in. Violets lifeboat was the last to be rescued by the Carpathia. After the Titanic sank she was transferred to the Britannic and I told you what happened to her on that boat. If I were her I would not get on a boat.

My Grandpa reminded me that I forgot to tell people that I ride my bike with out training wheels now. I never wanted to try and one day I just did it with out practice. I was born to ride. My Mom thinks it is funny when I say that. She said she is going to buy me a shirt with that on it.

Today in school we learned about pediatrician they are doctors that help kids and babies. I go to one but not that often because I don't usually get sick.

Thanks and More

Thank you to all my friends and family and new friends that made comments on my blog. I really liked hearing my Mom read them.

Before I talk about the Britannic I would like to talk about my day in school. Maddie's Dad came to school to talk to us about "Stranger Danger". He is a policeman and a fireman. He gave Maddie badges in bags to put in our cubbies. He told us if someone we don't know comes up to us and says "I have a dog in my car that is sick and needs to go to the vet will you help" they are bad and we should run away and get another adult. He said if I saw a friend and his Mom I should ask his Mom to help. He told us about what he wears and the different vehicles that policeman and police girls use. They use cars, bikes, motorcycles, helicopters, rollerblades and horses.

About the Britannic: The Britannic was a sister ship to the Titanic and the Olympic. It was built to be like the Titanic but in 1915 she was made in to a hospital ship for the war. When she was on her way to a hospital she was hit with an explosion. They are not sure if it was a torpedo or a mine. She was hit in the same space the Titanic was, but she sank really fast, in 55 minutes. Only 30 people on the Britannic died. They did not drown the were in a life boat, but because it sunk so fast the life boats were sucked in to the propellers. Everyone was all chopped up. That is pretty gross, their brains and everything were chopped up.

What I thought was also interesting was that Violet Jessup made it through the Titanic sinking and she was on the Britannic too. She jumped overboard but was knocked out when a lifeboat hit her head. Someone pulled her up and saved her. She was also on the Olympic when it was in a collision with another ship.

Thank you Uncle Brian for the web site on the Andrea Doria. I will look that boat up when I go to the library this weekend.

Thanks to everyone else for your comments and please let me know if you think there might be something out there that I would like to read, watch or look up.

My First Entry

Hi I am Cole and I live close to Chicago. I am 6 years old and I am in Kindergarten. I should be in first grade but I have a late birthday so I couldn't go when I turned 5.

My friend Alex told me that I should start my own blog because I write to her all the time. So my Mom and Dad are letting me start one.

http://www.alexandrabillings.com This is my friend Alex. She is actually my Mom's friend but I have seen her in some musicals and on TV. She is really good! She was on the "Doctor Show" this year (ER). I can't watch it because it is bloody, but my Mom let me watch Alex when they showed her. She put a bunch of stuff about Titanic on her website for me. I really like the Titanic and I will try to talk about that and other things that I like.

I am really in a Titanic mood lately and I go the library once a week so I can get new books. I can't read them all but my Mom reads them to me and I can figure most things out from the pictures.

Some other things that I like are Theodore the Tugboat, Airplanes, Jets for the Air Force Trains, any kind of boats, Army Tanks and Boats for the Navy especially aircraft carriers with Jets on them. I also like Submarines.

I was in my first musical this weekend at church we did "100% Chance of Rain". We just sang a few songs and then there was a game fair after the musical. My Mom bought me tickets to play games. I scored a goal in the game basketball and got a whistle my Mom is going to take the whistle away from me if I don't stop blowing it in the middle of the night. Now I can't find it I keep losing it in my room. I also played golf at the fair and I did the moon jumper. I was also able to buy a lollipop and popcorn and I won prizes in a few games.

Well that is it for me for tonight. Tomorrow I will tell you all about the Britannic and how and why they think it sank.

Please let me know what you think about my post.

Cole