Four Skinny Trees

In the chapter "Four Skinny Trees", Esperanza compares herself with the four trees that are planted in the city in front of her house. She points out saying how they have the same skinny necks and pointy elbows like her. Another thing she states is that the trees and her doesn't belong to the area. From a reader's perspective, they both are loners by force, they didn't choose to be like this, it just happened to them.

Esperanza looks at the trees for guidance of strength. Even though they could die at any given moment without all the nutrients they need, they still preserve in the concrete and draw roots to the ground to get what they need to survive. They also show how not to give up by saying "keep, keep, keep". She will strive if only she believes she can.

The trees also relied on each other. As stated in the text, "Let one forget his reason for being, they'd all droop like tulips in a glass, each with their arms around the other." They follow the 'all for one and one for all' kind of motto. They got each others back and if one falls they all do. This shows Esperanza that she can also trust people around her.

-Theresa, Kirsten, Judeline, Alexus-

Kirsten's Vignette

Saturday morning at 6:30 it was still dark outside and we were stuck in traffic, my father was driving and my mother was sleeping in the passenger seat. On our way to my first level 4 gymnastics competition that started at 8:00 in long island. my heart was pounding, although my parents were more excited than I was, my father was trying to give me a inspirational speech but I wasn’t even listening,  I was too nervous for beam as usual because to me that is my weakest event. As I was imagining my beam routine in my head I hear “Can we play I spy” said my little brother Ethan sitting right next to me, being a good older sister I said “sure” and started to play. We played until he fell back to sleep but I couldn’t sleep because I was still very nervous I kept thinking about what happed a few days before I was practicing and I fell and got beam burn on my thigh (strawberries is what my coach calls it) it hurt so much that every time I got back on the beam I would have a flash back of what happened to me.
    As we stepped out of the car my coach Edger was wearing his sweat suit which was black and white that said Rockland gymnastics academy on it (RGA) as he was telling me and my team mates schedule rotation which was of course beam first than vault, floor and bars last. Anastasia who looked even more nervous than I did and Maura who looked perfectly fine, as always. My hands were shaking and I thought what worse can happen, but I spoke to soon I was first on beam I couldn’t believe it I was so scared. It was time for warm up so Maura, Anastasia and I took our warm-up suits off and started to stretch out. The bell for the first event rang so I had to get on the beam and start. Walking towered the beam tears running down my face my hands shaking thinking about what im about to do, I feel a hand pulling me to them and it was my coach he looked me in the eyes and wiped my face and told me that I was a power gymnast and that to forget my nerves and just let me body do what it does best and go for it looking at him back I could see in his eyes that he really believed in me.

 When I got my head back together it was time for me to compete, I saluted to the judge and started my routine. First I did a leap which is a split in the air, than I did a handstand. I did two fabulous jumps and a dismount which ended my routine. I couldn’t believe it; I got 9.9 out of 10 which is really, really good. I I couldn’t believe it as I turned around I see my coach and my friends running towards me, I felt so proud of myself. The rest of my completion I did perfectly, I got a 9.45 on bars, a 9.75 on floor and a 9.925 on vault which didn’t surprise me at all because vault is my best event. Ever since I loved gymnastics and I never want to stop. Now I am a level 7 and there is nothing that I am afraid to do in gymnastics because when I’m in gymnastics there is no such thing as I can't do or I never will be able to do. GYMNASTICS IS MY LIFE!!!!!!

Theresa's Vignette

Flying High

The clouds look so fluffy like perfect white pillows surrounding her. If she wasn't in this airplane, she would probably attempt to lie on them and just lounge for hours on end. Staring at these objects gives her a warm feeling inside. Something rare that can't be found else where.

The ground, so far below her, frightens her. She looks over occasionally to see her mother and who gives a smile that signals everything will be ok. Don't worry. Nothing bad will happen. Ever.

Then comes the daydream. Floating through the air, no weight to drag down from. Pure weightlessness. Sometimes she just want to be like this all the time. Be in her own little world. No problems. No drama. Just all about her. It never fails to please her. Or even me.

She tells me these things. Happens all the time when she's in sadness or doubt. Clearing her mind of all things troubling her. At such a young age, she understands that reality is something not even the strongestest of people can deal with.

Fly High, little me. Fly High and touch the sky. Without a fear or care in the world, she transports herself back to the clouds.

Judeline's Vignette

Today's a very special day to me. I can feel my body shivering. The day is going by very slowly I wish it would go faster so I can get this over with. Sitting in class thinking about it has my head hurting. I didn't know how to do it, I never done this before ... I thought about this all day. What if I did it wrong? I kept thinking. He'd never talk to me again. Picturing my lips touching his lips would be so magical. It was such a perfect picture in my head. His lips would taste like peppermint gum. We would be floating in the sky like the stars at night.  All throughout the day, I had these little tiny butterflies in my stomach. My teacher thought I was sick.

        
         It finally came to the end of the day I rushed to my locker without talking to anyone and got my jacket rushed on my bus. I was hoping he would stay after school and not come on the bus but guess what? My wish did not come true. He showed up on the bus a few minutes after me. There were no other seats on the bus except for mine so he sat next to me. I turned my head to the window pretending I did not see him sit down next to me. He tapped me on the shoulder and said hi. I could not get any words to come out. My lips kept vibrating and everything. I was so embarrassed. He said you can’t say hi now and I said sorry hey. The conversation went on and he was asking me about if we still wanted to get this done with I said yes I do even though I was scared I really wanted to say YES!! But I was trying to keep calm. When we got off the bus I followed him. I didn’t want to go in his house because I had this feeling inside of me that was telling me no so we didn’t.
        We stayed outside by the trees. We had a very long conversation about stuff that doesn’t even matter now. He asked me if I ever kissed anyone before I said yes but not real kissing just a peck. I felt like a total loser. Did I really tell him that? I kept thinking. He leaned over and started to kiss me. OMG his lips tasted like fresh gum, it was so magical and pretty. The moment his tongue touched my tongue I felt this little relief inside of me. After we kissed he walked me home. I felt like the happiest girl ever that day. If I could, I would replay that day because it was so special to me. It’s one of those days I can’t and will never forget.

The House on Mango Street: Team Trees , Period 5 :D

- The house on mango steet is a novel by Sandra Cisneros which included some of her past  life and her real thoughts and feelings. This book is realistic fiction. Our team has to write about anything that has to do with trees that was included in the book. While reading Trees were only mentioned twice so far. We look foward to reading more about trees in this novel. We read about 10-20 pages each night and we answer at least 2-3 questions. At this pace we will complete the book in a short period of time.

-Judeline, Kirsten, Alexus and Theresa-