The SoapBox

Is it cold or warm?

by curlyhue, age 11

Winter is different in many places. If you were in a desert and you step outside, you would feel the warm air engulf you. You would close your eyes and wish you were in Montana, where snow comes up to your knees instead of to your feet or none at all, where you get to put on all your flurry warm winter clothes... mmm! If you were in Montana you would step outside and feel the cold, brutal wind slap your chapped face. You would close your eyes and wish you were in the desert where warm sand would gently touch your face. But the idea that the holidays are still here is the same for everyone, whether or not it's cold or warm.

Wintertime

by Sarah, age 21

My traditions for the winter season are to celebrate Christmas and New Year's with my family, go shopping, celebrate the solistice, drink egg nog, eat candy canes, and be myself.

I always look forward to Christmas and New Year's because it's one of the few times during the year with the exception of weekends that my entire family is together for an entire day doing something fun together.

I don't play any winter sports at my college right now, but I do enjoy trying new things and sledding. I've tried cross-country skiing.

What I hate about winter is when the weather is really nasty and the temperatures are way below freezing. I especially hate it when people don't put salt on their sidewalks or driveways to prevent others from tripping on snow-covered ice. This is a real problem where I am. Another problem here is that some people don't snow-blow or shovel their sidewalks/driveways and they become covered in mountains of snow. People are forced to walk in the street because of it. This is really dangerous. Please, be courteous and take the extra 5-10 minutes to put salt down to melt the ice and shovel away the snow.

Traditions

by Rachel, age 13

Every year, my family invites a family friend over on Christmas Eve and we all go to mass. After church, we go to a Chinese restaurant and eat or order Chinese and eat at home. We aren't Chinese, we just all like the food. We've been eating Chinese on Christmas for over 10 years! After we eat Chinese, we open presents. On Christmas Day, we go to my grandparent's house. We eat the yummiest food and open presents.

Another tradition is that we always make lefse and chocolates on or before Christmas Eve. We eat the lefse and the chocolates. We make lefse because are part Norwegian. We always have a ton of fun!

Here's another tradition: every year, I write a play and all the cousins perform it. We also play Christmas songs on our instruments for the grown ups. Merry Christmas!

Winter

by Do, age 13

I go to my pap's house Christmas Eve and my aunt's house every Christmas evening. I always have loads of fun and drown in presents. I love my family... sometimes, lol!

I like winter, but I don't like winter. I like the fun things like sledriding, snowbal fights, traditions with family inside and out, but I hate the cold. I freeze all the time, like waiting for my bus to come. I like winter, but still... most of the time, I don't even want it to exist. :)

i go to mi paps house christmas eve and mi aunts house every christmas evening ...i always have loads of fun and drown in presents...i love mi family...sometimes...lol ... but n e ways i like winter but i dnt like winter...like it b/c it is fun...ya kno...sledriding...snowball fights...traditions w/ ur family out and inside...but hate it b/c it is so cold and frigid and i freez all the time outside like....waiting for my bus to come even though im only out there for like a minute or 2...but still...i like winter but then again i sometimes...most of the time...dont want it to even exist...lol c ya

Winter

by Kaitlyn

I love winter time. There's snow all over the ground. Time for my birthday.

I Don't Like Winter!

by Heartz and Starz, age 15

I don't like winter because it makes my joints hurt! I have osteoarthritis and Sticklers Syndrome, and the cold weather does not agree with me!

2009 Winter

by Jenna, age 8

Every year, my family gathers at my aunt's house and we enjoy a wonderful Christmas dinner. Everyone makes a dish, and I help my mom make one! On Christmas morning, my aunt and grandfather come to my house and we open presents. We have a little bit of breakfast (if we want any) that I make with my mom. Hopefully we'll do our traditions this year despite the weather. I look forward to Christmas day.

This year, we decided to go to my grandmother's grave with flowers fo rher. I make earrings, and I thought I could make a pair of earrings to represent her, and I could put the earrings on the grave. My mom said maybe about the earrings; she thought they were a weird idea, but I think it is a wonderful idea!

What I hate about winter is that the weather is so bad. I like snow and lots of it, I just hate the cold and slipperiness when I try to get to the car. I slip on ice and fall into the snow.

I don't play many sports, just cheerleading. Cheerleading is winter and summer.

Winter in Florida

by Kari, age 15

Winter in FL isn't winter at all. You can still get a sunburn in December! Instead of boots, we just change our flip-flops for tennis shoes. Shopping is a hurricane with people everywhere. There are more accidents on the streets in FL because the snowbirds are back. Winter is different from others, but also the same. Winter means Christmas is near, and O What Joy that holiday brings!

Timing

by Miranda, age 11

Where I live, it doesn't get very cold in winter. Each year I always wait and hope for snow, since it has never happened in my lifetime. Each year I get the same depressing result: none. So, in my town, winter is pretty much just a bust.

Also, I get home at about 4:30pm, so by the time I finish my homework, it's already dark outside! I'm not allowed to do anything until my homework is done, so I barely ever get to go outside. ='(

Winter Is So Annoying

by Sally, age 12

I usually love winter because of Christmas and no school for two whole weeks, but I don't like this winter. I live in Ireland, and it is always freezing, but especially this winter. There is ice all down the roads and everywhere. We didn't even get snow after all the freezing weather. My school wasn't closed, even though you couldn't drive on the ice.

Another New Year

by Salena, age 11

I look forward to New Year. It's a chance for me to be introduced to something new. I get older, too. I get to be someone different than I was the year before. It's just so much fun to celebrate a completely different new year! Everyone seems to change.

Winter

by Beccaboo, age 14

Winter is crisp, cold, and clear. You love to spend your time sitting and watching the world go by as a blizzard of snow falls fast and elegant past your window. You seek your school term to end so Christmas joy can begin. You feel that you have matured this year and are becoming a teen, but still cannot sleep Christmas Eve from pure excitement to see your presents and to see lots of smiling faces. Time creeps by slowly, and it's almost over. We celebrate New Year's together with family and friends. This is when the dreaded decision of resolutions comes into the mix and you see your past year flash before you: the bad, the sad, and the good. See your mistakes, and look for improvements so that you can start the new year fresh and better, like every year. You may try and reach your target weight, find your true love, improve your schoolwork, or just improve a friendship. When school starts, there is something to talk about from all those presents. Start the year fresh and go to school and wish and pray there's no more homework!

Making the Best of It

by Melody, age 11

Merry Christmas! I hope that everyone is able to have memorable moments with favorite family members, and that they have gotten presents! I opened one of many, and I got $10! I am going to open more soon! Bye!

Winter

by Haylie, age 14

Well, during the Christmas season we bake cookies, decorate the day after Thanksgiving, and we open gifts on Christmas Eve. I also look forward to the New Year and the surprises it has in store. What I hate about winter is the cold weather! It's so annoying because you can catch a cold, your lips get chapped easily, and your face gets really dry and flaky. I don't play winter sports of any kind. Too cold! I don't really have any plans made... I just do whatever comes up on my calendar!

Winter.

by Gracie, age 13

I love winter. I hate winter. Both? I love the snow falling outside my window and the feeling of sitting by the fire with a good book. I love the holidays and getting a new dress every year for church. I love the cool, crisp air and the feeling of warmth when I walk inside. But winter? Hate it. I get depressed all winter and only in the past sunny week have I started to feel better. I'm only outside if the sun is shining -- or if I have a sport to play. Winter is AMAZING for about a week, but after that, I'm done with it completely.