Stanley visits Alabama!

Flat Stanley visited our friends the Grissoms this week in Harvest, Alabama!

Fun Facts about Alabama:
(brought to you by G-Bug and Truth)
22th State
State Nickname: The Cotton State
Capitol: Montgomery
State Bird: Yellowhammer
State Flower: Camellia
State Insect: Monarch Butterfly
State Tree: Southern Longleaf Pine
State Fruit: Blackberry
Fun fact: George Washington Carver discovered over 300 new uses of the peanut here!



First, they took Stanley to old downtown Madison, Alabama first thing in the morning. Here they are pictured in front of the old train station which is now a lovely candy shop. Ms. Sheena told us that the Main Street Cafe used to be an old jail! You can even dine inside an old jail cell there.

Next, they took Stanley to the Space and Rocket Center! So cool! He even tried on an astronaut suit at the gift shop. Unfortunately, the suit was too big for him, but he did pick up a couple of small souvenirs for G-bug and Truth, so thoughtful of him and his guests!

G-bug's comment: "That's so funny!"

For their last stop, the Grissoms took Stanley to Huntsville Botanical Gardens! Winter is a quiet time of year there, but we were told that it's a fun place to play in the water in the warmer months.

Thank you Sierra, Steven, Shelby, Sadie, and Susanna for being such amazing hosts, and for helping Flat Stanley mail us the cool postcard and astronaut ice cream!

Merry Christmas!

Stanley visits Greenville, South Carolina!

This blog was written by our friends and hosts Anna Lyles and her children Titus, Eden, and Lydia. They showed Flat Stanley around their town: Greenville, South Carolina! Stanley had a blast!

Fun Facts about South Carolina:
(brought to you by G-Bug and Truth)
8th State
State Nickname: The Palmetto State
Capitol: Columbia
State Bird: Carolina Wren
State Flower: Yellow Jessamine
State Snack: Boiled Peanuts
State Fruit: Peach
State Vegetable: Collard Greens
State Spider: Carolina Wolf Spider
State Reptile: Loggerhead Turtle

Flat Stanley came just in time to go to the Bon Secours Wellness Arena with Eden and her cousins to go see Disney's Treasure Trove on ice. Greenville has many theaters for preforming arts.

 

Titus, Eden, and Lydia's parents have gone to another venue, called The Peace Center to see some Broadway shows, like the Lion King, Mary Poppins, and Phantom of the Opera. Shows are a fun way to experience performing arts and Greenville, SC offers many ways to do this!

Greenville also has many parks to enjoy, some just to enjoy the nature and some to enjoy the playgrounds. Flat Stanley got to go to the airplane park and enjoy the unique way the city of Greenville set it up. While we were there flat Stanley got to go inside a real airplane and sit in the cockpit with Titus.

Here is a quote about Greenville's Parks and Recreation Department:

"The Parks & Recreation Department offers a comprehensive system of parks,greenways, public facilities and recreational choices that help enhance the quality of life of its residents and visitors. Whether it’s enjoying a leisurely bike ride on the city's expansive trail system, taking a picnic lunch to one of the City's popular parks or spending the day with the family at the Greenville Zoo, the Parks & Recreation Department provides a wide variety of year-round recreational choices to help you enjoy the beauty of Greenville's outdoors."

The City of Greenville has a mission as they build parks around the town that Titus, Eden, and now Lydia enjoy. "The City of Greenville Parks and Recreation Department is committed to providing diverse, exceptional and sustainable services to the community through innovative and collaborative practices."

Downtown Greenville also has Falls Park with an extension bridge called the Liberty Bridge. We also like to see the ducks while we are there.

 

Another great thing to do downtown is to go visit museums. Titus and Eden LOVE the Children's Museum. It is the 7th largest in the country and the 10th largest children's museum in the world! Its pretty amazing.. Lots of cool museums in our city.

In the south we also have a lot of great mexican restaurants! In fact, Los Compadres, our favorite is right across the street from our house! We often eat there.

Also, just down the street from us is J.B. Red Owens Sports Complex where the Big League World Series is played! Titus played soccer there this year and we often just go there to play at the park and have a picnic!

So as you can see, South Carolina is full of exciting things! We have beaches and beautiful mountains! We hope Flat Stanley had a blast. We are about to go to the post office now and drop him in the mail to his next stop!


Living By His Grace,

Titus, Eden, and Lydia

Sally is cast in a Christmas play!

Flat Sally was invited to play a small acting role! Our friend and newly retired drama professor Ivy Warinner is directing a play adaptation of "A Christmas Story," performed by the Shelby County Community Theater in Shelbyville, KY.

Mr. Ivy thought that Sally would enjoy playing the highly coveted role of a Christmas ornament during the play! She had to beat out a lot of other talent to get the role, but she remains as humble as ever. Here she is being put on the tree by one of the lead actors, Ralphie himself!

Great job, Sally! Don't shoot your eye out!

Stanley visits Lakewood Elementary!

Stanley had a blast last week with Mrs. Suzanne's sweet first grade class at Lakewood Elementary in Stephensburg, KY. (That's the town where I grew up!)

Hello, class! Can you find Stanley?

Flat Stanley had a wonderful time exploring the beautiful classroom and making lots of great friends. All of the kids were so friendly and welcoming!  He also got to meet another boy in the class who had the same name as himself: Stanley!

Flat Stanley loved every one of the kids in Mrs. Suzanne's class, and he made an extra special friend in his buddy/twin Stanley.

Thanks again, Mrs. Suzanne's class, for showing Flat Stanley such a good time!

Have Your Own Flat Stanley Adventure!

The kids and I have had a blast with our Flat Stanley Project this year! It's been the perfect supplement to our studies on U.S. history and the 50 States.

But we don't want to keep the fun all to ourselves! So, here is everything you need to create/send your own Flat Stanley (or Flat Sally) on an adventure across America!

Here is what you will need:

1) A printed/laminated Flat Stanley or Sally 
I recommend printing Stanley on cardstock and then laminating him for endurance - he starts to show wear after only a few trips! It also lets hosts tape/adhere paper clothing/accessories to him, heh heh

 

Here are PDF templates of Flat Stanley and Flat Sally! They fit perfectly in a letter sized envelope when you fold their arms over their bodies.

Flat Stanley Front (color)              
Flat Stanley Back (color)                

Flat Stanley Front (black/white - decorate your own!)
Flat Stanley Back (black/white)

Flat Sally Front (color)
Flat Sally Back (color)

Flat Sally Front (black/white)
Flat Sally Back (black/white)

2) Willing friends to host Stanley
Facebook and other social networking sites are amazing ways to recruit volunteers - we were able to get hosts for all 50 States in just ten days! Not that I recommend making that a goal - it's a full time job to manage that many trips. Aim for 10-12 hosts per Stanley (if you have a full school year - 5 or 6 for a semester, tops). We currently have six seven Stanleys (one got lost in the mail), two Sallys, and two Manlys in rotation... they have their own Google Calendar now.

Yep. They really do.

3) A printed letter insert with instructions
Click here for a PDF letter to mail with instructions/suggestions to send with Stanley. (Just add your name and contact info) You can also use a handwritten letter from your kiddos, which is adorable.

Gracie's letter to Jimmy Fallon

4) A mailing list with all of the friends' addresses
Click here for a PDF of a Flat Stanley Mailing list you can fill out with your own contacts. It will work like a chain letter, being passed from one person to the next. I think it's fun that the hosts can see what states Flat Stanley has already been to!


5) Stamps!
You'll want to include enough stamps for Stanley to complete his trip and return home. You can ask hosts to provide their own envelopes, which will cut down on hassle and postage expense.

That's it! You're ready for a Flat Stanley Adventure. Have fun, and please email us your own Flat Stanley Adventure photos - we will feature you in your own blog post!