HELP!! She's gonna eat me.

I told you she was gonna eat me.

'Tis the Season

Annie, Mom & Julie at the Girls' school's Holiday Sing

Merry Christmas

Littlest isn't so Little

Olivia
Originally uploaded by ParticleMan5

Mom's friend, Jen, designed this sweatshirt for her. Thanks, Jen. Mom is a bit sad that Liv's big enough to wear it but it came in very handy this morning when she took her out in the rain.

Olivia is 4 months old.

New Toy

There are some pretty great ladies named Annie: Puoci Girl #2 (of course), our neighbor, Mollie & Grace's Mom, Nonna's neighbor and Nonna's neighbor's granddaughter. It's this last Annie that is letting Livi borrow her saucer. Liv's really too little for it now but Mom couldn't wait to try it out. Olivia loved it and can't wait to spend a lot more time in it.

Baby's First

Livi Laughed Today
(an honest to goodness "I find that funny" laugh)

5th Grade Bio Report

Harry Houdini

By: Tori Puoci

December 5, 2008

Harry Houdini was born Erich Weiss. He was born on March 24, 1874 in Budapest, Hungary. His parents were Rabbi Mayer Samuel Weiss and Cecilia Weiss. Erich had 6 siblings, 4 born in Hungary (Nathan, William, Theodore and Herman) and the other two were born in the United States (Leopold and Gladys). When Erich was 4 years old, the Weiss family moved to the United States. Rabbi Weiss could not find work so young Erich had to work odd jobs, like shining shoes, selling newspapers and running errands. When Erich was nine, he opened a backyard circus, charging $.05 for admission. Erich, wearing red tights that his mother sewed for him, performed trapeze walking and contortions. From there on, he was known as “Erich the Prince of Air”. In 1886, he ran away from home to make the family fortune. Erich became interested in magic when he was 17 after watching Dr. Lynn performing a stunt that he called Apparatus. When Erich was 18, his father died of cancer. Twenty years later, on July 17, 1913, when Erich was 38, his mother died.

Erich Weiss became Harry Houdini in 1892 by adapting his idol’s name. Jean Eugene Robert-Houdin was known as the father of modern day magic until Houdini came along. Harry Houdini and Jack Hyman formed “The Brothers Houdini”. Soon, Jack left and Houdini was joined by Theo, his real brother. In 1894, Harry Houdini married Wilhelmina Beatrice “Bess” Rahner, less than a month after they met! Harry and Bess soon became magician and assistant, as “The Houdinis” they impressed many people with their amazing feats.

Harry Houdini escaped many jaw dropping stunts. In April, 1900 while naked it took Houdini 3 minutes to escape a doubly locked jail cell. Once he did this trick while he had 6 pairs of handcuffs on his hands and feet. In 1915, Houdini introduced East Indian Needles. He asked members of the audience to come onstage and look in his nose and throat. He swallowed a handful of sewing needles, washing them down with water then swallowing a ball of sewing string. Next, Houdini put his hand to his mouth and pulled out the thread with the needles threaded on it.

Harry Houdini was an author and an actor as well. Some of the books he wrote are The Unmasking of Robert-Houdin (1908), Miracle Mongers and Their Methods (1921) and A Magician Among Spirits (1924). Houdini made five movies, here are two of them. The Master Mystery (1919) and Haldane of the Secrete Service (1923).

Houdini often bragged about how strong he was. On October 22, 1926 Houdini was in his dressing room before a show. A young man came in and asked if he could punch him to see how strong Houdini actually was. Houdini did not have enough time to tighten the muscles in his stomach. The man had already begun punching Houdini. Harry Houdini’s appendix burst but he still finished the show. Eight days later, Harry Houdini, a great magician, died.

I picked Harry Houdini/Ehrich Weiss for my biography report because he was a very interesting person. There is so much that I have learned about Harry Houdini. For example, I never knew that his name was Ehrich Weiss or that he was born in Hungary. It is amazing that one man can escape many life threatening stunts and live that long. No one knows how Houdini did this. Some said he had the key to the jail cells that police locked him in, others said he used trick cuffs, but I say that Houdini was just a man who could overcome any obstacle. I guess no one will ever know because those secrets are the ones that died with him.

(Resources available upon request)