Friday Playdate » Blog Archive » Flat Stanley goes to St. Louis

Henry’s class did a Flat Stanley project this year. For those of you who aren’t familiar with Flat Stanley, he’s a boy who is flattened by a bulletin board that falls on him in his sleep. Once he’s flat, he realizes that he can mail himself around to visit people.

Plausible, I know. Just go with it.

Henry decided that he would send his Flat Stanley to my brother, in St. Louis.

I kind of lost track of the whole Flat Stanley project, until I got a text message from my brother: “Did Stanley make it back to Oklahoma City?”

Hmm, I said, no, he did not. “We got a little carried away,” John explained sheepishly.

Flat Stanley arrived home the very next day, with this totally awesome explanation for his tardiness:

Henry,

Thank you for allowing Flat Stanley to visit us in St. Louis. Tess and Natalie enjoyed having him stay at our house! We had fun showing him many of the great things here in the St. Louis area. We took him to the City Museum where you and Charlie and Tess and Natalie played the last time you were here. We also showed him the zoo at Forest Park, the world famous Gateway Arch, and the Missouri Botanical Gardens. I think his favorite location was Busch Stadium where the Cardinals play baseball.

We didn’t mean for Flat Stanley to stay with us for so long, but something wonderful happened while he was here: Stanley fell in love and got married! We introduced him to Flat Sandy and immediately knew that they were made for each other. Tess wanted Flat Sandy to have a chance to meet all of Stanley’s friends in Oklahoma City, so we’re sending her back with him. Please take good care of her!

We miss you and we hope to see you soon. Thank you again for letting us spend time with your friend Flat Stanley.

Love,

Uncle John, Aunt Janice, Tess, and Natalie

When Henry opened the package and read John’s letter, he kept saying, “Stanley got married! I cannot wrap my head around this.” I texted my brother to say “Stanley’s home!” and he immediately called me. We couldn’t stop laughing, and Henry couldn’t stop announcing, “I cannot wrap my head around this! Married!”

Best Flat Stanley project ever, you all. Truly.

21 Comments so far

Having been the sender, and the send-ee, of several Flat Stanley projects, I must say that is awesome!!!

OMG that’s hilarious. Flat Stanley came to visit us via a little cousin in Pittsburgh. Alas, all he did at our place was complain about the fact we had no power in the middle of an ice storm. No wonder he likes St. Louis better.

St. Louis, the city of Stanley love … Who knew??

That is awesome!! I teach school — third grade — and love when projects turn out even better than I expected! How fun for your family — and for Henry’s class. They will LOVE hearing about Stanley’s adventures.

That is such a cute story - what a great idea! Thanks for sharing.

Best Flat Stanley trip EVER! (You ARE going to give us your brother’s address, right?)

I was in my kids’ school the other day and the teachers were all atwitter because they got a Flat Stanley from Egypt. But he wasn’t MARRIED. Who COULD wrap their head around that? (Have I mentioned that I love Henry?)

I love hearing all the places Flat Stanley gets to visit. And to get married on top of it? Wow!
Our Flat Susie went to Paris and got to see lots of touristy sights; she even got splashed on by other tourists while having her picture taken at the Eiffel Tower. She came home a little wrinkled.

That is such a cute story! Your brother is very clever for coming up with that. I am sure no one else in the class will have anything like it!

ADORABLE. I am so glad your last two posts have been about those cute little boys of yours! (I have a girl Charlie– well, Charlotte really, but we call her Charlie). Not that I don’t love all of your “Pretty Things” but I miss these kinds of posts from you!

That is awesome!

I love Henry “I cannot wrap my head around this” - perfect reaction!

That is the best project I’ve ever seen. I wish the school I worked at did Flat Stanley.

Oh, my gosh! What a great brother you’ve got!

Hilarious! My daughter loved this project!

You are right: that is the BEST Flat Stanley project ever. My two older ones loved this project. I know my youngest just can’t wait.

This is too funny! We had a visit from Flat Stanley and we took him to see Big Brutus in Kansas (awesome to see if you’ve never been). I love the idea of him getting married - I only wish I was that creative. Thanks for the laugh…
Chandra

we are always hosting flat Stanley, and we try to show him a good time. Last one to visit was taken to the beach, hung out at the hot tub and other things Californian. We dressed him in Hawaiian prints and sandals.

We did the same project with my oldest son and it was a riot how carried away people got. This year it’s my youngest son’s turn after spring break and I can’t wait!

I LOVE this story! I have never heard of this Flat Stanley project, what a scream! Up here in Calgary, people just steal lawn elfs and take them on holiday with them, then send photos back to the baffled home owner!! My own sister and brother in law did this, taking the ornament with them to Europe, where they lived for a year….they kept a whole album of all the photos and when they came home, they took the album and the ornament and returned him to his rightful owners and showed them the album, it was awesome!

Have you ever seen the episode of King of the Hill that involves Flat Stanley? It is of course funny, but things don’t go so well for FS.

I lived in St. Louis for 10 yrs, and I sincerely hope Flat Stanley took his bride to the Tiffany’s at Plaza Frontenac for her ring….

Priceless!

Our Flat Stanley is, as I write, ice-fishing in New Hampshire, having just returned from the French Alps. Really! But he didn’t meet a girl…

(I keep hearing in my head Gedde Watanabe in 16 Candles repeating “Married! Yes! Married! Geez!”)

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