LMP

Junior High is about awkward moments, new friends, more homework, and fun classes. It's about learning, being young, and creating inside jokes. It's about trying something new and slowly gaining confidence. It's about being a sevie, then stuck in the middle, then the oldest; when grades count. It's about making goals that you try hard to reach, and not freaking out  about that one A-. About dances where you are shouting at your dance partner over the loud music, then pretending you heard them. It's about the colorful sharpies that you sign your name with on others' yearbooks. The heavy textbooks you haul around and occasionally lose. It's about the locker filled with pictures of the Eiffel Tower and the com. that you forget about once a week. It's about finding lonely people to sit with out lunch, and bad hair days, and ignoring drama. Trying to understand your 'interesting' teacher and studying your heart out for a test. It's about being su

I can't believe this year has come to an end. Junior High, and this online class are basically over, and it's bittersweet. I've liked reading some of your blogs, and I hope a few of you saw mine. This class was pretty easy for the most part, but on top of regular English it was sometimes a lot. Reading Great Expectations was by far the worst, but I'm glad I got a taste of Dickens.My favorite assignment was the essay comparing Bradbury's styles from the Fahrenheit 451 and a book of choice. I chose Dandelion Wine and really liked it. Knowing how to write good persuasive, research, and especially compare/contrast essays will help a lot in High School. My friend is in Honors World Civ. and they write essays at least once a week that have to have supported evidence, and correct grammar, spelling, etc. I'm glad I took Honors English and I learned so much. I hope next years' Honors English will be as good! (Wait, Of course it will; it's at Davis!:)

I am from pointe shoes, Windex, and crayons. I am from music-filled bedrooms and busy kitchen. I am from the tulips, the windmills. I am from Imperial Beach and freckles, from King and Dopp. I am from 6 siblings, and lots of laughter. I am from "It's just growing pains," and "practice makes permanence!" I am from where love is spoken, where scriptures are read. I'm from Europe, chocolate cookies, and David's Pizza. I am from the Paris trip and the audition days. From the ten-year-old trip to San Fransisco, the emerald pants and the dance costumes. I am from the old frames, the pictures inside them, and the legacies they breathe. From the 3 inch scrapbooks and the family blog. I am from everything that makes me me.

So the end of the year is closing in, and I'm trying to enjoy all of it as much as I can. I mean, one more month of Junior High! With ballet 3 times a week, modern, jazz, flute, teaching, Officer, Rhapsody, Band, Play Practice, church things, homework, and oh that thing called school, I've been blissfully busy. (And on occasion stress-fully busy) But, these are the things I live for. If I wasn't dancing, learning, singing, etc. what else would I be doing? What better way to spend my time? I love having a busy schedule, but sometimes it does cut into my grades. Mr. Thompson can tell you that much! (I have a B in his class at the moment, but I did do all the extra credit, so I'm not hopeless right?:))

The bracelet was knotted and worn, so that it resembled a soggy pretzel, twisted up in faded beads. The salt from the ocean made it smell like rotten tree bark, and the   ‘Made in Japan’ tag had fallen off. The frayed edges of thread and unwelcome texture made me want to cry; it was the gift my friend had kindly mailed to me when she arrived in Japan. She’d been so nervous moving from Chicago to Tokyo, and since her dad’s job was so important, we only had three days to say Good-bye.                    We went to a concert every night those three days. We talked until 2 in the morning, and woke up at 7 am, not wanting to miss any time together. We were like sisters, including the occasional fights, and promised to write every week. I couldn’t bear to take her bracelet off, but I thought the Maine waves might strip the jewels of their jade painting. I guess my wrist would have been safer than the wooden box I had carefully stowed it in. Turning my blow