Things

Since Kindergarten is a big change, at the beginning of the year my mom and dad kept me out of all of the extra stuff, like gymnastics and stuff.  But as the year went on, I did a very good job of convincing them that I was ready for things like that.  In fact, yesterday I counted and realized I'm doing four 'things'!

First, at the beginning of the year, some of the friends in my class (who mom says were 'good examples') started a Girl Scout troop.  It only meets twice a month, and it is such a good organization, that Mom gave in and let me start doing Daisy Scouts early in October.  I love it!  I love playing with my friends, I love learning about animals and doing service projects, and I love getting new patches.  Last meeting, we even earned a patch by touring a bank.  We got to see the vault and talk to each other in the drive-through, but what stood out to me the most was the cookies and punch we got to drink there (of course).  With Daisy Scouts, I also got to sell cookies.  I wanted a stuffed penguin reward so badly, but the goal for it was to sell 165 boxes of cookies.  Mom and Dad tried to explain how hard that would be, but I was unwavering.  And when the cookie money was due and the boxes all sold, Mom and Dad couldn't believe their eyes - I got 165 boxes sold and the money for it all collected!  When I want something, just try to stand in my way...

Then, at Christmas I absolutely wanted a keyboard and nothing else.  And with a keyboard came... piano lessons!  I go to piano lessons now and my teacher keeps telling Mom and Dad how impressed she is with how fast I'm picking it up.  Sometimes I love piano... like when I learn a song really well and it becomes fun to play. I was at Nana and DD's the other day and I wanted to play a song, but I didn't have my book.  So, I got some paper and played on the piano until I figured out just the right notes to play to make the song.  Voila!  Instant piano sheet!  Sometimes, I don't love piano... like when I'm first learning a song and it seems like way too much for me to figure out.  I get so upset because I want to learn the song but it's just so hard! After a few times of practicing, though, I always come around to loving it again.  If only the songs could be easy to play from the beginning...

Next, I got a letter from Katy ISD that told me I could start the Challenge program this semester.  I go one hour a week to a different classroom with some of my friends and learn about "stretching my brain".  I come home totally excited and ready to start new projects: mouse puppets or writing a script for a stage play or making up poems and songs using pictures as inspiration.  Right up my alley!

And, when my friends at school started signing up for soccer and I begged Mom and Dad to let me try it, they figured... why not?  It's only for a few months and so now I get to play on a soccer team!  Mommy signed me up and told me over and over, "We'll just give this a try.  We'll go to the first practice and then see how you like it."  But at the first practice, I was sold!  The coach calls us all "champ" and I feel like a real live athlete when he tells us what to do.  After the first practice, we got to pick a name - we picked the Green Dragons - and put our hands in a circle and yell on the count of three.  I told Mom, "I was having so much fun on the field that I forgot about everything else!"  The next week it was raining so soccer practice was optional... and only three kids showed up to play.  No surprise, but I was one of the ones who braved the weather so I could have another chance to kick the ball around.  

"Mom," I said as I crossed the street after school yesterday, "Guess what?  I figured out that I have four things!  And I think that I love them all!"  And Mom said she was glad to hear that.

Click here for pictures of the week

Love,

Avery Four Things McClinton