My Opinion on Black Friday (And Cyber Monday!)

I know it is a bit late for posting this, but here is a paragraph (actually two!) which was assigned for school on what I think Black Friday is:

Another holiday follows Thanksgiving, the fourth Thursday of November. The next day is Black Friday. It marks the customary start of the Christmas shopping season. Because of this, most of the stores will have their inventory on sale. This encourages people to be fighting to be first to get the best deals. With the stores packed full, it is definitely not a good idea to shop on Black Friday. Even though every ad promises the opposite, there will be better sales and not as big as a commotion.
This situation of rushing consumers brought a terrible event upon a Long Island Wal-Mart. After opening the doors of that New York superstore, an employee by the name of Jdimytai Damour was trampled and killed. Still, some rushed customers did not bother to stop and evacuate the building after the death. News of this consequence of the wave of passionate shoppers on Black Friday spread throughout the world. It is very saddening to think that several humans don’t care about others because of shopping. Black Friday and Cyber Monday, when electronics are priced lower, are not the days to do your Christmas shopping. Not everyone should shop those two days. I do not think it is wise to shop on these shopping holidays if deaths are all that will be produced from it. To make sure no more deaths come from these shopping days, we shouldn’t shop on Black Friday of Cyber Monday. Besides, Christmas is a time to celebrate Jesus’ birth, not material things. It should be a peaceful time; not a time for killing people for presents.

OMG! I haven't posted in forever!

I am really, sincerely sorry. The last time I have posted on this blog was...in the end of September! I don't know what to say. Well, we got our report cards and VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) essay results. The report cards were not all that bad, and I got third in the contest and won *drumroll* FIVE BUCKS! Yeah...it's pretty awesome. Oh, and we took this Bible test on Friday. It was...different. As my teacher likes to say, "It's not fill in the blank anymore; it's fill in the paragraph." Though, it wasn't really really long, it was hard to manage my time. Which is a really sad confession. I am a procrastinator. Anyway, I got 99% because my teacher doesn't give 100%. My class went on a field trip to the Nordic Heritage Museum on Thursday. And on the way there (it's in Seattle) we went to Krispy Kreme! I love their doughnuts! Don't you?

Don't forget to celebate your country's veterans tomorrow! They have done so much in the history of the U.S. Don't let it just be another day off of school.

Beware of Roses!

This was part of an article from Green at MSN.com. Basically the gist is: Some Ecuadorian and Colombian rose growers are using water and chemicals banned in the U.S.

The 200 million rose stems that arrive in the U.S. for Valentine's Day each year require tons of pesticides, and it’s estimated that some 20 percent of the chemicals used are illegal here. A 2007 study by the International Labor Rights Fund (ILRF) found that more than 66 percent of Ecuadorian and Colombian flower workers were plagued by work-related health problems -- including skin rashes, respiratory problems, and eye problems -- due to toxic pesticides and fungicides. ILRF also found that "flower workers experience higher-than-average rates of premature births, congenital malformations and miscarriages," and were subjected to 70- or 80-hour work weeks in high season.

And it gets even worse:

But the risks of pesticide use in floriculture are not confined to Latin America. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S floriculture industry is one "of the heaviest users of pesticides in all of agriculture." Some of the highest-use pesticides in California’s floral industry, for example, include methyl bromide, a hazardous chemical that is also a top ozone-depleter; acephate, an organophosphate neurotoxin hazardous to humans and highly toxic to bees; and chlorothalonil, a "likely carcinogen." Methyl Bromide is being phased out elsewhere, but the floriculture industry has won repeated exemptions to the Montreal Protocol, the landmark treaty phasing out substances that deplete the ozone layer.

We need to stop using these chemicals and make the world a better place to live! (Thanks to Mr. S. for talking to the class about this.)

David Archuleta's "Crush"

I love this song! It really fits me...plus, he's really cute! :)

The First Week (or Half-Week) of School!

I just can't believe that I am now in the oldest class of my school! The first day was a breeze, and so were the second and third. At MCCS, the 6th, 7th, and 8th graders go on Fall Kickoff, which lasts two days. We usually do a service project and a hike. This year we went to Millersvania State Park and the Mima Mounds. They were amazing. Everyone should know and go to the Mima Mounds. The start of homework and misery also started as school started. We had a science experiment, a history chapter to read, a vocabulary sheet to fill out, and a Bible passage to type out. Amazing, right? Well, I better go. Until next time, Kayla Dimalanta.

SCHOOL'S TOMORROW!

I can't believe that school is starting tomorrow! Instead of 21 people in my combined class of seven and eighth graders, we only have 14 this year! I guess attending a private school in a little town isn't a bad thing...well, I don't want to be late for the first year of eighth grade, so ta ta for now!

School is starting in two days!

I can't believe the summer is almost over. It went by WAY too fast. Since it will be two more days till I actually have something interesting to write here's a little something I wrote. It's not done yet, so if you have any ideas please comment! Thanks!

A Sweet and Sour Secret:
(We're Not Talking Chicken)

Chapter 1
Hi, my name is Kira Dennis. I am a typical teenager at Manhattan High School. I love to email my friends, IM, surf the web, you know, average stuff. But one thing about me is not average. I have magic powers! One day at school, as usual, I was listening attentively. I often write notes, and today was one of those days. (Sometimes while I am studying, my best friend, Mariah Summers, can’t even get my attention.) Anyway, while taking notes, I usually never get to listen. So, I silently wished that the sentences on the board would just get transferred to my notebook, and guess what happened? It happened! That was the first day of my magic. The event made me quite confused, yet very excited. Where did I get this gift? It has been a month since I discovered I had to power to make wishes come true.

Chapter 2
The next week felt like the peak of my life. My arch nemesis, Delanie Avila, started to get nice to my BFF and me. In the Café, her clique even saved Tina and me seats. (The Café was the sophomores’ name for the cafeteria.) Also, there was, believe it or not, a popularity list constructed by Delanie! Tina and I had also been in the last 50 in the past year. But now there was a change. We were moved to Top 50! Believe me, something was fishy. I had to admit that I thought it was too good to be true. I hadn’t even used my magic powers since the day I had discovered them!

Chapter 3
I soon figured out that the “Beauties”, as we called them, wanted Tina to be in their clique! They asked her and guess what she said? Yes! Can you believe it!? Delanie told her that they were going to ask me, but they didn’t. Tina and I got into a HUGE fight. We yelled. We screamed. We blamed each other. My world was turning upside down! Tina and I separated: Tina went shopping with the Beauties, and I was left without a friend. Could my life become any worst? Well, I guess so. The next, day while I was walking toward my locker, I saw that the popularity list was posted. I scanned the top 10, and jumped for joy. I saw that Tina Smith, my old best friend, was there. (I still wanted to be friends with Tina, but she had a different opinion.) I was still concerned about myself, and therefore scanned the list for my name. Again surprised, I sank to the cold floor. What had happened? Instead of my new place at Top 50, I found my name in the Last 25!

Chapter 4
But I had other problems. The annual Valentine’s Ball was coming up! What was I supposed to do? I didn’t even have an idea who I was going with! But I did have a dream. I wanted to go to the ball with Manhattan’s very own football superstar, Jesse Kendall. But everyone, well the girls any anyway, wanted to go with him to the ball. (The boys all wanted to be his friend.) I didn’t even have a chance. He does say “Hi!” to me sometimes, but he does that to everybody at the school. Maybe I would use my magic powers to make him like me.

Chapter 5
I am thinking very seriously of using my magic powers, once again. But would there be any limitations? I would have to think about it. Meanwhile, Delanie passed me in the hall. “Hi, loser! Guess who I going to the dance with?” was all I heard, though the hall was crowded. I had to say something. This is what I said: “Smelly Stephen?” Believe me, I was daydreaming. Jesse was all I was thinking about. “No, I am going with Jesse…” I left before she said those horrible words I never wanted to hear.

Chapter 6
I was thinking last night, and found a limitation. I thought, Wait he’s perfect. I have to use my magic. But I just couldn’t get the thought out of my head that, while I thought it was perfect, it would never be true love. So, some how or another, I had to not use my powers.

Chapter 7
I had thought a week ago my life was falling apart. But now I realize that I didn’t have it that bad. I now got grounded by my own parents (who used to love me, but now hate me). It was my all fault. Delaine and I passed in the hall and she said a really mean thing. I wanted her to stop teasing me, so I planned to pick up my backpack from my locker and run for it. As I swung my backpack, it hit Delanie and she started bawling. We were the only ones in the hall, but as soon as she started to tear up, the principal rounded the corner. Oh no, was my only thought. If I ran, I would be in even bigger trouble, and Delanie would probably tell Mr. Roberts that I did it on purpose. On the other hand, if I explained to him I was just leaving for the bus, he would certainly understand. So I stood my ground. Of course, that got in my trouble with my parents. I HATE HIGH SCHOOL!

My Love!


Wondering who this hottie is? He is Olympic swimmer, Michael Phelps. Not only is Michael tied for the most medals of an Olympic athlete, he has broken numerous world records. He plans to go to Baltimore after the 2008 Beijing Olympics. GO USA! GO MICHAEL PHELPS! I AM TOTALLY IN LOVE WITH 23 YEAR-OLD MICHAEL PHELPS! :)

Hello!

Wow. I haven't been posting for like two weeks, and I'm feeling guilty. Well, here I am! Being thirteen is awesome. Just in case you didn't know. This is a short post.

Happy Birthday to me!

Today is my thirteenth birthday! Guess what? My mom actually bought me a Coach purse and gave me $100! I was so surprised! The purse is so cute!

Two Soccer Games

Wow. I haven't posted for forever. I'm so sorry! Life is just busy. Well, we had a game on Monday and Wednesday like normal. On Monday, we went against the Olympic Laundry team, which is the blue team. We won, but I'm not sure exactly the score. I just know that we pretty much crushed them. Then on Wednesday, we faced the yellow team, which is sponsered by Webeley Soccer Shop. They were the team to beat. And yes, we did beat them. They were undefeated, and so far, our team is the only one who has beat them. The score was 2-1. It was a fabulous game! YEAH! WE WON!

And Update! (Except this time, soccer goes first.)

Yesterday was another game for my team, Olympic Insurance. But this time, we won. We have played Little Creek Casino two times now. Alex Deacon is (probably) the star player on the team. But this game, he or his brother weren't there. (That might have made it a little easier for our team.) Again Kyle was on fire. So was Cisco. I'm pretty sure he scored all of our goals. Let me repeat...WE WON! The score was 4-1. But I had to play midfield when all I ever do is be a defender. One of my teammates got hit in the face, and I had to go in for her.

Summer Hummer is ending tomorrow. I did my normal stuff: hula-hooping, hula-hooping, and did I mention hula-hooping? Today I tied a lot of bracelets. I surprised myself. Well, I have to go now. I'll post again after tomorrow. :)

A Summer Hummer and Soccer Update

Since most of you don't know what Summer Hummer is, I will tell you. It's a VBS (Vacation Bible School) at Westwood Baptist Church in Olympia. They have awesome activities such as water slides, zip lines, rock climbing wall, laser tag, dodgeball, and so much more! They have 855 camper and about 370 staffers, of which I am one. I am doing 1st-6th grade morning games and bead room. Priscilla (one of my friends) is also doing morning games, and we doing hula-hoop together. Then in the afternoons I work in the bead room where I (mostly) tie knots, put nail polish on the knots, and cut off the excess string. It is quite boring, but it is fun.

Yesterday, we had a soccer game against Webley Soccer Shop. It is the undefeated team. They were the very first team we went against and lost to 5-0. But we have gotten better. This time we lost 3-2. The star of the show had to be my brother. He was everywhere. Although he is a defender, he blocked almost every ball. It was like he was on steriods! (Of course, he isn't.) I'll post later in the week about soccer and Summer Hummer. Ta ta!

Happy Fourth of July!

Today was exhausting! My mom and I cleaned out Kendru's room which right now is being used as storage. It took forever! Kyle was working at one of our friends' house. Around 5:20, we left for Kendru's friend's house for a Fourth of July party. Christian (Kendru's friend) was the one who lit [most] of the fireworks. There was a little four-year old girl there. Her name was Madison. She is so cute! Christian's next-door neighbor had so many fireworks! They were fun to watch. Anyway, I am so tired! I'm going to sleep! TTYL

P.S. Summer Hummer is starting this Monday!

Hello, Not-So-Sunny Sunshine!

On Friday night, there was a Bible Study I was supposed to be at downstairs. But I was sick. I threw up 7 times. It was not good. Everyone could hear me puking from downstairs. But today is better-or maybe not. I was supposed to go to church, but my mom said it wasn't a good idea, since I still had a "virus". She was puking, too. Today is my brother's 14th birthday! YES! That means I'm almost 13! YEAH!

The Second Game

Last night, we had another soccer game. But this time we won! YEAH! We went against the Little Creek Casino team a.k.a. Alex Deacon's team. It was awesome! Cisco scored like 4 goals and Avon scored one. It was great. And this time, Reann knew where to play. We did good. Guess what the score was? 5 - 3! Our team won by 2 points! Hurrah! Well, I have to get ready for soccer pics. I'll keep you updated on the games! TTFN

Soccer

So, yesterday was my first soccer game of the summer season. I played left defender almost the whole game. (The first time we substituted, I was put it and never got out.) In the first half, the forward on my side was a guy named Ryan that intimidated me. He was like twice my size! But I did get the ball away from him a few times. Another time, this other guy almost scored, but I prevented it. I felt like the hero! Until they actually scored. (Don't worry; that was a few minutes after my interference.) The second half was bad as well. A guy named Francisco (or Cisco) joined our team during half time. He's a really good player. But a new girl also joined. I think it was her first year of doing soccer. She was the defender on the other side. (BTW, we had three defenders. My brother, the sports star, was in the center.) But instead of staying on your own side like defenders are supposed to, she was playing forward! When there was a throw-in by our goal and she was closer to me, I asked her if she was the defender. She said yes and I politely told her that she was supposed to be by Kyle. And surprisingly she went there. Anyway, the gist of this whole post is that we lost the game 5 - 0.

P.P.P.S. on "Life"

Yes, I know that this subject is boring, but I just can't think of anything else to write about. (Well, today is my first soccer game of the season, so I'll tell you how that goes.) Anyway, there were some big cheeses on the platform. As they named these people, "Bill Gates" was heard! I was like, "OMG! Bill Gates is here!" But then my uncle had to ruin the moment by telling my brother that that wasn't really Bill Gates; it was his father! But I thought, "No way! Bill Gates's father would look older than that!" Oh well. Oh yes. And I will be posting tomorrow about the result of the game (which I think we will lose) and Camp Rock. I know, lame. But I actually like the movie...TTYL

P.P.S. on "Life"

Again, I forgot something about the graduation. Every year they have someone who has graduated from the University and has showed outstanding accomlplishments. This year was the one and only Beverly Cleary! I was amazed! The only thing was that she wasn't able to show up. Oh well. It was awesome knowing that she graduated from the school. Just to tell you, I shall be posting more often. Sorry about the delay between each post.

P.S. on "Life"

At the graduation, Quincy Jones was the speaker. Some of you might know him, others maybe not. Anyway, one of the funny things he said was that when he was little, "My family was as broke as the Ten Commandments."

Life

Summer soccer has just started for my brother and I. (Kendru started yesterday.) Our coaches' names are Jordan and Joe. And there are two Mackayla's! Awesome! Anyway, last Saturday, we went to Seattle because my cousin was graduating from the University of Washington. (He's going to a dentist college in Arizona this August.) Then we went to Hoho Seafood, a great restuarant. We had like ten dished to eat! It was so yummy! (The bad thing is that twelve people were sitting at one table!) Then we went to a theater to watch Kung Fu Panda. It was a hiliarious movie! (In fact, my brother was crying, because it was so funny!) We got to the car at midnight! LOL It was great! The next morning, I ate a great breakfast, played with my adorable 2 year-old cousin, and played tennis on the Wii. (It was the first time I played on a Wii!) We went to the Southcenter mall. My mom and I went to Limited Too (it was the first time I went there, too1) and my uncle and my bros went to a candy store and the Apple resale store. Then we went home. It was very tiring. I am getting a Zune! YES! Well, after I earn money...anyway, go here to see my design: https://zuneoriginals.net/us/Flash/ZuneFlashSite.aspx?PreconfiguredId=3934d23c-fe0f-4f96-bbb7-dd64fa02c5d2#/VCA-00002/VFA-00055/?0=What%20the%20soul%20gets&1=is%20not%20always%20what&2=the%20heart%20wants.

A Song that Touches Your Heart

Hey, everyone! What's up? Well, I've been surfing YouTube and found this song by Avril Lavigne. It touches my heart (as the title of this post says). It reminds me of my dad. If you're out there somewhere, Daddy, I just want to say I miss you and I love you...



P.S. Sorry about the lyrics. I couldn't find one with out them which you could embed.

School's out!

YES! It's finally done! I am not in seventh grade anymore! YEAH! I feel so special...LOL Well, last night was the awards ceremony. We went to Dairy Queen after it and came home really late. I went to sleep at 12:30! I had chocolate ice cream for breakfast. YUM! Anyway, all I am trying to say is SCHOOL IS FINALLY OUT!!!

P.S. I had two parties today! LOL

I'll be gone...

forever. And ever. It's so sad! My mom decided we were moving closer to Olympia! She's been thinking about it for a while, but I didn't think it was anything serious. But it turns out it was...JK LOL I will be gone. But not from Shelton. Tomorrow we are leaving for Mason Lake, where the 6th, 7th, and 8th graders are gonna camp out. It will be so fun! The student council (in which I am a member and will be vice president next year) have planned some games. It'll be so awesome! We are gonna swimming and will be watching a movie, probably National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets. I'm so excited! I've never watched National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets, and I first watched the first one in Washington D.C. in our tour bus. I loved it! So much action! Suspense! You are on the edge of your seat! I love it! Anyway, the Awards Ceremony is on Thursday night, and the School Picnic is before that. Well, wish me luck!

My Very Busy and Sleepy Weekend

Okay. First, I will say this: my "weekend" means Friday and Saturday. That doesn't technically mean it's a weekend, but whatever. We aren't getting technical, are we? I sure hope not. Anyway, Friday was the biathalon. On Thursday, I was busy so my brother put my bike in the truck. The next day, after we had loaded the bike out of the truck, I found it broken. The wheels wouldn't turn. It turns out that part of the brake was stuck in the wheel. My mom had someone fix it, but it still had me worried. We biked by the Skokomish River. It was fun. We biked 8 miles and ran - or in my case, walked most of the way - 3 miles. It was pretty tiring, though. I did bad, but not to bad. Okay, now I am just confusing myself. So I will continue on to Saturday. WAIT! I forgot to tell you I had Bible Study on Friday. Okay. Saturday. I woke up at 6:15, dressed up, ate, and left for Shelton. Alix, Becca, Kasi, Rachel, Noel, and Josiah met us at Simpson Credit Union. We went to Big Splash! Yah! It was so fun! I went on water slides, enjoyed the hot tub, and just had a blast at Wild Waves. I even went on the Timberhawk twice! On the first time, I even rode in the very, very, very front! It was awesome. We watched a cool concert that night. Superchick was there! (I have two of their songs on my blog right now: "Stand in the Rain" and "We Live". Which one do you like better?) Anyway, it was a very tiring weekend. I almost slept during church (we didn't come back home until 10:30!) There I go again. I said I was not gonna talk about Sunday...oh, man. I just confuse myself. I stop being confusing now. Bye!

My - Boring and Tiring - School Life

Hey, everybody. It seems like a long time since I talked about my school life - not track or just random vids. Well, we have 6 more days of school. (And tomorrow is the biathalon.) It's fun, but tiring. Of course, it's only tiring because finals are coming up. I missed one word off my spelling test of 45 words! I missed "novice" because I wrote "novive." I was berating myself. (And still am.) Also, on the definitions page, you have to circle a letter and write it on the blank. I circled the right letter, but I wrote "c" instead of "a". I was just missing a line! Oh, life. Anyway, here's our main schedule of next week:



Monday: Naturalization Test (To Be an American Citizen), Bible Final (?)

Tuesday: 8th Graders Get to Go to Lake Trask for a Graduating Field Trip

Wednesday: Literature Term Test (Poetry, Fiction), Vocabulary Test (72 words), Science Final, Chapel for Younger Kids, Leave for Mason Lake Overnight Trip

Thursday: School Pinic (at Mason Lake), Awards Night/Graduation

Friday: Last Day of School!



Pretty cramped up with tests, don't you agree? Well, I have to go study for my states and capital test, as well as the United States rivers. Oh yeah. I forgot the State Fair Quiz. UGH! Anyway, TTYL Bye!

The Ultimate Showdown

Thanks, Ben, for introducing this to me. Okay, this is a hilirious vid. Even though you may not like anime, it's still really good comedy. Be sure to watch it!

Athletics Week

This week was my classes' swimming week. After literature, we left the school and headed toward the Shelton High School pool. (For your information, I am a really bad swimmer.) Every day, we practice the crawl stroke, breast stroke, butterfly stroke, and the back stroke. On Monday, I did horrible. I had two/three tutors: Mrs. Manning (my P.E. teacher), Mrs. Kempton (my friend's mom), and Mrs. Swanson (my homeroom teacher). It was sad. I was a wreak. But yesterday-Friday-I somersaulted off the diving board two times! It was so fun! During the week I jumped off the diving board 15 times! Amazing, considering I usually sink to the bottom. (Also, the diving pool is 12 feet deep.) Another thing that was yesterday was the districk track meet. Wow, as I think about it, I will say this: I was a complete and total wreak yesterday. I did so bad at long jump. Wow. I jumped 11' 2". And that's not the worst of it. I had two scratches! Those were the first scratches this whole year! It was bad. But at least I placed. 50 wasn't so bad. I got second because-according to Becca, Rachel, and Alix-I didn't lean in at the last part. I have to admit I was sorta angry. Relay actually was better than I thought it would be. We got 4th place at 1:00.1. The only bad thing was that our record was 1:00 flat. Sorta weird? Yup. Well, I got to go. TTFN Oh, yeah. We have a biathalon next Friday. Ugh.

One of My Fave Songs

Hello. After the buss between Susan Pevensie and Prince Caspian, a wonderful, amazing, mezmerising song was played. It was called "The Call" by Regina Spektor. It was...wow...I don't know who to describe it. It's one of those songs-that-make-you-feel-warm-and-mushy-inside-and-you-feel-like-you're-gonna-cry. That is my one word description of "The Call". Oh, yeah. To all those who actually care, credit for the title of this song belongs to my bro. (I didn't know what it was called.) By the way, the district track meet is this Friday.

New York!

So, you all know all about our state fair project, right? We have to research your state (that you picked) and have a presentation, a 3-way board, a fact sheet, and a brochure. Anyway, just in case you don't know, I am lucky enough to chose New York...but only because I chose it early! Well, just now I was trying to find out which city has a bigger population: Albany (the capital) or New York City (the major city). (I did this because I was bored.) So, I found out that - of course - NYC has more people. As I was looking through the page about New York City, I found the part about the races in this fabulous city. This is what it said:

Races in New York:
White Non-Hispanic (35.0%)
Hispanic (27.0%)
Black (26.6%)
Other race (13.4%)
Two or more races (4.9%)
Chinese (4.5%)
Asian Indian (2.1%)
American Indian (1.1%)
Korean (1.1%)
Other Asian (1.0%)
Filipino (0.7%)

I was amazed. The [awesome] Filipino race actually made the list. So what if it was last? So what if it was only .7%? It's still in my blood. I love my hertiage, and will be proud of it till death...and beyond!

A ***** (Five Star) Movie

On Friday night, at the Century Theater in Olympia, I watched The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. It was amazing! After the sub-district track meet (which I got first in long jump, first in the 50, and second in relay), my mom drove my brother and me to Calvary Chapel, where we left to go to Olympia. We went with our youth group. After we ate, Jenna, Katie, and I looked around the mall. Surprisely enough, I surreptiously crept by my aunt and scared her to death, right there in American Eagle. It was funny. Finally we went to the theater and watched it. It was amazing! The action, the plot, the kiss. I had a brunette moment when Susan Pevensie (Anna Popplewell) and Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes) had a buss. (Although, I found it sorta gross for Ben is 26 and Anna is 19.) Anyway, it was overall a great movie. I hope to watch it again this Friday, and buy the DVD when it comes out.

The Funnest (Or "Most Fun" in Proper English) Field Trip

Yeah! Today was really fun. When we got to school we waited until we could take a picture with a leaf fountain (my class' auction project). After we did, we zoomed out of the campus and drove toward my teacher's house. We dropped off our stuff and then walked into the woods toward a trail. We eventually got to the actual town and went on a walking tour. It was seriously fun-which is really weird, but cool. We walked back to the house and waited. And waited. And waited. Then my friend's cousin and my classmate's brother arrived and talked to us for about a hour. Finally, the patties and hot dogs were barbequed and we stuffed our selfs. We went wading-or swimming in some cases, but no mine-in the creek behind their house, called Goldsborough Creek. Mackenzie, Gabe, and I wading and walked to a rock which we suntanned on. (At least Mackenzie and I suntanned.) Then Danielle and Hailee joined us. Gaber, Kenz, Dani, Hailee, and I went back to the house. Our class then went to Dairy Queen where we bought ice cream! Yeah! Again, a very good field tip.

Prince Caspian, and Shelton

Hey, guys! Whassup? Today, while I was eating dinner, I was invited to go with a youth group to watch The Chorincles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. It's going to be so fun! And it's taking place right after our track meet. Talk about hectic! Well, I can't wait to see Ben Barnes (Prince Caspian) and Skandar Keyes (Edmund Pevensie). I actually am starting to like Skandar (only in the second movie)! Amazing right? Right now, in history, we are learning about *drumroll* Shelton! Yup. We are learning the history of Shelton. Tomorrow we are going to go walk around Shelton and have a BBQ! It's going to be fun! I have to go to sleep, because my brother's so demading. UGH. Night.

It's a small world!

Okay. I typed "Ben Foster" in the Google Search Engine (I was looking for your blog, Ben) when I happened to stumble upon a bunch of sites about an actor. I was like, Wow! My friend is a celeb?! It was weird. Anyway, here is a picture of the actor who weirdly enough shares the same name with one of my classmates:

If you want to go to the real Ben Foster's blog, go here: http://distressedfish.blogspot.com.

I love track and field!

Today, we had another track meet - even though it is Thursday, not Friday. We got to leave school at 12:35 (another great benefit of doing track). We went to Hood Canal which had a weird track. I swear the long jump pit was possessed! It made me angry! I only jumped 11' 4", when I was earnestly trying to jump 13'. And my brother - who jumped 16' 1" last track meet - only jumped 14' 1"! Something was wrong today. Oh well. Anyway, I got first place in 50 meter dash. It really sucked that I got a slower time. But the next part made up for it. You know how the first lane (in relay) has to start what seems farther than the other lanes, right? Well, our school was in the second lane. I had three people in "front" of me. When we started I passed all of those three! Usually somebody cuts in front of me, but I actually ran today. And it paid off. Well enough about me, what about you? What did you do today? I have to go finish memorizing a poem by A. E. Housman called "To An Athlete Dying Young". Okay. TTFN

Which cell phone?

Okay. I will admit it. I had a cell phone, but I lost it in Washington D.C. Now don't get me wrong. I am usually pretty organized (or at least a lot of people tell me so). But I think the trip was messing with my mind. I was distracted. So, I think I left my LG Rumor at the Museum of Natural History. (It's better to lose it across the country in some historical site than your house, right?) Anyway, I was wondering if I should pay $300 to replace my cell (of which I already saved $1oo) or just buy a Palm Centro. What do you think?

People in the Media (Boys Actually)

Okay. This is for all you girls out there! Hey, my peeps! Here is Ben Barnes, the 26 year-old set to play Prince Caspian in The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. This is a picture of him when he was younger.


Of course, this is Jason Dolley. He plays Newt in Cory in the House and starred in Minutemen. My favorite part about him is his blond hair. I love long-but not too long-hair on a guy.

Next would be my two favorite Jo Bros: Nick and Joe. I love Nick! He's only two years old than me! His curly hair is definetly a plus. And I love his voice. I like Joe, too. He's cool!


This is Enrique Iglesias. He is half Filipino, and he has a great voice. Listen to his song, "Somebody's Me" on my playlist. Scroll down to the bottom of this page. Thanks!

Just to tell you, I was bored when I was making this post. It's not like I'm obsessed or anything. (That was a weird ending to a post.)

Another Track Update

Well, today is Saturday. Yesterday we had a track meet at Olympia High School (which had a really great track, BTW). Anyway, it was awesome! Long jump actually was rubber, not concrete. I was so happy for that! I got first in long jump this time. I jumped 12' 41/2". There was a guy in my division who jumped 15 feet! Yup. And in 50 meter dash, I got first place. This time I ran 4 milliseconds faster than last time! Such an improvement! LOL So, have a nice day! Oh yeah. I forgot. And our relay team got third place.

Filipinos Rule!

Listen, everybody! I love my heritage - especially my Filipino heritage! This video is a great example of what Filipinos can do! These inmates are really awesome! Okay, maybe what they did was not awesome, but they can dance! (To all the people who say I can dance, this is for you!)

My School Life

Hello, everybody. Life is pretty good. (Except for the homework, but what can I do about it? Nothing. Argh!) Well, today was a pretty decent day. Actually it was spectacular - except for the homework. (As you can tell, I detest homework.) Today was square dancing day. For two hours, we learned who to square dance, as well as a little line dancing. At first my eight-person square didn't understand what we were supposed to do, but we improved greatly. In fact, we did a dance as an example for another group that didn't understand. (My partner was awesome!) Anyway, back to my school life. I am probably known as a geek or nerd. I might hate homework, but I will force myself to actually do it. That reminds me. I still have to finish my math, write a poem, and do a Bible worksheet. Huh. As I was saying, I not one of the "popular" crowd. But the partner definetly was. I was shocked that he would say "Yes," to me! Wow! That was amazing. Well, anyway, I have ice cream to finish off. TTYL

Wow!

What is wrong with me? Just because of the part in the book that the previously broken-up couple just get back together, I started tearing up. Yup, you got that right. I was crying! Something is happening to this world, and I intend to find out. (Or maybe I am just becoming a softie. Sad.) "Wow!" comes with two reasons. One was the whole crying-about-the-getting-back-together part in the book, and the second is the track meet that happened today. Our school's track team went to Pioneer School, where the meet was. I was in three events: long jump, 50 meters, and relay. In long jump I came in first place, jumping 11' 9". (BTW I am in division 1: the smallest one.) I was first in the 5o meters sprint, where I ran 7:84. (That is seven seconds, eighty-four milliseconds.) Our relay team isn't that bad. It consists of Becca, Alix, Kasi, and me. We got second place. (Pioneer always has a really fast team.) It was a pretty good day, altogether.

Square Dancing!

I know you will probably find this a litte weird, but for P.E. our class is learning to square dance! (No offense to those who take lessons!) At our school, we have seperate girls and boys P.E. But next Monday (April 29, 2008) we are combining and having a 6th, 7th, and 8th grade boys and girls P.E.! It's a miracle! Well, we can choose who we want to dance with - whether it's a boy or a girl. Awesome! Got to go...homework...bye!

Thoughts

*sigh* I think that I will delete the blog, "Life is Music". I know it's only been like a week, but since I got my playlist, I have been thinking: Why do I need a music video blog when I have a playlist? Well, I guess I will just keep it for a few more days, and then I will finally delete it. *sigh* Life is...um...endless. It certainly is. Yes. Indeed. Agreed.

Fridays

This is a typical Friday. Definetly. First, my mom picks me up after thirty minutes of waiting after school gets out. Then we go to the library where I pick up my books (so I won't be bored to death during the weekend). Then we went to the post office where (surprise, surprise!) to pick up our mail. We went home where my mom started cooking and cooking. Then at 6:00, we ate dinner. My family and some friends then had Bible Study for two hours. I finished my book, Lulu Dark and the Summer of the Fox, (which had a really disappointing ending) and here I am. Being bored. Writing whatever I can think of. Which isn't much. By the way. Talk. To. You. Peeps. Later.

A New Blog!

Hello, People of America! And Europe, Africa, South America, Asia, Australia, or even Antarcticia (why would anyone live there?) who just happens to stumble upon this blog! Well, I have created a new blog, in which I show my favorite songs. If you have a recommendation, tell me! Thanks!

School, school, and, of course, school...

Oh, school. School, school, school. Some days I love saying that word (the reason, I have no idea). Other days I loathe it. Today, it's just okay, but it is slightly getting worse everyday. We were assigned a big project called "American President's Packet". We have to know:

  • the number of presidency
  • the term in office (full date)
  • his political party
  • his nickname
  • when he was born
  • his birthplace
  • the First Lady during his presidency
  • his children (if any at all)
  • his education (college?)
  • his religion, the date of death
  • his previous experience,
  • his vice president
  • his Secretary of State
  • his Secretary of War
  • his Secreatary of the Treasury
  • his Attorney General

Did I mention that five important events during his presidency is also required, along with "a quote of some wise words of wisdom from the mouth of each president"? Yes, you read that correctly. We have to do a page like this for every president. Each of the 43. Wow. Is it just me or is this like a major homework load? You be the judge. (I am no complainer...well, actuallly I am. But I never usually complain about homework. Guess today isn't my day.) Wow. That was a long post. Guess I really loathe this assignment. Go figure.

What did I do yesterday?

In the morning, I surfed the web and read a book. Then at 1:30 the Newells picked us - my brothers and me - up from my house. They brought us up to their house, where they were hosting a party for Katie. We got there early, but my other friend named Priscilla (who used to go to my school) was already there. We played tag for a while, and then just hung out until everybody else was there; it was potluck time. We had porkchops, saugage, roll, fruits, chips, soda, and other food items. Then we went to the swings and talked. And talked. And talked. Then we played "I Love Lucy"games and had cake and ice cream. We walked around the Pointe and my legs started to hurt. Tomorrow I have to run the mile, and I am not in good condition to. Oh well. Post later. TTFN

The Oregon Trail and a Poem

Well, I must admit I am disappointed. Today, our class - from Washington - drived to Oregon to go to the End of the Oregon Trail Museum. (First went to Fort Vancouver by the borderline.) We only stayed there a short while before we had to pile on the bus and get "on the road again". Except this time I could wait to get on the road. It took more than three hours to get back to school. One of the worst parts is that I actually woke up at 5:00! Q: What is wrong with me. A: A lot of things. I have "issues". Enough about my issues; let's get to the poem. Right now I am reading a book called My Name is Chloe, which was written by Melody Carlson. In her book, Chloe likes to write poems, songs, and music. Here is one of her poems:

FALLING
Tumbling, bumbling, stumbling down
Falling , sprawling on the ground
Elusive and intursive things
Fragile as butterfly wings
Daisy petals one by one
Scattered in the summer sun
Does he love me, love me not
Is he burning, is he hot
Can I, am I willing, able
Lay my card upon the table
Will it be the queen of hearts
The place where all the hurting starts.

Update and an End

After a few days, I finally uploaded all the pictures from Washington D.C. There are 233 of them. The slideshow on the right (titled "Washington D.C. Trip") show them. The pictures show many things like the United States Capitol, the Jefferson Memorial, and even Jamestown. There are many other pictured places and events as well. Enjoy! Still, it can't be a happy day all the way. Never ever has that happened. The bad part of today is that today is the last day of Spring Break. If we didn't get stuck in Chicago, we wouldn't have had one day less of vacation. Oh well. Just get over it, Kayla, I keep telling myself. Well, I have to go to who-knows-where. Asta la vista!

Washington D.C. Tour

I just got back from my class' tour. Including Washington - our home state - we went to a grand total of eight states in eight days. (We were supposed to be home in seven days, but the flight was delayed.) The states were: Washington (of course!), Illinois (we had a stopover in Chichago), Virginia (Yorktown and many other places), District of Columbia (which really isn't a state, but our capitol is located there), New Jersey (where we stayed while we visited New York), New York (Statue of Liberty, Broadway - Mary Poppins, Fifth Avenue, Central Park, etc.), Colorado (another plane stopover), and Pennsylvania (where we toured the Gettysburg battlefield). It sure was an adventure! Since our plane was delayed, we didn't catch the plane to Seattle. So we stayed in the Chicago O' Harre Airport! The floor wasn't very comfortable to sleep on, that's for sure! But it was still very exciting to me.

Science Fair

I am so sorry for not posting lately. Life's just been really hectic. Just three days ago I did my oral report. That was a big relief. The Saturday before that - March 15 - was the County Science Fair. This was my first time to be involved in the fair, and it turned out to be really fun. That day I won first place and three trophys: Best of Catagory, first place in Electricity ($50), and Best of Show (a specially made sweatshirt). It was very surprising. Catch you later!

Ocean Shores

On Wednesday, my family and some family companions traveled to Ocean Shores. There we would stay at a hotel called Lighthouse Inn: Best Western. I have to admit it was a nice place to stay. A fireplace was located close to the sliding door looking onto the Pacific Ocean. There was even free Wi-Fi! Overall, I liked this hotel. Anyway, on Thursday, we went to the jetty, where my brothers, my brother's friend, and I climbed up rocks for a good view of the ocean. It sure was a pretty sight! Tell me what you did over vacation!

Mid-Winter Break

Guess what? This week starting on 2-18-2007, it is mid-winter break for my school! Yes! My cousins said they only have two days of vacation. (These days are Friday, 2-15-2007, and Monday, 2-18-2007.) I feel so lucky! But of course, this is only because I go to a private school. Oh, well. This week is going to be a blast!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I hope you had a happy day today. After all, it is V-Day! I want to know what you did today. I got three Valentine's grams. I receive one from Mackenzie, one from Alix, and one from Anna. Thanks everybody!

Career Guidance Occupation Research Project

When my class turned in their projects on the last day of January, I didn't think we wouldn't finally receive our grades 11 days later. (But then again it is kind of expected, because our 7th and 8th grade class has 22 students.) Anyway, when Mrs. Swanson first started passing out the packets, I desperately tried to not pay attention. I knew I had gotten a bad grade. But as you know, nobody knows everything (except God). That includes me. I received the highest grade in the room - 100%! An A+! What an amazing day! Still, I am stunned.

Oral Report Suggestions

Science oral reports are coming up soon. So is the Science Fair. But I have one problem: I have no experiments or any idea what to do. Well, maybe that's a lie. I actually have one idea and one idea only: human psychology. Well, let me know if you have any suggestions!

Great Reads

  • "The Courtship of Nellie Fisher" (Series) by Beverly Lewis
  • "Diary of a Teenage Girl" (Series) by Melody Carlson
  • "The Truth About Forever" by Sarah Dessen
  • "Boston Jane" (Series) by Jennifer L. Holm
  • "Kiki Strike" (Series) by Kristen Miller
  • "Geek High" by Piper Banks