Thee blog of the day

The story chapter of the post.

Chapter Four

After the visit to the hospital Lily and her grandma went home and the next day they woke up early and went back to the hospital. Lily’s Mom could now leave the hospital.

Lily rode home in Mommy’s car. The Miller’s owned two cars. They had two sedans; a blue one and a white one. They called the white car Daddy’s car because it was the one that Timothy used to get to the office. Mommy’s car was the blue one and it was used for errands and for doctor’s appointments and anything else Emily, Lily and now Andrew, did while Timothy was at the office.

Lily asked her parents. “Mommy what are we going to do when we get home.

“Grandma will help us decorate for the family party.” Timothy replied

“Weren’t we supposed to decorate before you got home?” Lily asked

“When you were born grandma did some decorating before we got home but we did streamers and things as a family.” Emily said.

“We will put up the ‘It’s a Boy’ sign and blue streamers and do our traditions when we get home.” Timothy added. “Why look. We’re there!” Emily got out of the car while her husband got Andrew out and handed him to her. Timothy then moved on to getting Lily out of the car. Lily’s grandmother was at home already and Lily ran around into the back yard and let herself in her house. Emily swaddled Andrew in a blue blanket and covered his face in her shoulder. Emily, Timothy and Andrew walked to the front door and rang the doorbell. Lily and her grandmother answered it and led them, silently, into the living room.

Emily suddenly said. “It’s a Boy! It’s a beautiful baby boy!” Everyone leaned over and looked at the baby.

Lily’s grandmother asked Emily. “What is his name, weight and length?”

Emily replied. “Andrew Timothy Miller, Six pounds, five ounces and he is eighteen inches long.” Lily’s grandmother wrote the information on a piece of paper. Lily then ran out of the room and came back with a morning glory. She handed it to her mother and Emily smiled. Emily walked into Andrew’s room with Timothy, their eyes down. Emily placed the morning glory into the vase. She and her husband looked up and smiled.

Timothy exclaimed. “What a marvelous room!”

Emily said gracefully. “I would like to thank all the children and women who so graciously helped with this baby’s room.” She continued. “Would the oldest woman of the Walter’s generation please step forward and explain to the children who helped, the origin of our tradition.”

Lily’s grandmother stepped forward and said. “Children gather round. I married Mr. Charlie Winters (of whom died ten years ago) and I took on the name Mrs. Jane Mary Walters Winters. My daughter, Emily Mary Winters, who married Mr. Timothy Miller, took on the name Mrs. Emily Miller. Yesterday, she gave birth to Andrew Timothy Miller. You have helped build his room and deserve to know the history of our traditions. Long ago, there were no hospitals for babies to be born. Instead there were midwives, who birthed the babies at the mother’s house. The babies were born in a special room of the house and none were allowed in the room while the baby was being born except, lest the midwives’ secrets be revealed. After the baby was born the father was let in. He helped the midwife and cut the cord attaching the baby to his mother. After the baby was cleaned and the mother was cleaned and her hair combed and she was in a new garment they would knock on the door. Birthing babies is a very messy business and sometimes it took a very long time before the mother and child were ready. Anyway, they knocked on the door and the grandmother of the child would open the door. The baby would be swaddled like Andrew was, with his face in his mother’s shoulder. The midwife, mother, father and infant would be led into the middle of the room in silence. The midwife would shout ‘The child is born’ and then she would leave. After the midwife leaves the mother would shout ‘It’s a boy’ or ‘It’s a girl’. Everyone would lean over and look at the baby. The Grandmother of the child would ask the weight, length and name of the baby. The time was unimportant because none would ever know the time the baby was born and only the midwife would know. This was another thing that Walter’s consider information only the midwife would know, it was another thing to keep midwifes sacred and important to the family. Anyhow, the grandmother of the infant (On the Walter side) would write this information down on piece of paper tucked away in the first page of Mathew. The page would list all the names of people in the family (on the Walter side, if the other family side had a peace of paper like it, their family tree would go next to the Walter family tree). Once the information was written in the family tree the oldest sibling would go pick a flower to give to her mother. She or he would pick blue for a boy and pink for a girl. If the infant had no siblings (like you) the father would pick the flower. The rule was that the flower must be picked by a member of the infant’s immediate family. After the flower was handed to the mother, she and her husband would walk to the infants room with their eyes down and the mother would place the flower in the vase and she would look up. Before the baby was born the children and women of the family would build the room for the baby. The mother and the father of the infant could not see the room. The women and children could not use anything that belonged to the mother and father. After the mother and father have seen the room the mother would call the oldest woman in the Walters generation to explain our tradition. After this is done the family would go and plant an Easter lily for the baby. There are no special rules for planting the Easter lily except that it must be planted next to the plant that the infant’s flower was picked. The plant that the infant’s flower was picked from is the infant’s plant. Once the Easter lily has bloomed the child is baptized and the lily is placed in the same vase as the flower the infant got on his birthday. Another blue or pink flower from the same plant is added every month until the baby is a year old. When the baby is six months old the older sibling is told how her or his birth went out. If a child doesn’t have any siblings before his six birthday he or she is told how his or her birth went out. That is our tradition. Our tradition is modified to suit the mother and child. My mother’s good friend was a nurse and she helped birth me at my father’s house. She couldn’t leave my mother and I until the next day so she didn’t leave but she went back into the birthing room. She was very good about our traditions and obeyed them all. My room was even made by my two elder sisters and my aunt. My mother was given a pink tulip that was growing in our garden. My second eldest sister was so dramatic that she brought a pink rose with swollen hands but my grandmother, strict as she was, sent her back to pick a tulip.”

Emily said. “Thank you Mother. Lily that Easter lily in your room is your baptism lily. Now let’s go plant Andrew’s Easter lily.”

The little family walked out side to the yard.

Emily asked Lily. “Lily, where did you pick Andrew’s morning glory?”

“By the bunch right next to the slide.” Lily replied.

“Than we shall plant the lily next to the morning glories.” Emily announced.

Timothy spoke up. “Darling you and the baby should sit and watch while we dig in the dirt and plant the seed.”

“Alright, I guess the baby shouldn’t get dirty but I didn’t get to plant Lily’s seed either. Honey can’t I help plant the seed.”

“(Sigh) Are you up to it?”

“Of course.”

“Alright. But who will hold the baby?”

“Mother can.”

Mrs. Winters spoke up against her daughter’s idea. “I think I should be able to help, too!”

“Well who will hold the baby? Lily’s only four and she would want to help plant the seed too.” Said Emily. Soon this argument increased in volume and everyone kept on pointing fingers at each other and telling them to hold the baby.

Lily quiet and observing said softly. “Why can’t we take turns?”

Timothy, in the midst of the argument said. “We have been fighting like children while the child has said something very wise.”

“What did she say?” Emily asked

“Why can’t we take turns.” Lily repeated.

“Ugh, you’ve raised Lily this far and yet you don’t realize that the baby would get dirty when we hold him.”

“Where gardening gloves.” Emily said.

Soon they were planting the Easter lily. Emily was sitting near the group of gardeners holding Andrew. Lily noted that Andrew slept a lot, now was one of the few times when he was awake. Emily was showing him the seeds.

Emily whispered to Andrew. “These are your lily’s seeds. When these grow into flowers you will be baptized and join the Christian church. You will have a happy life here. I think I’ve done a pretty good job with your big sister. Look at her, all happy and smiling. Look at the wonderland your father and I have built for you. Yes you will be very happy.”

Timothy said to his wife. “Honey we’re done with the hole. Let me hold the angel while you can plant his seeds.”

“Alright.” Emily replied. She passed Andrew to her husband and then walked over and put the seeds into the hole. The group started to bury the lily seeds in the ground.

Emily said. “I have a very good idea. Why not we start a new tradition and place a wooden cross into the ground - just a small one that will mark the spot where the lilies are planted.”

Mrs. Winters frowned at this idea but Mr. Miller loved it.

“I think that’s a great idea!” Timothy exclaimed. “But, where will we get wood for it?”

“Don’t you have some wood in the garage?” Emily asked.

“Hmm” Said Timothy, pondering the idea. “I think that will work.”

“Wonderful, when should we make it?”

“If I may step in, I would suggest that Timothy would make the cross while the rest of us bake a cake”. Mrs. Winters said. Andrew started to cry.

“That’s a good idea but you and Lily will have to bake the cake yourselves. I think that Andrew’s hungry.”

I really enjoyed writing this chapter and making up all the traditions. Joey and Julie have asked me if I'm going to get the book published:-) I told them that I would try. If I can't I will go to the public library and see if I can get them to let me start a club where kids would bring in their stories and their would be a 'by kids' section and people could read our stories.

Today I am going to do something amazing. Joey has piano lessons and we have to leave at three thirty to get him there. He always arrives early and has to wait for the other kids classes to be done. The reason he has to come early is so that we have time to drop me off at gymnastics. five to ten minutes after we leave joey discovers he left his books at home. We have to drive all the way back to our house to get Joeys books and I'm always ten or five minutes late for class. Joey is distracted by his DSI (which he brings for amusement while he waits for his piano lesson). So today I am going to remind him to bring his books. I have written this so I will remember to remind him.

with love to my loving readers,

Theresa

Hello followers. I am in a good mood, today. I am getting everything done so that I can spend the rest of the day writing my story. Dad said that if I get really into my story the only other things I would have to do is math, biology, spanish and flute. He said this a while ago and I have twelve pages in less than a month. Here is chapter three of my story.

Chapter Three

Lily’s grandmother answered the phone. It was Mr. and Mrs. Miller! The baby had been born successfully! Emily was fine and the baby was healthy. He was a beautiful baby boy! Timothy told all this to his mother in law over the phone, he wanted Lily to come to the hospital immediately!

Her grandmother, a smile on her face, rushed Lily into the car. Lily was deeply troubled. She saw no reason for the rush. Did something bad happen? After they were in the car, Lily’s grandmother regained her composure and said. “Honey the baby is here! He’s a baby boy! He and your mother are fine!”

“Yay! When will we see him?” Said Lily, too worried and excited to talk like a toddler. Fortunately, her grandmother was to excited to notice.

“Hmm, Now all the trouble begins. I’m excited and worried. Will the baby take my place? What are babies like? Will he be mean to me?” Lily immediately realized that the last question was silly, remembering the size of the baby’s socks. “Okay, he probably won’t beat me up. What do babies do anyway?”

“Lily we’re there! We’re at the hospital!”

“Once again, time flies when you think” Thought Lily as she climbed out of her grandmother’s car.

Once they walked into the hospital Lily’s grandmother checked in. The nurse gave Lily a pink sticker that said “I am a big sister”. Lily and her grandmother rode the elevator up to the twentieth floor.

They went into room forty-four. Room forty four was a white room with a blue loveseat and a white table, along the wall there was a blue couch. On the wall there were pictures of blue jay. Lily’s eye’s rested on her mother lying in a bed with blue covers storks on it. Lily immediately forgot about the baby and ran towards her mother and climbed into the bed. She was amazed when she saw a small pink baby cuddling with her mom. “What! This is my little brother! He’s so pink! And he’s so small. In a way he’s cute but he’s in my spot.”

“ Happy birthday! Here’s your little brother. Do you like him” Emily whispered.

“He’s so small” Replied Lily.

Emily laughed and said. “Yes. He is very small. His name is Andrew.” Timothy, sitting on the edge of his wife said. “Happy birthday, Lily! We have a present for you.” Two nurses came in with a little plastic crib with a baby doll in it. They put it next to another plastic crib by Emily’s bedside.

“This is the bed hospital’s have for baby’s. They are light and easy to move around so if they need to move the baby from one place to the other it’s easy. We decided to give you your own baby to take care of.” Timothy said. Lily picked up the baby doll and said. “Thank you, Mommy and Daddy.”

“There’s another present.” Emily said. “Look under the crib and there’s a little platform and there’s another present.”

Lily got off of the bed and found the present right where here mother said it was. She unwrapped it. It was a book titled “Fun With Baby”, “Green Eggs and Ham” “The Vet” and “One to Ten Pop-up Surprises”.

Emily said. “Even though you are four your father and I are going to teach you how to read. You will love reading, Lily! You can read books to Andrew. We are also going to sign you up for preschool. You will go to preschool twice a week.”

“Mommy, I can read! Watch”. Lily read “The Vet” to her little brother. “Wow, this big sister thing is kind of fun. Boy, am I doing a great job at this reading! Mom and Dad are smiling. They are so proud at me.” Lily finished the book but you got some and looked up. Her Dad said. “Good job Lily!”

Lily asked. “I keep on reading the word ‘teh’ T-H-E what does that mean?”

“You were reading the word ‘The’.” Lily was confused. She had followed all the rules and had said all of the words sounds. Her father continued. “The English language is tricky and there are complications to the letter’s sounds. Let me show you. This word is zoo. You said zah. Two O’s together make the sound ooh. We are very impressed that you can read simple words. However, there are hard words like zoo and that’s what we will teach you. Soon you will be able to read pneumonia.” Lily blushed, she realized that she had messed up. She hadn’t realized how tricky words were.

“The book, one to ten book doesn’t have any words. Emily said opening the book. “You see the numbers? You pull them open and they show a colorful animal.” Lily opened up number one. A frog was revealed!

“Mommy look! It isn’t a picture on flat paper. It pops out and you can touch it!”

“Yes honey, these types of books are called pop-up books.”

“Cool! Thank you Mommy and Daddy!” Lily had relaxed now. “The baby isn’t taking my place. I think Mom and Dad want me to play with the baby. I wish I could hold him.” As though she was reading her thoughts, Emily asked her daughter. “Would you like to hold him?”

“Yes please!” Lily exclaimed.

“Sit down on the couch Lily and hold him like this.” Timothy instructed, while holding his son. He then passed Andrew to Lily. Lily cradled her little brother and thought. “He’s so small and adorable! I wonder why he’s all curled up. He’s warm too.” Then she whispered to Andrew. “We are going to be best friends.” And she was right.

I am having trouble keeping up with blogging entire chapters. Chapter four is one of the longer ones . I had fun writing it though. On some days I can throw down entire chapters but on others I am really slow to write. I don't really think ahead for the story either. It feels like I am reading the book myself. I don't even have to disagree with what the author is writing either! My freind Abbie is the opposite in writing stories. I relax and just write, while she looks up things for her stories and plans ahead. She also has a lot of adventure in her story too. She was the one who inspired me to write stories. Abbie already has a critic! Her brother, Louis, keeps on telling her "more action, more action!". While talking on the phone to her last night, I told her that. "Brothers can be very helpful or they can lead you to misery. You should just write what you want to write."

I am giving my birthday party some thought. I want to have a lot of people to the day party and a small selected group of friends to a sleepover party. I was thinking of themes and most of the guest are the "Ladies of the gym" as I call them but My freind Eliana is not so athletic and I don't want her to feel left out. Suggestions are welcomed.

On Wednesday I said I would blog about the story I wrote, my gymnastics meet, cross country skiing and Dad's birthday. I only wrote about the first two.

My story, Chapter two (There are five chapters so far).

Chapter two
They soon got to work. Lily put a white tablecloth on the table. She then decorated the table with flowers, while her grandmother cleaned the kitchen. Lily picked a blue bonnet and her grandmother put it into a vase. Lily then got five roses and arranged them in a circle around the blue bonnet. Lily also picked quite a few morning glories and put them around the edge of the table and got a few leafs and put one leaf in between each morning glory. Emily had taught her daughter that simple was beautiful, with this knowledge Lily stopped her decorating there. Lily’s grandmother was immediately satisfied and impressed with Lily’s work. Although, she was worried Emily wouldn’t like all the flowers on the table.
“Oh dear, Lily there are to many flowers on this table. Can you take some off?”
“Mommy would wike dem.” Lily replied
Lily’s Grandma thought about her daughter, Emily, for a second then said. “Oh what was I thinking, you can keep them on the table, I suppose.”
Soon they were both satisfied with their work in the kitchen and moved on to the nursery. Lily had never been into the nursery before. Her father told her that they were painting and they didn’t want her to get hurt or get in the way. Her mother told her the room was a surprise. Lily was greatly disappointed at both their warnings and excuses. The room was neat and tidy with animal bedding in something that seemed to be a cage. Lily was very educated in literature but it took her a minute to figure out that the baby would sleep in there. She was surprised that looked like it was a cage. She tugged on her grandma’s sleeve and said. “Gramma, why will duh baby sweep in a cage.”
Her grandmother laughed at this and said. “Lily, that’s not a cage. It’s a crib. It has high bars like a cage, not to keep the baby in, but to make sure he doesn’t fall out. Do you understand?” Lily nodded. After she had figured this out she noticed the room looked quite plain. Lily thought that it would be really complicated and at first it seemed like it. The room was painted green and had a little white table and a white rocking chair. Lily also noted that there was a bookshelf next to a whole box of books. Her parents even put in a bean bag!
“Lily, there is a box of things for the baby in the closet and we need to get them out.” Her grandmother instructed. Lily helped her grandmother with many difficult jobs. First they had to assemble a dresser from the parts her parents ordered. This was probably the most difficult job that Lily and her grandmother did that day. Lily’s grandmother sat on the floor and worked on putting the dresser together while Lily fetched screws and other things for her grandmother. The dresser was made of maple wood and was almost as big as her mother and father’s dressers.
“Why is this dresser so huge? The baby’s socks are as small as my big toe. This dresser is as big as mine and Mommy and Daddy’s. My dresser is even too big for me! What about the baby, to him this dresser will be enormous. Mommy said he was small enough for me to hold!” Thought Lily as she held a box of screws for her grandmother. “Ow! My arms hurt, how long will I have to hold this box of screws!” She glanced at the dresser and saw that it was almost finished. “Wow! It’s almost done! How is it that time flies when you’re thinking?
“Lily! Stop your day dreaming immediately! Her grandmother said sharply. Lily shuttered. “Uh oh she’s getting tired. I wonder how much longer she can hold this act up?” Lily’s grandmother was usually strict and said many outbursts like that all the time. She acted less strict on Lily’s birthday. Emily had begged her mother to be easy on Lily. Lily’s grandmother realized what she had said was definitely not easy. She covered up by saying. “I mean the dresser is done. Can you fold the clothes in this box and put them in the dresser?”
“Ok!” said Lily happily, though she was secretly annoyed with her grandmother’s sudden outburst and annoyed that her grandmother thought that she would fall for the act. “How many of these white wensies does the baby need! This is ridiculous!” Lily thought.
Soon all the clothes were folded and neatly put away and Lily’s grandmother got out a little mat with animals on it. Lily also noted that there were things to squeeze and rattles attached to it. Lily squeezed something that looked like a small whoopee cushion. It made a small, squeaking sound.
“Wat is it Gramma?” asked Lily, pointing to the mat.
“It’s called a play-mat and you lie the baby on the mat and he will play with the toys on the play-mat.” Her grandma answered.
“Is duh baby going to be a boy or girl?”
“ I don’t know sweetheart. We’ll just wait and see. Now, why don’t you go and pick a flower and put it in this vase.” Lily’s grandma said, pointing to a little glass vase. “Normally if it’s a boy you would pick a morning glory because it is blue. If it is a girl you should pick a pink rose. When a baby boy is born you decorate the house with blue and if it’s a girl its pink. You’re mother could have found out if it’s a girl or boy but she wanted it to be a surprise. When she comes home you will give her a pink rose or a blue morning glory. She will call us when the baby is born. You pick a morning glory now before they close.” Her grandmother told Lily. Lily nodded and obediently picked a morning glory.
They had no more work to do so Lily’s grandma made herself and her granddaughter some lunch. Then they went outside to the backyard. Lily played, ran, climbed the privacy fence and explored. Her grandmother ∫rought a chair out and worked on her shirt. Lily now knew the shirt was for the baby.
“Grandma is very bossy. I climb and I better get down before I fall. I jump I should stop before I break something. I explore the flower garden and I need to get out of there before I ruin Mommy’s flower garden. I run and I should stop before I trip and get covered in grass stains.” Thought Lily. Soon Lily settled with playing on the swings. Lily began to get worried. “It’s almost four-o-clock! How long have Mommy and Daddy been gone?” Lily stopped swinging and asked. “When did Mommy and Daddy weave?”
“In the middle of the night while you were sleeping.” Her
grandmother replied. Right then they heard the phone ringing.


After the big new years eve party at out house,My good friend Mara and I convinced our parents to let me come over to her house for a sleep-over. We stayed up late and woke up around seven forty-five or so. We played together 'till three or four and then we went with my Mom to cross country ski. Mara's dad works at a ski store and she takes cross country ski lessons. I was slowing Mara and my mom down because I learned about five minutes before we went. I soon got tired and I fell a few times but I'm sure I'll do better next time. Mom also got us lost and gave us an extra mile or so. There was also a giant hill that I ended up just taking of the skis and walked up. Then I put them back on.

For Dad's birthday I made him a card from our school paper with paper snowflakes from our school paper. In the middle of a snowflake I put I red six sided die and on the side of it I put four ten sided dice, each with one of the kids birthstones color. I cooked some of my house wide famous french toast and some oatmeal. Then Joey, Julie and I gave him a concert. We had lunch and then we played a push your luck game called adventurers. Then I went to gymnastics and came back to wrap presents. When Joey came home from his gymnastics class we did presents and had cake.

I am so behind on my blogging! I have started writing a story, been to a gymnastics meet, did my first cross country skiing and Dad's birthday came along.

I have been writing a story for school recently. It is my main school activity now. I have eight pages, three thousand, three hundred and thirty six words and four chapters so far. It is about a normal family and their lives. There are four people in the family, Emily and Timothy Miller and their children, Lily and Andrew. Lily is five and Andrew is one. Here is the first chapter.

Chapter one

Our story begins with a family of four. As this is a story I believe I will start with introducing my characters.

The mother’s name was Emily. She was a woman who always raised her children as she thought she would as a child. Kind, expecting her children to do as they were asked but she seemed to always know what was the right amount of work for her two children. Her yard was a wonderland. She had a trampoline, a play set that was kept in top condition, a sand box and a bouldering wall along the privacy fence. There were many trees and flowers everywhere. Morning glories climbing the play set, rose bushes, violets and other flowers of many kinds were scattered in the yard. Her children adored her immensely.

Emily’s beloved daughter was named Lily. She was five and was the dreamy, fairyland type. She adored babies and loved kittens and could throw a story like that. She read short stories when she was four. She discovered that one chapter of longer fairytale books a day satisfied her hunger for literature. She had simple tasks given to her by Emily such as clearing the table and watering the flowers (her favorite) and keeping her room tidy. Emily sweetened clearing the table by placing her in charge of decorating the table as well, and cleaning her room by allowing Lily to have flowers in her room. Lily didn’t know why a few flowers in her room helped her enjoy cleaning her room. However, it seemed to make cleaning go by. Why fix what isn’t broken? When the chores were done, Lily would run around in the backyard or read a book until dinner

Lily had a new baby brother on her fourth birthday. Right on her fourth birthday, not a day after or a day before, right smack on her birthday. Lily remembered waking up on her fourth birthday with pancakes and bacon but she woke up with her grandma. She was panicked and scared until she saw little baby Andrew and her mother. He loved to cuddle and would follow his mother and his sister around and would rejoice when his father came home.

The father’s name was Mr. Timothy Miller. He was an earnest man who worked hard during the day as a secretary and when he came home, no matter how stressful the day was he knew his work was worth it. He was tall, handsome and thin. He had elegant ways and knew how to make people feel good. He loved chasing his children around the yard and making them laugh.

Now that we know more about our characters it is my judgment as the author to go back in time so I can better explain the birth of our darling Andrew.

“Yay! It’s my birthday! A whole day of cuddling with Mommy and being chased by Daddy, this will be great! And just wait until they discover that I can read! And don’t forget the pancakes, eggs and bacon!” Thought Lily as she raced down the stairs. She had just got to the bottom when she found no pancakes, no eggs, no bacon and no Mommy and Daddy. Just her Grandmother sitting on the couch knitting what looked to be a sweater for one of her teddy bears.

“Oh no! Where’s Mommy and Daddy. What’s going on! What should I do? If I talk I will get an answer but I really really don’t want to talk to cranky old Grandma! Besides Grandma loves it when kids like me don’t talk and just look cute and cuddle. Whatever, I’ll just go and get my answer and I’ll decide what to do next.” She thought. “Where Mommy an-and Daddy?” She asked her Grandmother.

“Why your baby brother is coming a little early, sweetheart. My what a good talker you are!” Lily smiled and then giggled. Her grandmother seemed to be in a good mood today.

“Can I have some breakfast Gamma?” Lily asked. Her grandmother got up from her knitting and made her some cheerios.

“This day isn’t all that bad. Wait, what am I saying, what about my plans! Will Mommy be okay? Will they forget about me with the new baby around? My birthday has been ruined! It is most definitely not okay!” Lily knew better then to misbehave because her birthday wasn’t going the way she wanted it but she wanted to misbehave so much.

After her breakfast, Lily went outside to water the flowers and to stare in wonder at the morning glories.

“They are in bloom in the morning but in the after-noon they go away. Why is that?” Lily thought as she looked at the morning glories. She then went to the play set to swing.

“It’s my birthday so I should enjoy myself. However, I don’t feel like jumping, exploring, climbing or digging. All I really want is to find out about Mommy and the baby.” So she went and did that.

“Gamma” Lily said, being careful to talk like toddlers. “Can you tell me ‘bout wat happening wit Mommy and new baby?” Lily continued, secretly smiling at how she was talking.

Her grandmother frowned, she did not want to explain too thoroughly but enough to satisfy her inquisitive granddaughter. “Why, your mother and father’s doctors knew your parent’s baby was coming so they are helping them get the baby at the hospital.”

Lily nodded and asked. “When will dey be back?”

“I don't know honey.” Her grandmother came up with an idea to keep Lily out of trouble. “And it’s our job to give them a warm welcome!”

I went to the gymnastics meet, Winter-fest. Winter-fest has a very high reputation with Olympic. Last year (according to my team mates) they were very decorative and instead the traditional pedestal you see at the Olympics, they had a bridge! They had a bridge with a fog machine. This year they had a new location and looked and felt like a school basketball court. They had stools with a black material on them. Mom has posted some videos on Olympic gymnastics fans. I have a link to it (as always). The level six's are with the level fives at winterfest. Unfortunately Geza Pozsar, was at our gym and he was choreographing floor and beam routines for the level sixes who made it to level seven. Our team was composed of six girls, four level fives and two level sixes. We started out on beam. It was a steady routine up until the end. I fell on my dismount. It is the easiest skill for me on beam and I fell. I got a 7.8 my record on beam is 7.85

I was the last up on floor. It is a huge diadvantage for me. All the mistakes my teamates made the judges were looking for. The juges basically thought they needed to teach my gym and that effected my scores. Nothing much to say except I did my best performance ever (according to my Mom, who has seen all of my meets). I got a 7.475 my record is 8.575. I ripped up my ribbon. Katica said the judges were stingy.

Vault! Three days before my meet I totally botched on vault. I was terrified when Gergely stopped spotting. The next day I didn't do vault and the day before the meet I did a vault with Gergely spotting. On vault during the timed warm ups Katica and the other gyms coach decided the order for warming up. Katica asked the girl at the front of the line what she vaulted at. She said she vaulted at four. Katica said she meant the vault height. The girl said four. Then Katica said "We better go first." It was embarrassing. I vaulted as low as the horse can go, this is called vaulting at zero. I normally vault at one but I wanted it to be a little lower considering what happened at the gym. I did a wonderful vault! I didn't quite stick the first one but not to much of a step. The second one wasn't quite as good although I stuck it. I got a 8.2! My record is 7.95. It is now 8.2.

Time for bars my worst event. I actually made the jump. I just barely made it in warm ups! It had bent legs though. I got a 7.0. My record is 7.7 Katica said the judges were stingy.

At the awards ceremony I got fourth place on Vault! I was the only one on my team who got to stand on my pedestal! I even was in the ten and up division. I felt short next to the 12 and 13 year olds next to me.

I was going to blog more but I am getting tired.

The Christmas post

On December twenty-forth I spent the day with my Aunt Ruth sewing a teddy bear for Thomas. I spent most of the day with her and it was a great way to pass the time before Christmas morning. For those of you who don't have kids, the day before Christmas is very intense for us. When I was looking at the finished product Thomas saw it and grabbed it out of my hands and shouted bear while he hugged it. I took it away and he cried. The bear is very handsome if I do say so myself and I do. He is a big brown fellow wih a big red ribbon tied on his neck. The teddy bear isn't loved as much now because of the competition. I think I'll make Thomas another bear in the middle of July, when there's no competition.

My one Christmas presents were good too, I got many science kits and a nice pair of slippers and my first pair of jeans in five years. Thank you very much Abram Dancy's for the jeans. Mom got me Discus fish for the aquarium. It was a present for both of us, the discus were. I got to choose the fish. Grandma Leibig got Mom a gift certificate to our fish store, World of Fish for fifty dollars. Mom's comment was "you may see this as a it gift certificate but I see it as a discus fish".

Later on I will get some photos in,
Theresa