Poetry

We are beginning a new unit in out classroom, and it is poetry. I am not sure about how I feel about it. The last time we really did poetry was in 6th grade with mrs. Guarisco. I really enjoyed it then. We got to make our own poetry book, and have a poetry cafe. I really thought that my poems were great back then, but as I look at them now I can see how much my writing has improved since then. The thing about poetry is that there is so much freedom in what you can do. There are many styles, topics, and there are different rules for different kinds of poems. I am kind of skeptical about doing poetry now, but hopefully I will enjoy it as much as I did last time. There is something about such a broad thing that frightens me, because I like all of my stuff to be exact. I know that there is no right or wrong really in poetry, you can be pretty creative and expressive with it. I like some things about about that and I don't like some things about that. Of course, it is easier to write, because it is so leniant, but also, I am always so worried about how it is because the guidelines are also very leniant as well.

The few poems that we have read so far are pretty good. I like hearing what all of my class mates and my english teacher have to say about certain things. I may not always catch these things so talking about poetry in a group I think really helps. I personally like when a poem has some kind of rhyme and rythm to it. It makes me want to keep on reading and it makes it easier for me to read. I remember loving the Shell Silverstein poetry books. He would mix up the first letters of words (Runny Babbit was the title of one of his books) But anyways I am looking forward to starting this unit, and I hope that I can enjoy the things we do with poetry.

Reading this week:

20 minutes: The Fish poem
100 minutes: Magic Tree House (French book)
30 minutes: It's not summer without you

The Hunger Games

This Saturday I went to see the Hunger Games movie. I have been excited to see this movie for a long time, ever since I have known that it was coming out. I read the books when I was in 7th grade. I fell in love with them when I read the first chapter of the first book. I was surprised that I liked the book because I had never really liked that genre before. I think that it was the combination of suspense, romance, action, and the actual story line (which was so different than anything else) that made EVERYONE who read it absolutly love this book. I introduced it to lots of my friends, and they all loved it as well. I find it interesting that a whole array of audiences liked the book- boys and girls, and adults and children. I really believe that this is one of the best books that I have ever read, and the movie was great too.

The movie was great, it was almost exactly like the story in the book. I don't know if i have ever seen a movie be so close to the book. I mean of course there were some things left out, because otherwise the movie would be over 3 hours long. It was 2 and a half hours long, and I think that one of the only things that they missed was the fact that she was always hungry and thirsty. They did a great job with the scenery, characters, and story line. I loved the costumes! The people from the capital had amazing costumes, and cool technology. Overall, I just want to see the movie again, because it was just so great!

Free reading this week

So this week, I read many different things. I finished my Junnie B. Jones book, and in the end, (even after he totally ignored her) Warren ended up being friends with Junnie B. I enjoyed it very much, and I really think that my French is improving. I had to read two other little books for French for two days because I was waiting for my new book to come in the mail. Finally, on saturday it came in, and I could start reading. The new book that I have is a Magic Tree House book, but in French! The title is translated into the last hours of the Titanic. It is funny because one of my brother's friend (who is in first grade) is reading that book in english with his dad. That makes me feel pretty good, that I am reading at this level. (1st or 2nd grade).

I also started reading the sequal of the book I just finished; it is called its not summer without you. So far it is really good, there isn't much to say about it yet, but I can tell that I will like it. When I finish this book, I want to start reading one of two books. I either want to read the Ellen book that Isabella requested. It sounds very funny and I think that I would really enjoy it! Another one that I want to read is Pretty Boy Summer. Two girls in our class recommended it to me, and it sounds great. So I will be reading some great books for the rest of the year.

Reading:
40 mins- Junnie B.
40 mins- other french book called Frisson
20 mins- Magic Tree house
50 mins- It's not summer without you

My dog Heidi

Well I have pretty much ran out of ideas to blog about so today I will tell you about my dog Heidi. She is a 5 year old weimaraner who is full of personality. She is probably the most proper dog that I know. She sits on the chair with her paws crossed and her chin up. This makes sense because these dogs were originally breeded strictly for nobility. We always say that her top priorities for her are love, care, and comfort. She is a loving and loyal dog who will always want to cuddle with people. She loves to sleep, and relax on the couch. She has her favorite chair that she loves to sit on because she can protect the house very well from it. She can see the through the front door, the kitchen window, the side window, and if she turns her head she can see the backdoor. It is also in the middle of where everyone usually is, which is another reason why she likes it so much.

Heidi is a dog who makes you love her. Even my great-grandmother who really doesn't like dogs, has grown to love Heidi. She is a beautiful dog- everyone always stops to tell us how pretty she is. And she is nice to pretty much all people. But there is one person who she strongly dislikes, and that is the UPS man. Every time she sees the UPS truck pull up, she goes balistic! Overall, she is a caring, loving, cuddling, dog. She has loves to be right next to people, and squeeze in where she can.

The Final Quarter

We have finished 3 quarters of our Freshmen year, and have only 9 weeks left of school until our summer vacation. This year has flown by for me and I can't believe that it is almost over. It seems like just last month we were having our first day of school. I am ready for summer to come, and I know that if this quarter goes by as fast as the others have gone by, then it will be here very soon. I hope that in this last quarter I can do as well as I have for the other quarters, and I hope that I won't drop my grades or forget about the important things getting caught up waiting for summer. I think that if I just do what I have done all year, and stay on top of things, I will do just fine.

Everyone loves a clean slate, and that is exactly what we are getting right now; a clean slate of grades. So even if you didn't do very well in the third quarter, or if you want to do better, you have the chance to do so in this last quarter. My goal for now is to finish out the year strong, and have all A's so that I could finish the year with all A's. I have learned this year that hard work really does pay off. I think that how much effort you put into your work really shows a lot more in high school than it does in middle school. I am proud of the work I have done so far, and I am more than ready for this summer to unwind and relax a little more.

Outside reading

Last week, I started to read a book for my French class. We are expected to read 20 minutes a night in our French books. I am reading a Junnie B. Jones book called amourouse (which in french means in love. I think I remember reading this book when I was in first grade, but now I get to read it in French. I am actually surprised at how easily I am able to read this book. I mean of course there are some words that I don't really know, but through the context clues I can usually figure it out. Also there are some pictures in the book which help me too, because I can see what is going on too.

I also ordered some of the magic tree house books to read when I finish this one. I think that these books might be a little more challenging than Junnie B., but I think I can handle it. I think that in reading these books, I will increase my French vocabulary and be better in French in general. I am enjoying reading these children's books, because I once loved the same stories when I was little, but I get to read them in a new way- to where it is like I get to read them for the first time again. The new magic tree house books that I ordered were some that I had never read before so I am excited to see what happens in those. I also, for the last hour that I needed to finish up with my 150 minutes of reading, finished my book that I had started before Nervous Conditions. It was a great ending to a great book, and I can't wait to start the sequal! I absolutly loved The Summer I Turned Pretty!

Junnie B. Jones- 100 minutes
The Summer I Turned Pretty- 55 minutes

NC and French reading

I finished the Nervous Conditions book today and I was very surprised at the ending. It was pretty fast and there wasn't much solved or cleared in my opinion. I was confused to find that the end was this way. I will certainly want to discuss this in class, because I would like to know how my other class mates thought about this chapter. I feel like not much in this book was really accpmplished. I think that she kept going on and on, but never really concluded anything. Chapter after chapter, I told myself that it would come to some kind of end, but I was still telling myself this on the 3rd to last page. It wasn't the kind of end that I expected from this book, and I am left with many questions that will not be answered, due to the sudden end of the book.

In our French class, we are required to read 20 minutes a night in a French book. I choose Junnie B. Jones, because it is pretty much the perfect level for my French knowledge. It very different reading a book that I once loved as a child, but in a language that I am learning to understand very well. I am enjoying this new expirence, although it was a little tough this week reading both book each night. I know that this will help me with my French, and I am glad to see that I have come this far in my learning to do so.

Reading this week...

NC- 120 minutes
Junnie B. Jones (french version)- 100 minutes

LSU gymnastics meet

Tonight. I went to the LSU gymnastics meet in the Pete Maravich Center. I go to quite a few of these meets, because I am a gymnast and I enjoy watching the meets. I few of the girls on the team trained at my gym, and I look up to them and hope to be a college level gymnast one day too. Anyways, this meet was probably the biggest one of the season; it was the "pink" meet. At this meet, they raised money for the Brest Cancer. A former LSU football player named Brady James set up a foundation called the foundation 56 (which was his number in football). He set up this foundation because his mother died of breast cancer. This was the 5th annual Etta James gymnastics meet, and it was very successful. (it is in honor of his mother) They had the 4th largest crowd (for a gymnastics meet) in history tonight. The admission was only $1, but all of the t-shirt funds also went to the cause. They had a silent and live auction yesterday to raise money as well. In the end they raised $100,000 for helping women in Baton Rouge fight against breast cancer. This was the largest amount of money that they had ever raised!

Not only did they have a great turnout for the great cause, but the tigers had a great meet as well. They had a huge win over North Carolina. Freshman Llominicia Hall won first all around, and had an almost perfect floor routine. (9.75) The crowd was very interactive and energetic. They were also very supportive of all of the girls on the team. I had a great time at the meet with my friends from gym, and I also got to meet up with some old friends that I no longer get to see as often. Overall, I think that the meet had a great turnout in many ways and I can't wait until the next LSU meet. They only have one more home meet, and it will not be as big of a turnout, but I love watching them, and I think that it is just a fun Friday night thing to do! So in two weeks from Friday, if you have nothing to do, then consider going to watch the LSU gymnasts in their last home meet of the season. I can guarente that you will not regret it, it is a great expirence!