Journal

Summer Ballet Classes

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I am taking a grade 3 ballet class on Tuesdays in the summer.   When I was at the first class yesterday, Ms. Amy, the teacher came up to me and explained that she was making some changes to the classes I was taking.  She meant in the fall, but I misunderstood her to mean the summer classes.  I became even more sure of this when she brought in a box of pointe shoes and began trying them on girls. (They take special care that pointe shoes fit perfectly to avoid injuries.)  You see, usually girls don’t get to take pre-pointe until after they pass their grade two exam, and even then they have to be invited to be in a pre-pointe class.  I have only passed my grade one exam.  I became very bewildered when Ms. Amy told me to put on a pair of shoes.  I did.  They felt weird, yet wonderful.  There were pointe shoes on my feet.  I thought that maybe I was only going to take one class, and that she was loaning them to me for the one class since I was there. (I still thought that I was in the wrong class, and that I was supposed to be in a different class.)  Then Ms. Amy looked at the shoes and saw that they were the right size.  She gave me a pen and told me to write my name on the box containing the shoes.  I asked “Am I staying in this class?” She responded “Yes, you are going to be in this class all summer!”  That is when the full realization hit me.  These were my shoes!  I was going to wear pointe shoes!  Later Mrs Seimans came and explained what the changes to my fall schedule were.  I was going to be in a pre-pointe and strengthening class.  Pointe!  Oh! I wasn’t expecting pre-pointe for another year at best!

LIBERATION!

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Yesterday I was liberated from that horrible instrument known as a twin block appliance.  I am now getting braces on Monday.

Queen Hatshepsut

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J+M+J

Queen Hatshepsut was a powerful Egyptian woman pharaoh.

I watched something on the Discovery Channel Sunday about Queen Hatshepsut’s mummy some scientists were trying to find. They had four suspects. Using a CT scan, they ruled out because she was to old, the other because it had its arms straight and they hadf never been bent, a sign that she was not a pharaoh. There were two possibilities left, or else neither of them was the queen. They succsesfuly took some DNA from the mummies to see if it would match with relatives of the queen. But would her relitaves have enough DNA left after 3,500 years?

The scientists, while waiting for results, decided to take a look at the only part of the queen they knew was hers for sure.  Her mummified liver, inside of a canopic jar with her name on it.  But when they tried to open the jar, it was glued shut with resin! Then they put the jar through the CT scan to see inside. To their suprise, the jar contained not only her liver but her intestines as well! They looked closer, and found a little bone also inside the box.  It looked like a tooth.  They brought in an expert tooth docter and found it was indeed a tooth; a molar with one root.  Now which of the mummies was missing teeth?  Both of them.  Only one was missing a molar.  Just to be sure, they measured the tooth and the root.  It was a perfest fit.  They had found Her Majesty.

But how did she die?  She had a tumor, arthritis, diabetes, and Osteoperosis,  and bone and liver cancer, but that didn’t kill her.  At the age of about fifty she died of a ruptured abcess in her mouth, caused by pulling the tooth that identified her.

The discovery of Hatshepsut’s mummy happened in June of this year.

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Decisions, Decisions! (Who said kids were slow?)

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J+M+J 

Dad has hired workers to finish mudding, sanding, and texturing the schoolroom.  The workers say that we should be able to paint by tomorrow night! But Mom has a dilema. She still can’t decide what color of paint she wants.  First she wanted green. Then Yellow, then red, then back to green again.  What color will it be?

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Screwtape Letters

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Today I read a wonderful book called Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis.This book was on a Catholic reading list for my age.  I enjoyed it immensly.  the story is a collection of letters from the older, experienced devil Screwtape,  to his yound nephew instructing him how to snare a soul in evil.  It is humourous, calling Satan ‘Our Father Below’ and hell ‘Our Father’s House,’ yet it makes one think about their faith.  I reccomend this book for anyone 12+.

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First Day of Tennis

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Landin and I were at Mcennan Park.  In one hand I held Dad’s tennis racket, in the other a large water jug.   A loud voice came booming over a speacker.  “Would all the children for the junior team tennis lessons please enter court one? Thank You.”  We went into cout one, along with the other seventy or so chilren ranging in age from 10-18.   All of us were devided into groups of 8-12.  In my group were Landon and a girl i slightly know from the Dance Gallery called Ellen.  We practiced four-hand, (hitting the ball when it comes to your right), back hand, (hitting the ball when it comes to your left), and some other things.  Then we were marked with blue, (meaning beginner) or red, (Meaning intermediate.) Landon, Ellen and I were blue.  Then we played a game called ‘See Ya’  basicly tennis four square.  After we had finished, it was twelve thirty and the first day of two hour tennis lessons was over.  After the fist week of every day tennis lessons, the lessons will be twice a week.

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Fourth of July

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J+M+J 

We went to my Grandma and Grandpa Frederes’ farm for The Fourth of July.   There with us were my aunt and  uncle Adamand Lori, and my cousin Tyler.  After an outside lunch,  My siblings and I began to set off minor fireworks. We also shot guns at targets, swang, and had a fun time at the farm.

 As  night began to fall firefies came out. there were so many of them!  One had only to put their hand out and close it to catch one.  With all the flickering, moving lights, the farm seemed almost to be a fairyland!

Finally it was time to light off fireworks.  Dad had been the Firework-selector, and he had done a very good job.  Aunt Lori presided as the firework lighter.  At first, Alexander and tyler were petrified by the loud noises, but very soon the lovely displays of light drew them out of their mothers laps.   Grandma and I were impressed by a peice whose name was something about fish.  After several purple  explosions, golden lines swiggled out in every direction.  There were many red and green fireworks, but there were also gold, purple, white, orande and multi-colors.  The long grand finale was beautiful.  This way, then that, long arches of miniture purple stars exploded, followed by golden crackles.  This color combination was truly gogeous, and again and again the lovely duo lit the clear night sky.   Thus was the night of July 4th concluded.

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Joseph’s Scheme

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J+M+J 

Joseph, for some reason or other, has become a great fan of my DPN’s and unfinished legwarmers.  I do not leave my knitting where he can get it when I am not working on it, so he has adopted a plan to get it.

Joseph is lying on the floor of his bedroom.  He is getting his diaper changed, but his mind is not on that.  Only a few feet away his eldest sister, Sarah, is sitting on the floor.  In her hands, tantalizingly close, lies her knitting. He reaches out for it. Just as he is about to touch it, she moves it away.  His mother is done with his diaper, so he sits up.  He decides that he can catch more flies with honey than vinegar.  He begins showering his sister and Godmother with love. Then suddenly he springs out to grab her knitting.  If we coulds hear his mind, it would go something like this: ‘I love you Sarah! I love you very much Sarah! I want a kiss! I want a hug! I want your knitting! Give me your knitting! Give it to me!’   Joseph’s plan has failed. His sister simply stood up.  But he is not giving up.

 ‘You havn’t heard the last of me! I will get your knitting! I will!’

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Joseph’s First B-day

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J+M+J 

Joseph is one year old already. How time flies. I remember the day of his birth well.

It was almost five o’clock in the morning, Monday, June 26, 2006. A little light was begining to come through the blinds of my downstairs bedroom.   Dad  was gently waking me up.  Though it was a week before the baby boy’s due date, I knew what that meant immediately.  “The baby?” I asked.  Dad told me that Mom was having hard contractions, and that they might need to leave for the hospital soon.   Then he left, telling me that he would come and get me if they needed to leave.  Only five minutes later I heard Landon whisper: “Sarah, Mom and Dad are going to the hospital!”  Well, one can imagine that in only a moment I was upstairs. Dad informed me that Grandma Kathy, who lived about an hour and fifteen minutes away, was coming, then they left.

Landon and I began to clean up the filthy kitchen, wondering  what his name would be, how much he would  weigh, ect. ect.  when we had almost finished, Grandma arrived. We had breakfast, talked, and finished the cleaning.  Gradually other children got up, and were very suprised to find Grandma upstairs.

Around 8:45 Dad called from the hospital.  He told us that the baby had been born at 8:30.  I can’t remember if he told us the measurments of the baby or if that hadn’t been done yet.  If it hadn’t been done yet  Mom’s friend Mrs. Whaler told us when she called a while later. Anyway, we found out some how that the baby weighed 9lb 2oz, was 19 1/2 inches long, and there were 13 1/4 inches around his head.  She had talked to Dad and told us that He and Mom were considering Joseph as a first name.

Later in the morning  we all went outside.  It was a beautiful day with not a cloud in the sky.  I was trying on middle names to the name Joseph, using names off of Mom’s middle name list.   Joseph was Pope Benedict XVI’s name, so I tried those names together. I found that the name Benedict did sound good with the name Joseph.  I told Grandma “I would like it if  they called him Joseph Benedict.” 

After we went inside we did various things to pass the time, including picking up, playing, and around noon, having lunch.

Everyone was downstairs when Mom and Dad came home at 12:30. I heard them come in and I shot up the stairs. I was the first to see my sleeping little baby brother. His name was  Joseph Benedict. Grandma left that same day. For the next several nights I stayed up until two in the morning with him while Mom slept. He opened his eyes for the first time in the middle of the night in the dim light. And he GREW!

Back to the present. I made a white cake for his birthday and decorated it with red frosting. It wasn’t that hard, and I did OK, except for the J and P in his name.

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 Here he is not very messy yet.

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Not the case here!

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I wonder if he ate more of his cake than he threw on the floor, but he seemed to like it.

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DPN

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DPN stands for double-pointed needles.  They are used in sets of four to knit tubular items such as socks, hats, and, as in my case, legwarmers.  I was a little intimidated by them at first, but soon realised it was no harder to knit on four needles than two.  

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Dedication of July

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July is dedicated to the Precious Blood.

 

 

Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven, Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, Have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit, Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, Have mercy on us.
Blood of Christ, only-begotten Son of the Eternal Father, Save us.
Blood of Christ, Incarnate Word of God, Save us.
Blood of Christ, of the New and Eternal Testament, Save us.
Blood of Christ, falling upon the earth in the Agony, Save us.
Blood of Christ, shed profusely in the Scourging, Save us.
Blood of Christ, flowing forth in the Crowning with Thorns, Save us.
Blood of Christ, poured out on the Cross, Save us.
Blood of Christ, Price of our salvation, Save us.
Blood of Christ, without which there is no forgiveness, Save us.
Blood of Christ, Eucharistic drink and refreshment of souls, Save us.
Blood of Christ, river of mercy, Save us.
Blood of Christ, Victor over demons, Save us.
Blood of Christ, Courage of martyrs, Save us.
Blood of Christ, Strength of confessors, Save us.
Blood of Christ, bringing forth virgins, Save us.
Blood of Christ, Help of those in peril, Save us.
Blood of Christ, Relief of the burdened, Save us.
Blood of Christ, Solace in sorrow, Save us.
Blood of Christ, Hope of the penitent, Save us.
Blood of Christ, Consolation of the dying, Save us.
Blood of Christ, Peace and Tenderness of hearts, Save us.
Blood of Christ, Pledge of Eternal Life, Save us.
Blood of Christ, freeing souls from Purgatory, Save us.
Blood of Christ, most worthy of all glory and honor, Save us.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Spare us, OLord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.

Thou hast redeemed us, O Lord, in Thy Blood, And made of us a kingdom for our God.

Let Us Pray:

Almighty and Eternal God, Thou hast appointed Thine only-begotten Son the Redeemer of the world, and willed to be appeased by His Blood. Grant, we beseech Thee, that we may worthily adore this Price of our salvation, and through its power be safeguarded from the evils of this present life, so that we may rejoice in its fruits forever in Heaven. Through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.

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