Life has really gotten in my way, but I decided that I needed to post something.

Kayla has been enjoying a much better year! While we are still trying to find the right combination of meds to help her focus easier, she has very understanding and supportive teachers this year. Her progress has been better, and of course she now knows “the program” as compared to the rough transition last year! Woodlands changed to a block schedule as well, which is very good for Kayla. She attends half of her classes for 80 minutes each day, then the other half the next day. It has translated into less homework per night. Kayla was so comfortable with that change….she decided to PLAY A SPORT!!!! This is the child who if there is sporting equipment in the air, it will hit her head. So she chose field hockey, where airborn things are not encouraged and can be penalized. It has been very good for her! The team is mostly newbies, but they have managed a few wins. They have 3 games left this week and the season will be over. Short season, good natured sport. A few pictures of Kayla (#3) in action!

Kayla is the center of the screen, right in front of blue 27.

Kayla is the center girl of the 5 on the field.

Other big news for Kayla; No more braces! To make her retainers, they 3D printed her teeth rather than the old fashioned goop to make the mold.

Final big news: She start driver’s ed on Monday. Yes. Driver’s Ed. In one week.

Ashley has been settling into 7th grade. She handles herself fairly well considering that she leaves for school each morning and comes home each day on her own. She is still playing piano, has decided to continue with flute into high school also, and still takes karate 2 nights per week. She is preparing one of my all-time favorite Christmas tunes for the winter recital. I won’t say more in case she decides it is not ready by then – it’s a challenging piece!

Ashley competed this weekend in the fall karate tournament. There are 3 events you can do: kata, kihon,and kumite. Ashley does not do kumite, because that is the sparring and she is not fond of that. She likes kata and kihon. These two events are double elimination. Kids face off in pairs. The winner of each pair gets back in line, the other sits down for a bit. This keeps going until there are only 2 left, the winner gets 1st place and the other gets 2nd place. Those two then sit down while the rest of the group runs through again to find 3rd and 4th place. Here is Ashley getting checked in:

She was in a group of 6 girls. Here is her first round in kata. At the end, watch the judges flags. They point to the girl they think did better.

Then came Ashley’s second round of kata.

1st place in kata!

She repeated the process for kihon, where they do basic moves. After the first set of eliminations….

Hmmmm, sitting by the sidelines with another girl. That can only mean….

Yep! Another 1st place! She brings home some fairly heavy new hardware for her room. She is expected to bring those medals to her next class so she can share, which she loves to do.

This weekend, Kayla will have her last game of the season and Ashley will go to the lock-out a church with her best friend. They go to church at 8PM, then the church takes them trampoline jumping, go for milkshakes, then back to church around 2AM for games and movies. We pick them up at 7AM on Saturday. Tired kids!