Pants, Pants, Pants!

M doesn't like pants and hasn't liked pants since she was about 6.  She needs pants because of her band uniform and, um... winter.  We've gotten a few pairs of jegging type coverings... yay this year.  Each time she has a band concert there is a frantic scramble to fit into one of G's old or current pairs of church pants. 

She has a concert coming up and I mentioned that now would be a good time to go to a thrift store and find a pair of black pants.  We made it to the store and a pair that was sufficiently comfortable around the waist was found.  It seemed to bee long and wide in the ankle with possible bleach spatters too.  But I sewed them slimmer and hemmed them 3 inches.  The splatter is minimal speckling and it only cost $1.   And she likes them.  Wow!

Many fun times

 We got this wig, an orange wig, and a green morfo suit from the thrift store. 

 G and M have a good time at the library.  We've begun going on Monday nights after FHE.  Dad goes to work and we head to the library.  It's interesting how different seasons of our lives our library visits are different.  It's nice to find a rhythm to go together and enjoy this wonderful resource.

M's piano teacher is a fantastic example of life long learner.  She has so many cool music teaching ideas and ways to motivate students.  The dots on her wall represent songs her students have sight read.  It's so important to track things.  Above the mirror it says "Nothing is Hard, just New."

Frozen things and teaching piano

M was working on reading the Book of Mormon for her personal progress.  She went turbo when I offered her a Checker's milk shake to finish it.  Way to go M!

She has had a few gas station slurpies too for science and because she had the money to buy it.  She dubbed this the year of frozen things.

M has two piano students.  R is 7 and M teaches him in exchange for attending the gymnastics class his mom teaches.  M's other student is 14 and pays her $10 weekly for a 30 minute lesson.  They are both awesome students and she is reaping the benefits of 6 years of studying the piano. 

Phone Skills

P got a job teaching statistics so, as is our custom, we planned to get BBQ to celebrate.  We have celebrated each of the 6 changes of position within his company in this splendid manner. 

M was hoping we would do this tonight but I mentally crossed it off the list of things to do today because it was raining.  The BBQ place has an old truck and M hoped to eat on the truck bed as we did back in 2011. 

I planned another dinner but M was persistent.  Persistence, Yay!  So I told M that if she would call the BBQ place and ask if they were sold out, I would consider it.  Phone skills are something I think are important to develop. 

M called and was told they still had food.  So after prepping dinner M and I went to the BBQ place.  On the drive we talked about the four agreements:
Be impeccable with the word.
Take nothing personally.
Assume nothing.
Do your best.

It turned out that the BBQ place was out of brisket and ribs.  Brisket was the one item P requested so we turned to leave.  I told M that I thought dad would want to wait for another day.  I caught myself and pointed out that I was making an assumption.  So we called dad.  He confirmed that he would like to wait for another day.  Phone skills for the win!

Books

This is what M is reading now.  She's a sneaky reader.  She isn't as often reading where I can see her but she is often reading and I'm always surprised by all she has read.  She can answer questions too.

Summer of Camps

M is at girls camp right now.  This is her first stay away camp and 3rd of 4 camps she will attend this summer.  She has been saving all year to pay for the camps and I'm really pleased that she kept up with that goal. 

The first camp was at the fort and only cost $25. They spent their days learning about nature, ecology, history and playing games.

The second camp was lifeguarding and she paid the $150.  That camp was intense, including work outs on the beach, deep ocean swimming and jet ski rescues.  M says she did a back flip off the back of the jet ski.  I wish I had pictures of that but I'm glad I don't.

Our ward did a spaghetti dinner fundraiser and M was able to earn her $150 for girls camp that way.  She made calls and sold tickets for the event.  Then she offered a service of making home made bread to earn the money for camp.

After girls camp M will attend a gymnastics camp in July.  I'm so glad she's having this amazing summer.

Last night M was getting a ride home from activities.  The person giving her a ride asked if they could go home to open her son's mission call.  The H family was there and M interpreted for them.  Mrs. Y sent us a movie of the event wih M standing there interpreting for the deaf.  She sent this message:
I'm so grateful for M to have interpreted.   I got so emotional watching the entire scene play out.
D had a friend here who probably signs "better" and even said she could have interpreted, but she said she was too embarrassed (she's not a member.  I get it).  But M absolutely shined.  Oh how I proud I am of her.  We talked about her using it as a write in experience for personal progress.  I'll happily help her find a place for it and sign her off.  Thank you for raising such a lovely girl who isn't afraid of being who she is and is willing to share her gifts with others, in many ways.  ❤️❤️

She is wonderful.  She's "making cookies all by [herself].  She's not needin' help, nooo."