Brownies at Midnight

12:17 pm-we should get brownies and ice cream....12:25 Polson, come with us! 12:28....pour on the chocolate....12:30-she's sitting in a chair!!!....12:35 k bye, we came, we conquered, we left...this happened in real time and in the words of a Madagascar penguin: 'you didn't see anything'

Today we finished reading Broken Down House
I definitely recommend this book....here's some excerpts from the last chapter that I really liked

"There is never a situation, location, or relationship that you enter alone. Your Lord is not away somewhere and he never sleeps. He never greets your calls with ab suy signal. He is never too tired or too busy to respond. he will never mock your ignorance or weakness, and he does not cruelly throw your failure in your face. He will never threaten that he is at the end of his rope with you. He will not grow weary of your inconsistencies, bored with your ambivalence, or irritated when once again you fall short." p. 223

"Even the trials he sends you way will supply what you need: the character to live for him more effectively. These are all evidences of his commitment to you, that you might be who you are supposed to be and do what he has created you to do." p. 223

Just about every poem in this book was very powerful...here's a taste

Legacy

Its' impossible not to
somehow
someway.
I will leave a
trail
behind me.
I will leave
footprints
for others to
follow.
Footprints of
relationships
values
character
worldview
worship.
Footprints
of some kind of
glory.
May my trail point
others
to the glory
that can only be found in
You.

p. 204

Trip, Paul David. Broken-Down House Living Productively in a World Gone Bad. Shepherd Press, 2009.

Classics

Sometimes you just need a good song...

Happy Easter!

"He was pierced for our transgressions
He was crushed for our sins
The punishment that brought us peace was upon him.
By his wounds, by his wounds we are healed."

Friday

"It is finished!" went to a student led Good Friday service, rejoiced in the work of the cross! Reminded that "It is finished" is a victorious battle cry!

Thinking about the term Good Friday (it was such a horrific experience and yet brings life! Oh the sacrifice I don't think we will ever truly grasp this side of heaven).....Death on a Friday does not seem good but the consequences of the resurrection are far beyond good and bring Life. That the two can be used together, only God could orchestrate.

"And don't apologize for all the tears you've cried/you've been way too strong now for all your life."-Closer to Love by Mat Kearny....reminded that you never know what someone is going through and you don't have to go through life and its struggles alone.

Matthew 11:28
Come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest.

The Year of the M&M's is over :(

Today I took down all our hall decorations. I am really going to miss these girls! It has been a great semester and we have all grown so much! God is good all the time!



We've seen some girls go and had some new ones join, but we'll always have the memories! Thanks for a great year 3rd floor street side!

Out Of The Wreckage In Raleigh, A Hero Emerges

Out Of The Wreckage In Raleigh, A Hero Emerges

Makes me cry! What a testimony! You never know the needs that are right next door!

BU Slip n slide and the moon

I love my school.

Hopefully more pics will come but for now...

Enjoy!

I also love study day. Its great-laughing, hanging out with friends, slippin' and slidin', good food. Ok, I read at least one chapter in my science book :p
and i even learned something....

Halley's comet is not named after its founder but the guy who predicted the cycle of appearances of the comet. Mark Twain was born and died when the comet appeared. "I came in with Halley's Comet in 1835. It is coming again next year, and I expect to go out with it. The Almighty has said, no doubt: 'Now here are these two unaccountable freaks; they came in together, they must go out together.' "-Mark Twain (p. 493 Shipman, Wilson, Todd)

The Large Megellanic Cloud and the Small Magellanic Cloud Galaxies were named after Ferdinand Magellan because his crew was the first to spot them, they can only be seen from the Southern Hemisphere.

The Milky Way gets its name because its stars look like a trail of spilled milk.

Well I actually read about those last two today but I did find out why the moon is sometimes orange (pollution or the blues are scattered because it is low on the horizon and all the colors have dispersed through a whole lot of atmosphere) yesterday (I googled it). But i promise I read all about the moon yesterday! Pretty amazing stuff! Can I just say there are a whole lot of moons out there!

Just in case you are dying to read this book: Shipman, Wilson, Todd, An Introduction to Physical Science, 12th Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2009.

"God shakes you and you gotta let go of what your holding onto, the more God shakes you, the less the world shakes you."

Last day of classes

Here's some pics from my Reading Class and Social Studies class (I had news up to my ears!)




My sticky notes are disappearing. My life was in sticky notes but now they are slowly depleting, except that somehow I keep finding more to make. Either way, it's a sign that things are coming to a close. Today was the last day of classes for my junior year!

Went on a senior high youth retreat this past weekend. It was full of quelf, attempts at jokes, messy games, an epic shaving cream battle, and some good thoughts from Daniel.
I almost avoided the shaving cream but I suppose when you spray someone with shaving cream you all of a sudden become a big target....

Finished!

Well im not quite finished junior year yet but I did finish my forty chilren's book project so here's the final list! Don't worry, next year I'll read 60 more, keep ya posted!

Dance

A Young Dancer: The Life of an Ailey Student by Valerie Galdstone
Marie: An Invitation to Dance, France 1775 by Kathleen V. Kudlinski
Sugar Plum Ballerinas: Plum Fantastic by Whoopi Goldberg
Angelina Ballerina by Katharine Holabird
Dance for Fun! by Balinda Craig-Quijada
Dance! by Elisha Cooper
Jazzy Miz Mozetta by Brenda C. Roberts
Piggies in a Polka by Kathi Appelt and Leuyen Pham
Elephants Cannot Dance! by Mo Willems (this is super cute! for preschoolers or kindergartners)
Feel the Beat! Dancing in Music Videos by Jenai Cutcher

I still want to read The Day We Danced in our Underpants by Sarah Wilson

Nonfiction

Magic Windows Ventanas Magicas by Carman Lomas Garza
See How They Run: Campaign Dreams, Election Schemes, and the Race to the White House by Susan E. Goodman
Joan of Arc by Diane Stanley
Cleopatra by Diane Stanley and Peter Vennema
The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles
Safari by Robert Bateman
C.S. Lewis: Christian and Storyteller by Beatrice Gormley (now I want to read Boxen)
Ana's Story: A Journey of Hope (very difficult subject matter, might break your heart but powerful) by Jenna Bush
The Coat of Many Colors by Jenny Koralek
You are Weird: Your Body's Peculiar Parts and Funny Functions by Diane Swanson

What can I say, I love biographies!

Newbery

The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman (great ending and fun characters and chapter titles)
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson (the movies is pretty accurate)
The Tale of Despereaux: being the story of a mouse, a princess, some soup, and a spool of thread by kate Dicamillo (my favorite! a must read!)
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin (silly and quirky with an unexpected ending, mystery!)
A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park (might make ya cry, great integration of art and worth a read!)
Holes by Louis Sachar (movie is also very accurate but you should still read the book!)
Sarah, Plain, and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan (I heard there's a sequel, I want to try it!)
Sounder by William Armstrong (a classic but slightly depressing, hard times!)
Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry by Mildred Taylor (also very sad but good explanations about slavery)
From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Koningsburg (you've got to read this, it will take you back to the days of childhood, smart kids spend a week in a museum!)

Controversial

The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks
The Great Waldo Search by Martin Handford (can you find him?)
How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell (boys will be boys, just don't eat while you read it...)
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein (precious)
Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh (the original people watcher)

Multicultrual-Indians
Beyond the Ridge by Paul Goble
My Song is Beautiful Poems and Pictures in Many Voices Selected by Mary Ann Hoberman (every teacher should have a copy of this!)
Eyewitness Books: Aztec, Inca and Maya by Elizabeth Baquedano (great resource but some unpleasant customs)
Beardream by Will Hobbs (beautiful illustrations)
Pocahontas Princess of the New World by Kathleen Krull (bright pics and interesting info, again I love bios)

Do you have any favorite kids books I should check out?!

What if-thoughts from Laura Story

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe

‘Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise....'

-Laura Story "Blessings"

Thanks Kimber and Klove for sharing this song!

There's a little kid in all of us!

The Mississippi Children's Museum is the place to be on a rainy day! Actually on any day! There are cars to race, gears to move around, cows to milk, construction projects to work, a kid-sized model of MS, an underground to explore complete with a volcano, puzzles to build, healthy workouts, DDR, theater, story books, a trip through the digestive system (complete with sound effects), dancing, sail boat racing, fishing, music making, sculpting, paint, lifesized scrabble, and more!! We were blessed to have a tour and even had some time to play!


The Underground complete with mirrors and explorer coats! Yes, you can crawl through tunnels!



All-time favorite exhibit! I mean the others are great too....it's hard to choose!



My friends liked to explore...



The dance, music, and art exhibits were so interactive! You could take ballet, record your own mix, video yourself dancing, and more!

Check it out here!

Today in science class...

Today in science class... we had more science experiments. (Ok this was actually on Monday but I got a little behind.) We learned about convection cycles, taste buds (i tried a cry baby for the first time! the gum didn't last long but it sure was sour!), fat free foods v. fat foods, and miscible and immiscible liquids. Sometimes, it is pretty funny to watch grown adults be in an elementary classroom. It is quite necessary because it is important to get on a child's level, but it also makes for some great conversations. I also had an excellent picture moment but alas by the time I got a camera, the moment was gone. It was of two 'students' (college students) pouring liquid very carefully and watching and waiting to see what would happen while the teacher (college student) helps. Ah yes! exciting times. Anyway...

On predicting what will happen when an oil and a liquid are combined...

Girl: I think they will separate.
Boy: I think she's done this before.
Girl: I think I'm smart.
Boy: I think your a liar. Wait, what grade are we in? 6th? yes that's something I totally would have said in 6th grade.
Ms. Quinn: and you would have totally been in the corner!

Girl and Boy poking each other. Innocent bystander: are they in love?

Sometimes we are such kids in class :) Oh to be back in the day when you say you are going out to eat and they automatically think you have a date.

"When experiments work, it's a glorious thing!"-Ms. Quinn

And now, we dance!

Some of you may know that I am also a dance minor. As a minor, we get to critique dance pieces. This semester we had to critique a classical dance variation. I chose Marianela Nuñezas as The Lilac Fairy. She is an impeccable dancer and my critique was all positive, no areas in which to improve. I mean after those fouettes into pirouettes and those incredible balances, you are left speechless!!

Just a little while longer and dreams WILL come true...

I will post much more, hopefully tomorrow! But I am sitting here, quite sleepy and thinking...I know there will be an end to this school work, actually quite soon. Maybe then I can finish a non-related school book or watch a movie! Hey a girl can try to make her dreams come true :)

Easter Egg Hunt

Good times

Easter Eggstravaganza!!
For our last hall party of the year we decided to do our annual Easter Egg hunt as a joint hall party. Decorate your bag and start huntin'! 600 eggs, 20 gift cards and lots of delicious food! Caldwell held true to its saying and we sure had some good times!

BU Reader's Theater Play

One of my finals in one of my reading classes was to perform a Reader's Theater. Our class did a take on the book Bubba the Cowboy Prince: A Fractured Texas Tale by Helen Ketteman. This is a western version of Cinderella. It was very cute and unfortunately both my mac video and my camera video failed me but I did manage to get a picture and a preview of the show. Enjoy!

Shine

Service day! Jackson had a local service day called Shine in which Pinelake Church partnered with the community and helped beautify the city! Our Education Department, KDE, took a group to help out as well. We started with picking up trash and branches on lots that a nonprofit organization just received. These lots will be cleaned and new family homes will be built! There is something special about a home and to see them in such disrepair really breaks your heart. I'm so glad there is hope and so thankful for people who are in the business of fixing up homes!
Many people were already at this site so we went to an elementary school to help out. We weeded a garden bed and layed some mulch. Others put up picnic tables and painted the outside of the school. We worked on a fresh coat of paint for the office. Kelsey and I tackled the green sections. Once again, I lived up to my name and was quite green. At least it was a cheerful and happy green! Kelsey and I plan to paint Jackson rainbow colors...

Pavilion Fest

Well it is that time of year again, the end of the year! Our semester is shortened this year so we will finish school by April 30th, actually classes will be done before then! Friday we had our annual talent show...Here's a taste of some of the acts

Robert Little's Dream Power

At Power APAC, on Wednesday, author Robert Little came to speak. He is a children's book author and motivational speaker. He is big into 'dream power' where you work hard for your dreams and you can be or do anything you want. He opened with a story about a young boy who skipped school to play on a frozen river with his friend. The friend fell through the ice and the boy could not reach him. He did, however, find a huge limb and got it into the water so he could pull his friend to safety. The paramedics came and said there's no way the boy could have lifted that limb-it was too heavy. An older gentleman watched from the side and said, "I know how he did it. There was no one there to tell him he couldn't."

Life Lessons

today i learned

1. don't leave your window open when there are tornado warnings and watches. If you do, your window sill, ac unit, and floor will become quite slick.

2. avoid opening an umbrella when it is windy and stormy. It WILL flip upwards into a 'u' shape instead of an 'n' shape. and then you will laugh about it in class and your teacher will wonder why you are grinning and you simply agree with whatever they just said and try to wipe that grin off your face.

3. you generally can't go wrong with curious george and chocolate.

and yes we make spiders in class. well only the good kind of course. don't worry, it was dead, i certainly would not eat a live one. actually i was hard pressed to eat this one as i really stopped to think about a spider, but then again the krispy kreme was calling my name.

did you know that a spider can have 6, 8, 12 plus eyes!

Question

Why is it that when you start eating at 1:00am you just can't seem to stop? And you always seem to get that craving at college....ok you could be at home too.

How come chocolate and nuts put together are so delicious? And why is it that when you eat them, you admit that its ok because somehow the nut is healthy? Ok its healthier than just chocolate. And you somehow feel like it will fill you up. Once again, the idea that it has some potential of being good for you. Or at least better than your average chocolate bar.

I do not know. But that is why I like peanut M&M's. And snickers.