Flip and Ring

During gymnastics, when a student completes a new skill 3 times, they get to ring a bell and everyone cheers for them.  Most times, it doesn't happen on camera day, but this time, Tori completed a new skill and we got video of it.  This is the first flip in the set.

This is the next 2 and her bell ringing

She'll be signing up for summer classes and hopefully doing more bell ringing this summer!

Damn Saxamaphone

This spring, the school started up band.  Tori had been waiting to try the flute.  After winter break, they finally got a teacher.  They had a music store come in with instruments for kids to try.  Tori tried the flute, but it wasn't what she thought it was and was harder than it looked.  Since he brought other instruments, she tried the saxophone and loved it.  She practices once a week at school and has learned a couple easy songs so far.

I think she practices at home on occasion (which would be more than I practiced the guitar).  She still seems to like it and looks forward to class every week.  The only part she doesn't like is carrying the sax back and forth to school.  Now I can act like Homer Simpson and tell her to 'put away that damn Saxamaphone!'.

New Year

Tori had a full Christmas break.  The first week off, she mostly relaxed and did her gymnastics all around the house.  Played with her toys and complained that she was bored.

On Dec. 23rd we headed to Kansas City for her Grandparents Christmas celebration.  We stopped in Hannibal, Mo and she got to learn a little about Mark Twain.  We visited his house, but didn't have time for other activities in town.  We headed off to KC after the house tour, a hike up the light house stairs (244 of them) and some ice cream at 10:30 AM.  She got to see her cousins and meet her new cousin Vivian that was born in September.  She also got to see Santa Claus and get a present from him with Grandma's babysitting kids.  She knows the truth about Santa, but she went along with it anyway.  The next day the full event went down.

Since we stayed at a hotel, her brothers and cousins went swimming in the afternoon.  Then about 4 pm, all the presents were passed out and opened.  She got a ton of make-up, jewelry, shopkins and other toys.  Her grandfather made her a jewelry box which she really likes.  She also got to paint her own Christmas tree carving made by Grandpa.

We headed back home on Christmas day to open the presents Santa brought the kids.  We made it back in decent time, even though lunch was a quick stop at an open gas station.  Tori opened more make-up, Shopkins and her new rocker chair to use while playing on her ipad or xbox.  All in all, she was happy to get new things and had a great Christmas.

The next few days were spent playing and organizing her room.  New Years came and they all went outside to shoot Poppers in the cold.  All the kids made it to midnight, so it was fun for them.  Finally school started again and she wasn't ready for it.  In the 2nd week, she's gotten back into the swing of things, but still doesn't like it.  It is supposed to be in the teens for a high and she still says she's walking in it.  Brave trooper.

Tori is starting back in Gymnastics at the end of February.  She hasn't stopped doing handstands and cartwheels the entire time she's taken off.  She's ready to go back and we'll get a break from accidental breakage.  She'll probably take the summer off like most kids seem to and be ready to get back into it in the fall.