Medal

This girl got another medal on Tuesday!

Honors Choir

Caitlin tried out for the MTVA Honors Choir.  Basically all the middle school kids learn the same piece of music (it was in Latin!) and audition.  They are judged and only the top 130 are selected.  They then get together in January for an all day rehearsal and perform that night.

 

So Caitlin's choir teacher said that she should know by Saturday night and would email the ones that got selected.  We checked the email every 5 minutes it seemed and nothing.  So we just assumed Caitlin didn't make it.  But then she emailed and said she was still waiting on results.

 

Then Sunday, while in church, we get this email:

And then this one was sent to everyone:

Caitlin is so excited and we are so proud of her!!

Halloween

For Halloween this year, each girl got to invite a friend over for trick or treating in the neighborhood.  Caitlin and Allison were both cats.

 

Alaina had Harper over, her favorite friend from Kindergarten.  Even though they aren't in the same class this year, they sit together every day on the bus.  I wasn't able to get a picture of them together before we left so here's one of them in action.

The young girls lasted about an hour and Rusty took them back home.  I then went with the older girls for another hour or so.  They met up with several school friends in the neighborhood and it was nice just walking with them while they had fun.

Trunk or Treat

 

She was SO happy to wear lipstick!

 

My girls just love the trunk or treat at church each year!

 

Caitlin got to help out with the games this year.

Fall Play

Caitlin's fall play is in 2 weeks.  If you would like to see her in the lead role, Rita, here's the info:

Thursday, 11/10 at 7pm

Saturday, 11/12 at 7pm

 

Rock Springs Middle School

Cost is normally around $5, I think.

Voice Recital

Caitlin has been taking voice lessons since June and is having her very first recital.  You are all invited to attend if you want. 

 

November 13th at 3pm

Priest Lake Fellowship Church

2311 Hobson Pike

Antioch, TN

Church Selfies by Caitlin

Mini Caitlin



On Sunday, Caitlin and Alaina were playing together and Caitlin decided to make Alaina into a mini me.  She did Alaina's makeup like hers.  Dressed her in her new sunglasses.  Used a flannel shirt to be like her flannel shirtdress she has and put her wedges on her.

It was a little unnerving to see Alaina look so grown up.  I mean 6 year olds should not wear eye liner!

Friends

On Saturday, we were shopping at Target and Caitlin ran into two different friends from choir (who weren't shopping together either).  They were so excited!

 

Then later that day, she was invited to meet up with some friends for pictures.  The mom of one of the girls took them all over taking fun pictures of them together.  This one was one Caitlin took while they were out.

Report Cards

Alaina -

Reading above grade level is awesome.  Language below grade level was surprising, though!

 

Caitlin -

Caitlin started out strong with all As and then got a little tired and distracted as the grading period continued.  But all As and Bs are great!

 

Caitlin's first planned YW activity

A few months ago I was released from working with the Beehives group (ages 12-13) in the Young Women's organization.  I was released right before Caitlin turned 12.  She was a little bummed but she is loving young womens!  Before I was released, I had started having the girls plan one of our class activities each  month.  It was great for them to plan an activity and try to do something that was fun but also a learning experience. Sister Gibbs kept this up when she took over. Each of the girls had taken one activity so far and it was Caitlin's turn.  She decided she wanted to do a service activity.  There was a new girl that came sometimes and Caitlin met her on her very first YW night.  So she planned a "heart attack" activity.  The girls cut out hearts and decorated them with pictures and sweet notes.  Then they drove to her house and taped them to her front door.  The dad caught them in the act but he played along and kept their secret.  She said it was a blast!

Towel Animals

Each night we would come back from dinner anxious to see what towel animal we got.

 

 

On this night, Caitlin was tired so she ordered room service for dinner while we went to eat.  The room steward came to make up our room and made the towel animal.  Caitlin watched him do it and then tried to recreate it.  Can you tell which was hers?  Ha

 

And this night, he made a turtle to go along with the girls' turtles from Aruba.  :)

Kids Club

Alaina didn't even want to go see the kids club the first 2 days.  Then she decided to go see what they were doing and she couldn't get enough.  She played games, did arts and crafts and had a blast!

 

The girls even did a build a bear 

 

And they got passports instead of birth certificates. 

 

Alaina colored this shirt and loves to wear it as a nightgown. 

 

Then on the last sea day, we did a family picture scavenger hunt.  Alaina had wanted to win a trophy the entire cruise.  She got really mad at me one night when I came to pick her up (at the agreed upon time) and they were playing a game that she was close to winning.  She would have won a trophy is she had stayed and won.  So we tried this scavenger hunt.  I knew we were not going to win.  There were a couple things on there that I wasn't going to even try.  (Example: Pictures going down the slide or standing in the pool dancing with 10 other people.  I had just showered so, NO.)  But we did the ones we could -

 

Ice cream smeared on your face - check! 

 

Write a banner that you love camp ocean - check! 

 

Draw a smiley face on your forehead - check! 

 

Name one of the crew Employee of the Day - check!

This was one of Alaina's favorite teachers from the kids club. 

 

So we went back and they said we hadn't won.  Alaina was sad, but they gave us some candy and this small box.  Alaina opened the box and guess what it was?  A TROPHY!  She was SO happy!  Mission accomplished! 

 

One night we had a nice note from one of the teachers. 

 

Some of the crafts that Alaina made:

 

Message in a bottle: