T2 B8: Square Dancing

Ok. First day of square dancing. Word to describe it? Awkward. Really awkward. But I'm considered lucky. Our class got to dance with the other grade 8 class that took place at the same time. Hearing from my friends, they had to dance with grade 9s. Anyways, class started with our group forming two lines: boys on one side, and girls on the other. Then we walk forward and "pair up". Yes, holding hands and walking in a circle. We were all uncomfortable, but you could hear laughter every once in a while, because, of course, there was funny couples. Some had a tall girl, and a really short guy. Others had a really tall guy and short girl. There was giggling, and at least that loosened us up. Then we had a circle dance. Left heel, right heel, slide, slide. clap, clap, knee, knee. twirl around, switch partners. Left heel, right heel...It's actually quite simple, easier than I thought. Of course, it gets more complicated....I hope I'll pull through...

Dapple Grey

Back to School....

Groan.....I really hate going to school right after a holiday. How does everyone do it? It's so hard. I mean, you get really relaxed and lazy, and then bam! You have to wake up really early and be focused all through your classes. Maybe I'm getting way too lazy in the weekends. But isn't everyone? It's torture! You get a taste of relaxation, and then no more! Back to school. Okay, I'll stop the complaining, it's probably annoying you. But I just can't wait till Winter Vacation! Oh yeah, I kept forgetting to check the book test list at school and so I finally remembered to check it today, and guess what? It was gone! She took it off! Nooooo.....I can't believe it! This is like getting to the exciting part of the book and not being able to finish it. Oh well. I really have to stop being reactive. I snooze I loose. Anyways, the reason I really need to check the list this time is because this was my final book test, and I have only need that las tbook, and so this list will determine if I made the test, and got 100%. Plus I really hope I get it, because I don't have another chance to do it again. I'll remember to ask her when she tells me my percentage. I'm crossing my fingers!
Dapple Grey

Art Class

Awww. Today's our last day to work. Next week's the official last day, but we won't have much time to work on our artwork, because we have to prepare it for the trip home. (we have lots of pastel drawings. Imagine all that powder!) I'll miss it, because I loved my art lessons. But at least I can still work during winter break! Anyways, before the class, our teacher was talking about art and identity. He talked about how China had their unique art style, and Egypt with their mummies and paintings. He talked aobut Italy and their famous shoes. Then came Canada and Australia, who don't really have an identity in art. He told us how fustrated he was when he was travelling with his Australian friends. How people would say, "Oh yeah, Australia, the kangaroos! Or "Oh yeah, Canada with the maple syrup, hockey, and igloos!" He was just astonished that we didn't have they didn't recognize our art style, maybe because we don't have a specific one, we're still finding one that will represent us. Like you don't hear people going "Oh Canada, they have Emily Carr!". What we did today was fun I guess, we had to make another cellphone pastel drawing. It was hard because we had to replicate our other cellphone pastel drawing, but not make it exactly the same. Does that make sense? Anyways, we had to use the same style as the last drawing. He knew it would be hard, which was why we were doing this. Why? Because well, let's say you start on this painting today. You work hard on it, but it's not quite finished. You decide to work on it the next week, but you just can't remember what you were thinking when you were working on the drawing last week. What I'm saying is that you can't continue a drawing after you leave it for some time, because you don't have the same feeling and mood as when you first drew it, and you'll just try to change it. So, you just can't continue it. My art teacher told us that long time ago there was the Museum of Art, and they had these wonderful paintins by Picasso. Anyways, they knew they had fakes in the Museum, but they didn't want to display their Picasso paintings yet because it would be horrible if even the slightest mistake was found. So, them, being proud and all, invited Picasso himself to come to say which ones was his real paintings. So they paid for Picasso's flight there, and they set up this huge room with tons of Picasso paintings. So Picasso, arrived and spent one hour looking at his paintings. When he was finished, the museum manager asked him, "Well, what do you think? Which ones are fakes?" and do you know what Picasso replied? He said, "Their all fakes." Then he left. Can you imagine how angry the museum was? Anyways, what my teacher wanted us to know was that you can't come back to a drawing that is left for a long time, you'll never remember, or have the same feeling and reaction when you see it. Stories, stories, stories. I love the stories that my teacher tells us. They're so fascinating! I love them so much, I'll miss listening to them every week. Also, for you, it'll mean no more art facts every week! (aww....) Anyways, I'm growing to love Picasso, maybe I'll do him for a project.
Dapple Grey

Embarrassing Moment for Brother

Haha. Oh wait, actually it's rude to laugh at this situation. But it's too funny! We had english tutor today. So we headed to her house. My dad told us specifically, before we left his shiny white car, that our mom (she drives a big gray van) would pick us up. We all agreed, but I think my brother was daydreaming that time. Me and my sister didn't seem to notice that he wasn't paying attention. So we had tutor, and the sky started darkening as night fell. My brother peered out the curtains to the outside and spotted a white car and yelled, "Dad's here!" So we all packed up our stuff and went ot the front door. Me and my sister was only reaching the front door when we looked outside the door and we saw a white car. Only it wasn't my dad's, because he wasn't picking us up, my mom was. We were about to call out to our brother, but it was too late. He must have been in a hurry because he was already all the way outside, and to our horror, he opened the car door! I guess he figured out at that moment that it wasn't dad's car. He just stood there, staring at the stranger inside. Then, in a flash, he shut the car door and run back to us, his cheeks all red. We had a long, hard laugh at that one. We didn't mean to tease my brother, but yeesh, we didn't have a funny moment like that for a long time!
Dapple Grey

Pro-D Day

Awwww. I'm sad now. I didn't have riding lessons yesterday because my mom thought it was too dangerous to go. So I miss it. Anyways, after school yesterday, I helped my mom shovel the driveway, and the sidewalks. It was actually reall fun. No kidding. Scooping up the snow. Then dumping it onto a pile. A perfect plan to build something big. Unfortunately it was too dark. And by the next morning, it was raining, and the snow was already starting to melt away. Noooooooooo. Oh well. I hope that's not the last time it will snow.
Today is Pro-D day. I'm stuck doing homework inside because it's so gloomy and wet outside. I had fun playing games on my computer though. No, I wasn't procrastinating. Or was I? Just kidding. I only play the games because it's easier to focus on your work afterwords, so you don't overwork yourself. The problem with this plan is that you have to know when to stop. I have to make sure I don't get too addicted or else I'll end up playing games for the whole day. It's hard, but it's a good way to practice self control!
Dapple Grey

Snow.Again.

Snow. Snow Again. More Snow this time! Maybe it'll be a snow day this time! I found out later that only the private schools were closed. Oh well. A nice, snowy days with friends! How wonderful. Getting to school was torture. The cars were creeping ever so slowely on the road. And the clock ticked and ticked, reminding me how late I was going to be. At least I was safe, and I don't think my band teacher would mind. He called us "Snowbound people" and at least we had a really good excuse. The roads near Churchill was harder to drive through. Later, we found out that one of the cars broke down. Ouch. As I ran into the school, my hands started feeling numb because of the sudden temperture change. It was so warm in the school. Especially in the band room, because it was one of the only rooms where you could control the temperature (because of the instruments). Ahhhhhhh. Then at Social Studies I was really lucky. I had the seat right next to the heater. It was so warm. Ahhhhhhhhhhh. I almost refused to leave my seat at the end. It was just to warm and comfortable. And it was one of my favourite classes. I hope you were somewhere warming up as well. Check, no frozen bodies lying on the hallways.
Dapple Grey

P.E. Basketball Test

Hello!
I guess I was kind of expecting a P.E. Test soon. All the other classes had so many P.E. written tests, but our class didn't have any. Our teacher made us focus more on skill and more practice and playtime rather than studying rules. I thought that was cool, our teacher's really nice. But sooner or later, comes a surprise skills test. Today. On basketball. It was a test out of 10 to see if you could do your layups. If u missed....I don't even want to talk about how low you'll get for that. Anyways, we've been praticing for weeks, so I thought I was ready for it. Not. I guess I was too panic-stricken to focus. We had a short time to practice. And then we had till the rest of the class to show him what we've got. I practiced until I almost ran outof time, and then I went for my practice test. We had two shots at the test. If you looked down at the floor it would be marks off. Shoot. I always had to look down to check if my footing was right and I had enough distance. Once, I forgot to look down, and the by the time I had glanced up, I was past the net. Oops! So for the first time I didn't do so well, but my teacher encouraged me to try again, so I did. My last chance. I summoned all of my courage. Counted my steps. Dribbled perfectly (or tried to at least). Everything turned slow motion. Then swish! The sound of my basketball going through the net. Yessssssss! Score! I raced over to my teacher to find out about my score. I was so nervous, waiting in front of him for his answer. And the score was.....drum roll......9.5! I was so surprised. 9.5 out of 10! I had expected lower, but I was so happy, and burstin with pride. Proud of me, Dapple Grey, who does not even like Basketball. I found out later that 0.5 was deducted because I glanced down at the floor once. Figures. Anyways, I patiently waited for my friends to finish their testing. And surprise! They both got 9.5 as well! Not bad at all! One of them glanced down once as well, and the other half-tripped. Still, we got pretty high scores!
Dapple Grey

Brrrrrrrrr....It's freezing already!

Hi y'all!
I'm ssooo cccold! I can't believe it's getting so cold already. It's snowed so much already! I've never had a winter like this. Last year was just down right disappointing. Barely any snow, and no white Christmas! I hope this year won't let us down. In fact, it already looks promising. Anyways, my siblings had a art lesson at Granville Island, and they were already kind of late, so guess what? I had to tag along. It was an hour and a half, and I guess it wasn't so bad. Or so I thought. I did my homework in the car, and it was okay for a while, and then the sky started getting darker, and the air got colder and colder. Next thing I knew I was huddled in my kind-of-warm jacket, curled up in a ball, trying hard to get warm because it was so freezing. I was bored, I didn't want to move my arms to do homework, it was too dark anyways. I was bored and I didn't bring my book, so the next thing I knew, I was dozing off....ZZZzzzzzzzzzzzz.......

Dapple Grey