Hi! I have a new subject in school!

I have started to study the Japanese language. So far I haven't gotten very far, but that will change soon! My study partner is my mom. We are using various methods available at our local library. So far all methods (which we are still reviewing and deciding which ones we want to use) are in audio format.

Hope you enjoyed the update!

Oh, and Happy New Year!

Hiya folks!
I know it's been a long time since I posted on my blog. I have been very busy lately. I hope that I will be able to keep up with my blog now that life has calmed down.

So, here's the update on my school situation at the moment:

Currently, I am supposedly now a freshman in high school, though I am still homeschooling. Beth is allowing me to take a... laid-back approach to school this year. I have been reading The Cartoon History of the Universe for history and doing things like making jewelry and spinning and other things like that. I have to admit, though, that I am not doing much of anything at the moment. Getting ready for Christmas.

Happy Holidays!

Going to Point Defiance Zoo With Annie and Reed

            On Monday, I went to Point Defiance Zoo with Annie and Reed. I took Karen's digital camera so I could take photos. I got quite a few good ones and many more bad ones that I deleted so I could take more. Here are my photos and my story of the visit.
            So my alarm went off at 7:30 and I didn't get out of bed until 7:45. I got up and got breakfast and dressed and finished packing. Then I walked the dog and Annie picked me up at 9:00. I read to Reed on the way to the zoo and talked a bit with Annie, as much as Reed would let us.
            When we got to the zoo, I put my backpack on and we went in. First we went to the kid's area to the left and I took pictures of the meerkats and Reed got to run around and learn about animal families.

             After that we went to the other section and had lunch and then went to the goat petting and fed the goat. Then we headed to the red wolf section. We couldn't see any and then went to Rocky Shores. At Rocky Shores Annie gave me command as the guide to Reed while she read an article. I took him to see the puffins and the harbor seals and the walruses and otters. The puffins were being fed, so Reed got to ask some questions about them. The zoo has a new kind, the common murre.

            After Rocky Shores we went to see the polar bears and there was one in the water having way too much fun playing with this big thick disk. He tried to bite it, he tried to stand on it, he shoved it under the water, and he kept trying to get his friend to come play with him.

           Then we heard the red wolves talking to one another and hurried to their enclosure. By the time we had gotten there, they had stopped, but they were sleeping where we could see them and I got to stand no more than 3 feet from one.
 

              After we looked at the wolves again, we headed to the aquarium to see one of Annie's favorite exhibits, in what i think of as the sea horse area. On the way there, we stopped by the penguins, as they were just a step out of our way.

            When we got the the aquarium, we looked around a bit and saw a peacock sitting on a balcony and I got a good photo.

            Then we went to the carousal to wait for the show to start. I rode a polar bear named Frosty and Reed rode a horse named Destiny. Then we rushed to the show, as we were late.

            So When we got to the theater, the show had started and the zoo keeper was finishing up with an anteater. Then she brought out a red legged seriema, a fuzzy porcupine, and the zoo's dog, Herald.
            After the show was over, Annie took Reed to the restaurant while I went to the shark part of the aquarium. There I took these pictures and deleted all of the bad ones that I had taken earlier.

          Then we went to see the elephants and saw only two.They were in two cages, one in front and one in back. The elephant in the front cage was getting a pedicure and being fed. The elephant was amazing. It would put it's foot up and then one keeper would clean the foot and the other would feed the elephant. Then the elephant would change feet. It was truly incredible!

            Then it was time to head back to the car. On the way out, I saw another peacock and had to take a picture of it before we left. Then Reed found the flower that he had found on the way in and left for other people to see was still there and he picked it up and took it home. Then Annie ran a few errands, including the co-op, where while I stayed in the car and read Reed a book, she got some groceries and got me a macaroon as payment for staying in the car with Reed.

Life is Complicated

     I wish that my life would settle down and stop being so damn complicated. Pardon my French, but I think this is a good cause for swearing. I am worried, Karen and Beth are worried, and I feel lost. I am glad to finally have a chance for blogging. I have been missing it, dearly. So here is a general sum-up of my situation.
     Mary, Beth's mom, is in an Olympian adult family home and is on hospis. John, Beth's brother, has a house that he owns in Tacoma, but it still has repairs before he can move in. Two of the apartments in Portland are rented and the third is almost ready, with someone who can't wait to move in. John is living in the fourth appartment and the basement is full of his stuff.
     And here is the BIG PROBLEM! We are running out of money. It is that plain and simple, and yet it is so complicated. Karen, Beth and I might have to move Mary into our house, because we won't have the money to keep her in the adult family home. Then I will have to help Karen take care of Mary while Beth is teaching to earn the money.
    I hope that this will not happen. It will make my home into hell, or so it would seem.

Today and Disapointment

           I was hoping to do school at my mom's today, but ended up making two pairs of earings instead. I made the beads for both of them at Jen's. One pair I made for my dance teacher and the other I made for myself. The ones for my dance teacher are for pirced ears and are short cilinders, white and clear with a turquise stripe. The ones I made for myself are two beads, one cobalt and one ivory on each ear. the ivory hangs beneath the cobalt.
           I am very proud of them both. I hope my teacher likes hers.

New Blog!

           I made a new blog for writing! I am so proud of myself.
           I also have a new like for planting baby lettuces! I planted 19 today.

Writing

   I have been having a lot of fun reading a book called Writing Magic by Gail Carson Levine. I am hoping to use the advice in it a lot.