Sportsssssssss!!

Swimming!!!!
Swimming is probably the best sport ever invented!!! (thank you fishes!) Its probably the only form of excersise that makes you have more energy. Before swim this afternoon I could barely move and now my foot won't stop twitching! (Seriously its like it has a mind of it's own). It also makes you smarter. Example: I am able to think of things to say that are both entertaining for you, and really fun to type for me. (aka... the exclamation points!!!!!! gotta love em!!!!) Before swimming...... its just too depressing to think about.... lets just say my writing was crap!!!!!! :)
Soccer!!!
On Saturday I got to play a soccer game!! Daddy dropped us off at a field saying he had talked to a coach who had talked to a guy who would let me play (something like that-- I wasn't paying attention). We found a guy who was the coach of some girls my age and he let me play even though he had no idea what mama was talking about when she told him about all that other stuff. I ended up playing 3/4 of the game and getting a nice rainbow colored bruise on my leg from a girl stepping on me. Yahoo!!! I also am still sore from it and its like 3 days later. (Thats also why I love to swim-- it doesn't make you so sore).
Volleyball!!
Nothing really to say here because I haven't actually played it yet. The coach has been wanting me to join and, when the PE coach saw me do some drills in PE he asked me to start coming to the practices. Then, when I told the parents, they started bugging me about it to the where I just really didn't think I wanted to anymore. (I know that doesn't make sense, but I don't care). Then I changed my mind yesterday for some reason that I can't remember and I am going to go to the meeting tomorrow at lunch. I really can't believe all those coaches were going so crazy because I really have never done any volleyball except for PE stuff. Mama played though... maybe its genetics??
~mia
PS: did you notice that all the paragraphs are different fonts? if you didn't you are either too old, you have bad eyes, or both (probably both) hahahah love you bippy and gramps!!!!
PPS: hey there everett!!!!!!!!

Earthquakes

In Christchurch there are earthquakes literally every day. Pretty much every morning daddy will ask us if we felt the earthquake and usually we say we haven't because we are just that good at sleeping. The last two nights I felt them though and it was really cool and a bit scary. Its scary becasue I always feel like I am going to fall right through the floor when I'm upstairs in this house and the fact that the ground starts having parties every day does not help. The weird thing is, that they always happen at night. I have been right about to go to sleep and then the ground starts moving and I have to start all over again because that just wakes me right back up! That would be why I haven't been going to sleep on time.

hahahahah just thought I'd throw this one in here for your entertainment!!!

The 1 year anniversary of the BIG earthquake is really soon and my drama teacher says that they are putting really bright lights in the middle of the city as a symbol of hope and spirit or something. I saw then today and they are really cool-- they're the kind of really bright searchlights that shine all the way up to the clouds (If there are clouds, but of course there are! This is Christchurch! jeez). They look like they would cost a fortune to keep going day and night.... isn't there something else they could be doing with that money??? Like, say, feeding starving people or building houses for hobos? Hmmm. Food for thought. (Oooooh food!!! I'm hungry, bye!)


~mia

School

Last Monday was my first day at Aranui High School. I got to get there at 11:30 instead of 8:45 because I had a meeting with the year nine dean, Mr Hoffman. My classes are the usual stuff like english, math, science, social studies, and PE. I also have two option classes which are sewing and drama.All  the people at school ask me a ton of questions about why we moved here and stuff. They all thought I was crazy for moving here from California because its really cold and there are tons of earthquakes. All the people at school are really nice and welcoming and stuff.Pretty much everyone says that I should join the volleyball team, but of course that just makes me not want to. Its supposed to be optional and I've got like five people bugging me about joining the team. PS if you want me to do something, don't make it manditory because that will just make me not want to do it.
The campus is really spread out and confusing. It has been a week and I still don't have it all figured out. The fact that there are people with backhoes and stuff digging up the place does not help at all. Despite that, I haven't had any navigation problems (yet) because I just follow people from class to class. The classes are really easy even though I think I'm in the smart classes. My theory is that this whole country is behind the US, which is the total opposite of what I was expecting. I thought that the Americans were stupider than the rest of the world but I guess I was wrong. (Just kidding Kiwis are way smarter than americans just in different, more important ways. Example: the national basketball team is called the Tall Blacks!!! how hilarious is that?! A sense of humor is way better than book smarts in my opinion!! Sure, maybe thats a bit stereotypical but its funny and you know it.) Anyway, loving school, loving life, loving swimming (because its what put me in this crazy mood!!! One day without swimming and I feel like jumping off a cliff... shhhh)blahhhh blahhh blahhhh!!! Have a nice day!:)
~mia

Surfing, another one by Sarah

On Saturday, we went surfing at Waikuku beach just north of Christchurch.  We went surfing because mommy, daddy, and I wanted to. And it was a sunny, clear day and the surf was good. 

A couple days before, mommy and I saw a surfing rental shop in the pedestrian mall down the street from our house.  We went inside and checked their prices.  A lady, the owner, told us that renting would be $20/day for each board.  The boards looked really good for rentals and in really good shape. Rental shops usually rent out soft tops, but I like fiberglass or epoxy boards.  The rental shop had plastic boards that looked like old fiberglass boards from below.  So on Saturday afternoon, we all went in and rented 2 boards; one 7'3" for momy and me, and 9'3" for daddy.  We walked them home and tried to put them into the car breaking the windshield or the rear view mirror. I was excited to go surfing!

I didn't get to use the boards at all.  Mommy and daddy got them the whole time because the waves were too big and the swell was too strong and it got deep fast.  I don't like it when it gets deep fast because the waves are bigger and break closer to shore.  So it was too dangerous for me to have a board.

Instead, I played on the beach and in the shallow part of the water where the waves were already broken.   I think that was smart, because I didn't want to drown.  Also, the water was really, really cold because it was from Antartica. My feet were frozen and it felt like they had frost bite.  Afterward though, the sand felt really warm to my numb feet.

The big kids just laid on the beach.  I think Zander made sand castles.  Mommy and daddy surfed in the big waves.  I had a good day!

The botanical gardens

For the last couple days, while Mia and Zander have been swimming, the rest of us have been going to the botanical gardens in Christchurch. At the botanical gardens, we go to the playground and play while mommy and daddy walk around.The botanical gardens are really big and lots of people go there  during the day.
     At the park, there are three dinosaur sculptures that Kayley and I named Dina, Dini, and Dino.  There is also a cafe where people get food and coffee. When we went there the first time with Mia and Zander, because they don't swim on weekends, we got our grants and bought food and drinks. I didn't get anything, except a little bit of momma's chai latte and two chocolate balls. After that we played at the park and walked around.    There are also two fountains. One is colorful with carvings of fish, sea grass, and birds; and the other one is just copper metal with a lady walking toward a metal fountain of pouring water.
       There is also a river going through the gardens where people kayak and lots of ducks swim and dive in. I think it's pretty.
        Near the entrance, there are big trees and one of then has branches that make a house thing so people go inside and climb the tree.  I climbed it a couple times.
  I think the botanical gardens are nice, pretty, and calm.

By Sarah !!!

Friday, getting not 1 but 2 awards

On friday, we had an awards asembly and my class planned it.  So, Friday was a really cramped day.  Earlier that day, when I went into the office with some friends to show some thing to the principal, she told us that we would all get an award at the assembly.  But at the assembly, I forgot all about it. So I was kind of surprised when the principal called my name for two awards.  One of the awards was for my snow machine explanation and the other one was for my explanation about how snowflakes are made.  That was a really exiting day.

-Kayley :)

The school newsletter

On Friday we got the newsletter from school and one of my school projects was in it ! It was a picture of my snow machine explanation that I did with my friends at school. First we made a machine that can scoop up snow out of legos and then we wrote an explanation about how it works.Then we showed it to the principal and she took a picture of  the part that I wrote because it was neat. Then it was on the school newsletter!  I was really surprised.

-Kayley :)