Theme for Honors English

The very first assignment in Caitlyn's English class was to write a poem loosely based on Langston Hughes' poem "Theme for English B". This is what she turned in. (By the way: she was one of two students in her class to get a 25/25 on it. I guess all those stories she's written since she was three paid off.)

The teacher said,
Go home and write a page tonight.
And let that page come out of you-
Then it will be true.

I’m fourth of six,
And second of four.
My sisters are all different-
Like me.
My parents have kept me well read,
Oz, Matilda, Carol, etc.
My parents have simple jobs,
Or so they seem.
The professor, changing minds, and molding futures,
The bookseller, expanding thoughts, and palettes.
They are my everything,
They are why I live to think.

I’ve lived everywhere
From D.C to Starkville,
Jonesboro, to Macomb,
To Wichita,
And I’ve visited everywhere in between.
And now here in my room I write for you these words:
I’m an individual.

I’ve been bullied, teased, and ridiculed.
I am different,
Some people don't understand,
That being different doesn’t mean being wrong,
And that I’m just as important as them.

Life has not been easy,
Everyone has struggles.
I have been fortunate,
For mine to consist of petty,
Vain, shallow, academic or other.
People have problems that I don’t have,
I understand this,
But I am still human.

I write like crazy,
I dream like a poet,
And I talk like a Texan,
(Loud, opinionated, and passionate),
And I never shy away from a challenge.
My voice is my gift;
I talk, I sing, I tell stories, I act
And I help others understand the power of words.
Fiction is my passion;
And when I’m passionate, my inner fire can emerge.
I argue and debate,
I want my words to have power,
To change the world,
Because of that,
Sometimes,
My scalding fiery passion can consume me.

I naturally make friends,
I genuinely wish the best for people
I dream big, and live life even bigger.
I hope to express this,
And like breathing the air,
Or the dreams we all I have
I hope this class will be-
Limitless.

And... She's Off (to College)!

Russell and Megan headed up to Lawrence last night because today was MOVE IN DAY for freshmen at KU. I stayed home 1) so I didn't cry and 2) because I had work and the girls had school and we all could't go. I did get to say goodbye, though.

They stayed the night a Baden and Mary's (we have relatives in Kansas!! That's still a novel concept for us.) and got their fill of playing with their adorable kids. (And talking.)

And then, this morning, the controlled chaos of moving in.

Outside her dorm.

Waiting in line.

And she finally got into the dorm:

Then Russell headed off..

and Mary took Megan shopping, so she could make her dorm room homey.

She's off to a good start! I'm sure it'll be a wonderful experience.

First Day of School

School started. And for the first time, both Alison and Kristen can bike to school! (Also: check out Alison's snazzy new bike!)

The only bad thing, Kristen says, is that it messes up her hair.

When You're 18

You go shopping all day with your friends and buy yourself clothes.

You have to work on your birthday.

You get more cards

than presents.

(On the upside: you get to open ALL your presents first thing in the morning.)

You get to choose cheesecake for your cake.

And even though you have to deal with annoying little sisters

you're mostly patient with them.

And then you go out with your friends again.

Ah, the Joys of (finally) Being 18!

In (Heart Heart) With the Doctor.

Over the summer, Alison has become a die-hard Whovian. Seriously. (New Dr. Who, of course.) She's watched all the BBC series from when the 9th started, and every time there's a new doctor, he becomes her favorite.

We were out shopping for Megan's birthday, and Alison had brought along enough money to go and get
"something Dr. Who", so we went to our favorite nerdy fan store -- Hot Topic -- and she was nearly overwhelmed by the selection of Dr. Who Stuff. She had a limited budget, however, and eventually settled on this:

It's the 11th Doctor, and when you press him, Matt Smith says "Hello. I'm the Doctor." She was ecstatic!

In fact, she came home and built a TARDIS for him

And then had some fun filming with them:



It's good to be a fan.

Being Pinked

Caitlyn decided that she wanted to change her hair before starting high school.  First up: a shorter, sassy haircut

She initially thought she could get the color part done at the cosmetology school where she goes to get her hair cut, but they don't do just ends. Thankfully, she has a friend who 1) has done this before and 2) was willing. Wednesday, after mutual, was the day. (These are the pictures I got texted over the course of the evening)

First step, prep:

Second step, bleach:

Third step, leave the bleach on for a really really long time because Caitlyn's hair is thick and dark and it took a while for the color to bleach out.

Fourth step, add pink:

And voila, pink hair!

It took a long time (they started at 9 p.m. and weren't done until around 2 a.m.) so Caitlyn's trying to look awake in that pic. It looks really cute!