Onesty Water Park!

The new waterpark in Charlottesville just opened today and we went this afternoon to play! It's a great park, with something for everyone to do. There's a big slide, a lazy river, a water playground for little kids, a diving board, and floating things to try to pass from one side to another. The kids had a great time playing! Here's Lucero on one of the floating things that you have to try to climb on.

And the lazy river with a good, fast current!
The big green slide!
The little kid playground with lots to do
The boat slide that goes way faster than you think!

Greenleaf Park

Yesterday we went to a totally cool park that I didn't even know existed! Greenleaf Park has a sprinkle park with lots of water fountains and things to play in to get wet. It was bien caliente so we went to the parque to cool off en el agua.

Here's me and Edith jumping por el agua!
Yo y Lucero
Yo y Miguel
Yo y mi hermanita Edith
Katie and Esther and Niklas came too!!!! Here's Katie flying Esther toward the agua!
Esther LOVED that!
Here she is, ready to get wet...or maybe to eat cookies...quien sabe?
Katie y Esther jugando en el agua!
Mis hermanitos playing on the giant purple dinosaur

Esther scoping out the parque before playing
Edith dancing en el agua

summer

aaaahhhhh the summer....relaxing, staying up late, playing all day....

wait. that's no different than the school year.

we've been having a great time en realidad, fixing our carros, playing juegos like Monopoly, Risk, Sorry, and Settlers, jugando Club Penguin, atrapando lightning bugs, life es buena.

today, edith and i cleaned up all of green park. we went there to take a walk and there was trash all over the place, so we went back home for a bolsa to put all the basura in.

i kept thinking today was saturday because today's actually the first day that i didn't have to work. but i'm excited for tomorrow because i know today is NOT actually sabado, and that we have the whole summer of days para jugar! and i get to jugar al futbol with katie and niklas and esther tomorrow! and that makes me really, really, REALLY feliz!

the current state of the U.S.

hahaha so I was looking at the news today and these two stories got me:

1. In Toledo, Ohio, people are getting $25 parking tickets for parking in their own driveways! It's just because there's a law in the city saying that people can't park on unpaved surfaces and their driveways are gravel, so they got a ticket. And the police didn't even hand the tickets out. They were handed out by the garbage collectors! Be glad you don't live in Toledo.

2. Be glad you don't live in Chino, California either! There, the school division made a slight mistake during the school year and they're being penalized big time. They had 34 half-days during the year where the schools dismissed students FIVE MINUTES earlier than they should have. FIVE MINUTES. So apparently last week was supposed to be the last week of school, but the state said they have to be punished for being dismissed 5 minutes early, so they have to go to school for another 34 DAYS! What the heck???? Why isn't it just 34 x 5 minutes? The state said if they don't do it, the division has to pay $7 million as a fine. Poor kids. POOR TEACHERS.

Recent Attack

Today I got attacked by a Christmas tree. Seriously. My arms are covered with scrapes and cuts to prove it. I made it out alive, but let me tell you, it was rough.

Who's your family?

A quote I just read today in a totally awesome book - this quote reminded me of the friendship I have in my sister as well as the family I have in my hermanigos:

"You must remember, family is often born of blood, but it doesn't depend on blood. Nor is it exclusive of friendship. Family members can be your best friends, you know. And best friends, whether or not they are related to you, can be your family."

As told to Reynie by Mr. Benedict in the Mysterious Benedict Society.

Big Saturday

Saturday was a big day!  I went to two graduations, a party, and then to a huge celebration of a friend's 15th birthday!  First I saw Zach graduate!  I've known Zach since he was born.  In fact, his parents have known me since I was only 7.  They used to live right next door.  I can't believe he graduated from high school!  Here's a picture of him walking out at the end!

Then I watched Ben graduate!  I've known Ben since he was only 1 and he was like part of my family until he was 7.  He practically lived with us and for about 4 years, we were inseparable!  I absolutely can't believe that he graduated either!  I went to his graduation party after the ceremony!  

After that, I went to one more graduation, for a friend named Marshall.  He's a really great kid, amazing basketball and soccer player!  Then a friend of Ivan's had her huge 15th birthday.  In the classic Mexican tradition, her family and friends threw a HUGE celebration for her, complete with a limo, suits and dresses like you see at a wedding reception, an enormous cake, and dancing, music, and food!  This kind of celebration is called a quinceaños ("15 years") and it's a BIG deal.  There were a couple hundred people there.  I knew a ton of the families and all the kids there.  Here's a picture of me surrounded by some of the kids.    

How Much Watermelon Can 4 Kids Eat?

How Much Watermelon Can 4 Kids Eat? from Beth Tice on Vimeo.

The kids gobbled down an entire watermelon in a matter of about 5 minutes. We loooooooove watermelon!