Melody & Samuel

Since we're back from vacation, and it's back to the "daily grind" (after this weekend, that is), I figured I'd give you some information on what-is-up for us kids.

Samuel: Football practices (ages 9-10) have begun. The first full-pads practice is on Monday. Our team is looking pretty good. Not since we started playing have all these star players been on the same team together. I'm excited -- and that's saying a lot. As a side note, for all of you concerned relatives out there, we bought a nice helmet for Samuel so that last year's alleged concussion doesn't become a tradition. Speaking of traditions, I'll probably carry on mine of filming complete games (not just snippets), so you'll have some good highlights to look forward to. (FYI, I film entire football and basketball games, but not baseball. Baseball is a difficult sport to film, as well as being the one time I actually get to CHEER!)

Melody (me): The last day of US HIST I was yesterday (Fri). However, my grade is still unposted. Some of you may be wondering how the ACC grading system works; it is pretty confusing and unpredictable. Each class is different, so I'll do History now and we'll investigate the others once we get there. For history, there are 4 multiple-choice tests. To get a C, you must simply have a C (70-79) average on those tests. To get a B, you must either 1) get B's (80-89) on all your tests, or 2) get a B average AND write a long, in-depth book report on specific books of the time period studied. To get an A, you must get a B average AND write a term paper (research paper) on a specific person or place or event of the time. The two papers are simply pass/fail; no points. They also have the possibility of being re-written, if there's time. I went for an A and wrote a paper on P. T. Barnum, turning it in last week -- before the trip. I never heard back from my professor, but I'm "crossing my fingers" in hope that the paper was accepted. I should know by Monday, at the latest! If I get the A, I'll let you read my paper.

On August 26, my fall semester begins. Besides the school we do at home, I'll be taking dual-credit at ACC again. This time English Composition II (online) and Pre-Calculus (in-class). I'm also going to be doing a sport. Basketball is always an option, but I am also seriously considering ice skating or kung fu. Wide variety -- I know! Basketball-wise, I thought I'd give you a picture of our last summer drills practice this summer. I'm on the bottom row, far right, in periwinkle blue. Also in hopes is the Wimberley Community Chorus. I sang with them last year for their Christmas program, and I hope to do so again.

And now I feel guilty that mine is way longer than Samuel's. But I suppose he got a few baseball blog posts all to himself...

~m~