Jenny's Blog

Prepare to Get Soaked!

I love field day! I can say that now, because I’ve been to one. But before we had our school field day, I had no idea what to expect. All I knew for sure was that I had a blue T-shirt (I was on the blue team) and that I was supposed to bring sunscreen and a water bottle. Oh, and I also knew that I was going to get wet. That wasn’t in the note the school sent home, though. My friend Marc told me about it. His exact words were, “Be prepared to get soaked. It’s a school tradition. Every year everyone gets wet.”
I figured that meant that we were going to have water balloon–tossing contests or something. But I was wrong. What Marc meant was that it was a school tradition for it to rain on field day. It’s happened every year since anyone can remember. And it’s not just a little drizzle. Apparently it’s usually more of a torrential downpour.
The day didn’t start out raining, though. When we got to the park, it was sunny. Everyone split up into teams, and we started doing relay races. I was in the three-legged race with Chloe. We came in second place behind two eighth graders on the yellow team. I think that’s pretty good, since the eighth graders are two years older than we are and their three legs are a lot longer than ours!
After the races, we all sat around and had a picnic lunch. The school had 30 massive six-foot hoagies delivered, and everyone got a piece. The hoagies were so much better than the sandwiches we get from the school cafeteria. And it was kind of funny watching our teachers eat their giant sandwiches. We don’t eat with the teachers at school—they have their own cafeteria—so we never get to see them do “human” things like drip mustard on their pants or spill a carton of juice all over their T-shirt.
Anyway, we had just finished lunch, and were getting ready for more games, when they sky suddenly darkened. In a flash, the skies opened up and rain came pouring down. My friends and I thought it was great. Chloe was the first one to start singing “I’m singing in the rain” at the top of her lungs. A moment later, we’d all joined in, singing, dancing, and laughing.
But the Pops weren’t laughing. They were totally freaked out. You should have seen them running for the busses and trying to keep their hair from getting all wet. I don’t know why they bothered. It wasn’t like the rain was going to make them melt or anything. (Although every now and then the way they act does remind me of The Wicked Witch from The Wizard of Oz, but that’s a whole other story.) But expecting the Pops to enjoy the rain is just too much to ask. Pops are not known for going with the flow.
Anyway, field day ended with a bang—literally—when the thunder started. At that point, the teachers loaded us all back on the busses quickly, and we headed back to school. It was kind of a bummer that it had to end early, but I was glad it rained. After all, rainy field days are our school’s tradition. I can’t wait to see if it happens again next year!

xo,

Jenny

I Hate Fighting!

Grrrrr!
I just had an argument. A big argument. A major blow-up. And the worst part was, the fight wasn’t with Addie or Dana, or any of the other Pops in my school. This fight was with Felicia, one of my really good friends. We’ve known each other since kindergarten, and we have all the same friends in school. And while Felicia sometimes fights with other people, like our friends Rachel and Chloe, she and I have never, ever had an argument —until now.

The thing is, the whole fight was so stupid. It all started because Felicia saw me at the mall this afternoon with our friend Liza. Liza and I had planned this mall trip a week ago, and we went together, just the two of us. When Felicia saw us, she was really angry that I hadn’t asked her to come with us, even though she’d mentioned last night that she was probably going shopping today. She told me that it was really rude of me not to mention that Liza and I were going shopping too, so that we could all go together.

But this was supposed to be a day for just Liza and me. And that’s what I told Felicia. She totally exploded, and told me that if that was how I felt, I could spend all my days without her. Then she stormed off. I didn’t know whether to scream or cry.

Anyway, I’m home now, and I still don’t really know how to feel. I know I wasn’t wrong, but I also know what it feels like when you think you’re being left out. I’ve been left out of a lot of things—and it always makes me feel horrible. Still, a person can’t expect to be invited to everything all the time, can she? And that’s what Felicia was expecting.

Middle school is so confusing! Sometimes I think it would be so much easier to be back in third grade when my mom and dad made all my plans for me. Then I wouldn’t be fighting with Felicia right now. And I wouldn’t be feeling so crummy.

Wait a minute. I just got a text on my cell phone. It’s from Felicia. She says “Jen, I’m really sorry. I don’t want to be in a fight with you. Call me!”

Wow. I feel so much better. I guess I should get off the computer and call her back. Friends need to talk stuff like this through. And Felicia and I are definitely friends!

TTYL

Jenny

Flower Power!

Don’t you love class trips? I do. What’s not to love? For starters, you get out of school for a whole day—and it still counts as being in school. Second, you actually get to do some pretty cool stuff. Like today, for example – the whole sixth grade went to the botanical gardens. I think it was the most beautiful place I’ve ever been. There were flowers and trees from all over the world there. And because it’s spring, everything was in bloom. You could smell the flowers from the parking lot as we got off the bus.

Walking through the gardens, I felt like I was in the middle of a bouquet. Unfortunately, I shared this with my friends Chloe and Sam. Ordinarily, that wouldn’t have been a problem, since Chloe and Sam would have understood what I meant. The problem was that I didn’t know Addie Wilson and Dana Harrison were right behind me. For some reason, they thought what I said was ridiculous, and they didn’t let me live it down all day. Dana said I smelled like I was in the middle of a bouquet of stinkweed, and then she kept on calling me “Stinky.”

But I wasn’t about to let a couple of Pops pop my bubble! I had a great time despite them. (Okay, it wasn’t so much fun taking notes on the parts of a flower or on how pollination works, but the rest of the day was great.) After we toured the gardens, we had a picnic in a Japanese-style pagoda, surrounded by plants and flowers that were from Japan. And then we got to play Frisbee on a big lawn. That was especially fun because I’m pretty good at Frisbee, and Dana is definitely not. So my friends and I tossed the disc in her direction every time we could.

Tomorrow, I know things will be back to normal. But I am so glad that I had today. Sometimes you just have to take a break from your routine, you know?

What’s the best field trip you and your friends have ever taken?

xxoo
Jenny

SPRING FEVER!

Okay, I admit it – I have spring fever in a big way. It’s getting harder and harder to do the things I’m supposed to do—like homework, for instance. It’s light outside after dinner now, and I’d love to be shooting hoops in Marc’s driveway or with my friend Chloe, walking her dog Bingo in the park. Instead I’m working on my history paper about the Great Wall of China and figuring out a page of math problems. I’ll bet you can see what I’m not exactly springing up to my room each evening to get to work.
    Spring is my favorite season, because it’s when the whole world comes alive. The daffodils in my mom’s garden have just popped up. They look like little suns shining brightly all over the yard. (Can you tell we just worked on similes in my English class? LOL!) And I love not having to wear my ski jacket everywhere. I feel so much more relaxed without all the heavy sweaters, boots, scarves, and gloves I wore all winter.
    Speaking of clothes…I’m working on convincing my mom to take me shopping today. I tried putting on my old jean jacket, and the sleeves practically stopped at my elbows. (Okay, so I didn’t grow that much since last year, but most of my spring stuff is really way too small.) Besides, all of the fashions have changed, and I don’t want to be out of style. Shopping isn’t just something the Pops love to do, you know. The mall is a meeting place for all middle schoolers. We all know that there’s nothing like a new shirt or pair of jeans to make surviving middle school in the springtime just a little easier.

How do you celebrate the arrival of spring?

TTYL

Jenny

Just Got Home a Few Minutes Ago...

Hey there, Jenny here!  I just got home from camp a few minutes ago, and I raced right to the computer (well, not right to the computer.  I played with my pet mice Sam and Cody first. I had to.  I missed them so much.  I think they missed me, too.  No one else gives them as many treats as I do!)   So far re-entry into civilization hasn't been too tough.  My parents and I stopped at a really good diner for some real food on the way home.  I don't think I've tasted a yummier cheeseburger in my whole life!  What a change from camp food. (They don't call the camp cafeteria a messhall for nothing!)   

Tomorrow is going to be so exciting!  It's the sixth grade orientation at Joyce Kilmer Middle School. The new sixth graders who go to the orientation will get to meet the teachers and take a tour of the school building.  They're going to give us a whole handbook to read, too.  It's supposed to tell us all about going to middle school.  I'm going to read every single page of that book so I'm totally prepared on the first day.

After the orientation my mom and dad are taking me shopping for school supplies.  I want to pick them out really carefully.  After all, these are middle school notebooks!  They can't look babyish, you know?   I wish I could call my best friend, Addie Wilson, and ask her to go shopping with us.  Addie and I have always gotten matching notebooks and bookbags—ever since we were in first grade.  But Addie's on vacation until the night before school starts.  I really miss her.  I wrote her a few times from camp, but she didn't get a chance to write back.   I guess she got busy at the day camp she went to at the community center here in town.  It's too bad Addie won't be at the orientation, but I’ll fill her in on everything when she gets home.

I'll bet your school starts soon, too.  How are you getting ready for the big first day? Did you get your school supplies yet?  What are you wearing the first day of school?  I think I'm going to wear my sleepaway camp t-shirt.  How cool will that be?

<3
Jenny