Proud moments

**Warning - brag post. I figure if I disclose this first and you care not to read, it's not too late to hit the "X" button at the top right corner of your screen. At the grandparent's request, I have uploaded a video of Kaiya's first gymnastics meet (it was a practice meet, but the first time ever in front of a judge) and of Cooper receiving his Grade 13 & Beyond Scholarship. What a great week. :)

Kaiya was pretty nervous, but I honestly thought I might puke from nerves. She did great, though, and more importantly, she had fun and was happy with her performance. The scary part was the judge they used has been around for a number of years (the exact number is not important here, people) and I recognized her from my days in the gym. Now, we gear up for her first real meet in two weeks in Denver.

Last night, Cooper got his Grade 13 & Beyond Scholarship ($100 that might buy a spiral notebook by the time he's in college, but it all counts, I guess). There were 1,037 applications and 90 scholarships awarded. The kids had to write an essay about what they wanted to do when they grow up and what college would help them achieve that goal. Coop wrote about wanting to go into sports broadcasting to be a play-by-play baseball analyst. With a little help from my brother, Brandon, he might just be able to do that someday! His essay was very heart-felt and I shed a few tears thinking about how grateful I am that he is healthy enough to be thinking about his future this way. His teacher, Mr. Blick, had to write a paragraph about Cooper as well and this was the first time we were able to hear his remarks, which were so kind.

Not to be outdone, Miss Kinley decided she would become a reader in the matter of a few days. We have been working hard on sight words and phonics and she sat down yesterday for lunch and started reading the front of the mac & cheese box. She turned to me and said, "Mom, it says to add butter and milk." I about choked. Way to go, girl!

Level 4 Floor Routine

Cooper and his teacher, Mr. Blick