How I Spent My Summer Vacation.. By Alyssa Sims

My first day of school was awesome! Ok, ok. I'll tell you about everything.

I got there & found my friend Michael. He showed me the ropes a little bit & helped me find where I could see where my homeroom was. I wasn't on the list. I was told to go to the registrar.. from there I was told to go to the banquet hall.. & from there I was told to go to the counselor's office. Back up a little bit. I had no idea where the banquet hall was! Everyone who tried to tell me was so confusing. "Make a right, then a left, then another left, then go all the way down & you'll see it." I had to ask 4 people before I actually got there. When I got there I was pleased to see about 30 other people had the same problem as I did. I also ran into one of my old friends, Maddie.

Like a heard of cows, everyone walked to the counselor's office. I ran into another old friend, Kiki & met a new girl.. I forgot her name.. she was very nice though. So luckily, there, I got my schedule! Maddie had also gotten her schedule unlike some of the unluckily fellow schedule-less sophomores. We compaired.. nothing together. Dang it. My only friend & we had nothing together!

So when I finally reached first period, I was greated by a friendly woman; my new Methods of Teaching teacher. After first period had come & gone I was off to second. My first class was in the 500's & from there I had to go upstairs to the 900's. Fortunately, I found it rather easy to say I had never been inside the school before. My English 2 Honors teacher was really nice. Just what I need, coming from.. well.. what I had before. She called everyone "child." I found that funny. She classified my partner & I the brainiacs of the class, too. We were the first ones done with a paper with 30 english-y questions on it. Go Alyssa!

Back to the 500's for my next class. Geometry with Mr. Jimenez. He's cool, swears though, & seems to talk about drugs alot. Not much else to say about that period.

After that rather interesting experience I was going to Child Development, my program class (also in the 500's). I was soo excited! THIS is what I had been waiting for. This class reached all of my hopes. The teacher is so nice & interesting to listen to. She previously taught at Stanford so she's obviously good. We have 2 "lab" rooms. One for toddlers who need to work on motor skills & the other for kindergarden aged. Both rooms have tiny desks & chairs for the kids. There are also observing windows. We make the lesson plans & the junior class test them out. We also get to plan the turtle habitat & the freshman make it. Oh, I forgot to tell you! Connected to the kindergarden aged room is a big sandbox area where we get to take care of turtles & teach the kids about them. How exciting is this class?!

So, from here I was lucky to have a friend to walk to PE with. (2 friends, actually. I had ran into my friend Kristin in my Child Devleopment class that I didn't even know went to this school.) PE was scarey. I didn't know anyone accept the girl whose name I forgot that I met in the counselor's office. It's a co-ed class so I have a male teacher. He kept asking, "Is that clear!?!" in his drill sargent-y voice. We felt obligated to say, "Yes, sir!" We have to walk 2 "hawk walks" every day which is 2 miles some girl told me. Then we go to weight lifting & then outside to play football or basketball. Not very fun, if you ask me.

4 more classes left. Next was my mentorship class. Everyone is required to take this. We just sit around & work in this class & the teacher is there to help us with school related issues. After that class I went to lunch. All sophomores! Finally I got to see my friend Andrew & we ate lunch together & he introduced me to some friends.

World History was interesting. I walked back to the 500's & claimed my seat next to this huge window. I love that seat, now! The interesting part about that class was the teacher. He seems really nice & funny. He was joking around when stamping our papers. But then somehow the whole class got on the subject of star wars.. so not my thing. So Kristin was across the room & we made faces at each other for the rest of the time.

Kristin & I walked to art together & wondering why we were in there because neither of us had signed up to take art. Turns out it's required? The teacher was soo full of herself! Talking about how great an artist she is & how we'll never even come close to her. That class seemed to take forever & it was only 30 minutes long! No idea how I'll make it through a regular 90 minute class period.

My last class was Chemestry in the 500's. Cool teacher but she said there will be tons of work. I also sat next to this kid named Chris. He looked at my necklace (with an owl on it) & told me, "I like your owl necklace." I told him thanks. He then said, "I like it alot!" So I again thanked him. He kept the conversation going & said, "Do you like owls?" I said, "Ya," he asked, "Do you love them?" I told him, "Not really. I just like this necklace." He told me, "That's cool." I wanted to be like, "You know it bro!" & say it like Amanda Bynes in She's the Man.

1:20 we got released. Usually I'll get out at 1:25. There's no bells at this school. A 5 minute warning bell at the end of every class & then 5 minutes later we're dismissed by someone over the intercom. I like this alot better.

So all in all I had a really fun time at school! This will be a good year.

Zebra!

I decided to make a makeup bag today for my backpack. I made one in 9th grade fashion class but it turned out terrible & way bigger than the teacher promised. I definitely love this one! The only thing I wish I would have done different was make the zipper purple. But hey! This hot pink one is sooo cute!

Lately I've been OBSESSED with zebra print. What teen isn't right now, though? Funny how trends work.. you either love them, or totally hate them.

Here it is.





The stiches aren't great but my mother & I had some trouble figuring out how to sew it. My nana was on the phone talking us through each step but there's only so much description & visualization that can go through a phone. Haha.

I absolutely love this. I'm excited to show everyone. Maybe I can find a fast way to do these & sell them to make some extra cash-a-rooney! Mwahahahaha!!

3 More Days

I woke up this morning at 5 AM. I didn't fall asleep all that early. I guess my body is telling me it's time for seminary & school.

Monday is the start of school. I start dreading this day on the last day of school every year, yet when it comes around I am so ready for it! Getting up at 5 o'clock in the morning isn't bad at all.. but then again, I am a morning person.

I got my school clothes last week and this past week I got my backpack & binders.



My pink & blue striped & purple & green striped binders are covered in ductape. Inside each binder is a different folder with Lightning McQueen from Cars on it. Then I have a Dark Knight notebook.. anyone who knows me knows I have a strange love for Batman. I don't actually take the composition books to school (or use them for school) but they matched my backpack so perfectly, not even planned! On top of the Dark Knight notebook is a planner. Too cute, at Wal*Mart, to pass up. I always buy the ugly school planners & never end up using it. This is too cute not to use, in my opinion. I also had to vow to my mother that I would actually use this one. She talks like I'm not organized or something... :p

This next "section" shal we call it, is my favorite. I love pens & pencils. I got the cutest black & white ones (which match the composition books & backpack.) Then I'm also packing a mini sharpie, 2 mechanical pencils, a pink highlighter, a red pen, a blue pen, & 4 of my favorite pencils. They're mini mechanical pencils.. how cool is that?! Of course I pack my tide-to-go stick. Then there's my brand new markers, purple stapler, white out tape, glue stick, & mini tape. I don't like using the schools supplies.. germs.

Also packed but not pictured: hand sanitizer, makeup, school map, money

I have a list of possible outfit choices for the first day of school. It might be easier to show you rather than tell you.



I'm not actually considering the robot shirt for the first day, but sometime in the first week. Then I have this black Volcom shirt I am considering for the first day, but my messy room must have eatten it so I'm getting a new one today.

Guess what, guess what?! I found it! It was in the backseat of the car after I've looked in there about a million and one times.

So I was already on my way to the mall when I found it so I went and got some different shirts. All of which are now in the running for "first day outfit." Here they are.

<-- has paperclips on it
^^^ front & back (the [un]lost shirt)

^^^ Ryan Sheckler


I need to put all these in the order I'll wear them..

Shriveled Up Cherrios and Bobby Pins

My room never seems to stay clean for more than a day. I'm embarassed to say that my mom has to make me actually clean it. The day I got home from girls camp, I walked into a clean & sparkily room. A few days later it was a mess. Clothes all over the floor, books on the floor, etc. Everything that belonged on a shelf or in the closet was now on the floor. I don't know why but I can't ever seem to put things back. Even my bathroom has cotton balls & band-aid wrappers everywhere.

So this past week, my mom & I have been cleaning my room. It's still in the process right now (takes a few days.) My alcove is still a huge mess. When I move my mouse around on the computer I always knock something over.

Currently on this desk where my computer is, contains: a cerial bowl of shriveled up Cherrios with a spoon stuck to the bowl, a mirror, 18 bobby pins, a flower, a Mary-Kate Olsen barbie doll head, ipod head phones, around 40 pens & pencils, 4 necklaces, a poptart, an old Slurpee, an empty milk carton, 3 of my 20 questions game balls, some tags/wrappers/water bottle caps/old make up sponge, some paper/stickey notes, tweezers, eye shadow, personal progress journal, a folder for church, McDonalds toys, a whistle, & a few other stray things.

None of which actually belong on the desk. Looking at all this stuff now I think, "Why couldn't I have just walked 2 feet to put it away?"

I wonder if I'll ever be able to get rid of my habbit to make a mess. Hah..