Arianna's Birthday

Wednesday was my birthday! YAY 15!! This was one of my best birthdays. My friends completely surprised me at seminary. I was totally oblivious. When I walked into the seminary room there was an enormous poster on the wall that read HAPPY BIRTHDAY ARIANNA! Next to the words Debra had drawn an up-side-down pyramid with numbers 1-15 on it. She told me that the pyramid was up-side-down because with every year people get better and better and therefore need more room to be great. :)
On another wall Alana had put up a poster with a song that she wrote about me to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. The lyrics are:

Arianna, kind and sweet ~
the strongest girl you'll ever meet.
She can burp louder than any boy.
She knows the scriptures are not a toy.
If someone ever has a knife,
with self-defense she'll save your life.

To my embarrassment (in a good way), Debra and Alana proceeded to lead the class in singing their song for me. Then we commenced regular class. Afterwards, we all helped ourselves to a pan of brownies that Rachel had made for the occasion.
I was further surprised by mom who entered the room toting cinnamon rolls and balloons and singing Happy Birthday. Despite having never been so embarrassed in my life this birthday really meant a lot to me. Even Daniel, who I have had limited contact with for months, contributed by taking Debra into town early so that she could get everything set up for me. It made me feel very special. :)
That night grandma and grandpa came over and we all had yummy cheesecake and the most delicious root beer. Mom and dad got me a beautiful CD that they ordered all the way from London. Grandparents gave me cute jamies and Maya gave me bath confetti and a sparkley rainbow putty thing.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to making my birthday special!

News from Liara

Hi everybody. In the two weeks time between the 25th of September and the 8th of October, Arianna turned 15 (her birthday was on the 7th of October) and I turned 13 (my birthday was on the 27 of September).

On my birthday we went to the Balloon Rally at 0 dark hundred and then we went to the Harvest Festival with Grandma Gigi and Grandpa Bob. I got myself a sea monster for the garden. Then we went home and had a chocolate and some kind of cream cake that tasted great. I got as birthday preasents: a CD of "Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exibition, Night on Bald Moutain, and other Russian showpeices" and a light that attaches to a base ball hat that I have.

For Arianna's birthday we got her high quality Root Beer and a Cheesecake. And for her present she got a CD of choral chants, bath confetti, putty and new PJs.

If anyone asked me how I felt about being 13 I'd say, "I feel the same and I don't know why people keep telling me that 13 is such a big year. I still feel 12."

Liara: Promoted to High Brown

On Tuesday I tested for my high brown belt in Tae Kwon Do. How the ranking goes is white, yellow, orange, purple, blue, green, high green, brown, high brown, red, high red and black and then there are ten degrees in black.

So I am 2 belts away from black (WAAAHOOO!!!).

O.K. so about the test... we started out as we normally do by warming up and then doing basics. Then the other class members go sit down and whoever is testing (me) stands in the middle of the floor and tells the teacher what form they start with and then they begin when ready. The forms I know are:

Gi Cho Il Bu, 1st basic form, 20 moves.

Gi Cho Ee Bu, 2nd basic form, 20 moves.

Palgwe Il Chung, Keon for Heavens, 20 moves.

Palgwe Ee Chung, Tae for Joyfulness, 20 moves.

Palgwe Sahm Chung, Ri for Fire, 22 moves.

Palgwe Sah Chung, Jin for Thunder, 24 moves.

Palgwe Oh Chung, Seon for Wind, 35 moves. (I love this form)

Palgwe Yuk Chung, Gam for Water, 19 moves.

(And I will be learning: Palgwe Chil Chung, Gan for Topstop, 23 moves.)

After that I selected a partner (Arianna, my sister, or Paula, (another student) to do 1-steps with me. I needed to know 35 of them.

Then came self-defence (also with a partner). I needed to know how to get out of hair-grabs, chokes, lapel-grabs, bear-hugs (yes they are dangerous if you are using them malevolently), wrist-grabs, ground defence and a bunch of other stuff (I had to do 25).

And after that was Drills (partner included): the kicking drill, the knife hand drill, the 360 blocking drill (this drill uses a knife), and the X-block drill.

And last but not least, Sparring. I personally don't like sparring but you can't test if you don't spar. I sparred 2 against 1 (I obviosly was the 1). Arianna and Paula were my opponents.

And finally after all that hard work I got my belt (WAAAAHOOOO).