graduation speech

   I don't know about my classmates, but my time at district 67 went by quickly. From holding my dad's hand while walking to Hynes on the first day of kindergarten to walking out of Golf for the last time, I've made so many memories with my friends and I've learned so much alongside them.
   After five years at Hynes learning about frogs, acing math class, and earning G-Bucks, it was time to step into middle school. In fifth grade, we were all back at the bottom, the youngest of the school. It felt like I was just learning how to walk. With the help of our teachers and older students, we became more comfortable. Going on to sixth grade, the school felt a little more familiar and we had a new schedule. We were on our own, no more walking down the halls in a single file line while keeping your hands behind your back. Sixth grade gave us freedom and more learning experiences. In seventh grade is when I realized I needed to grow. The first day back I noticed how much my classmates changed and how much I stayed the same. Although I didn't grow physically, I grew in knowledge. Seventh grade was full of firsts, Spanish class, the Constitution test, and Camp Maclean. It was a year of risks, studying, and trusting in yourself. Finally, eighth grade. Ever since August, I've been waiting to graduate and get into highschool. But now with these last couple of days, I realize how much I want to stay. Eighth grade has gone by in the blink of an eye and I don't want to say goodbye to the district that I've been to for nine years.
   I want to say a quick, but genuine thank you to all the teachers and students at district 67 that have helped me become who I am today.
   As we move into highschool, we'll all get a chance to shape ourselves into who we want to be. Highschool is full of chances, risks, and new experiences. I hope we'll all be brave enough to pursue our goals.  Based on what I saw at Camp Maclean I believe we will all make it through highschool as strong, intelligent, and hilarious people.
   I wish you all the best of luck.

dear fifth grade kaitlin,

  I want to start off by saying, yes, you still are very shy. I wish you weren't the super quiet girl sitting in the back. But yes, I'm still working on it.
  Yes, I still am super good friends with Maddie, but Natalie and Grace, not so much. (Although, I wish I was.) You don't have a large group of friends, but I/we learned that quality is better than quantity last year.
   You were extremely annoying and I'm sort of embarrassed to show other people old pictures. Even if you thought highlighter pink leggings were cool, they weren't, they definitely weren't. I'm proud to say, I think the way I dress is a tiny upgrade.
   How come you didn't try out for any sports? Oh right, you were "too shy/ too lazy". I totally wish you would've. It would've been so much fun.
   People come and go and you shouldn't stick around for those that don't even want to be in your life, I wish you learned that sooner.
   I'm super proud of you for trying your best through these few years at Golf, and your choices made me who I am today. I'm pretty happy with who I am today so thanks ya for that.

          ♥,
                current kaitlin

endings & beginnings

  Our time at District 67 is coming to an end. It's hard to believe that we're graduating eighth grade. I've been with most of my classmates ever since kindergarten. We've grown together and we've been through a lot together. I've met some of the most amazing people at this school. It's going to be hard to say goodbye at graduation. Just a couple more weeks full of ABC countdown activities, finals, and camp and we'll be out.
   Just because our time at Golf is ending, doesn't mean it's over. We have another beginning, one at Niles North. It's terrifying and exciting at the same time. There'll be new people, new teachers, new classes, new clubs, and activities to do.
   This school year is coming to an end but a new school year is beginning very soon.

it's complicated : graduation

  The rush to get service hours done, the excitement of camp, the stress of finals, all mean one thing. Graduation. I'm pretty sure everyone has mixed feelings about this. Most of us have been together since kindergarten. It's exciting to get to go to high school but it's sad to have to leave GMS. High school has a lot more freedom but that also means that we might not have classes with our closest friends. I know a lot of people are eager to leave middle school and start a new part of their life but I bet a lot of people will miss teachers and the all the familiar faces at school.

beauty and the beast

  The movie Beauty and The Beast came out almost a month ago and I still haven't watched it. The trailers I've seen look really good and I need to watch it. Everything looks so gorgeous! I used to love the animated 1991 film. All the songs & sound tracks in the movie are unforgettable. Lumiere and Cogsworth were my favorite. Along with Chip, the small teacup. If it's not a good movie, I'll be disappointed.

 

you're welcome

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTDRKcaJodw

here's a good way to improve your mood.

to my everything

hiya pops. we're supposed to write a tribute post for someone special to us. now, i hope you know that words on this screen is nothing compared to how much i love and miss you.

you are/were a talented, intelligent, generous, strong, energetic, dancing goofball. (plus like a gazillion other adjectives) you could always make me smile brighter than the light in your garage. the light that you used to fix the hundreds of cars you kept parked in our driveway. (momma sold most of them but don't worry we kept the titan) anyways, i wish you were still here to teach me how to use stick shift and how to drift. one of my favorite memories with you was going off-roading in indiana. i remember going up the cliff in the suzuki. that was terrifying but i remember seeing your smile and all your adrenaline. another vivid memory that i have is when you were dancing with me in mexico. i was too shy to go up on stage and dance by myself so you took me to the dance floor and taught me how to slow dance. there are so many memories i have of us dancing. i wish you were here to teach me all your moves. i want to tell you so much, i can't wait to see you again. it's going to be six years this year and it has been way too long since i've heard your voice or smell your axe old spice deodorant. i wish i could've gotten more than eight years with you. i miss you so much. and i hope i can make you proud one day.

much love,

your mini goofball

magical meeting : proud asian

   If I got to spend an afternoon with three famous people, they would be Jessica Universe, Jeyna Ponce, and Liane Valenzuela. These three women aren't as famous as other singers, actors, or movie stars, but they still have impacted thousands of people following them on social media.

   Jessica Universe is a sixteen year old, Instagram star. (She also has a YouTube channel & a blog!) She has a beautiful face and she has an even more beautiful mind. She's kind and smart, just all around talented. She writes, sings, and plays the ukulele. She's from an Asian decent (woohoo!!), Korean, Japanese, and Mongolian. I would really like to meet her.

her insta : https://www.instagram.com/jessicauniverse/?hl=en

  Up next is Jeyna Ponce, Jeyna is also sixteen years old. She has more than 70k followers on Instagram and almost 20k subscribers on YouTube. (She also models & has her own clothing line!!) On her Instagram, she shows off her fashion and beauty as well as her skills as a dancer. Jeyna's of Filipino decent (woohoo pt. 2!!) and she inspires me with the way she dresses. She seems chill and fun and I'd really like to be her friend!

her insta : https://www.instagram.com/llyratchet/?hl=en

   Finally, I would really like to meet Liane Valenzuela. She's a thirty year old Filipina (woohoo pt. 3!!) who's a multi-media star. She can act, sing, dance, and model. She's very talented.You might know her as LianeV on Vine, she has/had almost 5 million followers. 

her insta : https://www.instagram.com/lianev/?hl=en

field trip : camp maclean

   One of the best field trips that I've had so far was at Camp MacLean. It was last year, seventh grade, in the fall. Camp MacLean is an overnight trip full of activities like rock climbing, fishing, sports, and outdoor exploration. We got to play capture the flag the night we got there. Boys against girls. We used glow in the dark paint on our faces to tell which team we were on. People hid in the woods trying to figure out where the flags were hidden. Even though we lost, it was a lot of fun. Then we had a campfire, we had to sing a stupid song but it was really funny. I was in a bunk with my friends and we all stayed up talking about how much fun we had. I can't wait to go back to camp this year.

rushing to get this done. movie review : rush hour

   Movies. What's not to like? You get snacks, blankets, the dark, and an hour and a half of moving pictures that make you want to laugh or cry. I love all different types of movies and I love watching them. One of my old favorites is the film "Rush Hour". 
   When kidnappers take Chinese Consul, Han Solon's only daughter, Inspector Lee (Jackie Chan), a Hong Kong detective, is trusted to try and get her back safe and sound. Soon a loud-mouthed, work alone, Los Angeles cop, James Carter (Chris Tucker), gets in the way of the case. Although the two can't stand each other and are running out of time, they have to work together to find Solon's abducted daughter. 
    With Lee's fighting skills and Carter's wit, the two help make this action-comedy movie one of the best.
   

love for music

    Today, there are lots of different types/genres of music; rap, pop, country, etc. Lately, songs that have a catchy beat and good bass are becoming popluar. Songs like "Do It Like That" - Korede Bello and "Tsunami" - DeStorm are some of my favorite songs (with a really catchy beat). They make me feel 100x better and they make me want to get up and dance. I totally recommend you listen to these songs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VVdLympnQE - "Do It Like That"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZ-X-dhQrvQ - "Tsunami"

dear mr. president,

Dear Mr. Trump,
   
     Some people are either extremely happy or extremely angry about the election. I don't know exactly how I feel but congrats I guess. You have some good ideas but you need to relax with the words coming out of your mouth. You have no respect for women, you stereotype other races, and you mimic people with disabilities. I would not want someone that does those things to lead our country. I really think you should try thinking before you speak and try to think about how other people might react to your words.
     Here in the United States, we go by democracy, that means people have the right to vote. People vote for the candidates that they think will help the country. I hope that you eventually will.

Sincerely,

Kaitlin

happy holidays!

   Spending time with family, overeating, and giving and receiving gifts make the cold months better. Although the cold sucks, cuddling up with millions of blankets, listening to Christmas music, and opening presents, warm up my house.
   Every year, my mom makes me feel a million times better. I love her very much for it. She tries her best to make sure I'm happy and she's really good at it. Every Christmas I wish I had enough money to spoil her, but I don't. I wish I had the money to buy my mom her own private island because it's what she deserves. She works very hard and I think she should have a place all to herself so she can relax and be stress free. Unfortunately, I only have enough money for a couple of scented candles at Bath & Body Works.