14 and 8th Grade

Victoria is 14 now. She's an 8th grader at Discovery Middle School. This is her last year there. Next year she'll be at Salem High School. I can't believe she's 14. She gets to go to her first youth dance next month and start driver's ed over the summer. I clearly remember my days as a 14-year-old and in 8th grade, so it seems weird to me to be raising my child who's this age.

Victoria has taken a big step in the dance direction. She's been dancing since she was 3, but wasn't fully committed until even just last year. I finally convinced her that if this is the direction she wants to go, then she can't do cross country and track, like last year. She added jazz this year and dances 4 days a week, which includes a day that she was selected to be a demonstrator for a class two years younger than her for Cecchetti ballet. She loves it! When she's at home, she's constantly dancing and stretching. She is supposed to choreograph a ballet number as part of her exam this year, so she's starting to decide what music she wants to use.

She's working on her back flexibility so she can paint her toes over her shoulders ;)

Victoria, Karissa, and I doing some group yoga poses.

Speaking of music, she still loves playing the violin in the orchestra and singing in the choir at school. This year she was selected to be in the advanced choral group. It reminds me of myself. I tried out my last year of Junior high and made it and so did she! She likes singing, but has already decided that in high school she will only do orchestra, since she won't be able to do choir as well. She's still taking piano lessons., but I think this will be the last year for that also. Her heart isn't quite in it to practice enough anymore. She plays once a month for Young Women's opening exercises and for her choir teacher when she needs it, so it has been a great skill for her.

She still loves improving her hair skills!

She started taking Spanish this year and I'm so happy that she is! That was always one of my favorite classes in school and I love brushing up on some of my Spanish skills with her!

Her birthday party was last Friday. She was in charge of everything, but she requested a taco bar, which I gladly provided, and after some hanging out at our house, we went to the Summit to swim (for free with a bunch of passes) and then they hung out more here after wards. A few girls spent the night (the first slumber party we had) and it went well. One of Victoria's best friends had moved an hour away and came all the way here for the party, so she and two others slept here. I was impressed with Victoria's friends. Some of them I hadn't met and they were so pleasant to have here. They were all so impressed that I cooked the food and made the birthday cake! It makes me laugh that so many people don't do that anymore! They thought it was a real treat and were so gracious! I felt good about my home cooked food!

Birthday party dinner. Some friends were here for that and had to leave and some friends came later.

Taco bar

Her friend who moved. Erik missed her too.

So glad her sister is her good friend too!

Pool party!

Lazy river.

Slide

It's hard to have my kids growing up! I want them to stay young forever, but she and I have had some good conversations in the car on the way to dance and I love seeing the young woman she's growing into. It's been a great adventure!

On her birthday, Austin gave her a chocolate frog. She's wearing her new sweatshirt too.

Taco Bell dinner on her birthday due to lack of time for anything else. Did you guess that tacos are her favorite?

She wanted to decorate her own cake.

The finished product! (Did you notice she has braids while decorating the cake and a bun in this picture? She just loves doing her hair!)

Some scrunchies arrived the next day form Aunt Karina. She loved another day of gifts! Her final gift is this week. She goes to Washington DC for the 8th grade field trip from Thursday to Sunday. What a lucky girl!