Scarlett's 8th Grade School Photos - Brookside Christian Academy

 I love this year's school photos of Scarlett!  And since I cannot pick a favorite, I'll post them all! 

Scarlett's Official Cheer Portrait - 2025

Only two more football games for this cheerleader! 

2025 Youth Cheer Season!

It is Scarlett's last season in cheer since youth cheer only goes through 8th grade, and she will probably be at Brookside Christian Academy rather than Templeton High School. And that's okay, as I think it would have been very likely she'd want to do high school cheer.

Scarlett isn't a naturally "cheery" person and rarely smiles when she's performing on the cheer line. Plus she gets terribly embarrassed and holds her mouth taut when doing the halftime show.  So I know she would hate to perform at a high school football game. 

This year there are farm more cheerleaders than football players so her "senior squad" only gets to cheer at five games this year, and they only cheer for the first half of the game and then perform at the halftime show.  Then the younger girls cheer for the second half of the game.

Only five games = not many pics to share. 

BUT the cool thing about this year is that the cheer team gets to perform at the Disneyland Main Street USA parade in November.  Scarlett is going out with a bang, as they say

Scarlett in a ... skirt!

This photo is a big deal.  HUGE!

Scarlett does not like to wear skirts and dresses.  She'll do it for a school dance or the annual Father-Daughter Dance.

But I got her some skirts anyway for her school uniform. She has uniform shorts and pants, too ... but I have convinced her (more like will be bribing her - ha!) to wear a skirt on occasion. 

I think it's nice for a girl to have a feminine touch now and then. And I think she's sooo cute in skirts!

Scarlett's First Day of School - 8th Grade

Today Scarlett started at a new school, Brookside Christian Academy.

Brookside is a new school that teaches using the "Classical Christian Education" model.  It is replacing a former Christian school that has been at that location for 50+ years.  So, the new format of the school is new to everyone - students and teachers alike.

We had the option of sending her for 3, 4, or 5 days and we chose five days.  The options are available so home schooling families can incorporate their education into attending school at Brookside.

The kids are divided into "cohorts" of no more than 12 students.  Scarlett's cohort has only three girls (including Scarlett).  We are THRILLED for the smaller class size.

Each day starts with a 15 minute "chapel time" where they sing a song together (each month is the same song) and recite a verse together (each month is a new verse and they are long).  And then the head of school gets up and talks for a few minutes.  Families are encouraged to attend chapel, too, which I love!

Mondays are primarily for getting help with homework, finishing up homework, etc.  They also have music and I think PE.

Tuesdays - Thursdays are Latin, math, Chemistry and humanities.  And on Thursdays is when they get their homework for the weekend that is due on Tuesday.

Fridays are for P.E. and electives. 

Scarlett isn't happy about leaving her friends from middle school, and isn't entirely thrilled with starting at a new school.  BUT ... after hearing her complain about so many things from her 6th and 7th grade years at Templeton Middle School, we are very hopeful this change will be a VERY good thing for Scarlett and how she learns.  

Plus, we love that Jesus and the Bible will be intertwined in everything they do each day!! 

And I just gotta say I LOVE the school uniforms!  I am so happy she will be dressing conservatively, versus what teenagers in public school are often wearing:  very short shorts, very short shirts ... it's all just so short, tight and revealing.  

Looking forward to updating in a few weeks with how she's doing at Brookside!!

Scarlett's 7th Grade Portrait

 Sure, it took me the entire school year to order school photos.  But here it is!

Scarlett Gets Braces!

 At long last - after visits to the orthodontist every six months to check Scarlett's incoming teeth - our sweet girl got braces!

She was NOT looking forward to this day.  Christian had braces for several years - much longer than the average kid.  He also got then on very young, when he was still very fearful of dentists, doctors, etc.  So whether Scarlett has heard those stories over time, or actually remembers them, she was terrified to get braces.  She even crouched down in the front seat with the hopes of avoiding walking into the office.

Getting the braces on was the easy part! But the pain in her mouth hours later was awful (for us all).  Scarlett is a kid who doesn't not tolerate pain or discomfort well at all. 😔 

Happily, the orthodontist expects Scarlett to be in braces for about 18 months.  So relatively speaking, its a pretty short period of time and they will be off before high school!

Scarlett's "Teach the Teacher" Cookie Cake Video

https://www.canva.com/design/DAGGAVBvkfM/6NkO4ULHRK8vf_LfuWkiVw/watch?utm_content=DAGGAVBvkfM&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=editor

2023 Father Daughter Dance

 

Miss Scarlett Turns 11 Years Old!

Today, our smart, sweet, spicy and sassy Miss Scarlett officially turned 11 years old!

She celebrated her special day by going to Denny's for breakfast, visiting the brand new Templeton Library, hanging with her family, eating dinner from Little Caesars, talking with Granny and Grandpa and little cousins, cake and presents, and ending the night binge watching Manifest.

This past year, Scarlett became a 5th grader, a cheerleader, a Girl Scout Junior (cookies season is fast approaching!), a "ball kid" at a tennis tournament, and returned to gymnastics (her current passion).

She has declared she does not like dresses at all, and wears her Santa Cruz tie-dye hoodie every single day.

She's got a wonderful group of friends and is blossoming socially, which makes us so happy!

Scarlett absolutely LOVES Stitch from the Disney movie "Lilo and Stitch." And that's funny because for the longest time, she refused to see the movie because she thought it looked really dumb. But when she finally saw it, she immediately a fell in love with a Stitch.

Kindness and the Cookie Project

I absolutely love opportunities to show our kids the value of being kind, and expecting nothing in return.

A few weeks ago, I heard of a local Christian family with six children, and the mother had some kind of medical emergency and was in the hospital.  Sadly, a short time later, the mother passed away. 

We live in such a small community, and it was inevitable I would know somebody connected to this family. My friend Sarah reached out to me to let me know she is friends with this family and wanted to invite her the woman's children over to decorate Christmas cookies as a way to provide them with some joy at this sad time.

Sarah offered to pay me, but I told her that it was my pleasure to help out by providing cookies and all of the icing at no cost.

I had always considered my cookie decorating business to be my "quiet little ministry."  I love blessing people with cookies for whatever reason may be. I've done cookies for birthdays, weddings, baby showers, get well cookies, condolence cookies, etc. 

I explained to Scarlett the reason for these particular cookies, and asked her if she wanted to help cut them out and bake them ... And join us in decorating them on Friday.  She eagerly agreed, and then asked me how much I was charging Sarah.

I loved telling Scarlett that I wasn't charging Sarah anything because I just wanted to bless this family who lost their mama. 

❤️ Kindness matters.