Yes, She's in Fifth Grade!

This is quite late to be posting pictures of Abbey's first day of fifth grade back in September, but it has to be done, especially before her 11th birthday in a couple of weeks. I can't believe my baby is this tall, leggy, beautiful pre-teen already.

On the first day of school we got to meet and take a photo with Dr. Deb Welsh who is the Director of ASD, so that was pretty cool. Abbey's new 5th grade teacher is Abbie Taylor who has a fun, organized style.

I think Miss Abigail is learning a lot already and really getting ready for middle school, which is just next year here in Doha. Her favorite classes in school are P.E., music, and language arts and her favorite color has changed to green. Her teacher is doing Writer's Workshop where the students write every day about any topic they want in their writer's notebook and then develop some of those quick writes later. Last week she wrote this:

 A Blank Page

I look at this page,

all blank and pagie,

it's hardly filled

except for the

Date, title, and this.

The page shouts

"Ha! Only 3/4 of me

Has been scribbled on!"

I shout back saying,

"One day I will

conquer you!"

I write and write.

Page, soon you will not be blank.

The Page shivers

at the thought of it.

I am almost done!

Well ha, there Page,

you have been conquered!

and finally the page

surrenders sadly.

The adventure of this new school year is well under way and the busy-ness of it all has kicked into full force. She is taking piano lessons at the International Centre for Music from a Russian teacher named Natasha, so that has been a new and interesting experience for Abbey as well. Her piano progress seems to have taken a jump, so we are pleased. Music seems to be an integral part of Abbey's personality. Even though she fights practicing, once she starts, she gets lost in playing her assigned songs and also improvising and creating her own tunes. I am so proud of my sweet Abbey and only wish she would stay little a little bit longer, but none of my children have wanted to go into the deep freeze to halt their rapid march to maturity, so I don't know why I think she might. I am just glad she lets me read to her at night and enjoys regular cuddles.