02 October 2015

Josephine is Eleven!

Josephine is eleven.  Ugh.  This is flying.  Joey has always been the baby girl and suppose she always will be the baby girl, but, wow.  Eleven?

At eleven, Josephine is in the fifth grade.  Middle school.  She is on a team that rotates classes through three teachers.  It's a good middle step between elementary school, walk in a line everywhere, to junior high, individual schedules and you're on your own.  She is a whiz at school - I do not worry about her grades.  She asks tons of questions, argues with everything.  EVERYTHING.  And she is bright.  Super bright.  She explores, she experiments, she analyzes.  She is literally exhausting.  We just love her.

Josephine had to give up gymnastics - it's not her, it's us.  It just got too expensive.  She was really good at it, and that just means it's competitive and her coach was helping her master amazing skills, but, always asking us for more money.  Sorry Joey.  As a compromise, Josephine asked to learn the piano.  Brilliant.  Rachel picked up the piano at about the same age and she never took a lesson.  She just listens and repeats.  It's really amazing.  The ladies get their musical abilities from James.  I can't carry a tune in a bucket.  Josephine is learning from a lady at church who teaches her once a week.  In three weeks of lessons she is already on page 25 of her lessons book.  She's in a hurry to master the piano so she can learn another instrument.  She hasn't decided which one yet. 

Josephine is smart, witty and always ready to go somewhere.  Anywhere.  If our car leaves the driveway and Josephine is not in it, there's a good reason.  This child hates to be left at home.  She wants to explore, move and experience.  Joey doesn't like to cook, she doesn't like raisins or cucumbers and she loves to color.  Loves it.  She makes bracelets from rubber bands and cross stitch floss.  She is great at cleaning her room and I never worry about her remembering homework or projects - she's on it.  Another detail of Josephine at eleven - she loves board games.  She will sit still for a good book or a board game.  And minecraft.  Don't get her started on minecraft.  She's built some amazing things.  (she made a county fair - complete with livestock exhibits and rides and fair food booths - it was crazy).

Josephine Lisette.  Eleven.  The first BallTeam kid to do her birthday fingers pose with her feet.  We just love her.

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