Don't Blink

I have been thinking a lot about this the past couple of days.  I keep on thinking about Vik and Pronav or Grayson and Garrett, or anyone of my friends in Texas, or seeing my grandparents, or aunts and uncles or anyone I a close to.  Even when we just went down to Texas to see our friends and I had so much fun and made so many memories, now I can't help but look back on all my memories.  That seems to be all I do these days.  I just look back in my past when I am bored, and smile on all my good memories.  I really like the songs that talk about not taking the moment for granted.  It seems like all the years in Texas are suddenly gone and all the memories with my close friends and family are gone, and I just keep thinking about those.  So here is a piece of advice.  Feel the moment and enjoy it while you can.  Even when you do enjoy it, you will still miss it later, but it will be better, because you took advantage of the moment.  :)

Colors

Did you know how colors are made that color?  It is from the light's rays.  Think of a banana.  The banana is yellow.  It is yellow because, every color of the rainbow hits that banana except for yellow.  Why it doesn't include yellow, I have no clue, because I would think it would be only yellow hitting that banana.  But don't ask me any questions on this, I am only barely getting this!  :)

Snow Days

We have had a lot of snow days lately!  Well, more like cold days.  We have had lots of negative degree weather!   So far this school year, we have had 5 snow days total!  Basically, we have had a whole week of school off, if you add them together.  Those days kind of make up for the days when I have a basketball tournament, and have to wake up on a weekend, as early as I regularly do on a school day, which is 6:15 am!  I am glad for these snow days!  

Today, Carson got his little hole in his heart fixed up!  He said he could even go to practice tonight!  He said that he will have to use an inhaler for a little bit, but that he feels better.  We have a tournament this weekend, so I hope he has a speedy recovery!  If he can go to practice tonight, that will prove his determination.  The day he told me about his hole in his heart, I asked him if he would be ready for our next tournament and he told me that he will always be!  

Teammate

One of my basketball teammates, Carson, told me today that he will be out for a while, or the whole season!  I asked him why and he said because he had a little hole in his heart!  He said that he was born with a little one but then it went away after a while.  Now, it has opened up again, and he says that it actually hurts.  He used to be the fastest person on our team, but now, I beat him every time we run.  Jackson, used to being the best player, said that we were better off without him, because he never really does anything for our team.  Jackson is wrong though, while Carson may not be a great player, he is the funniest guy on the team and gets everyone in a good mood.  He can have some great shots, and I think that he kind of wants to do what I do, because my speciality is definitely lay-ups, and I am very good at them.  He is a wing, so he usually shoots the ball instead of driving in, but now he does the opposite.  He kind of watches what I do when I go in for lay-ups I think, and then tries to imitate it next play.  He needs some work, but I think by giving him some pointers on that, I can get his mind of his heart condition.

1 on 1 Tournament

Monday night, we had a 1 on 1 team tournament.  It was where everyone on the team basically played a game against another person and it was double elimination.  Regular baskets were worth 1 point, and three pointers were worth 2 points.  The only person I was worried about playing was Jackson.  He is our team's best shooter and he is also a former A-team player like me.  And it didn't help that the game before he played me, he beat Luke, a post, 21 to 6.  He only made one real basket and all the others were three pointers.  10 three pointers!  My first game, I played Nathan, the other former A-team player.  I beat him 5 to 4.  Then I played Will, and I beat him 5 to 3.  After that I had to play Jackson.  He hadn't lost once and I hadn't lost once, so it was going to be pretty close.  I have always wanted Jackson to think that I am just as good or better than him.  Maybe he thinks that deep down, but never tells me.  So the first time I played him, I beat him 8 to 7.  But since it was double elimination, I had to beat him twice!  And it didn't help that I was tired beyond belief!  But so was he, and I know that I have better stamina than him.  But what was uncalled for, was that I was beginning to hyperventilate, and I had no clue I was.  I have never had that before, so I didn't know what it was.  I thought that I just couldn't breath because I didn't have enough water or something.  Every time I breathed, it felt like I was breathing through a straw, I couldn't focus on anything, and I could barely think.  and for a guy like me who HUSTLES like no tomorrow, I need a lot of air to breathe in.  I totally forgot what I was doing at one point.  He beat me that game, so I had to play the person I was most worried about playing three times!  This was the deciding game.  Whoever wins this, wins it all.  After the past game I got a lot of water and thought I was ready for the next game.  I was wrong!  I started out a little better, but pretty soon, I started to hyperventilate again, and this time was much worse.  I didn't have enough energy to even drive in, so I just tried to settle for outside shots, but I couldn't beat Jackson by shooting, because that is his speciality.  So he beat me 6 to 2.  I was very sad and very very scared!  I though that I had asthma or something and would for the rest of my life.  Mom and Dad helped me realize that second place isn't bad, against Jackson, and when I am hyperventilating.  I was just about to pass out, so I was glad the game was over.  Everyone who watched the game knew that something was wrong too, so that made me feel better.  But I did learn never to take a breath for granted again!  Also, Dad told me that Jackson's Dad said that if he could have a fantasy pick for the 1 on 1 tournament, that it would be me!  Not his own son, Jackson!  Maybe Jackson might respect me after all.

Power Outage

Today in school, we had a power outage.  There were no lights on, and the ones that were were flickering.  Also, we couldn't really use our IPads because there was no wifi.  That's why I think that the whole school system should not be run on iPads.  Because if something like that happens again, the whole school will have no power.  So it was a very interesting and boring day!

Math

This whole school year so far, I have been trying to get my math grade up to an, "A".  Last quarter I got a B, and the beginning of this quarter, I had a B+.  Then, after our math test the other day, I checked my grades, and I got an A-!  I am soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo excited!  Mom says that I have always been pretty good at math, but I just had a hard time comprehending it, and I didn't think I was good at it, so that is also why I guess my grade was bad.  Here is the picture of my grades.

YYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!

I don't know how rude his might be to  elementary school, but, I think that the most annoying thing in the world is elementary school.  Notice I did not say learning.  I love learning!  If all we did the whole school day was learn, I would be probably fine with that.  (As long as gym was included).  But the problem is, lots of the time at school, we don't actually learn.  Most of the time, we just review, study, etc.  before I went to public school, I did homeschool.  I started public school in 2nd grade.  When I was in homeschool, my mom taught, and I loved it all day!  My brother and sister did homeschool too.  My mom could teach me, my little sister, and my older brother all at once.  Our schedule was flexible, so if we wanted to just take the day off from school that day, we could, and we would just all go on a field trip.  We also had only a few hours of school and more time to play.  Usually, we finished before lunch and started at about 9:00 am.  We could also sleep in.  We learned in fun and creative ways, that really helped you get into learning whatever my mom taught us.  We were little kids back then, so there were probably more ways to make us excited and have fun while doing school.  In second grade, I didn't have homework all year long.  Seriously!  We were basically babysat all day, when school is supposed to teach you.  I remember in 3rd grade, when we moved to Minnesota, thinking that all of the stuff we were learning was review for me.  My mom got my siblings and I so excited to learn that we were way ahead of what that grade level was actually teaching us, because we asked for the things we could learn.  Going into middle school though, I have realized that I have actually learned a lot.  

Tests

We had some tests today at school.  We had one in science and one in math.  I studied a lot for both of them and I think I did really good on both of them.  I almost know I have have 100% on my math one.  I am glad I am getting better at math!

Swimming

In gym this week we get to swim!  We did it Friday, but we still get to do it this week.  It's awesome!  There are diving boards and rock walls and a basketball hoop, which you can play with while your in the pool!  I did rock climbing and basketball, and the basketball is really fun!  It's pretty low so you can dunk!  I did all kinds of dunks.

Science

In science today we learned about concentration.  Not concentration like you are thinking really hard, but concentration as in, amount of materials in a mixture.  So here is a problem, 

 80 mL of water and 2 scoops of salt, or 40 mL of water and 3 scoops of salt.  Which one has the most concentration?  Answer: the one with 40 mL of water and 3 scoops of salt, because, the other one is more watered-down because it has more water.  So the less water it has, the more concentration it has.

High Probability in Math

In math, we have been doing pretty complicated probability.  Let's say that there are fifteen red marbles in a box, and eighteen blue marbles in the same box.  I could find out all of the possible outcomes of drawing out three random marbles, or two random marbles or whatever.  Just make sure you don't lose your marbles though, because if you do, it is a little hard to think.  :)  I could then tell you the probability of drawing a red marble.  It's pretty cool!   

Basketball Tournament

This past week I had a basketball tournament.  I had really good games, Dad told me.  I feel like I did really good too.  Our second game, I guarded the point-guard and he didn't score a single point while I was guarding him.  I also hustled a lot and had a lot of points!  My third game I had a lot of points too  and and a pretty nice block as well!  We still got second to last place in the tournament with only one win, but I felt like we won, score or not.  :)

- Degree Weather

This weekend and next week we are going to have very cold weather!  It is going to be about -40 to -50!  They said that it is the coldest temperature that has ever been in Minnesota for the past 20 years!  I wish that we weren't living in Antarctica right now!  Also, I have a basketball tournament this weekend, so if I go out in the cold weather after just getting hot and sweaty, I might get sick!  But then again, this is my immune system we are talking about.  I am like the Man of Steel!  :)  

School Again

Today we had to go back to school.  It was pretty hard getting back into the swing of things.  But once I realized that I couldn't run away from school and go home or back to Vik and Pranav's house, I decided to make the most out of this school day.  :)  So it was kind of fun seeing all of my school friends again, but I realized that none of those friends are as good as the friends we just left!