b-a-l-l-e-r-i-n-a

Emily was so excited to come home from school on Wednesday, her first day back, and tell us that she had won her classroom spelling bee and that she would be going on to compete in the school-wide spelling bee. On Friday.

She was given a list of 100 words to study and she spent all of her free time, even getting up early this morning, looking over her words. She was hoping she would get the word independence because she had figured out the trick - all e's.

The spelling bee was this morning at 9:30...Doug worked from home today so he could stay home with Jack & Ainsley while I went to school. In her first two rounds she spelled reptile and answer, and then, in round three, her word was independence and she spelled it perfectly. After three rounds there were only 9 contestants left, Emily being one of them, and her fourth round word was ballerina. Which, unfortunately, she spelled b-a-l-l-a-r-i-n-a. I was really so proud of her, not only for making it as far as she did and being one of the last third graders in the competition, but for standing up straight, speaking loudly and clearly and not even once looking nervous, even though the spelling bee was being broadcast over the tv's in each classroom and she knew the entire school was watching. I hope she always has that kind of confidence.