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Maria's Diary
Day 70
November 15, 2008
Dear Diary, Sophia and I went with her mom to go see the new Madagascar movie. I thought it was pretty funny. Maybe not quite as good as the first one, but still a good one. I love movie theater popcorn with butter, it's the best! After the movie we went back to Sophia's house to hang out.
Day 69
November 12, 2008
Dear Diary, Being student coucil secretary is a lot of fun, but it's more work than I thought. It's hard sometimes to keep up with the notes while everyone at the meeting is talking. Then I have to make sure the editor for the school newspaper gets a copy of my notes. And then there's our meetings every week. I don't mean to sound ungrateful or anything, maybe I'm just tired...
Day 68
November 9, 2008
Dear Diary, My eczema is really bad again. Why is there eczema anyway? It makes me want to hide my hands when they get so dry and cracked, it's kind of embarassing. And they hurt. Better start putting that medicine on again. It's a pain, but it works. I'm sure you really wanted to hear about my eczema, but that's about all that's going on right now!
Day 67
November 7, 2008
Dear Diary, I love music. Sometimes I find a new song I like to listen to and I'll just keep playing it over and over until I learn all the words. Mami always laughs and says, "Aren't you getting sick of that song yet?" Eventually I guess I must, because I move onto another song I want to memorize.
Day 66
November 2, 2008
Dear Diary, I feel off today. We moved back all of our clocks one hour, but my stomach tells me I'm hungry earlier than the clock, and something just doesn't feel right. I hate when we have the time change. I guess falling back and getting an extra hour of sleep is better than losing an hour of sleep like we do in the spring.
Day 65
November 1, 2008
Dear Diary, Papi's pumpkin didn't win a prize, but it did win an "honorable mention". I think he was just as proud of that. We made spiced pumpkin seeds out of the insides, yummy! And now I'm waiting for Sophia to come over. Her mom has some errands to run, so Mami said she could spend the day at our house. Oh, there goes the doorbell!
Day 64
October 28, 2008
Dear Diary, Papi wants to enter a pumpkin carving contest the community center is having. He has already spent four hours carving his pumpkin! I like Halloween, but I have better things to do. It's not like the pumpkin will last forever or anything, they go bad after a few days. You can't tell Papi that though, he's all excited.
Day 63
October 27, 2008
Dear Diary, Being a Mexican-American, it is interesting the way the two cultures celebrate things differently. Friday is Halloween, a tradition of carving pumpkins to supposedly scare off evil spirits, and a celebration of the end of the harvest season. My family celebrates Halloween, but because we are also Mexican, we celebrate the Day of the Dead, which is November 1st and 2nd. In Mexico, it is a way to remember and honor loved ones and friends who are no longer alive. Sophia thinks it's just another Halloween, but I keep trying to explain to her that the holidays are slightly different.
Day 62
October 21, 2008
Dear Diary, I totally forgot to tell you about my new maracas that my grandpa, abuelito, brought for me! I think they are my new favorite. One is red and one is yellow, and they have matching palm trees with the ocean in the background. I like that they are two different colors, I don't have any other maracas like that. All my other sets are the exact same colors. Thank you Grandpa!
Day 61
October 20, 2008
Dear Diary, Mi familia had a great weekend, but it went by way too fast! I love that my parents let me stay up past my bedtime so I could play with my cousins. Even Christy and Sophia came over for the fiesta. Abuelito said he hasn't had that much fun since our last party. I gave him a big hug before I left for school since I knew he'd be on his way home before I saw him again. He said he'll be back soon.
Day 60
October 17, 2008
Dear Diary, Mami is rushing around like a mad woman cleaning the house and cooking lots of food. Whenever Abuelito comes to visit, we always have lots of family come over to celebrate. I wish Grandpa lived closer. He's only five hours away, but we still don't see him all the time.
Day 59
October 15, 2008
Dear Diary, My Abuelito is coming to stay with us this weekend! I haven't seen Grandpa since summer. He always tells the best stories. Sometimes he brings me a new set of maracas for my collection. Wait until I tell him that I'm on the student council!
Day 58
October 10, 2008
Dear Diary, Yesterday was our "Walk and Roll to School Day". It's a tradition for parents to walk and bike with their kids to school. Since my mami had to be to work early, papi rode his bicicleta with me to school. It was a lot further than I thought it would be, but it was fun. I can't remember the last time I saw my papi riding a bike!
Day 57
October 6, 2008
Dear Diary, How can a tiny cut hurt so bad? I have a papercut between my fingers that's killing me! I have no idea how it got there, and I can't even hardly see it, but it hurts. If I'm complaining about a papercut, then obviously nothing exciting is happening today. Oh well, tomorrow is another day, right?
Day 56
October 3, 2008
Dear Diary, Sophia and her mom are coming over this afternoon. They want my mom to teach them how to make enchiladas. My mami makes the best beef enchiladas. So that means that Sophia and her mom are staying for dinner! I hope they stay long enough for Sophia and I to have some fun. There's this new cd I have that I want Sophia to hear, and that means dancing!
Day 55
October 2, 2008
Dear Diary, We had our first Student Council meeting! It was pretty neat. We talked about ideas for what activities we want to do the rest of the school year. And we talked about doing a fundraiser to build a new playground. I think I did a pretty good job taking notes as secretary.
Day 54
September 29, 2008
Dear Diary, My exzema is itching my back so bad for some reason. Sometimes I just lean against a corner of the wall and scratch my back like a cat. I know it sounds weird, but I can't reach it with my arms, they're not long enough. But once I start itching, it makes me want to scratch it even more. Ouch!
Day 53
September 27, 2008
Dear Diary, Mami got a raise at work yesterday since she is doing such a good job, so we went out to celebrate. Mi Papi took us out for la comida, dinner, tonight. We had hamburgers at this diner, which is something we never make at home. They were good! And their milkshakes were out of this world!
Day 52
September 24, 2008
Dear Diary, The Rattlesnake Museum was actually not so bad. They had 34 different kinds of rattlesnakes! I thought there was only one kind. Papi was so excited, he was like a little kid in there. I did learn that since rattlesnakes don't have ears they are basically deaf, but they can feel vibrations through the ground. Does that mean they can't hear their rattle?
Day 51
September 21, 2008
Dear Diary, We are going to the Rattlesnake Museum today. Not for me, but for my papi. He's fascinated by snakes. As long as they're all in aquariums or behind glass then I'll be alright. Papi has been waiting to go to the museum for a while now. Guess today's the lucky day.
Day 50
September 19, 2008
Dear Diary, Introducing Maria, student council secretary! I can still hardly believe it. It was a very close race, but I won by about 20 votes. Good thing I voted for myself! At least the election part is over. Student council meets once a week, but it should be fun!
Day 49
September 17, 2008
Dear Diary, I'm actually getting a little nervous about the election now. Tomorrow we give our speeches to everyone at the assembly, and then Friday is the election. These last couple of weeks have gone by so fast getting everything ready. And then after Friday it will all be over, either I'm the new secretary, or I'm not. There are two other girls running for secretary. Keeping my fingers crossed-
Day 48
September 12, 2008
Dear Diary, I'm actually relieved that it's the weekend even though I still have so much to do. The election is a week from today, but I need a break. This week after school there were meetings for candidates. And then Christy, Sophia and I have been spending the afternoons making posters and these letter 'M' cutouts for students to pin on their shirts. Tonight I'm going to take it easy, and then tomorrow it's back to work.
Day 47
September 9, 2008
Dear Diary, Well, after thinking and thinking I've finally come up with my campaign slogan. It's "You can count on Maria." It's short and to the point. Hopefully everyone will understand that I'm a dependable person. Now I better get busy, I have a lot of posters to get working on!
Day 46
September 7, 2008
Dear Diary, Today is a special day for mi abuelito it's Grandparents Day. Mami is planning a special dinner and invited over our whole family. All the grandkids are going to put on a performance for Abuelito. He loves when we do shows for him. Better get ready, they'll all be here soon...
Day 45
September 4, 2008
Dear Diary, Now that I know how to swim, I'm not sure why I was so afraid to learn in the first place. After school I went over to Christy's casa and we were swimming in the pool until Mami called me home for dinner. I felt so proud of myself! No more missing out on swim parties or avoiding the topic of swimming altogether. Now if I can just get my papi to put a pool in our backyard!
Day 44
August 31, 2008
Dear Diary, Can you believe that tomorrow is the first day of September already? That means only 18 more days until the election. I already filled out the forms for Mrs. Pedro to turn in for me to run for secretary. Now there's just all the signs and stickers. And I need to get started on my campaign speech. All the student council candidates give speeches the day before the election.
Day 43
August 29, 2008
Dear Diary, Mami was so tired after work today that Papi and I made dinner. We made Caldo de Queso, cheese soup. Of course, you can't make it without lots of chiles. My family likes our food a little spicy. It's so hard sometimes to wait while it cooks when you can smell it already!
Day 42
August 24, 2008
Dear Diary, I've decided to go for it! I'm going to run for student council at my school. Anyone between third and fifth grade can run. I'm thinking about trying for secretary. I have very neat handwriting and am a pretty good listener. The elections aren't for a few more weeks, but I need to start working on my campaign pretty soon. So much to do! Sophia and Christy both said they would help me make posters and campaign buttons to hand out. It's great having helpful amigas!
Day 41
August 21, 2008
Dear Diary, Mrs. Pedro is having our class do a show and tell tomorrow. She says it's a good way to learn things about other students in our class. It was easy for me to decide what to bring, my collection of maracas. Well, I don't think I have room in my backpack to bring all of them! I guess I'll just pick a few of my favorites.
Day 40
August 19, 2008
Dear Diary, It didn't take my mami very long to find a job. She starts tomorrow, working as an office assistant. I'm happy for her since she really seems to want this. And the best part is that her hours are the same as my school hours. So Mami will still be there when I get home from school. That's great since I'm thinking I'll have a lot of homework this school year that I might need help with!
Day 39
August 16, 2008
Dear Diary, I wrote my homework assignment to tell Mrs. Pedro what I want to learn about in school this year. I love to learn about social studies and science. I think it's neat to learn about other cultures from around the world. In some ways we are all different, but in other ways we are all the same. And science is always fun when you get to do experiments.
Day 38
August 12, 2008
Dear Diary, What a first day! My new teacher is Mrs. Pedro and she seems very nice. And Christy and Sophia are both in my class! How lucky I am! Today we didn't do any school work. Instead, Mrs. Pedro had us play games to get to know the other students. It was a lot of fun, but I know every day won't be playing games all day. My first homework assignment is to write about what I want to learn in school this year. I have no idea what to write!
Day 37
August 10, 2008
Dear Diary, Escuela starts on Tuesday! I can't wait to see if some of my friends from last year are in my class again. This will be my last year of elementary school. I'm thinking about running for student council when they have the elections. I haven't decided which office yet, but I think it would be a lot of fun.
Day 36
August 6, 2008
Dear Diary, I heard a new knock-knock joke today. It goes:
Knock, knock.
Who's there?
Woo.
Woo, who?
Don't get so excited, it's just a joke!
Isn't that funny! I'm going to tell it to Sophia when I call her later.
Day 35
August 3, 2008
Dear Diary, School starts pretty soon. Mami says that when I go back to school, she's going to find a job to work during the day. I guess that's okay since she'll be home when I get home. I wonder what kind of job she will have? I think she would be a really good teacher, or maybe a chef or something since she loves to cook.
Day 34
July 31, 2008
Dear Diary, This morning Papi surprised us by going out and getting breakfast to bring home before we even woke up. He's always up early before he has to go to work. He knows I love the chocolate chip bagels. It's kind of like eating a dessert for breakfast.
Day 33
July 26, 2008
Dear Diary, Sophia's mom volunteers at our school. Her mom has already been helping the teachers get ready for the new school year. So Sophia says she already knows who her teacher will be for this coming year. I asked Sophia if her mom can find out who my teacher is too. I'm hoping Sophia and I will be in the same class this year. This is our last year before middle school.
Day 32
July 24, 2008
Dear Diary, My back is so itchy, and I can't reach it. Mami says it looks like I have exzema. She says it's probably from all the swimming I've been doing with my lessons. I ask Mami to scratch my back, but she says that only makes exzema worse. She made an appointment with the doctor to see about getting some special cream for my skin.
Day 31
July 20, 2008
Dear Diary, Christy's party was a lot of fun. We listened to music and danced around. Instead of a cake, Christy wanted icecream sundaes. So they had a make your own sundae table full of everything you could want on a sundae. There were like ten girls there. Sophia called today and asked what I was doing this weekend. When I told her she sounded surprised she wasn't invited, but she didn't sound upset or anything. I tried to not talk about the party too much or sound too excited so she wouldn't feel so bad.
Day 30
July 17, 2008
Dear Diary, My friend next door, Christy, is having a birthday party this weekend. She invited me and a couple other girls to come. I feel kind of bad, because my best amiga Sophia didn't get invited. But Sophia and Christy aren't really friends unless the three of us are together. I don't want to come right out and tell Sophia I'm going to Christy's party, but I'm not going to lie if she asks about it. I just don't want Sophia to feel left out.
Day 29
July 13, 2008
Dear Diary, Okay, at first I didn't want Sophia to know that I couldn't swim. But she kept asking where I was in the morning lately when she called. So I had to tell her. I made her promise not to tell anyone. But she didn't laugh at me or anything. That was a relief.
Day 28
July 9, 2008
Dear Diary, I'm kind of proud of myself right now. Swimming lessons, while a little scarey at first, are really going well. I'm getting better at going under the water. And now my teacher is showing me different kinds of strokes to swim across the pool. Don't tell my mami, but I'm actually relieved I'm finally learning to swim. Now instead of missing out on pool parties, I may actually be able to go to them.
Day 27
July 8, 2008
Dear Diary, The maracas Sophia and I made turned out very pretty, except for one thing. We forgot to put the beads inside of them! So now we have these maracas that make no sound when you shake them. We laughed so hard about that! So I guess they'll just make nice decorations for our rooms.
Day 26
July 6, 2008
Dear Diary, Sophia and her mom are coming over this afternoon. I guess you could say our moms are friends because we are friends. Sophia and I are going to try to make maracas out of paper mache'. It sounds messy, but I think it will be fun.
Day 25
July 3, 2008
Dear Diary, Celebrating the fourth of July is definitely the American side of my family. In Mexico, we celebrate our independence from Spain in September. In America we celebrate our idependence from England in July. The celebrations are very similar in that they are both very festive. But here we have fireworks and red, white and blue. In Mexican tradition, we have rodeos and bullfights and red, white and green. I feel lucky to get to celebrate both holidays!
Day 24
June 30, 2008
Dear Diary, Well, I survived my first swim lesson. I was a little nervous when she wanted me to put my head under the water. But the swim teacher was really nice. I told her I had a hard time holding my breath. So she told me if I hum when I'm under the water, then the air automatically comes out my nose, which is like holding my breath. It sounded kind of strange at first, but she was right! It really worked!
Day 23
June 29, 2008
Dear Diary, Tomorrow is my first swim lesson. I'm hoping the lady has to cancel or I get sick or something. Anything, as long as I don't have to get in the pool. The worst part is having to put my face down in the water. I'm always afraid I won't be able to breathe. We'll see how tomorrow goes.
Day 22
June 26, 2008
Dear Diary, Tonight I helped my mami make tamales for dinner. She makes them using corn husks. They take time to make, but are worth it. Right now I only help, but someday mami said I will make them on my own. I'm not sure I'll ever be able to do that. Mami is a very good cook!
Day 21
June 24, 2008
Dear Diary, Sunday mi familia went to Sandia Peak Tramway. It's the longest one in the world! We rode the tram high above the canyons. It really was pretty. You could even see the Rio Granda Valley from the observation deck. There were a lot of people bike riding too. I'm not really into riding bikes, but it looked kind of fun. My papi said maybe next time we could rent bikes.
Day 20
June 21, 2008
Dear Diary, This summer my mami is making me take swim lessons. I have never liked the water, and so I never learned to swim. Even Sophia doesn't know I can't swim. I'd die if the kids at school found out. Mami says no more. She has already signed me up for private lessons, so there's no escaping this time.
Day 19
June 16, 2008
Dear Diary, Yesterday we had a big family party at my house to celebrate Father's Day. My Mami and I went shopping and bought Papi a new wallet and some new work clothes. Then when everyone came over we all sat around outside. Papi always likes to tell stories with family. He talked about how proud he was the day I was born. I was a little embarassed, but I know he loves me.
Day 18
June 13, 2008
Dear Diary, Some American traditions are the same as my family's Mexican traditions. And some are very different. Today is Friday the 13th. In American culture Friday is unlucky. But in Mexican culture, some people think Tuesday the 13th is unlucky. Does that mean since we are Mexican American that Tuesday and Friday are both unlucky?
Day 17
June 11, 2008
Dear Diary, Tonight after dinner, I heard my parents having an argument. I'm not sure what they were arguing about. I just heard them talking loudly to each other in the other room. Sometimes parents do that I guess. Usually my papi will just shake his head and smile when it's over and give my mami a big hug. Then she starts to smile to as he's swinging her around hugging her. That makes me smile too, knowing that they can disagree about something, but still love each other no matter what.
Day 16
June 7, 2008
Dear Diary, I'm kind of sad today. I lost one of my favorite maracas. Well, I should say that I lost one of the set. Maracas usually come in sets of two. But what good is one without the other one? Mami says maybe it's in my room somewhere, but I've already looked. It's a very special maraca, because it was given to me by my abuela. Grandma gave them to me on my 5th birthday. I hope it is not lost for good.
Day 15
June 2, 2008
Dear Diary, Sophia and I usually ride to school together. Today, her mom called and said Sophia has to stay home because she's sick. I hope she feels better soon. I missed her at school today. Sophia always makes me laugh with stories she tells and just being silly. My mami always says we seem more like sisters. That would be great if Sophia and I really were sisters!
Day 14
May 29, 2008
Dear Diary, Christy and I have been hanging out together a lot lately. She lives right next door. It's kind of neat because I can just walk over to her house and don't even have to call her on the phone. I asked Christy where her dad is since I've only met her mom and older sister. She said he has his own place now. I feel kind of bad for her that she doesn't live with her mom and dad like I do. But Christy says she still gets to see her dad a lot.
Day 13
May 28, 2008
Dear Diary, My mami and I went to the store after school and I got a new pair of zapatos. My new shoes are red, because that is my favorite color. I think they will be perfect for dancing. Sophia is on her way over to my house. I can't wait to show them to her. We're going to practice our dancing until dinner time.
Day 12
May 25, 2008
Dear Diary, I can't sleep. My cousins are still here, sleeping in my room. We watched some scarey movie on tv tonight, and now I don't want to close my eyes. I keep opening them to see the shadows on the walls. I hate that. I know movies are make believe, but I can't help it. Maybe I should wake them up, and we can play a game or something. But if my parents hear us awake, then I may be in trouble. I think I'll just turn on the bathroom light instead.
Day 11
May 23, 2008
Dear Diary, Since we have no school Monday, my cousins are going to spend the weekend with us! I am so happy because I haven't seen them in a while. Hopefully we can make up some new dances. We have so much fun listening to music and dancing really silly. My Papi laughs when we do. Sometimes he even starts dancing with us!
Day 10
May 20, 2008
Dear Diary, Sophia, Christy and I played this afternoon. Sophia has a slip and slide. We had fun seeing who could slide the fastest. I think Christy won. She went so fast that she slid right off the end of it and landed in the grass!
Day 9
May 17, 2008
Dear Diary, Right now, my family is riding in our car. We are driving to see something called the Painted Desert and the Petrified Forest. I slept all night while my Papi and Mami took turns driving. Papi says it is one of the most beautiful places on Earth. I can't wait to see it!
Day 8
May 14, 2008
Dear Diary, All the kids in my class are so excited for summer vacation to start. I like vacations, but I love school too. I will miss seeing some of my friends, and my teacher Ms. Holly. Next year I will be in 5th grade. That means I can be one of the safety patrol guards at school. They get to wear these cool badges and orange vests, and tell the other kids when they can cross the walkways. That will be fun!
Day 7
May 12, 2008
Dear Diary, Well, I gave Sophia the note to ask her why she is mad at me. She says she wants me to play with her too. I said we could all play together sometimes. And I told her that she is still my best friend. We traded bracelets. Now I have her bracelet and she has mine.
Day 6
May 9, 2008
Dear Diary, Please help! Sophia is mad at me because she thinks I play too much with Christy now. Christy lives next door and goes to our school. Sophia and I are both in Ms. Holly's class, but Christy is in another 4th grade class. Sophia and I have been friends since 1st grade. I'm going to write a note to give her in school Monday.
Day 5
May 8, 2008
Dear Diary, This week my family celebrated Cinco de Mayo. My Papi says we celebrate that day to show Mexican unity and patriotism. Our whole family celebrated together. We sang songs, ate yummy food, and played games. I had a lot of fun!
Day 4
April 4, 2008
Dear Diary, I was a little bored today after school, so I went outside for a little walk and saw Christy outside with her mom. I am pretty sure that she just lives there with her mom and older sister. I don’t know what happened to her dad. I don’t think I should ask…at least not yet.
Day 3
March 29, 2008
Dear Diary, Today a new neighbor moved in next door. The younger girl looked younger than me, but she still looked nice and I think we will become great friends soon. Earlier this morning, mom cooked a warm batch of pastries and had me deliver them to the new neighbors. I talked to the girl, Christy, and she likes the maracas too, but she only has 2 pairs. She also has 2 cats, Peeka and Boo. How silly!!
Day 2
March 25, 2008
Dear Diary, Today I played the maracas for a while. I have a very big family and they always come over to visit. We usually end up playing music and singing songs. My little cousins love to see my collection of maracas that I keep in my closet. My grandpa…my favorite abuelito…taught me to play the maracas when I was really little. You know, you don’t just shake them around; there really is a special skill to playing them well. Today when my grandpa was over, he gave me a red hot candy. They are my favorite!!
Day 1
March 23, 2008
Dear Diary, This is my very first diary! I am so excited to write about all my friends and private stuff. Well, I guess I should say that I am in 4th grade. I love school, but I really can’t stand the cafeteria because it is so loud in that place. My teacher, Ms. Holly, is really nice and we even have a class pet. It is actually a guinea pig named Paco. My class voted on a name. I voted for “Sniffles”, but more kids voted for “Paco”…oh well.
