Backstage with Sophie

I want to make a cool movie but I need an idea. "Mum, what could I film?" I ask.

"How about a show and tell," Mum suggests. "Get all the things you have been doing this week and show people."

I think this is a great idea. So grabbing my notebook and pen. I sit down to plan what I could show people.

"You could have it themed," Mum says. "One video about things that have changed around the house, the next about movies."

"I know what my first video is going to be about," I cry. "I will do one about books I have recently read."

Mum smiles as I rush off to find all the books I have read.

"I need a box to keep all my show and tell things in. I could put my hand into the box during the video and bring the books out," I decide. So I totter into the garage to see if we have one floating around.

Soon I am coming out again, an old kitty litter box in one hand. "This will do."

"You can't have an old kitty litter box on film," Gemma-Rose protests. "What will people think?"

"It would take heaps of coats of paint to cover up the pictures on the box," I tell her. "I don't want to wait that long." Suddenly an idea pops into my head. "A collage, I could do a collage! I'm sure some ripped up paper would look great glued to it and it should be much quicker to do."

"I will help," Gemma-Rose volunteers. "I could be your assistant."

"You could be my assistant on the video too. You could hand me the things from the box."

Looking in the garage, Gemma-Rose finds some old wrapping paper that came off her birthday presents and I find some green and pink paper and the glue pot.

Later we start working on the box. Ripping paper, gluing it on and then ripping some more paper. We are having a great time. We haven't done anything like this in ages.When we are finally done we hold the box up to show Mum. "What do you think?" we ask.

"Looks great!" Mum says. "A box like that would be wonderful for storing things in."

"Its our mystery box," I tell her.

I rush off to show the big girls. I knock on their bedroom door and hold up the box.

"This is our mystery box," I tell them.

"I wouldn't mind having a box like that to put super cool things in," Imogen says.

"If I can find another box, I will decorate it for you," I promise.

"I'll help," Gemma-Rose offers.

In the afternoon, we set up our studio. I look at Gemma-Rose and pick up a hair brush. "You can't go on film like that," I tell her.

Gemma-Rose's hair has lots of short bits that always come out of a pony tail. My solution to that is hair clips and lots of them. Soon she has a head covered in them. I am sure her hair is going to be the star of the show!

"That looks better," I say as I go to tell Mum we are all set up for filming.

She arrives. "Ready?" she asks and hits the record button.

I start talking. I make a mistake. I make another. Gemma-Rose's eyebrows go down low.

"Can we restart this?" she asks.

"We will have to now," Mum says. "Don't worry if I have to tell Sophie about her mistakes. It will just make it funny."

But Gemma-Rose doesn't agree. She makes faces at the camera whenever there is a mistake and it takes five goes to get it right.

Finally we have a version that we are all happy with. Smiling we go for some afternoon tea. Then I have the hard bit to do.

Mum puts the film onto my USB stick and I put it into my computer. I get to work cutting bits out, sticking bits together and just basically editing the video.

"Are you sick of the sound of your own voice yet?" Imogen asks a while later. She remembers what it was like when she made her videos.

"Yes," I agree as I hear myself say, "Hi, welcome to Sophie's Show and Tell," for the hundredth time.

"You're a natural on camera," Mum tells me. Me? Natural? I don't agree, but I feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

By dinner though, my video is finished. It just needs uploading to YouTube.

All evening we watch my computer, surprised at how long it is taking to upload the video. Bedtime arrives, but I am going to stay up until my video is finished. There isn't that much more to go.

"What percentage is it now?" Mum asks.

"That's funny. It hasn't changed," I answer. "Oh no," I wail as the truth hits me. "My computer has lost Internet connection."

We hurry to reconnect it. Luckily the video is still uploading, but Mum has decided I must go to bed. I am tired and thankful to climb under my blankets. A little while later Mum pokes her head around the door.

"It's done," she tells me. I smile and decide to write a post about it tomorrow. I had so much fun!

If you would like to watch our video, please go to our Mother, Daughters, Sisters blog. It is called Sophie's Show and Tell (Episode One). I am going to make heaps more videos. What will the next one be about?

Secret Garden Embroidery

The door bell rang. Mum rushed to open the front door.

A moment later she closed the door again, and she called, "Girls, come see my parcel!" We all dashed over as fast we could. We all wanted to see what the postman had delivered.

Mum tore the parcel open, almost as eager to see what was in it as we were. She held up a colouring-in book called The Secret Garden. Opening it she flicked through the intricate leaf and flower drawings.

"Those look amazing!" I gasped.

"I am thinking of enlarging some of the pictures and embroidering them onto calico," Mum told us.

"They are so detailed, it would take forever," Gemma-Rose commented.

"It would be a wonderful project to do while you are reading to us," I said. "Could I do some embroidery with you, please?" I begged.

"Of course," Mum agreed. "We will do it together."

A few years ago I did a few embroideries, but I gave them away. I sewed a fat cat with red thread on calico. I also sewed some flowers. I wasn't very good at embroidery, but I had heaps of fun while I was doing it.

I can't wait to get to work on some new embroideries. I bet Dad would be more than happy to enlarge the pictures we want on the printers at work.

"I bet the hardest bit of embroidery is transferring the picture to the fabric," I said, remembering all the problems I had had last time.

"I didn't draw mine on. Charlotte did it for me," Gemma-Rose told us.

Maybe Gemma-Rose would like to do some embroidery with us. She is better at sewing then me. I sure we could find another embroidery hoop for her.

"You can use my light-box," offered Mum.

Perhaps you'd like to do some embroidery too.

The Best Christmas Present Ever

Gemma-Rose and the doll

A few weeks ago Mum and I were Christmas shopping.

"Do you think if I work hard I can finish that doll I am making and give it to Gemma-Rose?" I asked.

"I don't see why not," Mum said.  

So I set out to make the best Christmas present ever! Every night instead of reading in bed I worked on the doll, sewing it's very long legs.

Book the doll came from

About a week before Christmas though I still had half of the second leg to sew, and the clothes still needed to be made. I didn't panic though. I knew just who to go to for help.

"Mum I haven't finished my doll," I told her.

"Don't worry, I will get out my sewing machine tomorrow," Mum said, "and you can use it to finish the sewing. It will be quicker." I was excited. I had never used a sewing machine before.

The next day I sat down and Mum taught me what to do. It was easier than I thought and very soon we were almost done. I just had to put the elastic in the skirt, sew the doll's pieces together and finish stuffing it. It wouldn't be hard at all.

Once I was done, I showed the doll to Mum.

"Don't you think the doll's eyes are a bit dark?" she asked.

I looked at it. She was right. 

"What should I do?" I asked.

Mum thought about it. "I know, I have a wonderful white pen. We will draw around the centre of the eye to make it stand out more," she said.

It was a brilliant plan and soon my doll was perfect. I put her in a shoe box and wrapped it. I couldn't wait until Gemma-Rose saw what I had made her.

On Christmas Gemma-Rose tore open her present. She stopped and stared.

"It is the doll you were making! It is finished," she said smiling. She was delighted with it and couldn't put it down for the next few days.

"What are you going to name her?" I asked.

"Mary-Kathrine," Gemma-Rose said, "after the girl from Epic." The name suits the doll very well, even though she doesn't look a thing like the heroine from Epic. To tell the truth she looks more like me. It wasn't really meant to be that way, but it is!

I am so happy my Christmas present turned out well. 

The Pen Pot

I also got a special present. It is a pen pot Gemma-Rose made me out of salt dough. It is multicoloured and very useful. She also gave me some pencils to go in it!

I don't know who got the better present, Gemma-Rose or me. 

Did you make any of your Christmas presents?

The Tardis

One of the last picture we have of the van

A few days ago I walked into Mum's room to find Callum showing her pictures of vans and big cars.

"We're thinking of buying a new car," Mum said. "We will sell the van and get something newer."

Sell the van? I couldn't believe it. We had owned the van for fourteen years. It would be hard to imagine life without it.

Imogen and Charlotte started bagging seats before we have even decided which car we were getting. They were just as excited as me.

On Saturday, Mum and Dad went to the car dealers to look at all the choices. Everyone else waited around at home to hear which one they were going to buy.

The Tardis

The phone rang. Charlotte grabbed it. "Hello," she said. Her face lit up as she talked to Dad.

When she hung up, she turned to us. "We have a car," she said.

"Which one?" Immy asked.

"I didn't catch the name but it is silver, has seven seats, four doors, a boot and wheels," Charlotte told us.

"Yes," I yelled and danced around the room.

By Tuesday the car was ready for us to pick up. Dad swapped the van for it after work.

We sat around in the living room, waiting to see what the new car looked like. Dad took a long time getting home. We were all very anxious by the time he turned into the drive way.

"He's here," I called as I raced out the front door, everyone on my heels.

"What do you think?" Dad asked as we crowded around the new car.

"It is wonderful," we all chorused.

"It is the Toyota Tardis," Dad said, "because it seems tiny on the outside and huge on the inside."

The name suits it perfectly.

"We need to go somewhere in it," Immy said.

"The beach?" I asked. We hardly ever go to the beach.

"I don't see why not," Mum agreed.

So now we are looking forward to the holidays. We are off to the beach!

Getting Braces

A month ago, Mum, Immy and I were sitting on the train. Next stop would be ours. I grabbed my book and MP3 player and put them into my bag.

We were going to get my braces put on. I was a bit nervous. I had been assured by Imogen and Charlotte, who have both had braces, that it isn't as bad as it is made out to be. I was trying to believe them.

We rushed off the train and onto the street. It was pouring with rain. I dug in my bag and pulled out my amazing cat umbrella.

We walked down the busy street, trying to find somewhere for morning tea. After a lot of walking we found a cafe and Mum bought me a milkshake and apple pie. The milkshake was very yummy and the apple pie warmed me up. I hurriedly ate them up before we had to dash over to the orthodontist's. We went up the lift and came out in a waiting room.

After brushing my teeth, we sat down to wait. I had only just put my bag down when a lady came out of a room.

"Sophie?" she asked. I got up again and followed her in.

The orthodontist smiled and told me to sit down. He talked me through what they were doing. I soon forgot to be scared as I listened.

While finding fitting metal bands for my teeth, he found that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get the metal band onto one of my teeth. I felt scared again as they picked up a piece of sand paper.

"You won't like this," the orthodontist said and he was right. He sandpapered the tooth until it fitted into the band. I was very relieved when it finally fitted in.

After taking some new x rays, the old ones being out of date, he started to put the braces onto my teeth. It took a long time and was very boring. It didn't actually hurt at all.

"What colour bands would you like?" I was asked.

I looked at the colours shown to me and picked a nice bright purple. It didn't take long after that for them to finish putting the braces on and Mum to be allowed in. She smiled.

"Immy said you would pick that colour," she told me.

I smiled as best I could. My mouth felt like it couldn't fit everything in it.

After being told all about how to look after my braces and what not to eat, we went back to the train station.

On the way home I told Immy all about.

"You look like a chipmunk," she told me and took a photo.

Mum and Imogen ate their lunch on the way home, but after trying to nibble some of mine I gave up. I knew someone would make me something soft to eat when we got home. I was right. Charlotte was willing to make me some custard to eat instead.

The next day my braces started to hurt, but after a few days they calmed down and I got used to them.

As I still have baby teeth I will have to go back to the dentist next week and have two of them pulled out. I am not looking forward to it!

Slideshow Making

A few days ago Mum taught us how to make slideshows on Kizoa. It was a lot of fun. We really enjoyed ourselves.

We all had different ideas on what we could make a slideshow of.  My first one was of Imogen, Charlotte, Gemma-Rose and me. It was pretty good for a first try.

I hope to make a lot more slideshows. I have heaps of ideas that I can't wait to try out. It is so exciting.

Can you make slideshows?

Joining DIY

"What is DIY?" I ask Mum.

"Do It Yourself," Mum answers. "It's a site where there are lots of challenges.You can do craft, cooking, writing, animation, photography and other things. You can have a look at it if you like."

I rush over to my computer and flip it open. I am soon on DIY looking around. It looks fun and soon I am telling Gemma-Rose all the things I would be able to do if I joined.

"You could sign up if you like," Mum offers. 

"Really?" I ask, already finding the sign up page. 

Soon I have joined and I'm looking around to see what badge I will try to earn first.

"I want to try earning the Writers' Badge," I tell Mum. "One of the challenges is to make a blog and write  three blog posts. I already have a blog so all I have to do is take a photo of it to prove I've done this."

Soon Mum and I are trying to work out how to take a screen shot of my blog. 

"Press the print screen button and then go to Paint and click paste." It takes a while for Mum and me to work it out. But we work it out in the end.

I go back to the DIY site and upload the picture of my blog to my project page, and I smile.

"I have done my first project," I tell Mum. She smiles at my excitement.

I can't wait to earn my Writers' Badge and do more projects. It is going to be a lot of fun.

Are you on DIY? What is your username? I am Miss Fifi!

New Blog Name

"Mum come have a look at my blog header I have made," I called.

Mum came over to have a look. "That's nice. You know you could always change your blog title if you like."

"Really?" I asked. I had been longing to change my blog title for ages. It no longer seemed right.

I went around asking people for their ideas for a new blog name. Soon I had all the names I could want and more.

I looked down the list I had written out, trying to choose which name I liked best.

"It is either Sophie's Stories or Sophie's Scribbles," I told Mum.

I decided on Sophie's Stories and then went to Picmonkey to edit my new blog header. I smiled happily as I loaded the header onto my blog. Sophie's Sea Bed was gone and Sophie's Stories was born!

When Dad came home from work I rushed over to him. "I have changed my blog name," I told him. "It is now Sophie's Stories."

"I said you should have that name from the start," Dad said smiling. I grinned back. He was right. Sophie's Stories is much better than Sophie's Sea Bed.

Visiting London and Making Postcards

Today we went to London. We saw the London Eye, Big Ben and learnt heaps. It was so much fun. The best thing about it was we didn't even have to leave our family room. It was all on Mum's computer.

Mum has found all these videos about different countries and cities on YouTube. We go on a different trip each week. Gemma-Rose and I really enjoy it.

When we came back from our adventuring on YouTube today, Mum had a brilliant idea. Why don't we make our own post cards about London?

I grabbed my computer and raced to Morguefile to find some pictures to do with London. I found plenty of photos of Big Ben, heaps of pictures of the London Eye and some of the Beefeaters.

Once I had all the pictures I wanted, I went to Picmonkey and started to turn them into postcards. I couldn't believe how good they looked.

Gemma-Rose and I spent ages playing with photos, turning them into postcards and finding good words to go onto them.

After a while we had to stop for lunch. I didn't really want to stop, it was so exciting. I will have to make some more later.

I  am going to make postcards to go with every country we learn about. I sure I can find good photos for countries like Vietnam or New Zealand.

Mum is all buzzing with new ideas. I can't wait to try out some of her other ideas like making movie posters.

Do you like my postcards? Which is your favourite? Mine is the one of the London Eye.

Lunch Time, Movie Time

"Would anyone like to watch a movie?" Mum asked one day. We all nodded.

"Should we watch Shakespeare?" someone suggested.

"Or a Gilbert and Sullivan?" someone else asked.

"What about a Jane Austen or a Charles Dickens?" Imogen offered. My head went up. I had never watched a Jane Austen or a Charles Dickens. I had always been too young.

"Jane Austen," Gemma-Rose begged. We all agreed.

I only knew the story line to Pride and Prejudice. I was excited because I was going to find out what all the other Jane Austens were about.

We settled for watching Persuasion. It was a good movie and we all enjoyed it. We enjoyed it so much that we decided to watch another Jane Austen after it, and then another favourite mini-series of the big girls', North and South. 

One day when we had just finished watching an episode of North and South, Mum turned and looked at Gemma-Rose with a funny expression. "What are you doing watching these movies? Aren't children your age supposed to like watching Barbie?" she asked. Gemma-Rose just grinned. She likes to do what older people do.

Mum doesn't mind Gemma-Rose watching with us at all really, she was just wondering why she likes all these movies for older people.

We have taken to watching an episode of a mini-series at lunch time each day. When we had had enough of Jane Austen we started on Charles Dickens. They are also very good. I really enjoy watching them.

At the moment we are watching Bleak House. My favourite character is Mr Guppy. He is very funny. You can't help but laugh at him. 

We are watching the mini-series one episode at a time. It leaves me wondering what is going to happen next? How will the mystery be solved? It is hard to wait for the next lunch time to find out. 

Do you like watching period dramas? Which is your favourite? 

I am going to have to read all of the books. I have a lot of fun ahead of me.

The Thief of the Quiet Princess

The cover I made for my book

I am sitting at my computer writing. It is the last sprint. I only have five hundred words to go before I have finished my novel and Camp NaNoWriMo. 

I put down my computer and shout, "I have done it! I have written a fifty thousand word novel!"

Mum comes to have a look. She congratulates me and claps. I feel all warm and pleased with myself. Not many girls my age can write a fifty thousand word novel.

My novel still has a lot of work to be done on it, but the first draft is finished.

In my story there is a thief who has stolen a prized yacht. The two detectives, Bella and Dianne must work out who the thief is and get the yacht back.

It isn't easy for them. The thief seems to always be one step ahead of them, and it takes all their skill and a bit of help from some friends to catch him. Things are not made any easier by the fact that their boss has just gone overseas on a holiday.

What do you think? Is it a good story line?

The novel's name is The Thief of The Quiet Princess. Imogen thought it up for me when I had no ideas.

I am planning a second book. I am stilling working out the story line at the moment, but it sounds like it is going to be a lot of fun. I will have to make sure I edit the novel I have just finished though.

Do you like novel writing? What kinds of novels do you like to write?

Squeebles Maths

Gemma-Rose with a toy she made

Gemma-Rose used to dislike maths. She used to be really reluctant to do any. Funny enough I used to be like that too until Mum found this wonderful maths book full of fun ways to do multiplication. I now love maths.

Mum decided to find a fun way to teach Gemma-Rose her multiplications tables too. She is a bit young for my favourite maths books so Mum went looking on the internet and found this game called Squeebles and she downloaded an app for it onto her tablet! Gemma-Rose loves it.  You can't get her off it.

I think Gemma-Rose is going to be a maths fan like me. I adore maths. I love finding new ways to do big equations. Gemma-Rose isn't quite up to doing big maths problems yet, but at the rate she is going she will better than me soon.

After a bit of hunting, Mum found a few other Squeebles games. Gemma-Rose was delighted. She plays her maths games just for fun now.

Gemma-Rose lets all of us have a go at her games. Seeing if we can break her high scores, which we hardly ever do, and having fun with her. 

It is funny how one fun maths game can make you adore maths. I can hardly believe she used to be so reluctant to have a bit of fun playing with numbers.

Soon Gemma-Rose and I will be racing each other to work out maths problems. I wonder if I will be able to beat her or if she will be too good for me.

Hattie Big Sky

Mum has just finished reading Hattie Big Sky to me and Gemma-Rose. It was really good.

It is about a sixteen year old girl who gets left a claim of land by her uncle when he dies. She can't wait to prove up on it. But proving up doesn't turn out to be as easy as she thinks. 

The book is set in the First World War. Hattie's claim of land is in Vida Montana. We have never read a book about the World War that is set in the USA before.

My favourite bit in the story is when Hattie is being chased by some wild horses and, not being able to outrun them, she takes off her skirt and starts waving it at them. It was very funny.

Rooster Jim would have to be my favourite character. He is a very comical character and his ways of sorting out problems are hilarious. His way to make a chicken lay eggs made me laugh. 

I never really thought about how much work it would be to run a farm. Hattie had to get up at the crack of dawn, see to all her animals, get breakfast and start working on her fields. She would also have to cook, clean and wash clothes. Life sounds so hard back then.

To earn money Hattie wrote her stories of what she was doing and sent them to a newspaper. I was very surprised to find that she liked writing like me. 

The book is based on the author's great grandmother's life, though it isn't quite the same. It is hard to believe that some of the things that happened in the book might have really happened to a real person.

I really enjoyed listening to the book. I can't wait for Mum to read the sequel. 

Picnic at the Park

"Shall we get some rolls and fillings and go down to the park for a picnic?" Mum asked.

"Oh yes please," we all cried.

We all hopped into the car and Mum drove us to the shopping centre.

We walked around trying to find what we wanted to eat.

"How about ham and potato salad?" Mum asked us. We all agreed it was a wonderful idea.

We found the potato salad, meat and rolls.

We also got some yoghurt and honey to eat after the rolls.

We went down to the park. It was mostly empty so we could sit at our favourite bench.

 Imogen and Mum served out the rolls and we all started to eat.

The rolls were scrumptious. We were all hungry.

After the rolls Imogen found the yoghurt. We didn't have any bowls to eat out of so we put the yoghurt in disposable cups and poured honey on top of it.

The yoghurt even though eaten in such a strange way was very delicious. I decided that yoghurt tastes nicest out of disposable cups.

It was a wonderful picnic.

When we went back home we were very full. I couldn't eat another bite.. We had the best picnic ever.

Learning to Write

Gemma-Rose is sitting at her computer typing. I look over her shoulder to see what she is doing. She is working on her novel. She is a very advanced writer for her age (9). She is writing long novels with perfect spelling and wonderful characters. I often stop to listen to Gemma-Rose as she reads her novels out to Mum.

I think back to when I was her age. I had never thought of writing much then. I spent all my time playing and drawing. It wasn't until I heard of NaNoWriMo Young Writer's Program when I was ten that I started to write a lot. 

At first my writing skills were horrible. I had bad punctuation and spelling. I would get bored of characters and instead of making them better, I would go and find a new character to replace them.

Now after a few years of writing, my skills have improved a lot and I am able to finish novels and make my characters have personalities. When I first started writing I even forgot to put speech into my stories.

I think of the children at school who do writing programs and fill in worksheets to learn to write. I think that doing the real thing is a better way to learn. My spelling and punctuation have gotten a lot better by writing novels and reading good books, than if I had filled in the workbooks. I am lucky Mum let me learn this way.

At the moment I am doing Camp NaNoWriMo. I have nearly finished my novel. I have written 40000 words. With luck I will finish all 50000 words by the end of the month! 

Sewing Fun

We own a book called Make a Monster. It has a lot of really cute patterns for toys to sew out of fleece.

The other day Mum pulled the book out and told me that she would help me sew a toy from it. I was very excited. 

I picked up the book and flicked through the pages until I found the toy I wanted: a cute little toy with funny ears.

My first toy

"Do you want to go down to the shops for some fabric?" Mum asked me.

"Oh yes please," I answered and I ran for my shoes. 

Gemma-Rose had also decided she wanted to make a toy and so together, Mum,Gemma-Rose and I set out to the shops for fabric.

Me and my first toy

It turned out to be just the right day for sewing as the fabric shop was having a sale. We rushed over to the fleece section of the shop to choose the fabrics we needed.

"I want green and pink for my dinosaur," Gemma-Rose said. Mum hunted out a nice lime green coloured fabric and a bright pink one.

Gemma-Rose's first toy

"What colours would you like?" Mum asked me. I looked at all the wonderful colours. It was so hard to choose.

"Could I have that dark purple and bright orange please?" I asked. Mum agreed and we walked off to the counter with our arms full of fleece.

Gemma-Rose and her first toy

Straight after lunch we settled down to sew. Mum helped us cut out our pieces and then left us to it. 

I spent a happy afternoon sewing my toy together. It was a really easy one and so it was done before dinner. The toy looks really cute.

My second toy

Gemma-Rose's toy was a little harder and it took her two days to finish hers, but it looked wonderful when it was finished. She is a really good seamstress. I wish I could have sewn like her when I was her age.

Me and my second toy

After our success at our toys we wanted to make more. Mum was all willing to help. She cut us out some more pieces and we started to sew.

While we sewed Mum read to us. Sewing is a wonderful thing to do while Mum is reading because it doesn't take your mind off the story.

Gemma-Rose and her second toy

It took me a little longer to finish my toy this time because it was a harder one. Gemma-Rose ended up finishing her toy before me. But I don't care. I had a lot of fun sewing my toy. I can't wait to sew some more. 

Trampoline

Gemma-Rose on our trampoline

When I was little, Mum and Dad bought us a trampoline. I jumped and jumped on it. 

After a few years, the trampoline started to fall to pieces. Last year it got to a stage where it was too unsafe to jump on. I was very sad.

Mum knew Gemma-Rose and I were upset about not being able to jump on the trampoline and so she made up a sneaky plan.

On Christmas day when we were giving out our last presents, Mum gave me and Gemma-Rose a surprise. We had to close our eyes as Mum and Callum brought something into the room. It made a lot of noise and I wondered what it was.

When we opened our eyes, there in front of us was a new trampoline! Of course it wasn't assembled. A put-together trampoline wouldn't have fitted through the door and into the living room. It was in a box.

I bounced up and down (on the floor, not the trampoline). It was too good to believe. A new trampoline. Gemma-Rose was just as excited.

a very bad photo of Gemma-Rose on our trampoline

The very next day Dad and Callum put the trampoline together and Gemma-Rose and I got to bounce on it.

Gemma-Rose and I love jumping on our trampoline. It is one of our favourite things to do outside.

Restaurant Dinners

I have been to a restaurant  twice. Both times were for very special occasions, birthdays. We went to an Italian restaurant both times. It served wonderful food.

The first time was for Imogen's eighteenth. We decided to eat pizza.

We sat at our table talking and laughing while the chef made our pizzas. After a little while heaps of lovely smells came out of the kitchen and over to my nose. It was delightful.

It took quite a while for the pizzas to cook, but it was worth it. The pizzas were yummy. Callum and I ate nearly a whole prawn pizza between us. Everyone else was too busy eating the chicken pizza. I didn't like that one quite as much as the prawn one.

The next time we went to the restaurant was for Callum's twenty first. Mum said we could have either pizza or pasta. Callum, Duncan and I went for the pizza. Everyone else had pasta.

Once more wonderful smells came out of the kitchen. I could not wait.

Once more we talked while we waited for our pizzas and told stories until the waiter served us. It felt so strange but royal to be served.

The pizza was once again delicious. I could have eaten three times as much as I did, but I didn't. I saved myself for the lovely dessert that was to come.

I love going to the restaurant, but with a family as big as mine we don't get to go too often. It is all the more fun when we do go though.

The good thing about the Italian restaurant is that if you don't eat all your pizza or salad before you want to go home, you can take it home with you.

The next big birthdays are Charlotte's 18th and Imogen's 21st in 2015. Will we have to wait until then for our next restaurant dinner?

Have you been out to dinner?

Orthodontist and Dentist

I was quivering with nerves as I entered the orthodontist. What would he say when he found out that I hadn't wiggled my baby teeth out? I can't have my braces fitted with those teeth still in my mouth. Would he be angry?

It turned out that the orthodontist wasn't angry. He just smiled and joked about it. He poked about in my mouth a bit and then he looked at the x-rays he had of my mouth. He turned to Mum.

Me after teeth came out

"Sophie will have to have three teeth taken out," he said. I stared. Three teeth? I had never even h one tooth taken out by the dentist, let alone three.

Mum rang up the dentist and arranged for me to go and have my teeth out.

Yesterday afternoon, Mum, Imogen, Charlotte, Gemma-Rose and I hopped into the car to go off to the dentist. Mum, Imogen, Charlotte and Gemma-Rose were going just for check ups.

I was worried. Charlotte had already had four teeth taken out before she got braces. She said there was nothing to worry about, but I still worried. Charlotte told me that the worst bit after the anaesthetic was the noise and the crack as the tooth came out. It didn't sound nice.

An awful photo of my teeth

I sat down in the waiting room while everyone else got their teeth checked, and I thought about having three teeth out. I wondered which teeth. I was starting to think that the anaesthetic must be really painful if it was the worst part of having teeth out, when it was my turn to go in.

The dentist smiled at me as I entered and sat down in the chair. "I will start by putting the anaesthetic in," he told me.

"Are you going to take the teeth out before or after checking her teeth?" Mum asked.

"After. I'm just putting in the anaesthetic first so it can start taking effect," the dentist said. I closed my eyes as the needle went in. I opened them a few seconds later.

I hardly noticed what he was doing. I was too busy listening to what he was saying. Not all of it was on the subject of my teeth.

Then the dentist examined my teeth. I was not worried about them having any cavities or anything. I was not even thinking about what he was doing. I was thinking about all Charlotte had said about having teeth taken out.

"The inside of your mouth will hurt a bit more," the dentist said. I started to pay attention again. I suddenly realised that he had finished checking my teeth. What was wrong? Why was I feeling no pain? The dentist was still smiling and I could hardly feel my upper mouth. It turns out that all the teeth that were going to be pulled out were in the top half of my mouth.

Nothing was wrong, and in a few minutes the dentist was getting a tool to take out the teeth.

He started on the left side of my mouth. I closed my eyes again.

My mouth after the teeth came out, can you see the big gaps?

"Got it!" The dentist said. I opened my eyes at once. The dentist had my tooth and was putting it down on the tray. I had felt nothing.

The next one came out the same way. I was hardly feeling anything.

"Two more to go!" said the dentist as he put gauze in my mouth.

"Two more?" Mum asked. "Wasn't she going to have three out?"

"I was told four. I will check if you like." The dentist looked at the letter he had from the orthodontist. "No, it is definitely four."

"The orthodontist must have changed his mind," Mum said. The dentist agreed.

He started to take the next tooth out. I was trying to bite onto the gauze and have my mouth open at the same time. It was not easy.

The dentist kept putting his tool around my tooth and pulling, but the tooth did not come out. I was starting to feel a bit scared again. The dentist talked to the nurse and she went off to get something.

"The adult tooth has grown up the side of the tooth I am trying to get out, but it is in the way of my tool," the dentist explained. "I am going to get it out with a different tool."

As soon as he tried it with the new tool, the tooth came out. It still had a huge root.

The last tooth came out as smoothly as the first two. I was very glad. I got some more gauze to absorb the blood and was then able to go home. At first I tried to talk, but then I worked out it was no use and I just nodded and shook my head.

As soon as I was home, I sat in front of the TV and watched a movie till dinner.

By dinner time the bleeding had stopped enough for me to take the gauze out to eat. My mouth was still very numb.

Mum and Imogen made me custard for dinner as I couldn't eat burgers. It was very nice, but the only problem was that it was hard to get it off the spoon without my top lip. It took a long time to eat. By the time I was finished everyone else had finished washing the dishes. They had given me the night off.

Mum let me watch another movie in the evening. I was very grateful. The movie took my mind off the teeth or rather lack of teeth.

This morning I was feeling a bit better, but not brave enough to try some toast for breakfast. I made porridge instead.

It is still a bit tricky to eat with so few teeth, but at least I am eating proper food again!

I don't want to have any more teeth taken out, even though it was not as bad as everyone made out.

On to the next step, braces!