School Poem

Sure You Can Ask Me A Personal Question

By: Alyssa Lorenzen, 8-16-14

Hi, how are you?

            No, I am not a diva.

No, I am not fashion-obsessed.

            No, I am a reader; yes, books.

No, not boy-obsessed.

            No, I don’t hate school.

No, I don’t hate P.E.

            No, I do not sing,

At least in front of people.

            Yes, I am a girl.

Oh?

            So, that’s where you got your flexibility —

Ballet, I’m assuming,

Or some other kind of dance?

Martial arts?

            Let me guess, white belt?

Oh, so you've practiced for years?

            Let me guess, you still hit like a girl?

 Black belt, quite impressive.

            Let me guess, they went easy on you?

Oh, so you teach classes?

            Let me guess, just the little kids? So hard.

Yeah, it is hard what you say about us.

            Thanks for the apology.

No, I don’t know where to buy blonde hair dye.

            No, this is just the natural me.

Yes, I know what equals 2+2.

            Don’t believe everything you hear.

I don’t know why these jokes are seen as truth.

            But I know that I disprove them all.

Yeah, uh-huh. Hair.

            Uh-huh. Yeah. Fashion. Totally. Shopping.

Uh-huh. Like, make-up. And stuff.

            No, I’m not going to major in cosmetology.

Yeah, some of us wear too much make-up.

            Some just plaster it on.

This isn't hidden identity.

            This is me.

School and Poetry

Hey everyone!!

So, this week, school started!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was (and still am) super, super, super excited! All of my classes at the school are amazing. :-) Even though my mom and my nurses are still trying to work out the temperature/desk size/transportation stuff, I am REALLY enjoying school!! The only really bad thing? My online classes -- PE (yeah, right, I'm totally going to wear the heart monitor and do the exercises) and AP Human Geography -- are not up yet! I have to wait until the 18th for those classes. But, to make up for it, I'm finally getting my locker tomorrow!! My mom bought me this locker wallpaper thingy (I forgot what it's called), a mirror, an organizer thing for pens, pencils, etc., and I can't wait to get my locker and combination so I can put all of my things in there!

My teachers are all super-duper awesome!!!! Ms. Shields teaches my Accelerated Algebra II/Geometry class (where I'm one of the youngest students!), and even though I usually don't like math, she's made it fun to learn and review! Well, so far, anyways.... :-P  I mean, how long can people make you think that math is actually not horrible? But Ms. Shields is pretty good at it! And she's super nice too.After Ms. Shields, I have to go up to the 3rd floor of the school for Gifted 9th grade Language Arts/Composition with Mr. Jones. (I STILL get lost trying to find the elevators, and it's been three days!!!) Today we did our SPG test in Language Arts, and yesterday we just talked/got to know each other, and on Tuesday we basically went over a couple rules and played a game -- so we haven't REALLY learned anything yet, but I still think that it's going to be one of my favorite classes! Mr. Jones is really nice, and funny. He likes to come up with little games and activities for us, and I'm pretty sure that every single person in the class enjoys them!! We also go to lunch and advisement with him. After all of that, I head downstairs (WHERE IS THE ELEVATOR?!?!) to the second floor, go over the "bridge", and find Ms. Wilson's class! She teaches my Gifted Chemistry class (where I think that I'm the youngest student there! There are seniors taking that class with me!). Ms. Wilson is awesome!!! She's fun, and funny, and crazy -- in a good way, of course. :-) She was my brother James' teacher last year, too, when he was in 6th grade. According to James, she would sometimes come to school in an astronaut suit (!), and when I asked her about it, she said that yes, she has her astronaut suit, and she almost wore it to the first day of school!! (But apparently she decided that it wasn't very... professional..... even though an being astronaut is a profession!) After Ms. Wilson's class, I have to go back over the "bridge", find the elevator again, go down to the first floor, and navigate my way to the Yearbook room!!! Mr. Phillips teaches our Journalism II/Yearbook class. He is really nice, and seems super interested in everything that's going on. Right now in class, we are trying to come up with a theme for the yearbook. We all split up into groups of 3-5 people, and brainstormed together... right now, my group is thinking about a technology/iPad theme! We want to make the cover look like an iPad with a yearbook "app". If our idea is good enough, then we'll get to use it to design the entire yearbook, and it will look SUPER cool!!!!!! Oh, and the media center at school looks amazing!! They have tons of books... but I'm a little bummed because I haven't had time to go there yet! Oh well... maybe tomorrow! Or Monday!

I'm not going to just talk about school this time -- even though I could probably talk (and/or write) about it for hours at a time!!!!!!! I wrote a poem the other day... about one of my nurses, Ms. Katie. See, we were sitting at the kitchen table and I was reading her a poem, when she said, "Mattie, how come you've never written a poem about me?"

"What?" I asked her.

"I was thinking that, you know, we could write one together, about how awesome I am!" she said, REALLY enthusiastically!!!!

"Um, how about I write one about you... but not necessarily about how awesome you are?"

She looked kind of bummed that she couldn't help, but she said, "Okay, read it to me when you're done!!"

Fifteen minutes later, I had her poem finished. I read it out loud to her:

Ms. Katie

She loves to wear gigantic rings,

She laughs, dances, jokes and sings!

Ms. Katie will cook, medicate and clean,

And she does everything in between!

It's possible she might be OCD...

Yet she still can't get the hang of the Wii!!!

She makes me laugh, and she's tons of fun,

And though I hate to admit it... I like her a ton!

She read it again to herself, and then out loud to my family, so they could hear it too! And then she took a picture of it, and sent it to her brother, her sister, her mom, and one of her friends!!! One of them messaged back, "Mattie's sure got you pegged!" to Ms. Katie. It was awesome, seeing her face when she read it, and reading the messages from her family and friends that were for both of us.

So now, Ms. Katie has her own poem, and there are two more soon to come! (One for Ms. Kristi and one for Ms. Wynona, my other nurses.) When I've got those, I'll make sure to post them to you!!! See ya later!

~ Mattie <3

A Post Full of Random-ness

Anyone who knows anything about me knows that I love to read! So, at the end of this past school year, I was super excited to see the list of books for the rising 9th graders summer reading assignment. However... I had never heard of a single one of the books before!! I couldn't decide which book even sounded the most interesting. So, about a week and a half ago when we were at the library, I went on a computer, searched for all of the books... and only one of those summer reading books was currently in the library! And I only need to read one. So, I went and found the book, and checked it out (along with my other 7 that I wanted to read during my free time)! The name of the book is "Steelheart" and it is by Brandon Sanderson. Here is the summary:
Ten years ago, Calamity came. It was a burst in the sky that gave ordinary people extraordinary powers. The awed public started calling them Epics. Epics are no friends of man. With incredible gifts came the desire to rule. And to rule man, you must crush his will. Now, in what was once Chicago, an astonishingly powerful Epic named Steelheart has installed himself as emperor. Steelheart possesses the strength of ten men and can control the elements. It is said that no bullet can harm him, no sword can split his skin, and no fire can burn him. He is invincible. Nobody fights back . . . nobody but the Reckoners. A shadowy group of ordinary humans, the Reckoners spend their lives studying Epics, finding their weaknesses, and then assassinating them. And David wants in. When Steelheart came to Chicago, he killed David’s father. For years, like the Reckoners, David has been studying, and planning, and he has something they need. Not an object, but an experience. He has seen Steelheart bleed. And he wants revenge.


19 days ago (June 16th), my gigantic chocolate lab, Raphah, had a birthday party! He is 80-90 pounds now... and one year old! At his party, we had these ice cream things that were meant for dogs... I think they're called Frosty Paws? Or something like that. Anyways, all four of the dogs loved them! But... well... Paco, the four-and-a-half pound Chihuahua, would eat a little of his, get body freeze (instead of brain freeze), and try to run off to find something or someone warm! But minutes later, he'd be back for more ice cream. The other Chihuahua, Cee-Lo, definitely was freezing, but he didn't seem to care! Apparently it was worth it. Our papillon, Chloe, didn't seem to notice or care if it was cold. And Raphah, well.... let's just say that he was done eating about 30 seconds after he started. We had to give the birthday boy some presents, too, so my dad went to the store and came back with two GIGANTIC bones. Raphah loved them... and so did the chihuahuas, who immediately stole them. I don't think my chocolate lab will ever be allowed to touch his present again!

Yesterday was the Fourth of July (duh), and to celebrate, my dad, sister, brother and I all went outside when it was dark! Some of our neighbors across the street were doing fireworks. We watched some of the fireworks, lit sparklers, and used some of those popping things that you throw at the ground and they flash (what are those called?). It was a ton of fun!!! But I had "Independence Day" by Martina McBride stuck in my head the entire time..... I love almost any song by Martina McBride, and that one is especially awesome. However, ANY song gets annoying if it's in your head for too long! But it's out of there now... it was replaced by "Anyway"!!

See ya!

... And summer break has arrived.

Hey guys!
So, you know how I'm always talking about school? It's like, school, school, school, school, school every single time I look at past posts! But, um, that's kinda because I really, truly love school!!! And now..... *sigh* ... I'm really sad, because school is out and summer break is here.

See, at my house, we have four dogs (two little chihuahuas and a papillon, in addition to the GIANT chocolate lab). I have an older sister, Alyssa, and a younger brother, James. I also have one-on-one nursing every day! And then on holidays, like Memorial Day, my dad is home from work and we usually go visit family. So, it makes sense that summer at our house is always crazy!!

And my brother loves to play Risk.... and no one else at the house really wants to play it. Ever. At all. Which can make him pretty mad, because you can't play Risk with just one person! Sometimes, he refuses to play any game at all unless it is Risk, or unless you promise to play Risk afterwards!

And my sister is obsessed with these new TV shows, and she's always watching them on her phone. (The Walking Dead? Bones? Castle? Seriously, Aly?) She doesn't want the shows to bother anyone else, so she wears headphones. And then, half of the time when you are talking to her, it turns out that she either a) didn't hear a single word you were saying, or b) she didn't understand a single word you were saying.

And, my nurses are INSANE!! (No offense to any nurse who might be reading this right now.) One of my nurses is absolutely terrified of dogs. She's starting to get used to the little puppies -- you know, the four pound and the six-and-a-half pound chihuahua -- but she still screams every time Raphah, the lab, goes  near her. She also likes to joke about us training him.... because he is still a puppy, and doesn't always want to listen when we tell him to sit, lie down, or wait. The key word for Raphah to know that he's doing the right thing is, "Good!" or "Good boy!" Sometimes my nurse will say, "Good! Good boy, Raphah!" when he's doing the wrong thing. It kinda messes with his training, but she thinks that it is awesome. My other nurse will try to get me to plan out the entire day with her! And usually our plans involve games. Every summer, she and I have a competition to see who can win the most games, total, over the entire break! So we end up having picnics (both inside and out), dressing up my dolls and stuffed animals, and playing games (both electronic and board games).

Sometimes, when the dogs see or hear someone or something outside, they start barking like crazy. My mom and I will be trying to catch them, and make them stop barking -- but we don't usually succeed.... My sister is usually on her phone, with her headphones in, paying absolutely no attention to what is going on around her. Then, my nurse (who is usually terrified of dogs, but at moments like these can be found laughing hysterically) will yell, "James, get the tuba!!!" And so my brother, who was in the 6th grade band at our school (and is moving on to 7th grade advanced band), will grab his tuba and start playing random songs out in the middle of the chaos. Fun, right?

And...... have I mentioned yet that I have a brother, a sister, four dogs (one of which is a giant puppy), a nurse, and sometimes my dad doesn't have to go to work? ... I think I did. Maybe. Probably.

But I can't be sure.

Dare to Dash 5k and Family Fun Day

Hey everyone!

My family and I are participating in the Dare to Dash 5k and Family Fun Day this year, and we would love to have you join us! While I don't have a donation page yet, you can still contribute to the general team donation. And my team page is set up already. This year, our team name is Mattie's Moxie. My brother and I have also started on T-shirt designs for the team, as well.

I have also added the link for the Dare to Hope Foundation, if you would like further information. So go ahead and  and join team Mattie's Moxie! I can't wait to see you there.

~ Mattie Lorenzen

Mattie's Moxie:
http://daretodash.kintera.org/faf/search/searchTeamPart.asp?ievent=1103328&lis=0&kntae1103328=E38AE4CE3E004935B4FDD5D57C292A83&team=5969024


Dare to Hope Foundation:
http://daretohope.org/events/dare-to-dash-5k-family-fun-day/

Career Day at my school

Hey everyone! Sorry that it's been so long since my last post. There's been a lot going on between school, training my adorable service puppy, doctor's appointments, etc.... All the usual stuff.

School is going really well -- I love my teachers, and my classmates are nice too! It is so... well, just so different from homeschooling (if you are reading this, no offense, mom)! Yesterday at school was career day. A bunch of different people came to our school and were talking to all of the 8th grade classes about their jobs, and what we might want to be when we grow up. My nurse, Ms. Katie, and I were joking about it after school -- we both agreed that it was probably the craziest career day the school has ever had!

• In science, a lady named Ms. Laura talked to us about her job as a epidemiologist (I really hope that's how you spell it). She said that she works with the CDC, but her job specifically is to study patterns in diseases or health risks. She was nice, and her job sounded pretty cool.
• In math, another lady talked to us about her job. She works with IT (Information Technology), which includes smartphones, computers, laptops, projectors, printers, scanners..... There was a LOT! I never knew that Information Technology included all of those devices.
• Then, in social studies, we met a famous football player named Morten Andersen. He was an exchange student from Denmark, can speak 5 languages (which I thought was pretty cool), and played on 4-5 football teams. He was also a gymnast, track and field runner, and a pole vaulter before he started playing football -- and, he used to be in a chorus, like me!
• In language arts (my last class of the day), we talked to a lady named Joanne Shaw. She was a veterinarian, and told us about what her job was like. Ms. Shaw also had some funny/crazy stories about animals, like the time she took an X-ray of a dog, and saw a pool ball in its stomach, or when a family saw a dog, injured, by the side of the road and brought it to her... and it turned out to be a coyote! And the craziest story? Ms. Shaw came up to me after her presentation and said, "Hi, Mattie!" I was thinking, How does she know my name? But then she said, "You probably don't know who I am, but your Aunt Becky is actually my best friend!" ... It's a small world, huh?

Well, I hope you guys have a great day, and I will try to post again soon!

~ Mattie <3

Another poem by me :)

The Elements

Earth is hard,

Cracked and dried in the air

You are standing on top of it,

No matter where!

Water is smooth, 

It falls from the sky

It takes many different forms...

But no one knows why!

Air is all around us, 

It's always right here

The wind brings the sounds

Through space, to your ears!

Fire is bright,

With different colored flames

It provides you with light,

And helps to give you sight!

So the earth makes up our bodies, 

We drink water that falls from the sky

Our lungs breathe the air

While fire gives us the spark of life!