I'm 16 years old today!

 

Besides being almost as tall as my Dad, there's a new Bear in the photo.  That's right we got a Yorkie mix and his name is Bear.  I also got my driver's license today and will soon be learning how to drive stick by myself.  This past year I've done Pole Vaulting and managed to clear 10'6".  I did steel drums again and have been enjoying all the cool music.  Next year I predict I'll be taller than my Dad and driving stick like a pro.  

Merry Christmas!

 

I'm 17 years old today!

 

Another year has gone by and it feels like I've been driving forever.  I'm really good at driving a stick now too and in fact, I'd like my first car to be a stick.  I've been driving to school this whole past year which is probably why I'm so good now.  I switched to Diving instead of Swimming and I did pole vault and javelin for Track this year.  I'll probably continue both sports next year.  I can't believe next year will be my senior year.  My parents might give in and finally get us a dog.  Stay tuned for next year's post.  

I'm 15 years old today

 

A lot has changed over this past year.  I finally got my phone.  Iphone 13 mini to be exact.  I also got my braces off just in time for my freshman year in HS.  I'm just 6 months away from getting my learner's permit and I'm only about 2 inches shorter than my Dad.  This past year I did track and field pole vault and tried out for the soccer team but unfortunately didn't make the cut.  Maybe next year.  I still love to game and one of my favorite classes was Engineering and the robotics club.  Steel drums was pretty cool too.  We got to wear Hawaiian shirts for our performances.   

Merry Christmas!

 

I'm 16 years old today!

 

Yes I'm finally 16 and that means I can get my driver's license.  I take my driving test tomorrow and if all goes well, I'll have my license.  I'm still not great at driving a manual but I'll be practicing more once I get my license.  This past year, I did swimming and track and field again.  I added javelin and high jump to the field events besides pole vaulting.  I can't believe I'm half way done with high school already.  Before you know it, I'll be a senior and graduating.  I'm also taller than my mom but shorter than Cole.    

I'm 14 years old today!

 

I can't believe I'm just months away from getting a cell phone.  Finally!  This past year, I've started growing my hair out cuz that's what's in.  I continued playing on the middle school soccer team and even ran my first 5K earlier this year.  Next year, I'll be a freshman in HS and I'm looking forward to getting a ride with my sister so I don't have to take the bus. Oh and I'm taller than both my mom and sister.  Just need a few more inches to pass my dad.  

Merry Christmas

 

I'm 15 years old today!

 

Yes it happened!  I finally got my cell phone.  I still can only text on it but baby steps.  This past year we returned to in-person schooling for my freshman year.  I did swimming and track and field pole vaulting for sports.  I don't really have much more to say other than I got a cell phone!  Oh and I might have caught covid for my birthday.  We'll see what the PCR tests say but fingers crossed.  

I'm 13 years old today!

 

I'm finally a teenager and every teen should get a cell phone right?  Unfortunately I still didn't get one for my birthday.  This year we went back to in-person learning at school, had free school lunches, and I played soccer for our varsity middle school team and did track (high jump, long jump and hurdles).  I really enjoy playing video games on the computer and the nintendo switch.  Rocket league is probably my favorite.  Hopefully I get a cell phone next year or a gaming laptop.  I don't think either will happen though.  

Merry Christmas!

 

I'm 14 years old today!

 

Not sure if you can tell but I just got my braces off!  Just in time before I enter high school.  This has definitely been one strange past year.  I took all my classes online which was great because I could wake up late, roll out of bed, and still make it to class on time.  I did a lot of puzzles, reading, swimming, and push-ups this past year.  Oh and I also got really good at the rubik's cube.  My fastest time is just under a minutes.  Oh one thing that I didn't get this year was a cell phone.  I'm thinking maybe next year for high school but we'll see.   

I'm 12 year's old today!

I'm just 1 year away from being an official teenager.  Might as well hand me a cell phone now.  Although given my sister still doesn't have one, I don't think I'll be getting one anytime soon.  This past year, I've done remote learning which isn't too bad since I can sneak some computer games or youtube when classes get a little boring or I finish my school work early.  I do miss playing soccer, recess, and seeing my friends.  I did manage to swim over the summer last year and play soccer until they cancelled the season due to COVID.  Hopefully they'll have a vaccine available for kids soon so I can resume play sports and seeing friends.  I've been reading a lot this past year and my parents can't get enough books from the library to keep my busy.   

Merry Christmas

I'm 13 years old today!

Finally I'm a teenager now. In 3 short years, I can start driving but first I need to get a cellphone. I thought I might get one this birthday but sadly no. One of these days it'll happen. In the meantime, this has been an interesting past year. Luckily we did a ton of traveling at the end of last year with trips to Hawaii, New York, Seattle, and Disney World because the past few months we have been sheltering in place at home. I've been busy with school assignments, playing games with my family, and giving Chester, our cat, lots of love. I also got braces on again for phase 2 and hopefully the last time. I'm pretty sure I'll be able to show you a cellphone in next year's photo. :)

I'm 11 years old today!

I'm officially a tween as they say. I've been binged watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or TMNT as the cool kids say during this whole stay at home quarantine. All my other activities have been cancelled. No soccer season and most likely no swimming season this summer. I've been mountain biking more and luckily haven't hit any cactuses. I've been playing minecraft and coding on scratch. I've shared a few games and racking up some views on them. I've also determined over this past year that I'm going to be an Mechanical Engineer.

Merry Christmas!

I'm 12 years old today!

My last year before becoming an official teenager. I still didn't get a cell phone this year and supposedly according to my parents, I won't be getting one till I'm 21 or something. I finished my first year in public school and despite homework and tests, it wasn't too bad. My parents had a harder time adjusting than I did. I also tried track and field. I did hurdles, high jump, and 4 x 100 relay. Some practices I had to be at school by 6:30 in the morning. After taking some time off from swimming, I'll be doing a summer swim team. My favorite event is still butterfly.

I'm 10 years old today!

Double digits!!! Yes that's right, the big 1-0! No more piggyback rides to bed for me. I think it's partly so my Dad doesn't hurt his back. I started playing AYSO rec soccer this past year. A lot better competition than the YMCA league where we mostly scrimmaged. I also stopped swimming at Gold Medal Swim School so that I could concentrate on soccer. I think the biggest change though from last year was attending a new school - the local public elementary school. I actually get homework and quizzes now. I also have my own account on the computer because I have to check my homework online. I might sneak a few computer games on the weekends before everyone is up.

New faucets to start the year

Finally got some time to install a new kitchen and RO faucets. Here you can see the finished product. The RO faucet needed an air gap so I found this one with good reviews on Amazon.


Here are the original faucets. The kitchen faucet has a terrible design in that the handle just channels water down the back of the faucet when you go and turn it off with wet hands. Then the water just collects on the counter. You can see the water ring around the faucet.


Here's the RO faucet. It started rusting at the handle and would leak water every time you turn it on.


My working quarters. After moving all the plumbing drains etc. it actually wasn't too bad to work in.


Here's a closeup of the build up in the drain pipe just after the trap. I didn't expect this would be there. This is probably 10 years of build up.


You can see the old valve stop I removed plus the drain gunk. You just turn them counterclockwise while pulling and they come right off. I put in proper 1/4 turn valves.


Here's a closeup of the hard water buildup on the counter.


Here's after I removed the hard water with a razor blade scrapper. It makes easy work of the build up.