Spelling Bee

The big girls recently participated in their first spelling bee through our home school group.  It was the first one ever held by the group and I was part of the planning for it, so of course I was going to have the girls participate.  We had the list of words that the kids would be asked made available to us about a month before the bee and we practiced here and there when we remembered.  The morning OF the bee we went over our words and the giant list of "extra" words in case the kids spelled all their words right and needed more.  Aunt Heather was in town and she spent a few hours with the kids.  She even learned a few words herself.  :)

The girls and their friends.  Their daddy's work together.

Ava was in level 1, which corresponded to the kindergarten aged kids.  I convinced my friend Theresa to sign up her 4 1/2 year old because there was no one signing up their little ones!  I didn't want Ava to be the only one on stage.

When it was Ava's turn, she was so serious.  She would walk up to the podium, write her word on the white board provided, then spell it into the mic, expressionless.

 

Of the 3 kids in level 1, the little boy did great and took 1st place.  Ava messed up on the word "club".  She spelled it C U L B.  It was the only 4 letter word in her list and I know it was nerves that messed her up.  She came in second place and got a ribbon.

Next up was level 2, Kylie's level.  This of course corresponded to the 1st graders.  Micalea was in this group with Kylie.  Mind you, these girls all LOVE being together and I adore these kids.  They are super sweet and well behaved and our kids constantly get along when together.  I will be bawling the day Kylie has to say goodbye to Micalea (because I know she'll be a mess), but that'll be for a later post.

The first order of business was having the kids sit by their birthday, which meant Kylie and Micaela would have to sit apart.  That wasn't going over well.

What did you just say?  I have to move?  (Notice they are squeezed into the same chair).

 

 But they give each other a high five and realize it'll be okay.

There were 7 kids in level 2 and they were amazing!  Those of us planning the evenining thought it was going to be over quick and the kids would be messing up words, but that was not the case at all.  This level ripped through words with hardly any errors.

It was hilarious to see how Kylie handled the stress differently than Ava...

 You can see that Kylie had her hands on her earrings or in her hair.  She did this every time she stood up to spell a word!

 Checking to see if Micaela spells her word right.  She'd smile and nod when she got it right.

 The girls didn't place, but they did great.  Kylie messed up on the word "any".  I knew that was a deal breaker when the word was read.  She has always struggled with it.  She spelled it "E N E Y" and had to sit out.  

After the girl's levels were completed, we left.  It was decided ahead of time by us planners (and I was in FULL agreement!)  that the younger kids would go first and would be able to leave since no one expected kids under 7 to stay late and sit through the older kids.  As we walked out to the parking lot, the girls asked their friends if they wanted to go get ice cream with us...asked their friends, NOT their mom!  Parenting comes full circle when your kids ask to do stuff with their friends right in front of them.  Luckily Theresa was planning on taking the girls to get treats, but for a moment we had to explain to the girls you ask mommies, not friends.

 Level 1 cuteness.

Level 2 cuteness.  

Micaela has a mouth full of goodness-no time to smile.  I would have taken another picture, but there were signs in the facility that said no cameras allowed-I have no idea why!  I had to be real quick and discreet.