The Dyer Library here in Saco hosted a Harry Potter Extravaganza: a film premier party for the upcoming “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.” Jenna was especially excited about it because she has been reading and enjoying the Harry Potter series. She just started the seventh and final book, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.”

The Harry Potter Extravaganza was well done, and the girls had a good time. They had their fortunes told by Professor Trelawney, played games, colored Harry Potter pictures, and made wands. Hayley dressed as Hermione Granger, Jenna dressed up as Cho Chang, and Skye as Ron Weasley. The girls even convinced me to dress up as Professor McGonagall.

Cho, Ron, and Hermione

Professor Trelawney (in background) just told Jenna's fortune.

Coloring

Professor McGonagall, Professor Trelawney, and the head of the Slytherin house conducted a “sorting ceremony.” The kids each appeared in front of them, announced their character name, and were then sorted to the appropriate Hogwarts house. When Skye introduced herself, she said “Bloody hell, I’m Ron Weasley!” (in a British accent) Everyone laughed. She won two Cinemagic movie tickets for best costume, and decided she would bring Brent to see the upcoming Harry Potter film.

Skye being sorted into the Gryffindor house

Professor Trelawney, Professor McGonagall, and head of the Slytherin house conducting the sorting ceremony

Jenna as Cho Chang during the sorting ceremony

At one station the kids were instructed to estimate the number of jelly beans (“Bertie Bott’s Beans”) in three different jars. Hayley correctly guessed amount of beans (300) in the largest jar, and won the jar of beans. She’s quite the little math whiz! She was so excited. When she told Brent about it later, she said she “earned” the beans.

Hayley estimates the number of Bertie Bott's Beans in the jar.

Hayley and her prize

Skye enjoys the cauldron cakes, acid pops, licorice wands, and pumpkin juice.

We love the library, and usually go twice a week. The Dyer library does a great job with their programs. It’s nice that we can walk there, too. :-)

Jenna and her second grade teacher, Miss Holland

I was shy before on the first day. On the first day I recognized some of my friends from last year. They were all second graders. We were still multi-age.

When weeks strolled by I started to get to know my class. We celebrated lots of birthdays, did fun stuff on holidays, and we went to lots of field trips (our first fieldtrip was to Snell’s Apple Farm).

Being a second grader is not so difficult, at least, for me. My teacher was Ms Holland. Mrs. Duffy is the school counselor in second grade. I did more things with Mrs. Duffy. She even asked me to be pen pals with her! I knew I’d love to be in second grade.

I spent lots of time with Bryn, a girl in my class (B-r-i-n, you say it like that).

One of my favorite parts of the year is when we went snowshoeing at school. We had about five pajama days! Guess lots of people love wearing p.j.s!

I got good reports every time of year.

I liked going to the art museum next to Dyer Library in Saco. I was so impressed with the art.

At the end of the year I liked going to Burns and meeting my teacher for next year, Mr. Goff. I will be in room number 1. This was my last year at Fairfield. I learned a lot.

She did a fantastic job writing and illustrating her book. She discussed classes of animals, geology and the environment, dietary requirements, evolution, extinction and predation.

While reading her book she skipped the following sentence so as not to offend her classmates or their parents:

None of anything is made by Mother Nature or God. It’s all called Science.

After each pupil read their book the group was allowed one comment and one question. After one boy read about “little stars” Jenna asked, “How do you know the stars are small unless you’ve seen one up close?” Brilliant question, I thought.

Jenna listened as Miss Holland addressed the audience

Jenna read to us a non-fiction book

Jenna read to our group her book, All About Wildlife

Jenna likes the science section best

Jenna and Thomas, a past crush

Jenna and her second grade teacher, Miss Holland

Jenna and I made blueberry muffins for breakfast. We enjoyed the parade at the 36th Annual Old Port Festival before having lunch with Kirsten at the hospital. After lunch the girls played at the Children’s Museum of Maine for several hours. In the evening we ordered pepperoni pizza from Papa John’s and the girls watched a video Jenna selected at Movie Gallery. When Kirsten got home Jenna opened gifts. It was a terrific celebration.

Jenna prefers Jiffy muffins to muffins with real blueberries

Muffins and canteloupe for Jenna's birthday breakfast

Kirsten calls to wish Jenna a happy birthday

Red Claws cheerleaders march in the Old Port Festival parade

Maine Red Claws is a new basketball team in the NBA Development League.

Parade spectators

The Shoestring Theater had many marchers in the parade

Shoestring Theater – A community-based puppet theater in Portland.

Jenna at the Old Port Festival parade

The crowd at the 36th Annual Old Port Festival was huge

Jenna at the Festival

People watching was my favorite Festival activity

An impromptu play at the Children's Museum of Maine

Hop Scotch at the Children's Museum

Soda, pizza in the living room, and a movie on a school night...

Grammy calls to wish Jenna a happy birthday

Jenna's loot! Woot!

Kirsten adds candles to Jenna's cake

Kirsten lights the birthday cake candles

Extinguishing the candles

Kirsten loves her geek

Jenna enjoyed her birthday cake

Dill me in!

What did the teacher say to Gwen when her pencil broke?

Get a penguin!

What do you get when you have a nervous cow?

A milk shake!

She was born in the nineteen thousands. She had her first child in 1999, September 14th. And her next one was June 7th, 2001. Her last one was May 14th, 2003.

She married Brent Jason Danley who she met, I think, in college. She married him a few years before her first child. She changed her last name in 2009 from Danley to Uhler.

She is very special because she is just like me in many ways. I am interested in the human body. And she teaches me lots of interesting things about her social studies for work.

I think my dad will never want to break up with her because he acts like he really likes her.

I love having her around.

My mom is fantastic at cooking. Especially the grilled cheese sandwiches. She cooks almost everything.

I love my mom.

Jenna: What is your favorite zoo animal, and why?

Skye: Bat.

Jenna: What’s the hardest question you can think of?

Skye: The hardest question is the hardest question.

Jenna: What job do you think earns more money?

Skye: Doctors and nurses. People that help people.

Jenna: What’s the farthest place you’ve been from where you’re standing right now?

Skye: Kansas to here.

Jenna: How much do you love yourself?

Skye: A four. Sometimes I do bad things and I don’t think I do really well. I sometimes want to hate myself and kick myself.

Jenna: Where would you live and why?

Skye: On top of a mountain to see the view.

Jenna: Would you rather be a princess or a servant?

Skye: A servant.

Jenna: If you could own anything in the world, what would it be?

Skye: A pop-up machine I made up. You can read about it on the blog.

Jenna: What would you hate most in the world?

Skye: Mosquitos.

Jenna: What’s your favorite holiday, and why?

Skye: Easter, because you can go out in the fresh air and hunt for eggs.

Kirsten: Where is your favorite place to go to visit in Maine?

Jenna: Trails in the forest.

Kirsten: What are you the most scared of?

Jenna: The house at nighttime.

Kirsten: What kind of pet would you get and how would you take care of it?

Jenna: Hamster. Feed it and clean its cage.

Kirsten: What’s most important to you about a friend?

Jenna: Two reasons. You always have to have a person to talk to. They could take care of you.

Kirsten: What are five things you would bring with you if you had to leave and never come back?

Jenna: Pictures, one outfit, a computer, a Harry Potter book, a sleeping bag.

Kirsten: What is the best way to travel?

Jenna: A train.

Kirsten: If you could play any instrument, what would it be?

Jenna: Drum.

Kirsten: What is your favorite super hero?

Jenna: Spider Man.

Kirsten: What is so important about fathers?

Jenna: They keep you safe. They teach you and they play with you and they eat with you and they own you.

Kirsten: What do you like most about school?

Jenna: You make friends there.

Hayley '09

Jenna '09

Skye '09

Hayley made a stuffed fish in her art class. It’s isn’t a fish you could filet and eat for dinner. Nor could it swim in the ocean. It’s mostly made of paper. They drew with oil crayons over the paint. With the red crayon Hayley made lipstick. Then they cut out fish shapes, stapled the edges together and stuffed them with newspaper.

Hayley's stuffed fish (with lipstick)

Jenna’s art teacher, Mrs. Noble, had Jenna’s class make self-portraits for the museum exhibition. Jenna chose the fabric for her shirt because she likes birds and nature. They used paint for the background. Jenna made the mouth small because she doesn’t shout or smile with her teeth showing. She chose long brown hair to match her own. She said to me, “I like putting style into my artwork.”

Jenna's self-portrait

Skye’s art teacher, Mrs. Digregorio, read a book titled “The Fairy House” about a girl who makes a fairy house out of materials she find in nature. Mrs. Digregorio had the fourth graders make their own fairy houses. The materials for Skye’s project were partially gathered from our back woods. Skye’s fairy house has two fairy-size beds, a table with chairs and a spear.

Skye's fairy house