4th of July

Emily was busy with a variety of camps during the month of June - art, soccer, karate, hip hop yoga, and Chinese culture. Among all of these, she says that karate was her favorite, followed by Chinese culture.

The week of karate culminated in a demonstration for the parents in which she broke a board with her hand and did a pattern. She loved the feeling of power, I think. As you can see, she is sporting a cute little bob, which is a big change from her long hair. She loves the new style and we can't believe how well it fits her face and personality.

The first leg of our giant road trip is complete and we are camping out (not literally) in Minnesota for a few weeks. Emily has already been to the lake and the waterpark for swimming, to the Mall of America for rides, and to her first ever fireworks and parade to celebrate the 4th of July.

Late night selfie, waiting for the show to start

One of our stops was at a local ice cream shop where she got ice cream with sprinkles. When a little girl next to her got upset that Emily had sprinkles and she didn't, Emily went over to her and said, "If you are upset, maybe you should meditate. I can teach you how." The parents laughed at how cute the suggestion was, but the girl wanted nothing to do with it. Can't blame her for trying, I suppose.

All zen at the ice cream shop

Next week, however, things will slow down a bit as she and Abbie spend two weeks in camp. The topic for next week? Examining where science ends and art begins. Could be a total flop, but also could be really great. I'll keep you posted.