Spirited Woman Blogger Team

Alice Gets a Job at a Science Museum (Go Alice!)

Okay so its summer. Yeah! I got a job doing volunteer work at a children’s science museum. It is all hands on and FUN!

Today I started off by working in the pizza area. It was fun until some of the fake pepperoni got slobbery. Then I went to work in the "orange grove." I helped out with cleaning up oranges after the smallest kids. I played blocks with them. It was really great!

At 12:00 I had my lunch break. I ate and then went to help in the pint-size supermarket. There I restocked the shelves, helped kids use the cash register, and bought cereal to make a kid happy. I also helped kids reach boxes of Nilla Wafers.

During the day we have dance time. In the afternoon there was an animal show. Monday it was reptiles.

This volunteer position is helping me gain experience with all sorts of people. I'm excited that I can give back to a museum that I loved so much when I was little, too. Maybe one day I will do that at Walt Disney World.

When I went for my interview, my mom and I made up this quote to say to the Volunteer Coordinator: “I would like the job because I have only been the president of a company, and I thought some volunteer work would help round out my résumé.” Ha ha! I didn't say it though.

Here is a photo of me with my sister in the pizza station in 2003 when we had family passes to the museum.

XOXOXOXO

- Alice, (The worker)
Click here to read more of Alice's posts.

One Voice Makes a Difference

Last week my mom found a contest to be on the cover of a new magazine for girls. I was very exited to enter! She was ready to enter me in, and I was ready to write an essay, when we read all of the rules. It said nothing about writing, in fact we just had to upload a photo and pay. It seemed like a flat out beauty contest.

Feeling disappointed I decided not to enter the contest. Why didn't they want to know about the girls entering? Girls shouldn't be judged on their outside, no one should, the inside is better!

Later, my mom contacted the company about our thoughts. Today we saw that the magazine changed its rules and now you have to have at least 100 words about yourself. It really made me feel good - like my thoughts were recognized and that I made a difference.

It was also good knowing that other people care no matter your age, what you think. Because even though I can't vote or do many other things I can still do the things children can do and let my voice be heard. So here's to real beauty and being Alice or Rachel or Alex or Michelle or any other name, because we girls matter!

- Alice, The Spirited Kid
Click here to read more of Alice's posts.

If I Were in Charge of the World

Miss Nancy Mills, who runs this website, always tells me I'm going to be President. I say, why stop there?

If I Were in Charge of the World
By Alice

If I were in charge of the world
I'd eat pie
Make peace
Feed the hungry

If I were in charge of the world
There'd be friends
Love
And flowers of life

If I were in charge of the world
You wouldn't be sad
You wouldn't be slow
You wouldn't have to take tests
or quizzes

If I were in charge of the world.

- Alice, The Spirited Kid
Click here to read more of Alice's posts.

Water Dancer by Alice

Each wave sings
    my song
The sand becomes
    my stage
The seagulls are
    my audience
My feet dance
    my dance
The world grows quiet
    as I dance
    alone
        by the sea
        my water dance

- Alice, The Spirited Kid
Click here to read more of Alice's posts.

Amazing by Alice

My friend Lauren is going away to dance camp this summer. She is an amazing dancer! Lauren, this one's for you!

AMAZING
by Alice

Blink
Just to clear your eyes
Smile
Just to open your mind
Wish
Just to have some hope
Sleep
Just so you can dream
Listen
Just to hear the air
Laugh
Just to hear your voice
Bloom
Just to touch the sky
Dance
Just to be amazing!

You can see a blurry video of Lauren dancing with all her spirit here:

- Alice, The Spirited Kid
Click here to read more of Alice's posts.

Achieving a Goal AND It's the Last Week of School

This was my moment, my time. When the principal called my name. I walked up on stage feeling like 100 pounds were lifted off me (I think the word is proud.) More than happy, I knew I had excelled past my goal. I had three goals this school year: to get all honors (all A's and 1 B), break 30 minutes running a 5k and earn the Presidential Fitness award.

On of my goals was achieved very early in cross country season. I broke 30 minutes on my 5k at my second meet. That goal changed into breaking 25 minutes. The second to last meet of the season I got 24.28 minutes. One goal down!

** End of Trimester 1: **
1 goal completed
Straight A's
Lots of stress

The second trimester was a blend of work test, quiz, quiz, quiz, test, BIG TEST (school in a nutshell).

** End of Trimester 2: **
Straight A's

The Last Trimester in a peanut shell:

Bathing Suit Baffler

Mike Merzenich, a neuroscience professor at the University of California at San Francisco, creates video games to keep aging brains nimble. We all know Spirited women are quick thinkers! So I've designed a quick but fun game I am calling "Bathing Suit Baffler" to welcome in summer. I saw something similar in a magazine and thought it was so cool.

The Bikini Challenge: find two "N's"

Sweet One-Piece Beauty: Now find a "d"

- Alice, The Spirited Kid
Click here to read more of Alice's posts.

Windows of Hope

While I look out my old apartment window I see a city in between. In between
destroyed and clean. Then the window changes into 2 parts. The parts are
clean and destroyed.

The destroyed part has the lake I walk by every day. It is polluted from an
oil spill. Next to it is an oil factory. The trashcans are all empty. The
trash litters around the cans like planets around the sun. The small little
area that was once filled with trees has been chopped down. It is hard to
see it anyway because of the layer of smog covering the city the way a heavy
fog might.

On the other side of the window I see the same city. Well, I think it is the
same city, anyway. There is a wind farm in place of the gas plant. The lake
is clear and sparkling in the sun (which is visible because the smog is
gone). The trees are back and they are being used as a wildlife education
center. There is no trash in the trash cans, but the recycling bins are
full.

This side of the window holds hope. This window is what we need everywhere.
The Earth needs our help. The little steps we take are good, but everybody
needs to open their window -- their window of hope.

- Alice, The Spirited Kid
Click here to read more of Alice's posts.

A Little About My Name

Hello spirited women! Another week already? Wow last week went by fast. It's almost time for summer which means it is HOT in Florida. Enough about the weather though. Let's talk about me. Does that sound self-centered or what? I was doing some research at http://parenting.ivillage.com/namefinder about what my name means a while ago and here is what I found out and how it relates to me.

Alice means...
Noble - I think I am noble. I try to be. I think I am. Am I??? Yes.
Bold - I am bold because I am a leader sometimes. I take a breathe and try to stay strong.
Fearless - Interesting, I'm still afraid of ghosts and stuff. I do deal with many fears every day though.
Grace - That one is iffy. When I run you could call that grace. Not as much when I dance. I do trip on air sometimes.
Truth - I am always truthful in the end. Lies get you nowhere special. I try to be truthful from the start.

Spirited - This wasn't on the name list but I am. I AM I AM I AM. I'M A SPIRITED WOMAN!!!

I was named for the character from "Alice in Wonderland." I do space out and go off into my thoughts and my mom calls that my Wonderland. I don't talk to white rabbits and happy cats there, but I wish I did!

So I guess my name is really me. Cool huh? Try to see how your name's definition resembles you.

LOVE LOVE LOVE and always LOVE,

- Alice, The Spirited Kid
Click here to read more of Alice's posts.

(Photo caption: Alice dressed as Alice meets Alice, March 2008)

The Little Things

Sometimes we need to remember the little things that make a big difference. Here are a few examples.

I. Wash your hands. Who hasn't heard of swine flu? We could have been protected from this infectious disease if a few people just remembered to wash their hands. Do you know that lots and lots of kids at school wouldn't get colds as frequently if people just remembered to wash their hands? Hand germs go everywhere!

2. Pick up the Microtrash. My school starts at pre-school for 3-year-olds and goes through high-school. The great man in charge of it all is our Headmaster. He's even the principal's boss! And our Headmaster has made it clear that he expects us to help pick up the Microtrash around school - those little items that get forgotten like the corner scraps of paper or food wrapper bits. How has he made it clear? By doing it himself. When I see him walk around campus, I see him step-step-bend over to get Microtrash - step-step-pick-up trash. He sets a great example.

3. Turn the light on when you make breakfast. This seems silly, but when I eat breakfast on school days it's right when I wake up in the morning and I am still a little out of it. Today I didn't turn the light on, so I could stay in my sleepy state, and I accidentally poured OJ in my cereal instead of milk! Peanut Butter Bumpers are delicious, but peanut butter mixed with orange is not! Anyway, this is a little thing about ME I'll focus on.

Each Spirited Woman out there can pick a little thing they do that they want to change and if you change a little thing each day you'll build your confidence each day. In running, we call this a "fartlek." That sounds like a gross word, but it's Swedish for "speed play." When I run I look ahead for a small landmark, like a stop sign, and tell myself I'll run my fastest to that spot and then slow down a bit. Once I catch my breath I look ahead for the next spot and run my fastest over there. It builds up aerobic capacity.

Sometimes making a BIG change or BIG goal seems hard, so break it into little steps and make the little things count. You'll be moving forward to where you want to be in no time!

- Alice, The Spirited Kid
Click here to read more of Alice's posts.

(photo caption: Alice sprints to the finish line of a 5k, April 2009)