Such a bittersweet day—our last day of 6th grade. We started most mornings with a cozy breakfast, sometimes a surprise, and always a Bible verse to set the tone. From there, we’d ease in with bellwork, warm-ups, and of course, daily writing. You tackled fun and challenging grammar using the four levels, and you learned 147 stems! We refined five-paragraph essays, practiced critical reading strategies, and worked through math until mastery—moving from struggles to confidence.
Many days, I didn’t feel well. I had to lie down again after we started, but I showed up. And you did, too. You had your own challenges as we searched for the right ADHD support. I wrestled with the idea of medication, but we finally found the right fit—and what a difference that made. It was hard, but necessary, to face how ADHD affects everyday life.
You kept writing your book about Blosl—you’re on chapter 3 already! You read nearly a book a week, wrote daily, and in March, something special happened: Aunt Connie moved to Arizona. That bond between you two has blossomed beautifully. Weekly art days with her have become something you both treasure, and I know they’ve added a layer of joy and creativity to your weeks.
We also made the brave decision to leave the COOP mid-year, and I know now it was absolutely the right choice. This shift brought us closer—more like sisters, really. We’re entering 7th grade not just older, but stronger, wiser, and more connected.
This summer, we’ll keep going with history, math, and your favorite: reading. And of course, you’ll keep writing your book.
Here is an example of a final writing assignment. We watched an episode of the Twilight Zone and I had her write:
Sometimes, getting everything you want isn’t actually as fun as it sounds.
In A Nice Place to Visit, an episode from The Twilight Zone, a man named Rocky thinks he’s in Heaven because he gets everything he asks for—like money, girls, and winning every game. But soon, he realizes that having everything all the time is actually really boring. The episode teaches that too many worldly pleasures can feel empty and annoying after a while. Things like fame, riches, and being popular may sound amazing, but they don’t always lead to real happiness.
At the start of the episode, Rocky dies during a robbery and wakes up in a fancy place with anything he wants. A man named Pip tells him he’s in “the good place,” and Rocky is super excited. He asks for beautiful girls, a cool apartment, and tons of money. And he gets it all right away. At first, he thinks it’s awesome. He never loses a game, he always wins, and everyone loves him. But after a while, Rocky starts to get tired of everything going his way.
The girls around him don’t feel real. They just do whatever he wants. The money doesn’t mean anything because he doesn’t have to work for it. Even when he tries gambling, he always wins, and that takes away the fun. Rocky realizes that when life is too perfect, it’s not really living at all. There’s no challenge, no excitement, and nothing to look forward to. He starts to feel bored and even a little sad.
By the end of the episode, Rocky begs Pip to send him to “the other place” because he can’t stand being in this so called paradise. Then Pip laughs and says, “This is the other place.” That’s the big twist. What Rocky thought was Heaven was actually his version of Hell. It shows that too much of a good thing—like money, fame, and girls can become the worst thing ever. Without hard work or meaning, all those things don’t make you truly happy.
So, even though A Nice Place to Visit starts off looking like a dream, it actually turns into a nightmare. The episode shows that worldly pleasures might seem fun, but they get old and tiring when they’re too easy to get. At first, Rocky loved the idea of a perfect life. But in the end, he learned that real joy comes from the ups and downs, not from always getting your way.
I love you, Tot. I’m so proud of who you are becoming.