Preteen A award

My oldest, Preteen A, has won her second award this year for her writing. Earlier this year she won and award from D.A.R.E. for her essay written on what DARE has taught her. Last night we had dinner at The Crown Plaza hotel in honor of her nomination for her CHARACTER Counts essay. All the students her given a choice of 50 quotes/words of wisdom and then had to write an essay to apply that phrase to their life. She chose "Fall down seven times, stand up eight" Only 4 students were picked from each school in the county. I am a proud momma bear.

Here is her essay, which could not be any more than 500 words.

Fall seven times, Stand up eight
One day I was asleep in my midnight black room when I suddenly awoke because something was licking my face. When I awoke there was a chocolate black horse with a chestnut brown spot on it's back in my room. I ran out of my room and into my parent’s room. I asked my parents why there was a horse in my room. They exclaimed "because we got it for free and we know you always wanted one." I told them, yeah, but I don't know how to ride a horse! This is why they also bought me lessons.

I asked when I could ride the horse. I was told that I had to come up with a name and that my riding instructor was waiting outside. I had decided to name her Kogoma and I went outside for my lesson. First I need to show you the basics, my instructor informed me. So I'll show you how to mount the horse. First, go get the saddle out of the barn. Now that you have the saddle place it upon the horse's back. Then you need to strap it on. After, you do that you need to get on her. What do you do when you get on I wanted to know. You kick her side and she'll start to run.

When I got on Kogoma she got on her hind legs and I fell off! I wanted to give up but my instructor convinced me to get back on because if I didn't than I would never learn anything. So I got back on and Kogoma kicked me off again! I got back on about seven times before I finally got the hang of it. At the end of the day I put Kogoma in the stables and ran inside to bed.

After school I ran outside to the stables and got Kogoma. My mom told me I had to paint Kogoma’s name on the stable door I drew a red heart with an arrow going through it on the door. After I was done I saddled up Kogoma and got on. But when I got on, Kogoma stood on her hind legs and I fell off again! I fell off about seven times again but finally I got the hang of it again! I told myself that no matter how many times I fall off I will always get back up. Now I am a pro horse jumper. If I hadn’t listened to my instructor and gave up I would have never won millions, & millions of dollars.

From that day forward, every time I helped my friends do something they always wanted to quit on the first try and I never let them I always made them try harder to get it and they always got it eventually. Because I always stuck to the saying Fall seven times, Stand up eight.

I think I have a little author on my hands!!!!

On another note, this JOB thing that I started on Monday is really cutting into my internet addiction...