The Jespersen Family: A little bit about Jane

Ok, time to change things up around here. I've got to get our memories written down so I'm going to stop worrying about how much I've missed and be okay with unedited phone pictures.

Jane just finished first grade. She liked her teacher, Mrs. Watters, but felt like she was a little strict. Jane would often get sent to her desk for talking or being silly. She made some great friends in her class. She always had something to say about Addie. We had Addie over for a play date and they laughed the ENTIRE time. She was also friends with Jules. Jane said they were three peas in a pod. Unfortunately half of the students will be going to a newly built elementary school next year, and Jules is in that group. Matt always asks Jane if she traded any food at school. One day we had given her Pirate Booty in her lunch and apparently that was a hot item. She told us, "I had a FEAST today." She really stretched her Pirate Booty far and got many things from different people.

7.5 years old!

Midway through the year she complained that school was boring and that they only learned about math and reading. Then, during the second half of the year she told me, "We're finally learning about the earth and the sun!" Then she got a sly smile, nodded her head, and said, "Now it's on my side." She loves to learn about nature and science. She often makes drawings or books of drawings with all sorts of facts in it about plants or animals. Recently she has started watching Scigirls on PBS and can't wait to start a nature club of her own someday. As she watches the show she takes lots of notes and pictures. One day she asked me for a box. Next thing I know she had cut it into a big rectangle, folded it into thirds and pasted her notes on it like a 6th grade science project. I took her with me to a walking trail so I could run and she could ride her bike. She ended up down by the river, where among some litter she found two plastic bags. She filled both bags to the brim with trash she found around the river. She was so excited to be saving the earth and the river animals from getting hurt.

Watching Scigirls, taking notes, and helping with Pete.
She read a book about Jane Goodall and loved it. She was excited to see that Jane's love of gorillas started with a stuffed gorilla she got when she was very little, and that Jane Goodall still has it today. Jane was excited because she loves her stuffed ducky and is always concerned about wanting to keep it forever. She still has a huge fascination with birds. She says she wants to be an animal scientist or that she wants to save the world. She told me that she didn't want to get married until she was 30 because she wants to adventure around the world.

Still loves ducks

She LOVES to draw. She just loves it. One day we walked outside to find her with all her papers and markers sitting in front of our iris flowers drawing them. I have recently gotten her some "How to Draw" books. She goes through them quite quickly.

Drawing her Iris

Jane loves her bracelet loom. She makes lots of designs and on this day she came down with the word "loom" taped to her shirt.

She also loves her melty beads. She finds patterns online and also makes up her own.

One day Jane was running around with a big stick and I told her to be careful or she was going to spear someone. She asked what I meant and I told her. She said, "That's IMPALE." Today she was so excited to tell me how she saved the life of a worm. She saw a bird pulling a worm out of the ground and scared the bird away. Then she moved the worm to safe ground and said it was ok.

Jane played queen when some boys were over. She had a bodyguard and heroes to fight for her kingdom.

Back in January we were at the Sabins house on a Sunday. Jane and Max were playing upstairs and we heard her screaming out of the blue. Matt and I were both slow to react as emotional outbursts are pretty commonplace. But then we heard her scream, "Help me! There is so much blood coming from my head!" She had bopped in really hard and sure enough there was A LOT of blood. She immediately started asking, "Do I have to go to the hospital?" She really didn't want to go but once we explained that she was, indeed, going to have to go, she ended up being brave. She ended up with seven stitches.

Jane recently started playing soccer. She has a fantastic coach. The team decided to name themselves the Pink Pandas. So they all wear pink shoe laces, a pink bandana headband and painted their nails pink. The coach (male) paints one fingernail pink for every goal that they score in their game each week. The girls thought it was wildly funny. Some games she will really try but other games she is so distracted and uninterested. We have to yell at her just to look in the direction of the ball. She scored her very first goal ever a couple weeks ago and was very excited. She played last year too but they didn't win a single game. So it is at least fun that this year her team hasn't lost a single game so far. I'm hoping she'll get more into sports as she gets older. Im thinking track and field may be more her style. She loves to run fast for short distances. She was so proud to come in 2nd place in a sprint against all 1st grade girls at Field Day.

Soccer time

I'm happy to have her home for the summer. She's quite helpful with Pete. She also helps me to entertain Jack. If Hank and Pete are both asleep that might mean that I might, MIGHT get a nap someday.