Tuesday 11 December 2007

Proud Mum :)

Sometimes life can be just fantastic!

To give you some background info... Krystal (15) has had a really hard year this year... she had her cell phone stolen by a school bully, she was put into a class of what the school called 'behavioural' kids and generally was fairly miserable for the first 6 months of the year... BUT through it all she her persevered, stuck with her studies and did everything she could to earn good grades and it's REALLY paid off!!!

We ran into her social studies teacher in town on the weekend and he told me that he nominated her for the social studies award for Year 10!! She also found out that she came 2nd in graphic design (by one mark!) and 3rd in business studies!!! Go Krystal!!! I'm so proud of her!!!

We also got a very cool letter from the high school inviting her to do Cambridge Maths next year. I'm still not really clear on what exactly that is but according to her teacher it's a really BIG thing... she was really excited when the letter came and assured me that the $120 fee will be 'well worth it'.

Over the past 10 days she's been working on a science project that I wasn't allowed to see... she completely banned me from the garage but I could hear sawing, cutting and banging so let me tell you that the curiosity was getting high!! Then she came and borrowed my crop-o-dile!!! She promised me she wouldn't break it and I have received it back in perfect condition :)

Then this morning it was time for the big reveal... all I can say is WOW WOW WOW!!! I knew she was talented and creative but this really blew me away:

The design brief was to create something for the science garden made out of recycled materials. Apparently lots of people made bird houses, tin men etc but not my girl! When Krystal does something it's usually done on a grand scale and this is no exception. The board was painted and then she glued milk bottle lids to make a stream. She 'found' some blue grout (thanks Auntie!) and some cement (thanks Dave!) and made her own 'mixture' to grout all the bottle lids to the board.

Then she made the trunk of the tree out of old plastic plant pots and 'wrapped the pots with chicken wire. Next she cut up some cans, punched holes and wired them around the chicken wire. Into the top she put an old umbrella that she stripped before cutting HEAPS of leaves out of drink cans, punched holes (that's where the crop-o-dile came in) and then tied each one individualy with fishing line!

I've lost count of how many times we've been to the recycling centre but it was totally worth it to see Krystal so excited this morning! This project is HUGE and it really looks fab! It was a bit windy this morning and all the leaves were swirling and tinkling in the wind. Her science teacher was extremely impressed and has asked Krystal if he can keep it permanently for a sculpture in his science lab!

So after a rough 6 months Krystal has learned a lot about herself... and she's learned to work hard even when she didn't really feel like it... she's shown determination, perseverance and tenacity and I'm just bursting with pride!!! Prize giving is on Thursday morning and I'm definitely going to be there!!!

18 comments:

  1. That is just awesome Shell - proves to herself that the hard yakka can bring grand results. The sculpture is beautiful.

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  2. The sculpture is so WOW! Its so good to hear she stuck to her guns with school and study even tho things were tough at the start. Now shes being rewarded for it. Its so good to get a rewarded after all your hard work, i think it makes you push all the more to strive. GO MISS 15!

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  3. Oh, this post made me smile!!! That is absolutely fantastic! Way to go, Krystal ... what an awesome attitude, keep it up girl!
    LOVE that sculpture, what talent she has!!

    You have every right to be proud, Shell!

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  4. Yay for Krystal! That sculpture is so very cool.

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  5. Oh wow what a cool sculpture but even cooler what a fab girl you have Shell! You must feel so proud! And as for the lessons your daughter has learned - perseverance and positive attitude even through the hard bits, that's a big big lesson and so worth their weight in gold and how wonderful she learnt the value so young in her life and no even gets rewarded for it!

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  6. Way to go Krystal, that is just so amazing....you can tell her that i pay for one of those to go into our garden...We think she is really talented and way to go on the perserverance and seeing it all out! You totally deserve to be one proud mum!

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  7. WOW Shell!!!! What an awesome girl you have you...you have EVERY reason to be ever so proud of her!! Yay for you, Krystal!!:-D

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  8. That is so fantastic Shell. And go Krystal. She has the world at her feet with an attitude like that. I can imagine how hard the first 6 months were both for her and you and now she has come out of it with such an awesome attitude.
    I too think the sculpture is totally awesome!!! A very talented girl.

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  9. Wow, that is just awesome work. You have every right to be proud of your girl. And this has proved to her that she can do it too and that she is above the school bullies. Way to go :)

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  10. wow - this is gorgeous - awesome work Krystal

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  11. Shell that's fantastic - no wonder you're bursting with pride. Way to go Krystal all your hard work has paid off and your Science project is simply gorgeous.

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  12. LOL the Anonymous comment was from me Ruth!

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  13. That is just wonderful, SHell! I hope you have some tissues with you for the puddles in your eyes. I think that your daughter has set herself up really well for her first year of NCEA and she can be really proud of ther attitude to her schoolwork

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  14. What an awesome girl. I totally LOVE her project. She can be justifiably proud & so can you.
    Isn't life funny how adversity can bring something positive?

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  15. Wow that is one amazing creation! Well done Krystal! I wonder where Krystal gets her creativity from?! Awesome back up support Shell, all those trips to the recycling centre were definitely worth it!

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  16. Wow Shell, that is soooo cool. WTG Krystal!

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  17. That is amazing! Go her - when the going gets tough, the tough get going :)

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Thanks, Shell xx