Diary - June 2024

June 2, 2024 - Dad's words

Today Dad told me about how I should listen to my teachers more. I got distracted for 1 second, and he started saying "If you don't listen to your coach, you will go from being a main defender to secondary defender. From there, you might even become backup defender!" 

I really was trying to listen, but there's this thing that kind of stops me from. I think I have slight symptoms of ADHD. ADHD is when you can't sit still, and you are more of an outdoor person for sports. But my classmate YUSEF's case is more different. His fingers can't stay still, probably because he is really good at gaming.

SIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIKE!

Mom actually said this. Sorry.

________________________________

Dad also said a similar thing about me having to WANT to get better, and that could help if I wanted to get better. But, of course there had to be some violence and some apologies. That's almost his number 1 rule.

June 6, 2024 - happy

Today I won my first chess game since June 2nd!! And on June 2nd, I beat a 500. Not much of an achievement, but a ton for a 100 rated. 

Anyways, I actually had a conversation with a person from El Salvador. They speak spanish (I searched that up) and they look a lot like Brazilians, who are OP at soccer. So, I thought he was Brazilian.

I barly won by a slip of luck – he blundered his bishop in the opening. If it weren't for that, I could have lost. He was very good at his middle game, and I should work on "how to push a promote a pawn without it being taken along the way and all the while not pick your nails" lesson. I would love to see that lesson come up in chess.com.

That would be awesome.

june 7, 2024 - school

Today I went back to school to learn. Apparently, I still had homework, math and language arts (too bad!), and that wasn't the worst part–THEY FORGOT TO SAVE A DONUT FOR ME!! :(

Also, dad told me to read something coach Geo typed to dad. It wrote about him, for the first games, he was excited to watch us play. He said it was crucial that we go by his teaching philosophy and not to argue with the ref and no sliding. 

Then, he stated (to the parents) that the thing we were learning (building out of the back) is very hard, and even his college players have trouble with it! Imagine 9-year olds doing it, and all the times they with fail!

ALSO, remember this. I'm putting this here so I don't forget (and in "SOCCER" too). When it's HOME, wear blue top, black shorts, and black socks. When AWAY, bring grey top, grey shorts, and grey socks. Just in case, always bring both no matter if it is HOME or AWAY.

June 8, 2024 - soccer games

Today I played 2 soccer games, one at 9:00, one at 1:30. It was tiring to wake up at 7:20, getting ready for soccer. And when I got there, I had to change uniforms because not everybody had their jerseys. I didn't have my number 24!

In the first game, I did good in passing, but not in tight spaces. I kept losing the ball when it was in a squishy situation. I lost 2 goals because of this. Other than this (passing quickly), I did well on. 

In the second game against Crossfire C, I didn't lose any goals. The only goal we got scored on wasn't because of me, I was on the bench! I did well in keeping the ball and in switching the ball to Luke, the other defender.

I think I didn't do my best in the first game of keeping the ball, but I definatly made that up in the second game. I did everything right, and I didn't let anyone past me.

June 9, 2024 - tiredness

Today I had a soccer game at 8:00!! I had to wake up at 6:30 to get ready for the game. Not everybody was there, but I wasn't the last. 4 people were after me.

In the game, we were against Crossfire RCL 4 (D), not very good. In the first game  we were supposed to have a harder game, but the first game was easier. Today's wasn't easy. Yes, we had the advantage 3 - 0, but those players made a comeback! I was specifically targeting a player named Noah, but he was good and wasn't going to back down. 

I feel sorry for the C team when Noah got pushed down by me. I had to because he was faster than me, he had more skill, so I had to stop him. I only thought on pushing down, and didn't have time to think of anything else. 

Apparently that wasn't good, because they got a free kick. This happened again, and miraculously, both missed. The referee told me if I pushed someone down again, it would be a yellow card. 

Anyways, we won 3 - 2. I have to say, their comeback was very well done, and I don't think the C team would have pulled it off. They even said "We should be happy, because we did better than the C team!", and I would have just gotten angry.

June 10, 2024 - managing my temper

Today mom and dad figured out that I broke the iPad a little. They were mad, but they thought I broke the entire thing, including the big crack that was wedged into the iPad. I didn't do that! I wasn't even at school to witness whoever did the big crack!

When Kyle broke the iPad, it slipped out from his hands. but when I broke it, I hit it on my knee a few times and it cracked. Dad says I'm a talented kid and all, but I have to manage my temper. He says I have to have the right attitude when doing things or else I might get mad and get out-of-control.

I should develop some techniques to cool down and stay calm. Maybe 10 deep breathes, 15? Then I can do 10 push-ups to get all the extra energy off my body, maybe. That should probably help...

Maybe not, though.

June 11, 2024 - soccer

Today I got mad when I didn't do well at a certain soccer move. I think it was "push-stop" and "tick-tock-tock stop push". They aren't hard to do, I just have the wrong habit for both of them.

I'm used to doing a short stop and a change of direction (credit to Coach Sam) and not a full stop on the ball. I don't think of stopping the ball fully as good because it takes more time, and it gives the opponent more time, too. Not like that is a bad thing, I just think a short stop is better than a full stop.

Anyways, Dad said we would do this most days, and I couldn't escape it, like chess. Dad figured out I do extra math to not play chess, and he made me play a chess game today. I won, but I still feel like I am bad at chess and can't calculate over 3 moves forward.

June 12, 2024 - excited

ARGGGGGH! I can't wait to share my leadership binder with mom and dad! They would probably be proud of my achievements in all of my tests, but maybe not dad. He might used this chance as an opportunity for teaching me.

This year, instead of just sharing the leadership binder with your parents, you make a presentation, and you use the presentation to help you present, kind of like a tripod stand holds up the camera (bad example), or like how a cane helps people stand and walk.

ALSO, we are gathered up in different places, plus your parents come in person. In the earlier years, our parents joined a zoom meeting with us, and we shared the binders. I guess Third Grade is just different!

Since I covered everything about tomorrow TODAY, I will talk about being excited for summer break or not. If you think the answer is simple, that's not the case. I actually like WINTER better! Also, I hate summer camps, so yeah.

June 13, 2024 - summer break?

I don't like summer break. Yes, you get the excuse to eat ice cream and drink soda, but it can get overwhelmingly hot, and that's when you know you've made a bad decision going outside. If it is, like, 100ºF, you could get a heat stroke or even start boiling, since 75% of your body is water! Maybe not, though.

I like winter better, because you get to go skiing, sledding, drinking hot cocoa, and don't forget something! I'll give you a hint: 🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻 Do you get it? Free presents! Also, since my birthday is in February, it's right after winter. So, I get double the presents in a short period of time!

In summary, Summer is good for ice cream (yum) and soda, but I still favor winter. In winter, you can go to places like Australia and France for break. In summer, your parents think the weather is good, so you don't go anywhere.

WINTER RULES!!!

June 16, 2024 - IMPROVEMENTS

Today I went to soccer practice, where everything was a total mess. Coach Geo said everybody was joking around, and nobody was really focused on the scrimmage that was going on. Well, we did play, but it "wasn't our A game", as Coach Sam would probably say.

After I reviewed the scrimmage, I think I could have worked on dribbling forward, rushing to the player that is about to receive the ball, scanning the field for other passing options, rushing forward to attack MYSELF, and to not dive in right away, because if I do, the defender can just get past me either way. And I personally typed this, not dad, just to let you know. Also, I have to want to work hard to get better, because nobody else can force me to, and I have to decide.

When I watched a YouTube video, and it said I have to pressure the attacker until they are about an arm's reach away, to get side-on with the attacker (surfboard style), not to dive in right away, and stay until the attacker takes a directional touch one way or the other. All of that is right, but dad said it in a way that made feel like an idiot for not remembering.

Oh wait a second. Dad is talking about me... I'll be back...

Today is Father's Day. I love him so much for he cares about my education so much. I kissed him again and again. What a happy day! 

P.S. DAD WROTE THAT!!!

June 17, 2024 - Last day of school!

Today I had to give out 11 notes and rulers to the various people that dad said I had to give. Last night, I spent an hour just writing the cards! Also, I had some help from AI, but it didn't help the soreness of my hand.

Also, at Field Day, I had a weird water balloon fight. Everybody was throwing water balloons, and they didn't care if you had your hands up or not. I did, and all I wanted was a green water balloon! But then, my friend Kyle from 4th grade threw 2 water balloons at my feet, and my shoes are soaking. Also, Rayden poured a water balloon down my back!

I also had a secret strategy to get more snow cones. See, every kid only gets 2, and I thought we should get more. So, I grabbed a water balloon, exploded it on my wrist (where thay were marking the snow cones we got), and I scratched off the marks, and I got 4 snow cones in total. Also, Ivan explained it to me, because when he was in first grade, he got the idea.

June 18, 2024 - sad times

Today I played a chess game that I should have won SO BADLY. I was winning a knight in the middlegame, and won another knight, and then traded off some pieces, lost one of my knights, and almost won the entire THING!!!!

So, I started off with a good opening, and my opponent made a mistake with 2. Nf6, because after I captured the pawn and they captured with the knight, I pushed e4, and I had both central pawns, and I had the most pieces in the center.

In the middlegame, his knight was almost trapped, so I waited until he made a mistake: 11. ... N8a6 blocked the his knight's only escape square, and I trapped the knight. I won another one with: 16. Rxa6, and I was up 2 whole minor pieces!

In the ENDGAME, thought, things started to get messy. I first lost one of my knights, and then I only had 1 left. I promoted into a queen, but in the process of checkmating, I lost a queen and a rook. :(    But, when I was about to promote another one, I accidentally STALEMATED!!!

June 19, 2024 - happy

Today I finished 3 things in the morning, which is good, because that meant I had more time to play in the afternoon. That is good, because EVEN THOUGH I DID 8 THINGS YESTERDAY, I ONLY GOT TO PLAY 20 MINUTES!!! That is just SAD.

In soccer, I was 9 juggles away from beating my high score, and if you do the math that is 27 juggles I did today! That is hard, I tell you. I don't even know HOW I did 35 juggles! I think every 2 weeks of practice, it seems like I go up 10+ juggles! Hmm...*

Chinese was really easy, and it didn't take a ton of time, either. Piano took some time, because I had to warm up my hands first and then play the pieces. Soccer was hard, and I didn't get 30 juggles, but I was 3 away from it. Then, me and Kyle played frisbee.

I think I deserve to get time to play, because all the year, we get only 2.5 months of rest from school and everything else. I deserve it, you deserve it, but I still have to do 4 things a day, so I deserve it more. 

Heh heh heh.

*The key is practice!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

What should I do when attacking with a ball:

• I should dribble the ball up the field when I have it

What should I do when teammates are attacking:

• I should run in front of them, and eventually they will pass to me

How to defend:

• I should run up to the player receiving the ball before he gets.

• I should stay about an arm's reach from him

• I should get between him and the ball when he takes a touch, and get my arm across his body.

June 20, 2024 - summer break

I feel summer camps are no fun. First of all, if I go to a soccer camp, I will be too overpowered, because of my normal training. If I go so something like a biking camp, I can't even bike a full mile! If I go to a hiking and swimming one, I will get too out-of-breath, because I suck at swimming, and I would drown the 3rd or 4th time I go swimming.

I like going on vacation more, because summer break is all about having time to play with your family, like going to the beach, or to London, or Tokyo, or Beijing, something fun like that. I would say everybody likes going on vacations and relaxing in a hotel with air conditioning more that biking 2 miles in the blistering sun, right?

YES  / NO / n/a  

Dad, you better write here ↓ if you like it or not!!!

(write here, dad...

June 21, 2024 - good day

Today It was an unexciting day. I finished 4 things at 2:20, and I'm doing the third thing. Nothing fun happened, except in my chess game. Things were going crazy, with unBELIEVABLE misses, CRAZY moves, and NOTHING WAS BY THE NORMAL RULES OF CHESS!

The first 5 or so moves were opening moves that I knew, but when the opponent blundered their knight, I DIDN'T EVEN SEE IT! I just went back to castling and developing when I finally noticed. The opponent also did, and they saved their knight. After that move, all her pawns in the kingside started marching toward me, and then they stopped.

In the endgame (with queens), I was about to win a bishop if I did the right moves. Instead, their queen moved onto the square which my pawn could take on! I missed it the first time and went for the bishop, but the opponent also missed it, and I took their queen. 

Yaaaaaay!!! Yaaaaaay!!! Yaaaaaay!!! Yaaaaaay!!! Yaaaaaay!!! Yaaaaaay!!! Yaaaaaay!!! Yaaaaaay!!! Yaaaaaay!!! Yaaaaaay!!! Yaaaaaay!!! Yaaaaaay!!! 

So, instead of losing, I won! And now, I'm not that scared of losing any points, because like mom and dad say, "Points don't matter. What matters is that you try your hardest, work your hardest, and you keep going until the end."

June 22, 2024 - inside-out 2

Yesterday I went to watch Inside-Out 2 at Cinemark in Bellevue. I thought is was going to be really boring, but it was otherwise. After the movie dad said I was like the main character, Riley. Dad said I have emotions, and I can't let the emotions take over me.

Dad said if I don't stop emotions from taking over me, I could be in serious trouble. He said I would always have bad temper, have big mood swings, and be crazy and out of control. Nobody wants to be that! So, I came up with some things to help me control my temper:

• Taking deep breaths when I feel like a Coca Cola bottle with a mentos in it so I don't explode

• Trying to avoid saying bad things when I do explode, and think about rainbows, lollipops, etc

• Pinching myself and thinking about other than what I'm mad about to divert my attention

June 24, 2024 - robotics camp

Today was my first day of robotics camp! The place was very clean and interesting, which is very unusual, as all the street restaurants and shops and public services (e.g. cleaning company HQ's, street Thai food, and more).

The robot-making took up the entire time, excluding lunch and breaks. The robot we build is called a Clawbot IQ, which is supposed to be able to go forward, backward, left and right. But, it also has claws that can grab onto objects, such as balloons, soccer balls, rubber balls, beach balls, and basically anything that is round and not too heavy (not over 1.5 pounds).

I made my robot's base in the morning, and I had battles with others, and mine was pretty good! Lunch was terrible,* and in the afternoon I built most of the rest, which is the claws, the claw attaching thingy, and a rack to hold the item after the claw brings it to the back.

Here is an image of it:   |   |   |           |

*I only got to eat a slice of bread, a slice of cheese, and a banana!                                                                      ↓           ↓           ↓           ↓

June 25, 2024 - robotics again

Today I went to robotics camp again, equipped with a full lunch and snacks. I finished building my robot really early so I could test out my robot's ability to pick up and put things in the back hold. 

The robot was hard to build, and it took me about 6 hours. The robot has 2 motors connected to the wheels, 1 for the claw, and 1 for the lift. Also there is a button behind the claw thing, if you look closely, and I added a light sensor to make my robot look more colorful. My driving skills also helped, since I was used to playing video games on a Nintendo switch, which is exactly like the controller for the robot.*

You won't believe how many Hi-chews I earned answering questions right: 4!**That was more than anybody, and what can I say? I'm just really smart! :)

*The controller has 4 buttons, but it doesn't have the crossy-thingy that the Nintendo has.

**When I say "7!" I don't mean 24, but 7 with a "!" after it.

June 26, 2024 - COdes

Today I first tested my robot out in pick things up. It got an A+ on that. Then, I moved on to coding. I had to code the robot to do a full perimeter of a rectangle. That was hard, seeing that my wheels always overturned, and I couldn't figure out which degrees to turn it.

After I finished the perimeter, I had to do the lawnmower. The lawnmower challenge is basically the perimeter of the rectangle, but you have to zigzag in the middle of the rectangle. It is only a little harder, because all you need is some extra time. The middle zigzag pattern has only 3 "L"'s, so you can make one L and repeat it 3 times. The degrees you turn is easy, because in the first one you already figured out which degrees. It isn't a lot harder.

In robot tag, I won twice, but I gave one Hi-Chew (you win in robot tag, you get a Hi-Chew) to my soccer friend, Ethan. In robot soccer, you would totally expect me to win, but my team didn't score. The score was 2 - 0 when it ended. That's OK, because I still got 2 Hi-Chews for trying.

JUNE 27, 2024 - CHESS GAME

Today I played an AWFUL chess game against a 223. I won, but there was ONE awful blunder that I made... 13. Ba4. This left my bishop trapped with no obvious way to stop them from getting my bishop. The solution I saw was 14. Nxb5, which loses a knight but gains 2 pawns. At least I didn't just lose the bishop for nothing!

Later on in the game (move 16), they made a blunder with 16. Bc2, allowing me to use my bishop to take the knight and fork the king and the rook. I could have won a bishop, but I missed it, but I was still up 2 pawns, giving me a BIG advantage in the endgame, where I quickly dominated with my extra pawns. That really helped.

Here are some things I could have done better:

• Really looking at the board to see which other options I have at the moment

• Don't cry all over the place wanting to get dad to help me not lose 16 points

• Do more puzzles to improve my skill of looking for different options other than the most obvious one

June 28, 2024 - SPEECH! speech! speech!

Today was the last day of robotics camp, and everyone had to make a little speech to their parents to show what they learned and what they were most proud of and which challenges they faced. I didn't do well. At least dad said so.

In other words, I failed.*

Dad said I should answer each question like a paragraph instead of several words, for example "Coding was challenging" or "Robot tag was good". He said I should have several sentences to answer every question, so I failed yet again.**

You know how everybody says "Failure is a part of learning"? Well, it's not. Even if I fail 100 times in speech, all I will know is how to take a beating from my parents by then. You know why? I'm just scared of how others think of me. I feel like everyone thinks I'm weird, everybody is going to laugh at me messing up, and then I'll be sad, and all that stuff.

*Dad says every time I fail I get 5 dollars in Lego credit. But I don't know HOW MUCH money I'm going to get just failing. I should even get I white flag for "FAIL"!

**Dad never said how many times you can fail! If you fail a big thing, 100 dollar credit. But, failing is not good if you do it on purpose, apparently.