Diary - May 2024

May 1, 2024 - second tryout for Crossfire

Today I went to Crossfire tryouts. Yesterday was a disaster, so let's see if I did better today. 

I first started on the right side of the field, where nobody really cares about, but after my 7th goal, the coach moved me to the other side, where they actually compare you with others. I got into RCL 4. :(

Still, I took my chances and scored 5 goals (one involving this kid named Chufei kicking it to back post and me scoring). But, I stopped scoring, and I went down. 

I still think the coaches will put me in team 3 or 4, because I stayed in 4 for the longest, but I heard the head coach whisper about me. 

"Jace, do you know what is really important?" asked dad. I shook my head. "The everyday training you do is more important than the soccer tournaments you win or lose."

May 4, 2024 - Chess competition

Today was my chess competition! 

My most memorible game was the last round. I really needed to win the game to earn that extra point to boost me up to 3.0. If I do, I get a trophy! If I don't, I get a medal. 

In the game, I was winning by a knight and a pawn in the opening. In the middlegame, I was about to take my opponent's pawn, but out of nowhere, his rook trapped my queen, and I was forced to capture the rook with my queen. Later, I tried promoting to another queen, but my opponent saw it and stopped me.

I learned important lessons in this game. Rating doesn't matter in a chess game. If you are playing your opponent, both of you have the right to win the game. Maybe next year I'll get a trophy!

May 6, 2024 - Rain!

Today I trained in the rain at Odle Middle School.

Dad told me if I get a perfect day, I get to play video games and watch a movie. The last two things were diary and soccer. So I went to Odle. I first practiced dribbling around marks on the turf. It was fairly easy, but me and dad had an argument about stopping the ball completely compared to half rolling one way. I won the argument. I thought my way was better because ours was the same thing, except mine was faster.

The next thing was airballs. Dad throws a ball in the air, and I try to stop the ball at my feet and pass it back. Dad got a little mad. He said I had to also use my chest and knee. But, the rest of the airballs went at my feet. So I used my feet. I always though feet was easier. My theory was that chest hurts more that foot and knee. So, I tried to limit contact with my chest.

May 7, 2024 - hard times

Today I went to play soccer at Odle middle school. Lucas was invited to go with us.

On the way, Lucas told me he ate 6 chicken wings and a chicken sandwich, so no 1v1s with him. I didn't want to do it with dad. He always tells me to pull back and turn.

When dad told me to do dribbling, I did it without complaining. When dad told me to do airballs, I didn't complain. But when dad told me to do 1v1s HIS way, I didn't want to. He forced me to, or else he said there would be bad consequences. So I did. Dad went easy on me. But, when I tried to turn once, he got in between me and the ball, and I hit my head hard on dad's chest.

I don't want to do 1v1s with him anymore.

May 8, 2024 - funny moments at school

Yesterday, Matteo was trying to jump-rope with his jacket, but it didn't work so well.

My class was lining up to go inside from recess. Matteo suddenly had this idea to jump-rope with his jacket. I warned him too beware of falling flat on his face, but everybody treated my comment as a joke. When Matteo landed the first swing, Harris, Hrihan, William N. (yes, the one that lied about the 7 cars) , and me were saying "great job!" and "keep going!" and "one more!" when Matteo tripped and smacked his face on the ground.

See, I warned Matteo, but he wouldn't listen. And in the end, I was right. It's like the text I read from Chinese class:

"Listen to other's advice. If different people are commenting on the same thing about you, you should listen to them."

May 9, 2024 - priorities

Today dad yelled at me for not listening to his orders.  

It wasn't my fault. I was depressed, my entire body hurt, and I need sleep. So, I didn't want to do anything.

When I was taking off my clothes for a shower, mom came and told me about priorities. She told me that doing all the hard things when you come home from school is better than doing it when you're supposed to sleep. That way, I might have some time to play and do all the fun things I planned. But, that will all have to wait until I even get a chance to, or in other words, tomorrow. I should probably do it because I don't have the "I had soccer" excuse, since the season starts in June for some reason... In June I'll have it in use!

I will do all my stuff tomorrow!! 🙂

May 10, 2024 - CONSEQUENCES (good ones)

Today I did Piano FIRST and Chinese FIRST before reading and soccer. Now I'm doing diary after I played some FC 24. 

It's really fun and pretty realistic for an eSport. You can do everything: Dribble, pass, shoot, lob ball, through ball, sprint, defend, tackle, slide, everything. I like being Manchester United, because you aren't too good, but not too bad. It can still be a challenge playing teams such as Liverpool and Manchester City, but easy enough that you can win. Playing against PSG is a little hard...

I scored 3 goals and Kyle scored 1! One of mine was a goal in the 2nd minute (time is faster in the game), and another one was when I squeeeeeezed the ball perfectly into the goal! I had a goal for all the strikers for some reason... 🫤

May 11, 2024 - fun times

Today I still got to do everything I did yesterday, except I went to Gavin's birthday party and got a bunch of goodies. :)

Even though I wasted an hour of extra soccer and an extra 3 for Gavin's birthday, I still managed to do everything and have fun, watch TV, and play FC 24. THIS time, I played against Manchester City, 5 more rated than us overall. But, I scored even more than what I did with Liverpool: beat this: 6 - 0! Rashford, the person who scored in the second minute last time, scored a hat trick! That's when a player scores 3 or more goals. And Haaland? He didn't even shoot!

I think mom was right: if you do the hard things first and the easy things last, you can achieve great things! Imagine doing piano at the end of the day and doing soccer after it? Not possible.

May 12, 2024 - Huckleberry Finn

Today I read about Huckleberry Finn.

Huckleberry Finn and this slave named Jim were stuck on an island named Jackson's Island. Huck used to live with his dad in a cabin in the woods, but Huck ran away and stole most of the supplies in the cabin. 

Before, Huck faked that he had been shot, and escaped to Jackson's Island. He fished, picked berries, did whatever he could to survive. Then, he found his stepmother's slave, Jim, also and escapee and also trying to survive. Huck heard that there was a man who was also killed, and wanted to get information. 

So, in some stolen clothes, he dressed up as a girl and tried to get information. Unfortunately, the woman found out he was a boy, and she told Huck that her husband had been looking for a person named Huckleberry Finn and a slave named Jim. Huck then told Jim to get in their canoe and run away.

This is all I read.

May 13, 2024 - Dad is annoying

Dad told me and Kyle we could play FC 24. ONE GAME. Remember that. 

When me and Kyle were playing the second half against a team, and we made the score 7 - 1.Then, dad came in and tried to get us playing in a league, and he started wasting time. Then, he told us he had to fix something in the settings, and then he looked at the skill moves, and he also did things really slowly, which I hate. 

The worst part was, after he wasted all that time, he blamed it on us for playing a game! Me and Kyle only played the second half! NOT FAIR! All we were trying to do was finish a game that we already started! 

I think I can add "wasting time" to my list of stuff I hate about my dad.

I think he is very competitive when it comes to eSports, and he wants to have the best conditions.

May 14, 2024 - Dad is annoying x2

Dad let me and Lucas play basketball for 20 minutes. Remember that.

Me and Lucas were cleaning his garage for money when he asked me if I was going to Odle. I answered yes, and he said he would be there in 10 minutes. Me and Kyle just messed around and played cowboy, and rode our bikes. FINALLY, he comes out, showing off his new tires on his BMX.

When we got to the field, I first did my dribbling, and my juggling, and my shooting, and my 1v1s against this other kid we met. I roasted him alive. I also destroyed Lucas. When it was almost time to go, Lucas asked to go basketballing.

Dad said that me and Kyle have to go to sleep, apparently. So, Lucas got really mad, and when dad offered him 5 minutes, he said no. When dad finally gave in, he didn't act excited, but I knew that he was cheering inside.

I think dad should work on researching about tennagers and how they act so this won't happen again. I don't want it to, and I HOPE that it will never happen again. It was not pretty, seeing my best friend out of school turn his back on my dad.

May 15, 2024 - huckleberry finn

I don't like Huckleberry Finn. First of all, he doesn't even go to school, he can't spell easy words, he has bad language, he is not civilized, and for heaven's sake, he can't even remember his own name! But, in the midst of all these bad concepts, he is a good person. He sometimes gets in trouble, he made a bad decision making friends with Tom Sawyer, but that's mostly it.

In the book, he ran away from his family, harbored a slave WITH him, and tried to travel to a free state. They failed when their raft got crushed by a steamboat. Huck was fine. The slave, Jim, wasn't found at the moment. Huck is now currently living in another person's house. In another city. This is not as interesting as some other books, but if it keeps dad away for the moment, sure. 

I don't think dad allows and Marvel or DC comics, anyways.

May 16, 2024 - Huckleberry Finn

This time, Huckleberry Finn was taken in by a family called the Grangersons. They said they were against another family named the Shepherdsons. They were kind of in war, and they would shoot to kill anybody from the other side with guns.

One day, everybody from the Grangersons ran off. A cleaner for the Grangersons' house said that a girl named Sophia ran off to get married with somebody in the Shepherdsons. Everybody was outraged, and a full-on war started between the two sides.

Among the chaos that was happening, Huckleberry Finn managed to escape with Jim on their old raft.

May 18, 2024 - Soccer team party

Today everybody was gathered at Arick's house for the team celebration. 

Everybody was gathered at the downstairs living room, taking bets on which team would win in the epic showdown of Real Madrid and Barcelona. When Barcelona scored the first goal, Kyle and me were up on our feet, jumping up and down while pumping our fists and yelling, "Lets go! I knew it!". When it was halftime, we went to grab a slice of pizza, Ruffles (chips), and some Oreos. 

At the end of the game, Barcelona won 3 - 2. It was a really close match, and we were really happy that Messi's team won. Also, if you are wondering why Messi is on Barcelona instead of Inter Miami, the game was in 2017. That time, Messi didn't get bought yet.

But, dad was angry at me because I didn't go when he said so. I think that's why in the evening, I got kicked in the crotch, twisted my ankle, my right thumb, my knee, and got really, really wet.

May 21, 2024 - sad times

Today I had a perfect day. I did Chinese, soccer, piano, and doing diary. REMEMBER THAT.

After I got home from school, I finished Chinese relatively quickly, and moved on to piano. I had quite the haul in piano, and it took me until dinner to finish. Dinner wasn't much, just half of a piece of sushi. Dinner was quickly followed by soccer training with Little Warriors. That took 90 minutes, including the pickup and the dropoff.

After soccer, I searched for things that I could put in my leadership bag for Thursday. Mom then gave me a lecture about the 7 habits. She said I should review them all, and the lecture was about 15 minutes. Adding in all, here's my schedule:

Get home at 4:00,     eat: 4:15,       do homework: 4:30,        finish Chinese: 5:00

Finish piano: 5:50 (with breaks)          finish dinner and dressing for soccer: 6:05

finish soccer: 7:15         finish finding the items for leadership day+the lecture: 8:00

Finish shower and brush teeth and 20 push ups: 8:50         waste a full 10 minutes 59 seconds not playing because of dad: 9:01

Finish Diary: 9:25

See how dad draggggggggggs everything? He first told me to bring the small controller and then the big controller and then just half a console and then the screen. I'M NOT HIS MESSENGER! AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, HE IS NOT IN CONTROL OF MY LIFE!!!

(P.S. Unless he already is...)

May 22, 2024 - Injuries

Today I accidentally hit a little pebble with a wooden board and it hit Kyle's eye, like a baseball.

I was first going to hit pinecones, but I couldn't find enough, so me and Kyle started to play baseball with wooden boards and pebbles. I wasn't careful and didn't think of the consequences. After I hit it, I definitely knew I made a mistake, because Kyle started bawling his head off (not like I wouldn't) in front of some construction workers.

I felt sad. And stupid. And very embarrassed. Next time, I'd better think of the consequences BEFORE the action. And I'd better not tell anybody at school, but that won't matter that much because I already have a bad reputation in school, so yeah. 

May 23, 2024 - Leadership day

Today is leadership day at my school. We each presented 5 things that we thought showed leadership from our house.

I presented my items, and unlike other people, I actually talked about how it represents leadership in me.

"Bet you a pokemon card Jace's bag is filled with soccer things like medals," said William to Harris. "Nope. Not taking that bet," answered Harris. When I showed everybody my things, Harris slapped his knee, and I knew he wished he took that bet. And William probably felt grateful that Harris didn't take that bet.

 Some of my items were:

A lego plane to represent me having the end in mind. You have to have a plan in your mind before you actually build the lego. In life, lots and lots of jobs require having the end in mind, and it is an essential skill later on.

A timer to show how I stay on track with my piano and reading. When you grow up, you will need to manage your time, so plan your life carefully! As dad always says: "How you treat one day is how you treat your life."

May 24, 2024 - switch books

Today I decided that the book about Huckleberry Finn was too boring and had too much talking, so I switched to the Adventures of Tom Sawyer. It turned out to be a LOT better. And, Tom is very smart, too:

One day, Aunt Polly told Tom to paint a fence that was 9 feet high and 60 feet long. Tom was already very disappointed that he didn't get to do the things he planned on doing. But, along comes a boy named Ben Rogers, and he came to Tom and asked him if he got put to work. Tom didn't answer, and Ben asks Tom the same thing again. Tom finally hears him.

Ben teases Tom about getting put to work, but Tom makes painting a fence "a big deal" and saying that not every boy gets to paint a fence, that aunt Polly said not 1 in 1000 boys are fit to paint this fence.

NOW that really gets Ben thinking. He offers to paint the fence for Tom, but the offer is declined. The next time he asks, he offers Tom his apple. Tom finally agrees. 

Tom learns something new. All you have to do to make a boy want to do something is to make it feel special. And the way Tom did it was by saying only 1 in a 1000 boys are fit to paint the fence he's painting.

May 25, 2024 - Terraria

Today I played the second day in my new Terraria slot. The person is called Jace 2.0, since I have another Jace and I don't want to get mixed up. Also, to get to even play, I had to get a perfect day. That's when you do 4 things or more.

I started last night, which explains why I have a silver broadsword and a lead pickaxe. Also, I had a raincoat and a lead helmet as protection. Dad, Kyle, and I started mining for good stuff, like chests, good ores such as silver, lead, platinum, and even the occasional crimistine! But, we were mostly just exploring to survive.

Dad asked me today: "Jace, why do you want to play Terraria? How is it fun for you?" I answered with: "You get to explore underground, mine good ores, craft tools, and build houses and castles. You even get to battle special bosses, such as the king slime, the wall of flesh, the eye of something." 

I think it would be better if we installed Terraria on THIS computer, because then we could invite mom to play, it would be even more fun!

May 26, 2024 - tom sawyer

This time, Tom was going to Sunday school, a place he hated with all his might, a place where everybody but HIM learned, and a place just to waste time, he thought. So, he always struggled. He tried not to wash his face, not to put on his clothes, and not to walk in the door. 

Every kid that earns 10 yellow tickets gets a Bible. To get a Bible, you need to memorize 2000 verses from the Bible. Every blue ticket is 2 verses, every 10 blue tickets is a red. A red ticket is 20 verses, and 10 red tickets is a yellow ticket. 10 yellow tickets equals a Bible.

Now, usually Tom wouldn't worry about getting a Bible, but there was a girl he liked, and he needed to get a Bible to get her attention. So, he traded all the goodies from the fence-painting for 9 yellow tickets, 9 red tickets, and 10 blue tickets.

He got the Bible, but when he was tested, he didn't get one answer correct.

I think nobody should ever cheat to get what you want. If you didn't actually earn the thing yourself, then it's like you stole it. For the fence-painting it was okay, because nobody can tell if you did it or if somebody else did it. But with knowledge, you can't transfer somebody else's knowledge into your brain. 

may 27, 2024 - little si mountain

Today me and my family went to Little Si. 

Mom was pretty enthusiastic about going, but dad suggested we go to an easy trail. But, mom argued: "Easy trails are flat parks. If you want to go to a flat park, sure." That convinced dad.

For this trip, going up was easier that down. I didn't even stop to eat on the way up! The trail felt so easy. When we reached the top, Kyle went: "Finally! Hey Jace, can I have something to eat?" while reaching out and grabbing his camera to take a picture. I was struggling to get a better view, and Kyle was robbing my backpack for snacks. 

On the way down, reality began to kick in and wedge itself into my brain. Now I couldn't think of anything except how tired I was, how less I slept, and how to distract myself from the pain. I began to walk faster, because I needed to get to the car. After I got into the car, I ate an apple and I was good.

I asked mom to order McDonalds to boost my energy back up. She finally agreed when I reminded her that every day after a hike, we eat McDonalds. 

I don't feel like playing soccer or chess, much less go to school tomorrow. This is my 5th thing anyways, and after diary I can play. A lot. 

:) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

Also, the cool part is that grandma and grandpa came along and HIKED WITH US! Grandma has knee problems, and grandpa is just old, but they still made it to the summit! This proves 2 things: If you have the determination to do something, you can do it. Just about anybody can do anything they really set their mind to, even if you have knee problems or if you are just really old.

May 28, 2024 - new rules

Today dad announced that he has been too strict to me, and he said that I cry when I lose chess games is all his fault. He promised me every 5 games I lose, every HOUR I get to play. I already lost 2 games (not on purpose) and I am sad, too. When I was 7, my rating was only 600, and his is 800! And, I feel like he is better than me.

Also, dad told me that everything is fake: "Everything is fake, Jace, thoughts are fake, computers are fake, and feelings are also fake. Everything made by humans are fake." He later told me that he didn't want to me to get tortured by my feelings. He said feelings are fake, and so is everything.

I don't think I get it.

May 29, 2024 - mad dad

Apparently, dad forgot about yesterday COMPLETELY! He got mad at me because he said I wasted my time by getting frustrated a long time (for 45 seconds), kicking something around on the 1st floor (15 seconds), and rolling around the floor (20 seconds). 

Really, all I did was waste around 1 and a half a minute, which is not that much. Yet dad still says it's a big deal. "How you treat your day is how you treat your life," he always says. But really? If you wasted 1 and a half a minute, that's like wasting 1 day in your lifetime, and all the time you waste altogether only 1 day.

I think I still should listen to dad, even though sometimes I don't understand him.

May 30, 2024 - ASSEMBLY at school

Today at school, we had our big assembly, where we met our guest, Eric Ode. Eric Ode is a songwriter, poet, and author who has experience in teaching elementary and middle schools. When he started singing, we all thought that he made it up at the moment! Turns out, it was a real song he sang at the Nordstrom Mall in Tacoma.

He told us about not giving up on our dreams, to always make something better when you have the chance, and to stay sharp–he said we would need to look out for any new ideas that might come true. 

As an author, he once wanted to publish a book called "Dan, the taxi man" at a publishing place called Kane Miller books. He tried. The answer was no. He rewrote it and tried again. The answer was still no. He rewrote and edited and rewrote and tried again. STILL NO! Did Eric give up? No! He tried once more, with more changes and better grammar. This time, yes. He could publish his book!