Marisa

This year Risi didn't miss a single word in her class spelling bee. Last year she was the second place school winner, in 4th grade. We studied for hours last year. This year the words were harder. We studied, not as hard together, but she worked hard and the last three days even with my Robby stress, we managed to get some serious cramming done. I'd estimate between thanksgiving and now together we probably spent close to 15 hours studying 450 words including words like; kinesiology, oscillation, crepuscular, concomitant, xanthic, tenebrific. Some of these are underlined in red as I type, yet I assure you, they are correct. At least according to the Scripps spelling bee list.
She knew all 450 words. Her biggest struggle were the words legalese, and prejudice.
She got out in the first round with the word niece. According to the spelling bee rules, once you start spelling you can't go back. She was so excited it was like her brain was working to fast. She said Ne, stopped and knew she couldn't return. This was crushing, literally I cried, she cried, I felt like I wanted to throw up. In all the times we went over that word on the 6th grade list she never made a mistake.
It's all part of the rules, and later this afternoon, she felt calmer like it was ok. She was frustrated and sad, but felt maybe it happened for a reason.
She is so amazing. She is so smart. And, you know what, she knows how to spell at least 100 if not more words she didn't last year, and she knows what most of them mean. No spell check for this girl.