Polka Dots are Therapeutic By: Claire Murray

First band concert EVER!!!! (And my friend Caitlyn)

Hi. I am Claire, I am 11 years old now. Turning twelve in a month. Today, at a ceramics painting place called "Hands On'', I found out that dotting ceramics is extremely therapeutic!
I have a lot on my mind these days. I now go to Middle School AND am in the young womans program at my church. To make life more exciting, I play the trumpet in the hardest class of all, 6th grade band (my friend Gracie  Robson is in 6th grade orchestra and she says it is equally as hard.)

In our family right now, James is learning the guitar. Hazel has found her love for my ukulele. I feel bad for my mom having to listen to me play the trumpet and piano, but she says she loves it. I enjoy music. Anyway, at Hands On, my mom and I were working together dotting a ceramic puffer fish and we did not realize how many dots we had done. We both found it fabulously addicting and therapeutic. We couldn't even stop dotting when our common sense said we had enough dots! One more...one more!! I am worried how it will turn out.

 So I was thinking of other things in my life that help me be relaxed and calm down: Here are some other ways to cool down.

1. Writing stories, I am working on a story I call the ''The Mystery Train''
2. Art ( may I recommend dotting ........ahhh stop it.....I can't.... )
3. Go to the temple, I can finally go, it is so relaxing
4. Go running, I did cross country and hated to love it and I want to do track
5. Listen to or play music
6. Laugh
7. Read, I recommend Harry Potter or the Candy Shop Wars book 1 and 2 by  Brandon Mull also The Janitors by Tyler Whiteside
8. Origami or paper airplanes, I love paper air planes 
9. There isn't much that feels better than serving people
10. Make popcorn and eat it all. Muah ah ah ah!!!

Addicted to Dots, Mr Pox

Hazels Deer Cow/ Cow Deer

Quinn and her super happy money bear

James creating a mug to "Strike fear in the heart of every man"

I can't stop! Someone stop me! Help!