Breaking news 3/27/99

• After a good family Christmas, the Grytas settled down into the usual routine of work, school and all the after-school activities.
• Bill played basketball in the local youth league.
• Suzie's Brownie troop sold cookies until they came out our ears!! But all the girls' hard work paid off, our troop was the second highest selling troop in the service unit.
• Michael brought home his first reader. He learns new words every day.
• Brian and a friend built a nice deck in front of the trailer at our property, just about doubling the available eating space.
• Bill joined Cub Scouts, just in time to go to the annual Blue and Gold banquet and see the Arrow of Light ceremony
• Suzie and Brian went to the Father/Daughter sweetheart dance with about 100 other Girl Scouts and Dads.
• Cheryl learns more and more words and speaks more clearly every day
• Bill will take his Red Belt test for Karate early in April
• Suzie's Brownie troop attended an International Night/Mother Daughter tea. Our troop made a display of information about and items from China (thanks to JoAnn Brown for generously sharing some of her mementos). The girls learned about 8 foreign countries including Egypt, Italy, Brazil, Ireland, Germany, France, Mexico, and of course, China. Suzie's reaction to the dolmas from Egypt was "you mean people actually LIKE this stuff?" (I thought they were pretty good)
• Brian celebrated his birthday March 1. I'll be nice and not publish which one. We went out for steak and had a nice dinner.
• Suzie and the other first-graders sang for the PTA meeting in March. They sang a medly of patriotic and Texan tunes like "You're a Grand Old Flag" and "Yankee Doodle".
• The Gryta family didn't have enough chaos in the house, so we added another puppy to the mix. Gidget is a 6 week old (as of March 11) shepherd/chow mix. Zero is thrilled to have a new friend, but I have to watch him closely that he doesn't step on her. Fencing of the backyard commences next month.
• Kathy will test for Brown Belt on March 27. Current push-up count is 60, but where I'm going to get that last 40 push-ups is anybody's guess.
• Spring Break is here, so naturally the last cold front of the year blew through.

• Suzie celebrated her 7th birthday with a slumber party.  She and 7 friends ate pizza, drank soda, did their nails, and giggled until the wee hours.  Brian and the boys wisely elected to camp out in Bastrop that evening!!
• Bill celebrated his 9th birthday with 9 friends at the Sunset Bowling lanes.  Though no one on the PBA tour is feeling anxious about the scores posted, a good time was had by all.
• Bill sang in front of the HCISD school board with the 3rd Grade Chorus.  The kids performed a short medly of holiday songs ending with a cute rendition of Up on the Rooftop.
• Michael and the rest of the Buda Primary Kindergarteners sang all the old favorite Christmas songs for a SRO Crowd at the the Buda Elementary PTA December meeting.
• Suzie amazed and astonished her mother with her gymnastic prowess at the Dance Associates parent's day.  She spider walked, straddle rolled forwards and backwards, and did one-handed cartwheels.  Wow!
• Bill and Suzie performed at a BMS piano recital.  Suzie played Haunted Mouse and Up on the Rooftop(ensemble), while Bill played Persian Market(solo), Are You Ready to Rock(duet with Zachary Ray), and We Wish you a Merry  Christmas(ensemble).
• Kathy's Push-up count:  50 at one sitting and improving.  The goal is at least 100 by February.
• Brian had the roads graded and gravelled and the overflow spillway constructed for the stock pond.  Now we won't feel nearly as nervous when the skies open and the water rises.