My name is Caysi Dashielle Mims.  I am 10 years old.  I live with my family in Portsmouth, Ohio.

I just started Christmas break today.  I am off for two weeks.  Whoot, whoot!!  

I am in the fourth grade.  I do very well in my studies, but my favorite subject is gym/physical education.  No surprise there.  I especially enjoy it when we do tumbling or trampoline because I can show off my skills.  

I am very good at doing flips and working things like the balance beam, the pommel horse, and the uneven parallel bars.  I have done gymnastics since I was seven; I have gotten quite good at it, especially the uneven parallel bars and tumbling, which are my best events.

Last year was my first year of competing.  It was very unnerving, but this year I did okay.  I managed to place in tenth place for the season, which is not bad for a beginner.  I still hvae work to do on my tumbling and trying to stick the landings when I dismount from the beam. 

I have two sisters: Jayden Michayla (8) and Jacinthe Donee' (6) and two baby brothers (twins) who are two; their names are Jaquand Morgan and Jaquise Martin.  I love my brothers and sisters very much, but the three youngest sometimes drive me crazy!!  

Mama is a homemaker; as for Daddy, he works for the IRS.  He's a tax specialist.  He makes pretty good money so we aren't hurtin' for anything.  

I would like to become an elite level gymnast and possibly go into the Olympics.  I would love to win an Olympic gold medal for the United States of America one day; I think that would be pretty awesome!  If that doesn't pan out, then I would like to be a teacher to kids who are disabled.  I have a c ousin, Cymphonique Dawkins, who is disabled: she has cerebral palsy and can walk, but she uses crutches and wears braces on her legs.

Cymphonique does very well for herself.  There's a possibility she may walk without them, but for now, she needs them.  That's okay.  At least she isn't sitting in her whelchair all the time and can do things for herself.  

I have another cousin, Willie Tate, who is seven, but he cannot do a thing: he needs help with just about everything.  It breaks my heart to see him like this because his parents never smoked, never drank, and took good care of themselves, but their kid was still born severely handicapped.

My best friend is named Ibis Clark.  She is in my class at school and we're together just about all the time.  We are so close we're almost like sisters.  Ibis lives a few streets down from me.  We like to do a lot of the same things: gymnastics, sing, dance, read, play on her Wii game system, go to church every Sunday (we are Baptist), talk on the phone, play on the computer, and collect stuffed animals.  We also love to draw and write stories.

I am hoping to get a Ipod for Christmas.  Ibis has one, and I think it is very neat.  I would also like to have a mp3 player.  My stupid baby brother  Jacquand sat on mine and broke it.  Oooh, did he get into a lot of trooooouble ....

I cried for weeks after THAT happened.  So I am hoping that Mama and Daddy get me a new one for Christmas.

Well, I gotta go.  Our church's Christmas program is tonight and I am singing a solo.  I'm doing "O, Holy Night".  Pray we do well and pray that the message reaches the people!  And pray I don't mess up when I sing! I would greatly appreciate it!  I will write in here again soon; until later, this is Caysi Mims saying so long and God bless!  Merry Christmas to each and every one of you!

~Love, your new friend in Ohio, Caysi.  :)

P.S.: The kids at my school call me "Flip-Flop Girl" 'cause I love gymnastics so much! :)