Isabelle Phinney

I was born in January, 1998. First I liked to eat and sleep. But quickly I started to talk, and talk, and sing, and haven't stopped yet. I am very interested in animals. In particular I like cats, dogs, doves, squirrels, rabbits, horses, ducks, goldfish, turtles, ladybugs, pill bugs, slugs, snails, earthworms and butterflies. I am very expert at catching butterflies. Quite often I turn into a duckling or a dog or a seal. I do not like spiders, and wasps. I feel sorry for the bees I find on the ground in winter, and would like to take them to the bee doctor. Leaves, flowers, berries, acorns, oak galls, and fruits are also very interesting. I have a large collection available for study and disection. I am a very enthusiastic gardener. My tomatoes, strawberries and corn have been doing very well. My carrots not so well. I particularly enjoy experiments in hydrodynamics (faucets, fountains, watering cans, bathtub, puddles, raindrops). I like to study airplanes in the sky and at airports. My favorite star is Vega; I plan to build a rocket to there, and see how hot it is, and what it is made of. My rocket has air enough for me, but not enough for Daddy, so he has to go in his own rocket. But he can fly his rocket next to mine so we can wave to each other on the journey. I like to write and draw and make things, and to read and read and read.

Chronological Isabellese-English-Chinese Dictionary

In fall 2003 I started Kindergarten. I really like it, especially math, reading, doing projects and doing death-defying gymnastic feats on the jungle gym. I can add and subtract two digit numbers, figure out change, multiply one digit numbers, and figure out halves and quarters. I can read big chapter books all by myself. I especially like mystery series, and have read most of the "Cam Jansen" and "Fourth Floor Twins" and "Something Queer" books. Sometimes it is hard to get me to go to bed when I am reading such exciting books. After reading "Something Queer at the Lemonade Stand" I set up a lemonade stand the next Sunday. I sold all the lemonade I made, and earned about a year's worth of allowances in one hour. After I went on a field trip to the Natural History museum, I turned our house into a museum with a log cabin and leather clothes downstairs to show how people used to live, and a carefully measured and scaled red fox life diorama upstairs. Then I made tickets (with tiny security codes on the back so no one could counterfeit them) and got the neighbors to come. My little sister said "I want to see museum," so I generously let her see, but not touch, the exhibits for free. I like to study animals, catch animals, pat animals, and keep animals. And I like to invent and do experiments. In first grade I danced with the Pasadena Civic Ballet. In 3rd grade I sung in the school choir, which practiced at 7am.

Now (2007), I still love reading, writing, math and science. I keep a reading diary; in the past 2 years I have read 725 books (not including school books). Some of my favorites: Little Women, The Penderwicks, The Wheel on the School, The Secret Garden, A Little Princess, the Doctor Doolittle series, the Little House on the Prairie series, most everything by Eleanor Estes and Avi, natural history, zoology, ecology and biology books. I play piano, play violin in the school orchestra, and play AYSO soccer. I enjoy painting, sculpture and wood-working. I still love all kinds of animals, most especially raccoons, chipmunks and horses.

Art and Piano performances and Photos

Publications

Fall, (color pencil drawing), Spider magazine, Jan 2008 issue, page 34.

Back to my father's page or my sister's page.


Families, when a child is born
Want it to be intelligent.
I, through intelligence,
Having wrecked my whole life,
Only hope the baby will prove
Ignorant and stupid.
Then [s]he will crown a tranquil life
By becoming a Cabinet Minister.
                -- Su Tung-p'o (1037-1101), transl by Arthur Waley (1919)

Last Update: 2007 Sept 6.