5 5/6 Years...Christmas Preparations!

This has been a very busy month!  I have really learned a lot at school and I absolutely LOVE to learn and write!  I spent a day doing fun things with Mommy-we played chase outside in the snow and went to the last MU volleyball game.  The players usually throw a t-shirt into the crowd, but one of my favorite players (the defense player) handed one to ME!  It was so awesome.  We also went to the library for a program called "Reading with Rover".  I got to read to a dog named Sadie, and it was so cool!  She was really cute!
We celebrated Thanksgiving 3 times at my grandparents' houses.  I really enjoyed playing with my cousins.  I also got to go to the Washington Christmas parade again.  During our trip, I said, "I don't want Mommy and Daddy to live with me when I get older because I am going to have a silly house!" 
I have done a lot of Christmas preparations this month!  I went to Bella's house and made salt dough ornaments and melted crayon ornaments.  That was so much fun to hang out with her!  I hung out with Nana Arden while Mommy and Daddy went Christmas shopping one morning.  We visited Santa at Bass Pro too.  I told him that I wanted a Frozen castle and and Elsa Snow Glow.  I hope he brings them!  After our Thanksgiving celebrations, we put up the tree.  I helped Daddy set it up, Mommy got out the ornaments, and Daddy and I put them in the perfect places.  I even have a small pink tree in  my room!  Our Elf Elmo came that night and has done some silly things, like making snow angels in our sprinkles and hiding our ornaments.  St. Nicholas came to visit us a day late because I spent the night at my cousin Corinne's house.  We also went to Washington to celebrate Christmas with Nana Carol's house.
We had a very sad thing happen this month.  Our beloved baby-sitter, Miss Annie, got really sick and the doctors couldn't do anything more to help her and she died.  I am really sad and didn't want her to die.  I worry about Mr. Kenny being all alone.  We will make sure to visit him.  I made her a card when she was in the hospital and never got to give it to her before she died.  We went to the funeral home and I gave the card to Mr. Kenny.  He put it in the coffin and she will be buried with it.  I will really miss her.  She was a very special lady.
The other big piece of news is that I got really sick this month.  Last Monday, Mrs. Sicht sent me to the nurse because I was red under my eyes, but I didn't have a fever.  Mommy was there working and saw me in the office when she was getting ready to leave.  We decided to try and stay.  When Mommy picked me up from school two days later, I told her I was cold.  Sure enough, I had a fever!  It got up to 103.5 for two days and only came down to 101 with medicine.  We went to the doctor and I did not have strep.  He did not do a flu test, but that is probably what I have.  I had a fever for 5 days, and went back to school today.  I felt cold again and was sent home with 101 fever.  We are really hoping this gets better soon.  There is a lot of fun stuff that I am missing at school!
Waiting to high five the volleyball players

Girls day out at the last MU volleyball game!

Learning baby sign language

This is ridiculously hard!

First snow of the season

Tastes good!

Just enough to shovel

Enjoying the weather with Daddy and Emily

Just chillin

Twins, born 5 years and 6 days apart

Awww, I think she loves me!

Sister wrestling match

Visiting Santa-I told him I wanted a Frozen castle and a Frozen Snow Glow

Sisters with Santa

 Coloring at Bass Pro after our Santa visit

We love Papa Ron!

Showing Great-Grandma Rose the ornaments I made

Snuggling with Daddy before the Christmas parade

The whole family before the Christmas parade

So excited!

Helping Daddy put up the tree

Mommy handed the ornaments for me to put on the tree

Finding the perfect spot

They are all so special

Ta-da!

Daddy liked to take a lot of pictures of us by the tree

Emily watched me decorate the door

I even have my own tree in my room!

Wrestling with Mommy

Emily wanted in on the action

I've got her right where I want her!

I love when Mommy reads to me.  Emily can't wait to climb up here with us.

Decorating cookies at Girl Scouts

I think Emily loves TV even more than I do!

Dr. Corinne said I had a broken arm and high fever, and needed apple-flavored medicine (apple juice.)  If she only knew the illness that was to come!

Stocking time!  Frozen chapstick!

And a Frozen doodle board!

I got to teach Emily how to open her stocking

The start of the fever.  Popsicles didn't even really help

I spent some time reading.

A rare moment of feeling better

Emily was so excited to play!

Reading to Sadie at the library

I loved every minute of it!

I want to go to school forever!

How to make a snowball

Making up rules when playing with Mommy

Playing with my sister

5 3/4 Years...Ups and downs

This has been a very busy month with a lot of ups and downs.  A lot of fun things have happened, but I have also had a hard time controlling my emotions. 
I had some fun stuff happen at school.  Daddy was off school one day and brought me lunch (McDonald's), and Mommy brought me lunch (Subway) another day after she got back from her conference. They sold spirit sticks at school and Mommy and Daddy bought me one and I used my own money to buy another one-a cat and a dog.  We carved a pumpkin at school and I stuck my hand in it twice, but it was gross!  We had our Halloween party and Mommy helped us make popcorn and candy corn hands in a clear glove.  That was fun!  We also played Halloween bingo.
It was really cold for trick-or-treating this year!  I was Elsa from Frozen and had to wear clothes under my costume, plus a coat.  After about 10 houses, I was done!  I wanted to hand out candy, but we all headed down to the Lake of the Ozarks for Mommy's conference.  We got to go shopping before Daddy took Emily and me back home.  I was very distracted while we were shopping and it was hard for Mommy and Daddy to get my attention.  While Mommy was gone at her conference, Daddy and Emily and I played outside.  I really liked playing chase with her.  We also visited Nana Arden, and she picked me up from school that Monday, took me to Girl Scouts, and I spent the night at her house because I didn't have school the next day.  It was nice to have Mommy back.  She took Emily and me to vote after she picked us up.
I am enjoying my big sister role with Emily a lot!  I have started picking her up and carrying her around (usually away from danger or my stuff.)  She seems to like it now, but I have been warned that she won't always like it!  I really like to read to her too.  I am really good at reading Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?  It does bother me now though when she starts getting into my stuff.
A few of the other fun things we have done this month include: an MU and North Callaway volleyball game, the Stallion Stampede at my school (like a carnival), the MU homecoming parade (too bad we couldn't find a parking spot and couldn't sit close), pumpkin carving, a sleepover with my cousin Corinne, Mommy's counseling friends came over, Brynn's birthday party at Paint the Town, and family pictures on Mizzou's campus.  I really enjoy playing soccer outside.  Maybe I will even join a team this spring! I have been making Mommy laugh lately because I have memorized several radio commercials and recite them.  I have loved doing art projects lately, and teaching Mommy how to do them.  I also helped Mommy make steamed carrots, pumpkin muffins, and sweet potatoes.  I noticed that everything we made was orange!
I have been trying to assert my independence lately and have been rather sassy, as well as getting upset when things don't go perfectly.  I have been complaining that I do not feel well too-sore throat and tummy ache-since Mommy got back but I haven't gotten sick or had a fever.  One morning when Mommy was trying to wake me up, I said, "I just wish for one day you would leave me alone!"  I think I was half asleep and wanted to stay in bed.  I threw a fit one night when I messed up on a letter and couldn't get it perfect.  Another night, I was not listening to directions and ended up losing TV privileges and books for the night.  I really threw a fit then and couldn't calm down for hours.  I was finally able to explain that I wanted to be able to color all the acorns on my reading chart for Pizza Hut just like October's and I couldn't color one if I lost my books.  
I was really nervous about parent teacher conferences because I didn't understand what was going to happen and I was worried that I wouldn't remember what I wrote when I needed to read it.  It was actually a really cool conference and Mrs. Sicht and Mommy and Daddy were really proud of me!  Mrs. Sicht said I was a strong writer and that I have good learning behavior on the carpet during learning time.  She also noticed that I am a very tender girl and get upset when things don't go just right. Mommy said she was the same way when she was little.  I just hope I am able to learn to relax soon!
5 3/4 Years

Acting crazy in bed on a weekend morning

Snuggling with Daddy

She loves this, really, she does!

Climbing in the fire truck at the Stallion Stampede

I even got to touch the helmet!

I really didn't want to try any of the games, but had the most fun running around with the other kids.

Pumpkin designing is serious work!

My pumpkins-the "scary" one, and the girl and boy that I painted

All lit up

Halloween girls

All ready for trick or treating!

Princess Elsa was cold (even though the cold never bothered her anyway!)

Fun fall pictures

Soccer with Daddy in the front yard

The last nice day of fall at the park

Ready for the parade!

Cheesy glasses from McDonald's

Mommy slept in this king sized bed with me at the Lake (and she said I took up the whole bed!)

Hotel fun!

Shopping fun!

We play so nicely together!

I finally got to play in the leaves!

And Emily did too!

Helping Daddy rake the leaves

Happy girl

Of course, in a rainbow!

Emily Attack!

Mommy and Ellie selfie

Mrs. Sicht took this priceless picture!

Me, Bella, and Brynn at Brynn's birthday party at Paint the Town

All of the masterpieces!

Snuggles with Mommy

The girls taking on Daddy!

Little Sister, Big Sister shirts and pink pants

Showing Nana Arden and Papa Rodney how well I can read!

True love!

 

 Reading to Emily

 

Who is attacking whom?

Wrestling with Daddy