7 Years, 10 Months...It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

It has been a busy month!  I have had several Girl Scout events and activities, in addition to the regular meetings.  We walked in the Christmas parade, and I went to a Winder Wonderland where we did different crafts. We have also had a couple of play dates with our usual group.
We also had Grandparents Day at our school.  Grandma Kathy and Grandpa Tom got to come this year, in addition to Nana Arden!  It was so nice to have them there.  I had a special part in the performance.  The class read a story about How to Babysit a Grandparent, and I got to act out the part of the kid!  I really hammed it up!  We all went out to eat at McDonald's afterwards.  I loved the extra attention!  The next day, I got to do a lot of Christmas shopping with Mommy before going to Emily's Thanksgiving feast at her school.  For Thanksgiving, we got to take one day for each family again.  It was so nice to spread out the time with everyone.  During the time in Washington, I got my hair cut, met Mommy's old high school running coach and his dog, and went to the Christmas parade there.  We put up Christmas decorations, Elmo (our elf) came, and we got to open the things in our stockings from St. Nicholas.  I loved my eos chapstick the best!
I talked Mommy and Daddy into going to the mall to watch the choir concert.  We got to eat Subway, ride on the carousel, and get balloon animals!  The next day was my friend Morrigan's birthday party.  It was a painting party and we painted owls.  It was a lot of fun (and I'm glad Mom left after it got started.)  Then the next day, Mommy and I went to Washington again for Nana Carol's family Christmas.  It was a really quick trip, but it was nice to see everyone.
When we got back, Emily ended up having a high fever for a long time, and I started to feel a little jealous of all the attention she was getting.
I was able to go on a surprise play date with Ella to Burger King and then to their house.  I like Ella a lot.  We don't get into any fights.  I still like Madelyn, but we fight a lot.  I try to be nice, but it is hard sometimes.  Ella and I were the only girls invited to Gabe's birthday party at Lazer Lanes, and we had a blast!  We went bowling, played lazer tag, and drove bumper cars.  It was a great time!
One final Christmas thing for this month-we had our all school Christmas concert at Battle High School.  It was really exciting to see everyone outside of school.  I really like hanging out with Mrs. Gross' 4 year old son Cohen.  He is so cute!  I had a part in one of the two songs we sang.  It had to do with getting rocks for Christmas, and I got to pull "rocks" out of my stocking.  I'm really getting the hang of this acting thing!
I also went to the last regular season Mizzou volleyball game, which they won and became champions of the SEC!  It was so exciting, and included confetti.  I went down and met up with Ali afterwards because I had written her a letter since she is such a good role model for me.  She had been hurt and was in a boot and I was worried about her.  I am already looking forward to watching her play next year!
I am learning to do latch hook and am making an Olaf picture for Emily for Christmas-shhhh!
I have been scared to go to bed at night lately and don't want Mommy to leave my room.  I always think that I hear noises and that burglars are going to come and take me or kill me.  Some nights are harder than others.
Nighttime reading and snuggles

With Ali after MU won the SEC!

 Snuggling with Daddy at Thanksgiving

 Snuggling with Grandma Kathy at Thanksgiving

Walking in the Christmas parade for Girl Scouts

Getting my hair layered for the first time

Playing dollhouse with Emily at Papa Ron and Nana Carol's

Waiting for the Washington Christmas parade to start

Grandparents Day photo op with Grandpa Tom and Grandma Kathy

Painting my owl at Morrigan's birthday party

We did a lot of things at the Girl Scout Winter Wonderland...decorated cookies,

painted an apron, and a few other things

All the girls

And some of my troop (and me with Grace)

Riding the carousel at the mall after watching the choir perform

Me and my shadow

Playing volleyball with her

Papa Ron supervising the game at the Dzurick family Christmas party

Before my Christmas concert

All the Bees performing

Madelyn and my "solo"

With a few 3rd grade friends

Ready for our stockings!

So happy!

Visiting Santa

Acting out my part in the Christmas play (far left, bottom)

Teaching my sister some funky dance moves

7 3/4 Years...Parties, sleepovers, days off, and sugar!

I spend a lot of time busying myself after school while Mommy has meetings.  She feels bad about it, but I actually love the time I get to spend playing on the computer!
We finished up soccer this month.  A lot of games were canceled or rescheduled.  We started off a little rough, but I didn't get discouraged.  We improved so much and our last two games, we put up a great fight and won them.  I even scored a the first goal in one game!
Nana Carol and Papa Ron were planning on coming to one of my games, but it got canceled.  I'm so glad they decided to come for a visit anyway.  We enjoyed seeing them and I got to show off my room and my school.  We went out to eat and then to Orange Leaf!  I got way too much frozen yogurt and ended up throwing up in the backseat of their car!  I felt so bad for doing that, but they were really understanding.  My tummy felt better after that, so I played soccer with Papa Ron in the backyard.  It was so much fun!
I have gone to a lot of Girl Scout meetings and events, several birthday parties, and a lot of other fun things.  My friend Bri had a Halloween themed birthday party at the park.  Our family went to the MU homecoming parade and I got a TON of candy!  I love my candy!  I went to an MU volleyball game as well and even won a volleyball, which I had signed by the whole team!  We also had the chili supper/costume contest/pumpkin raffle at my school.  I won the Piggy pumpkin that my teacher made, and Emily won the Dori pumpkin!  We were a lucky family!
Halloween was a lot of fun this year.  We had our Halloween parade and party at our school.  We played a lot of fun games, including Pie Face.  I thought that was a blast. Later that night was Madelyn's birthday party at Tiger Bounce.  It was so much fun running around with so many of my friends!  I had a Halloween party at Ella's the next night.  That's a lot of partying and sugar!
I had the day off school on Halloween, and I spent it with Mommy.  We went shopping in the morning and I got to make a list of what I want for Christmas.  We went to Emily's school for her parade and party.  I dressed as a Cheetah.  I loved my costume so much and got to wear it a few different times!  We went to Mr. Kenny's, Rachel's, both neighbors' houses, then across town to Nana Arden and Papa Rodney's before going to Carrie's house.  We had so much fun going around her neighborhood.
I was so excited to have a sleepover at Ella's house!  We had so much fun listening to music and singing.  I was pretty jealous that Ella has an iPad and is allowed to text Gabe.  I would really like to do that too.  The next day, I spent a little time with Mommy before she left for 3 days for a conference.  Daddy left for the same conference the next day, but I went to Brynn's and had a Monster High sleepover for her birthday. I missed Daddy while I was there, but was a lot better after I talked to him.  He even stayed the next morning so he could see me.  Nana Arden stayed at our house while they were gone.  I got to go to McDonald's twice and had a lot of fun shopping and going to the library with Nana Arden.  When Mommy and Daddy got back, we had my parent teacher conference with Mrs. Gross.  She said I have been doing great and really getting to be a better reader and writer.  I'm really grasping 2 and 3 digit subtraction with regrouping in math!
We had another day off school because of conferences and I had a play date at our house with Gabe and Ella.  We picked up our play dates again with Brynn and Bella.  I'm so lucky to have such good friends!
We rounded out the month with family pictures and pizza at Shakespeare's, and Girl Scouts.  What a busy day and month!
I am really growing up and thinking deeper about things.  Mommy and I put a 500 piece really hard puzzle together.  She is happy to have a puzzle buddy!  We also played Battleship and I am starting to understand strategy.  Sometimes I really crack my parents up.  One day, I told Mommy, "I know what adults do when kids are playing.  They sit, eat muffins, and talk about the weather."
Crafting hard at work

 Painting my rainbow pumpkin

 Pumpkin carving progression

 Nemo!  (Too bad it molded just a couple of days later!)

But it was pretty while it lasted!

 The uncarved pumpkins that survived

Waiting for the MU parade

 Snuggling to keep warm and sharing with my sister

What would a game be without a picture with Ali?

 Another day, another game, another picture!  (Good thing she doesn't mind!)

Pumpkin seed estimation (I was pretty close with 300!)

Chili supper/costume contest/pumpkin raffle and Halloween parade/party (I got a lot of wear out of this costume, and it wasn't even Halloween yet!)

 With my crazy 3rd grade friends (Morrigan, Kayleigh, and Cami)

 At the parade with Zoey and Georgia

 The progression of pie face

I got slimed!

 And then, on to Emily's party on Halloween!

And Mr. Kenny's

 Trick or treating in the neighborhood

That would be Brynn, Carrie, Bella, and me

The crew trick or treating

 And the loot and giant candy swap!

Madelyn's birthday party

And Brynn's birthday party

 The unofficial soccer picture

 And even less official

 And of course, the silly picture!

 Just reading on the floor at Barnes and Noble

 Helping Emily do the balance beam at preschool

 Horsing around with Papa Ron

 He's a great snuggler too!

 All dressed up for family pictures (I used my birthday gift certificate to Old Navy for these boots!)

 Out for Shakespeare's after pictures

We either get a hyper Molly or a passed out Molly-no in between!

Blindfolded cup stacking game