7 Years, 11 Months...Ice storms and Christmas!

This month started with an ice storm on a Friday and ended on an ice storm that never happened on a Friday.  The first one was unexpected.  It was only supposed to do a little and then warm up before we left for school.  It never warmed up!  Mommy and I stayed at school with the other kids and teachers until 8:00 because everyone was sliding off the road.  It was actually kind of fun.  We got to watch parts of 3 movies on mats in the gym, ran in the halls, and played all kinds of games for as long as we wanted to.  By the time we left, the roads were mainly safe until we got to our neighborhood.  We had to park and walk.  But, when we got to the driveways, we had to crawl on our hands and knees.  It was pretty funny and I love telling the story!  We got a snow day the next Monday.  The second ice storm that was predicted never happened and we ended up with a 4 day weekend because of MLK day.
The rest of the time was a lot of Christmas fun.  I had a blast helping Mommy wrap Christmas presents.  I spent a lot of time making Emily an Olaf latch hook.  I was really proud of myself!  I enjoyed our holiday party at school and got to go to Emily's party at her school later in the week.  We had a nice visit from Nana Arden and our friend Ellen who gave us some gifts.  She is so thoughtful.
Christmas was really busy.  We went to Washington on Christmas Eve and celebrated with Papa Ron and Nana Carol and family in the morning, and with Grandma Kathy and Grandpa Tom and family in the afternoon.  Then we headed back home to get our house ready for Santa to come!  I was really excited that morning to get some Beanie Boos and the Lego Friends Hotel from Santa, but even more excited when I saw that my big gift from Mommy and Daddy was my own iPad!  It came with a lot of rules, but I am doing a really good job and following them.  I love texting the select few people I am allowed to!  We visited the Magic Tree on Christmas night.
We had a really fun week and a half off from school.  We went bowling as a family.  I got a strike on my first time!  Afterwards, we chanted "Red Lobster" from the backseat and Daddy actually gave in!  (Don't let him kid you, it's his favorite restaurant!)  Mommy took me and Emily up to Kirksville to visit the Kadens.  We were all amazed at how well Jaxson and I got along.  All it took was a puppy puzzle to bring us together!  We spend some time at Nana Arden's, and a lot of time just playing at home.
We went to Brynn's house for New Year's Eve again, and this time, Daddy and Emily came for a little bit!  It was so fun to bring in the new year with good friends!
It was a little hard giving up our freedom when we went back to school, but we did OK.  I had Girl Scouts already my first day back, and we have already started selling cookies!  I'm not totally motivated even though Mom keeps asking me to go out and sell.  I do really like the new Smores cookie that I got to try at our cookie rally!
We got to do a little sledding in the small amount of snow we did get and it was a lot of fun.  I also did snow angels and tried to body surf down the hill (it didn't work!)
Today, I was asked to go to a movie night at Ella's house, and Gabe was there too!  The movie night turned into a sleepover!
Wrestling with Daddy and Emily

Snuggling with Mommy

Molly makes a great pillow!

She even shares her dog pillow

We hang out all the time!

Making snowflakes at my Christmas party

Emily's Christmas party

Building a snowman!

 Puzzle time!

 Getting along with Jaxson, doing a puppy puzzle

Christmas time!

 Coral pillow for my room!

 Beanie Boo!

 Beanie Boo #2!

 Loving on Papa Ron

 Hanging out with Hadley, using the phone and snapchat

Christmas #2

 Puppy face pillow!

 Setting out

 Saying goodbye to Elmo

 Christmas #3 (Christmas morning)

 Santa gifts (Lego Friends hotel and Beanie Boos)

 Gifts from Papa Rick and Nana Peggy

 OMG! Kidz Bop 32!

 And a puppy calendar!

 And finally, my big gift-the iPad!

 Christmas #4 (Nana Arden's house)

 Elmo's final gift to us-RAINBOW MAGIC!!!

 Visiting the magic tree

New Year's Eve with my friends!

Selling Girl Scout cookies

 Snow day fun!

Fun with Emily on our day off!

Great fun with a napkin!

Snapchat faces

Christmas morning

"I have everything in the world!"

My "big" present-the iPad!!!

I'm so proud of the gift that I made Emily

STRIKE!!! On the first try (it just took a while to get there!)

Sledding with Emily

Going solo

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