12 Years, 9 Months...A little bit of everything!

When I am able to, I really enjoy going to Church.  I feel loved and accepted there and I really love the people.  Lillian's in-laws hosted a haunted Halloween hayride and I had a blast!  I hate that I don't get to go to youth group as much as I would like.  School volleyball was on Wednesday nights, and now club volleyball will be too.  I will miss everyone so much!

I met up with my friends Christian and Cohen at the mall one Sunday.  I felt so mature and enjoyed shopping and buying some of my own clothes.  I also went to a soccer game for Lila's brother Ethan's high school team.  I felt pretty mature about that too!  Ella and I spent the night at Isabel's house one night.  It was so nice to do some normal things again.  

I found out about the Grand Tetons trip this summer and really want to go.  I found out that I was accepted and I will leave for a week at the end of May.  I can't wait!

Shelby and I helped Mom with her first Student Council meeting.  It was a lot of fun being a role model for them.  Mom and I have also gone to several Mizzou volleyball games.  They aren't very good this year, but we still enjoy watching them play.  Shelby and I went to Lila's to go trick or treating this year. Lila and I went as characters from Heather's (the movie.)  I borrowed Grandma Kathy's red blazer and it worked perfectly!  We got lots of candy!  I also went with Lila and her mom to see Rent at Mizzou.  It was so much fun and I bought a t-shirt.

We had several days off school this month and I watched Emily.  It's not my favorite thing to do, but I don't complain about it.  Nana Arden usually comes to bring us McDonald's which is a nice treat.  Dad took me to get my flu shot at HyVee and I didn't even cry.  I may be growing up!  I got treats afterward though.  

Mom and Dad went to a conference and Grandma Kathy came and stayed with us.  It was so nice to have her here and I missed her so much when she left.  Aunt Lisa drove me to and from school, which was really nice of her.  Mom had parent teacher conferences for three nights after they got back and I really missed her.  I even told her "I hated conferences for taking her away from me."  I really enjoy math this year, but I do like having Mom help me with my homework.  (Sometimes she has to reteach herself before she helps me!)

I am super excited that Missouri Juniors volleyball has started.  I smiled for a week before it started.  It was so nice to get back on the court.  Our team seems to be really good this year.  All my teammates are pretty strong players.  I'm so excited about the season.

Supporting my friend Shelby at her AVID signing

Acting silly at the MU game

Helping Emily with her Halloween costume

Hello Enderman!

Ready for the Haunted Hayride

So much fun with friends

Joint effort on this puzzle

The pumpkins-Shelby and I did the bloody heart

Heather Chandler, Veronica Sawyer, and Jason

Heather Chandler

Heathers!

Grandma and me

MO Juniors bags are ready!

#5!!!

Spoiled dog!

But I don't care!

Balloon volleyball

12 Years, 8 Months...Settling in to 7th grade

I think I have gotten much better about being anxious this past month.  I don't feel the need to check my homework and grades all the time.  I still care a lot about doing my work and getting good grades, but it doesn't occupy my thoughts all the time.  However, my English teacher forgot to add one of our grades in the system and I ended up getting a B- on my mid-term grade.  She realized she made the mistake and refused to sign my report that I was taking to my parents, but she signed Lila's.  I was so mad that she wouldn't do that.  I deserve to have the A's that I earned!  Mom took me to Back to School night and was able to meet most of my teachers.

I went to the movies with my friends and had a really good time.  The movie wasn't great, but it was a lot of fun to be out with friends.  I felt pretty grown up.  My friend Christian paid for everyone's tickets!  I was supposed to go to Keri's birthday party in Wentzville, but I wasn't feeling very well and I'm glad I skipped it.  We did a home rapid Covid test and it came back negative.  I did get to go to my friend Haley's birthday party.  There were a lot of friends there and we stayed outside the whole time.  

I have a friend Shelby that we help out a lot with rides home.  She is really cool and fun and just has a hard home life.  I would love for her to live with us but that isn't in the cards right now.  Mom and I took her to her AVID signing and we were her support system!

I went to a lot of Emily's soccer games, even when I felt like sleeping.  On days off school, Emily and I hung out together at home.  I do this with very little to no complaining.  We have been going to Church as a family, and while I would love to sleep in, I really do love our new Church.  I will start going back to youth group next week since volleyball is over.  Our family went apple picking again this year as our usual tradition.  I'm enjoying eating all the apples and apple treats that mom is making.  We went to Catherine's birthday party also this month, and hosted Papa Rodney's birthday party.   

Mom took me to a few of the MU volleyball games.  It just doesn't have the same feel as before.  I enjoy watching them play, but they don't involve the fans like they used to.  That's what I loved about MU volleyball.  Our family also went to the MU homecoming parade.  Like most other things, I begged to stay home but enjoyed it once I got there.  I was really worried about being close to other people and Covid.  

Our volleyball season has come to an end.  It was a fun season, but also pretty frustrating.  A lot of the girls hadn't played before and just didn't care or try as hard as I did.  Everyone said how proud they were that I was such a great, supportive teammate.  It was really hard at times!  We lost most of our games, but won against Lange and West (in a tournament) and tied West in regular season.  (At one of our games, the A team started cheering like "eagles" for the B team, yelling "caw-caw, caw-caw!"  We showed a lot of improvement and I am hopeful for next year.  I had a few visitors to my games this month, including Papa Ron and Linda, Lillian, Coach Colleen, Mrs. Criblez and Cami, Mrs. Mantle, and Grandma Kathy!  Grandma Kathy spent the night that she came and it was so amazing.  I hated to see her go.  I can't wait until club volleyball!

Papa Ron supporting me at my volleyball tournament

All the apples!

It wasn't so bad

Madelyn (now at Smithton) and Isabel after the Smithton game

Ready to play (I really was happy, just "in the zone!"

Mrs. Mantle, still my favorite teacher of all time at the West game

Ready for the homecoming parade

We are a hot mess!

Oakland volleyball antics

Caw-caw, caw-caw!

12 Years, 7 Months...Start of 7th grade and school volleyball

I had a lot of fun with family this month.  Papa Ron came to visit and brought his new girlfriend Linda.  I thought she was really nice.  We went for a walk at the park and enjoyed some Shakespeare's Pizza.  They also came to one of Emily's soccer games.  Linda's son-in-law is from England and they had him call me.  I LOVED his voice!!!  He even said he had been to where Harry Potter was filmed.  I was so enthralled! I got to go swimming with Corinne one last time before school started.  We celebrated Corinne's birthday at Papa Rodney's shop later that day.  

Mom ran a 1/2 marathon in Kansas City one Saturday and Dad got donuts for us.  The next day, we went to Devil's Icebox in Rock Bridge State Park.  It was so cool and I wish we could have done more exploring.  I loved how cool it was in the cave.  Papa Rodney and Nana Arden visited with us on Labor Day and it was nice to see them.

Emily spent a week in Washington while Mom and Dad were at work.  That meant I got to be home by myself for almost a week!  I had to take care of Molly and Athena, but otherwise, I could hang out in my room and listen to music and read and whatever else I wanted without anyone bothering me.

I have been nervous, excited, and blah about starting 7th grade.  I tried out for the Oakland Middle School volleyball team and made it!  Then again, everyone made it so it didn't seem as special.  I was worried about not making it at all.  We have had practice pretty much every day after school.  Our first game was at OLLIS.  There were only 6 of us eligible to play, so we played both the A and B game.  We struggled a lot against their A team, but were pretty matched with their B team.  We ended up winning the 2nd set, but had to forfeit because we were only allowed to play 4 sets a day.  Our next game was against Thomas Jefferson from Jeff City.  It was a home game.  We played pretty well, and won a set against them.  Our third game was against Jefferson Middle School.  We had more players then, and our B team lost, but did better.  Our A team did great!  We won our first set, lost our 2nd, and won the 3rd!  I scored the winning two points.  It was so awesome to have some success.  I think we would do better if more of our girls could serve.  

I got my schedule and had to do some changing.  I have French, Theatrical Arts, and FACS in addition to the usual 7th grade core classes and Advanced 7th grade math.  I went to tour the middle school again so I knew where my classes were.  I feel more comfortable this year with navigating the school.  Someone on our volleyball team tested positive, but we were not considered close contacts because of masking.  Several of my friends did have to quarantine, and I kept waiting but never had to.  I am fully vaccinated though, so I wouldn't have to quarantine unless I had symptoms.  I did get to go to a football game to cheer on our school one Thursday night with my friends.  I felt so grown up going to Battle High School for the game.  

Ironically, math has become my favorite subject.  I really like my teacher.  English has become difficult, but only because I don't think the teacher likes me.  I completed an assignment and she claimed she never got it.  I ended up having to spend my lunch and RTI time redoing it.  When Dad emailed her about it, she was very passive aggressive and rude toward me the next day. I just want to be trusted by the teachers.  We also had picture day and I didn't make a huge deal out of my outfit or hair this year.

Emily and I changed rooms.  I was really hoping to move downstairs, but Mom and Dad didn't think I showed that I was ready yet.  I was really disappointed and frustrated.  I'm jealous that Emily is getting the room and furniture and colors that she wanted and I am stuck with the old stuff.  My furniture should come in soon and it will be set up downstairs.  It will be hard to see my new room get set up and not be able to use it.  I'm making the most of it and I'm trying not to show my disappointment.  

I am looking forward to what the next month brings!

I really enjoyed the trails and hiking in the woods

The caves were pretty cool too

It was so cool (temperature and otherwise) down here

Emily just wasn't having it

Walking with the family (and Athena)

Warming up for the first volleyball game with Lila

National Anthem

Team huddle

Serving

Waving to OLLIS instead of slapping hands because of Covid

Mom had about 352 of these kind of pictures on her phone one day.  Not sure how they got there...

Making the most of making my old room my new room

Proud Oakland Eagle

#15, just like Taylor!

Serving at home

Serving for the win!