8 Years, 7 Months...Beginning of 3rd Grade!

I am in 3rd grade already!  I have Mrs. Mantle this year.  It is the second year in a row that my teacher has been from Washington!  How weird is that?  I want to be an actress.  It really doesn't matter that I say I have stage fright.  My major class in EEE is Dig It, which is a musical about ancient civilizations.  I am really fascinated with this topic.  Mommy and I are in the 5th of 7 in a series of books about Pandora.  She is a teenager and has to work with her friends to get the evils released in the world back into the box.  I am really getting into them!
I was able to go to the Black and Gold volleyball game and clinic at Mizzou.  I was so brave and asked Ali if she would play with me before it started and she did!  I was doing a really good job and she asked me if I had been practicing.  (I didn't get the most improved award for nothing!)
I want play dates every single weekend, and always with Ella and Gabe, but that doesn't always work out.  So, I've had one with Gabe and we had fun playing basketball and Battleship.  I had Ella here for a sleepover.  We had our regular play date here one Friday night.  I went with Madelyn and her parents to an outdoor concert and then spent the night.  I had Cami over.  I just can't get enough of my friends!
I started soccer too this month.  I am #9 on Team Jamaica!  We have practices on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and games on Saturdays.  The field is much bigger this year, and we play 7 on 7 with a goalie!  It is a lot different and my team is doing pretty well.  Lila is on my team!  I do Girls on the Run on Mondays and Wednesdays.  I am starting choir on Tuesday mornings and book club on Thursday mornings.  I'm pretty tired by the time Friday rolls around!
I had my next orthodontist appointment this month.  He said my mouth is changing, but not enough yet.  I need to keep turning my expander every other night for the next 6 weeks.  I got my wire though!  I picked black and gold for the bands to hold it on.
Our family went to the park for a pet expo one Saturday and it was so fun to see all the dogs!  Emily is really getting into My Little Pony and even though I'm a little too old for that, I often "give in" to watch an MLP movie for family night!  We went to Aunt Lisa's for a Labor Day celebration, complete with Shakespeare's Pizza.  Our school had Muffins with Moms and Nana Arden came and surprised me by coming!  We also had picture day and a school Sock Hop.  Such a fun and busy time!
Me with Sydney Deekins

 With Ali, before and after the Black and Gold clinic

The whole group at the Black and Gold clinic

 Just a few selfies before the game

 Cheese and couch snuggles

 Doing the angel with Emily

 Ready to go swimming at the ARC

 Playing basketball with Gabe

 Waiting for the eclipse

It was nice to share the experience with Mom at school

 And a few of my closest friends...

And maybe the whole class!

This doesn't do it justice

Fun science projects-my teacher is awesome!

At the dog expo

 This isn't Molly, or is it?

Watching a scary part in the My Little Pony movie

 Wrestling with Daddy

 We can never take a serious picture!

Playing with the dwarf hamster

 Our new soccer field

 In action

 Sock Hop fun

 Cha cha with my friends

 I may be getting a little too old for this tradition Charlie (but I still love you!)

Diving and rolling with Riley Sents (Black and Gold Clinic)

In heaven, playing volleyball with Ali

Spiking with Alyssa Munlyn

Dancing to the Descendants

Helping Emily transform into a wheelbarrow

Me and Lila in action

My shot on goal

Congo line with my class

8 1/2 Years Old...End of summer fun and start of 3rd grade!

I went to the Mizzou volleyball camp for 4 days, something I have been looking forward to for 3 years!  It truly was as awesome as I expected.  Ali was one of the coaches and she and I got to spend a lot of time together, and of course, get lots of pictures together.  My friend Lila from summer school and soccer was there too.  At the end of the week, I was awarded with most improved player in my 3rd/4th grade group!  I was so excited, and my prize was a bag full of Gatorade things-a medal, water bottle, and of course-Gatorade!  Best week ever!
One of my favorite pastimes is playing rummy.  Mom and I play a lot and I caught on very quickly.  Grandma Frances would be so proud!  We spent a lot of time soaking up family fun the end of this month before school.  I went to a break out room at the library for Mr. Lemoncello's Library.  It was a lot of fun, and my group was successful!  We went out for ice cream and donuts a few times.  I had Ella over for a play date/sleepover, and a play date at her house to meet her new puppies.  I also had a play date with Madelyn, and another one with Cami, and yet another play date at Bella's.  We did the Kids on Track finale, went roller-skating as a family, went to Lennon's first birthday party, had a movie night in the park watching Moana with Mom (and met up with Brynn, Blake, and Bella by chance!), and went to Miss Valerie's baby shower.  I got my hair cut by mommy's new stylist Kaitlyn since Tina has been sick and hurt.  I miss Tina, but Miss Kaitlyn is pretty amazing!  We had a family day at Bonkers and Subway.  We also fit in a few pool times, and got to see Brynn, Blake, and Madelyn there with their summer camps.  I went to Washington and visited Papa Ron and Nana Carol.  We had races to put puzzles together and played some cards before going to Great Aunt Minnie's picture memorial.
I also spent 4 days at Grandma Kathy's, something I have never done before with Mom tagging along!  I had a blast doing a Where's Waldo scavenger hunt through town, seeing a dog show at Purina Farm, and going to a spray park among other things!  I got a little homesick at times and wanted to do Facetime with Mommy, Daddy, and Emily a lot.  Especially Emily-I missed my sister and she missed me! When I got back (after a McDonald's trip to pick me up), we had Mommy and Aunt Lisa's birthday party at Nana Arden's.
I got my braces this month!  It took 4 trips-impressions, spacers, brackets, and expander.  The impressions were disgusting and I really didn't like how hard she pushed when she did the bottom one.  Then I got the spacers and really freaked out when one came loose because I thought they were going to think I was too irresponsible to have braces.  The brackets were a piece of cake and a lot of fun!  I chose turquoise and coral bands, of course!  I had to get another impression of my top teeth at this appointment too.  Then, I got my expander the day before school started.  That wasn't as bad as I thought, but it has been hard to relearn how to talk when I can't put my tongue on the roof of my mouth.
I spent 4 days at work with Mommy while she had meetings.  I was a big help with other teachers and spent a lot of time reading my new Descendants books.  (I am obsessed with Descendants!)  One day, I spent the night with Nana Arden and stayed there the next day while Mommy worked.  I found out my teacher is Mrs. Mantle!  Today was my first day of school and it was great!  Mrs. Mantle is the best 3rd grade teacher!  It's going to be a great year!
Warming up with Lila

 Getting ready to start (our coaches were Ali Kreklow, Riley Sents, Sydney Deeken, and Andie Hanus)

 Silly pics

Selfie with Ali and Sydney Deeken (Sydney was my main coach for the week)

The final good-bye

Can't get enough of Ali!

This was my Gatorade bag (and Ali of course!)

 My friend Lila and me on the last day (and people say I am tall!)

Oh, snap(chat!)

 Cinnamon roll date with Mommy

 Dancing with Molly

 Bubbles!

 And sidewalk chalk

 Family portrait drawn for Emily

 Making Kool-Aid play doh with Grayson

 Grant's Farm was so much fun!

The dog show was the best.  I got wet in the front row!

 My new love for horses...

 And chickens...

 And rabbits...

And cows...

And goats...

And fish...

 And of course, Grandpa Tom and ice cream cones!

 My method of showering with getting my hair wet.  Brown puppy was just an added accessory!

 I helped crack eggs for breakfast

 The pony stall at Nana Arden's

 Playing with my cousins

 Coloring the dead tree with chalk

 Bagel breakfast!

 Selfie!

 Coloring contest, and the carousel ride that came with it

 Visiting Mr. Kenny-he was so happy to see us!

 Picnic in the living room, watching Moana

 Getting ready to get my braces!

 Before and after

 My new Descendants shirts!

I dressed up Emily as a My Little Pony

 Helping Mommy makes Great Grandma's homemade noodles, just like she did when she was little

 Saying good-bye to Daddy after getting up at 5:30 in the morning

My new Descendants books-I just can't get enough!

 Wipeout!

Ready to skate

1st day of 3rd grade, Teacher: Mrs. Mantle, I want to be an actress, 8/15/17

 Emily was not happy that morning, but I didn't let it spoil my day-I was ready!

Last first day in this school

 Building a marshmallow/spaghetti noodle tower with my class

 My annual driving picture

 Less than 8 years away!

 Mila let me hold her!

Who needs a prince when you can dance with and kiss your dog?

Passing game-I like to get my whole body involved even when it isn't my turn (I am in the turquoise shirt)

Relay-ball between my knees (I am in the gray shirt.)  I didn't give up and was honest when I had to go back!

Passing relay

Shooting hoops

Sliding and dabbing at Bonkers

No wipeout for me!

This is how I started...

And finished the session!

Driving the mower