What?Wednesday

While Mom and Conrad were gone, Dad and I got out my new experiments kit that I got for Christmas. Mom and Dad say that I am very curious, and I love to take things apart to see how they work (they don't like that very much). Dad and I made a radio, made electricity so that a pinwheel would go around, a telegraph clicker, and made a lightbulb light up. It was cool!

Christmas at Home!

We stayed home on Christmas. Conrad and I got up at 4:30 in the morning! We opened presents and then had lunch. Dad smoked a ham in the smoker and I ate so much! Mom made scalloped potatoes, cornbake, green beans, rolls, and pumpkin pie. Conrad got me a dart rifle and we have been playing dart tag every day since Christmas. There is a picture of my mom's awesome rolls.

Great-Grandparents!

We got to see my great Grandpa and Grandma in York on the day after Christmas. Dad had won a free car rental so we got to drive a 2008 Ford Explorer. It was really nice! We had lunch and went to Blue Valley. Then, we played Progressive Rummy. In this picture, I was able to lay my cards down and I was excited!

Merry Christmas!

On Friday night, the 19th, we had the 5th Annual CRAZY COUSIN SLEEP-OVER! Eli, Jake and Austin came. Sometime, we hope ALL of our cousins will come (that would be 14 kids!) We watched a movie called "Space Chimps." It was good. When we went to bed, Eli and Austin were sleeping in the school room and Jake, Conrad and I were in our bedroom. They threw crayons at us. (we were completely innocent, of course). We went sledding the next morning, and went to Clark and Stephanie's for Christmas. First, we celebrated Grandpa Vern's 82nd birthday. Then, we played Monopoly. We ate dinner in our Santa hats. Then, we opened presents!

Christmas!

The cousins drew names for gifts this year. Jake had my name and I had Austin's name. Jake got me a shirt, an inventions kit, a neat nightlight snowglobe and a little K'nex kit. I got Austin a tractor made of candy, a little action figure, and then his favorite: a gift certificate to Build a Bear Workshop. You can tell by the pictuers that he was excited! First, his mouth dropped open and then he 'fainted'. Grandma and Grandpa also got me some fun things: K'nex, two shirts, and electronic Monopoly.

Holiday Fun!

Here is my cat, Ginger, who thinks she is a Christmas present since she is under the tree. We had a lot of snow and we played in it many times. Our favorite thing to do was sled down the driveway because it is so slick. I helped Mom make sugar cookies and peanut butter balls. Yummy!!

Tweet! Tweet! Tweet!

At Minnie Cline, we had a Christmas music program called "Holiday Zoobilee." It was fun. My favorite part was my "bird drum solo".

Christmas Party

Robin invited all the kids from church over to her house for a Christmas party while our parents went Christmas shopping. It was SO MUCH fun! We watched a movie, made a craft, ate snacks, wrestled, and sang Christmas carols. The picture of Maison and I is funny because it looks like I am about to slap her, but really I was trying to cover up the pictures so I wouldn't be in it.

Christmas Tree Farm!

Every year, we go to the Christmas tree farm where Santa is. We get a Christmas tree and spend a lot of time finding the right one. When we were looking for our tree this year, Mom told me about two years ago when everyone found the right tree but I didn't think it was the one. They went around the field again and came back to the same tree (I didn't know) and asked me about it. I said, "Yes!" I laughed at the story. What I love the most about going to the Christmas tree farm is seeing Santa and drinking hot chocolate.

Buffalo Wild Wings is YUMMY!

Today, Dad got three free tickets to go eat a "practice lunch" at the new Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant. He took Conrad and I. We got to pick anything we wanted on the menu. We got an appetizer platter, a meal, and dessert! My favorite thing was the ice cream. There were 34 TVs in there---all over the walls, and there was a really fun trivia game that we could play. They gave us our bill just to show us what it would be, but Dad didn't have to pay it. The bill was $46! He thinks we are an expensive lunch date!

First Snow!

It snowed! I was so excited. In the first picture, you can see Conrad with his eyes closed because the snowball I threw at him is about to hit him. We went sledding for a LONG time. My mom thought it was funny that I wore my swim goggles. I didn't want to break my glasses, and the swim goggles helped me see. And, my face didn't get as wet. I hope it snows a lot this year, and again soon.

How to Give a Dog a Shower!

Our dog, Jake, smelled stinky, and needed a bath. Dad was afraid he would splash water everywhere in the tub, so he tried the shower. Jake took up most of the shower! I "pretty pleased" Daddy to see if I could give my dog, Stitch, a shower, too. He said, "yes". I used the special doggy soap. Stitch was very calm, and it was fun!

Thanksgiving Day!

We went to Kansas City for Thanksgiving to Uncle Clark's and Aunt Stephanie's house. We had a good meal. My favorite thing was Stephanie's homemade noodles (I didn't want any, but Mom made me try them, and I loved them. We brought some home, and I ate all the leftovers). The favorite thing I did that day was played the Wii.

My Friend, Kathy!

Last year, I met Kathy at the Stoney Creek craft show where Mom had a booth. Conrad and I helped her carry in her stuff, and she gave us each $1. We saw her at a couple other craft shows last year, too, and we loved to help her because she is nice and talks to me about what I am interested in.

This year, I was looking forward to seeing her again. I was excited to see her at Stoney Creek again. Last week, Mom helped at the HG booth at a show for one night and I helped her, and Kathy's booth was in the same room. We talked a lot and she gave me a quilt!!!! That night, when Mom got home, Ginger and I were fast asleep under my new quilt, and Mom took my picture.

Today, at Savannah's craft show, I went to help my mom, but I helped Kathy all day. I got to put things in sacks, make change (she told Mom that I could subtract in my head), and used the cash register. It was really fun.

I did go back to Mom's booth, but mostly just to get more samples (in the picture, we are eating the samples that I had just gotten). Today, Kathy gave me a white scarf that she had made and $5 for helping her all day. Mom never pays that well!

What ? Wednesdays

We did a Science experiment and tested for starch. This sweet potato has starch--I know because when I put iodine on it, it turned purple. We tested other things, too. We also wrote secret messages with lemon juice and let it dry. Then we painted the paper with iodine and our messages showed up. The paper has starch in it. The next morning, I put iodine on a Ritz cracker and I learned that it has starch, too, because it turned purple!

Cat House!

Dad says that he doesn't like cats, but I sometimes catch him petting Ginger. He did something else nice for the cats. Conrad and I helped him build a cat house. He got the supplies from scraps from building our house. The cat house matches our house exactly. It has three floors--so that more than one cat can lay up high (they like to lay on high things--like Dad's boat--and Dad doesn't like the cat hair and smell in his boat). The cats like it and it will keep them warm in the winter (Dad is hoping that Ginger will sleep there at night, but I have a special spot under the quilt on my bed for her).