The End of The.... Year (and beginning of 2013!)

So, I see you've survived the end of the world! (A funny way to look at the end of the Mayan calendar: Yeah, my calendar ended, too! On December 31st!)

Anyway, I've had a fantastic break so far, aside from the three extra days of break I received due to my stupid tonsils that appear to be strep magnets or something ridiculous. So that was disappointing because I didn't get to take my teachers their goodies and carefully baked gluten free cookies. 'Cause you know, I was sick and busy bein' miserable and puking 21 times in one day. I think that's the standing record for this family.

The Saturday before the actual Christmas was supposed to be Christmas with my mom's family but that got moved to the 27th due to my tonsils that suck. Nobody wanted to chance it because they get strep there all the time anyway.

Christmas Eve we were going to go to church but that got blown off due to the fact that my parents really wanted to go to Aunt Jenny's because my dad's sister and her husband and the twins from New York were there. And we have this tradition of having potato soup on Christmas Eve every year that we like so everything worked out.

I don't know if I've told you guys about the potato soup story, have I? Well, almost all my family is German, so that's where the story starts. They have lots of potatoes there and for the poor people, potato soup was what's for dinner. Potatoes, and cream, butter, cheese, plentiful staples. When my grandpa (I'm not sure how many "greats" he has by this point) came over on the ship to America, he got this stomach thing and had surgery to get part of it taken out (see how lucky? I hear the prospect of having surgery way back then wasn't very good.) and guess what he ate that was soothing and not painful to eat and reminded him of home. So the story goes and we like our tradition.

So after eating our potato soup we bundled up and drove to Jenny's to see everybody and my cousins who were home from college. Man, I love those people. It was good. Aunt Kim felt bad about not going to Christmas Eve church so she wanted my dad to read the Christmas story from the bible, which he did, and we sang Silent Night, and then Uncle Mike sang part of it in German which was hilarious.

We drove back to our house and I slept upstairs so we could all go down together in the morning.

7:30 in the morning, Esther gets up and wakes everybody up. "Everybody, it's Christmas! I want everybody up in five minutes!" And she's three. How cute.

It was magical. Esther got a ginormous Barbie house. I got a Wii Fit and the John Green boxed set (of books; too bad it wasn't a John Green boxed set with containing John Green!), and Abigail got two Wii games. Just to name a few. We hung out in our pjamas all morning and went over to the neighbor's to exchange gifts. They really are lovely people and I'm so glad they're our neighbors. They just had a baby and boy, is he cute when he's not fussy! I just wanna eat him up, you know?

On the 27th or whatever day it was (I really don't remember; it's all sort of a blur now.) we drove through the snowy Illinois roads and played cows, but there really weren't that many cows. You know, cows is a game that is really great when everyone in the country has cows (like in Wisconsin, not so much Illinois). We stopped at Wendy's for lunch and continued on to Uncle Joe's for Christmas with my mom's family. Grandma Judy ate her legendary Jell-O salad. It has watermelon Jell-O, green olives, and celery, all mixed together with like the olives suspended in the Jell-O and stuff. Yeah, I'll let you decide if you want to try it, but she loves it.

We stayed the night at Uncle Joe's and hung out there and the next day had the Hooperdoodle (I have decided that I'm using Hooperdoodle as my last name on the Internet instead of my actual last name) Christmas at grandma Linny's house with my dad's family and such. It was very fun. I was appointed the new Santa's Helper by Aunt Kim, who has been the Santa's Helper forever and so now I'm the new Santa's Helper. All the little kids helped me. Jake told me I run a tight shop. (I'm sure he and all my older cousins were jealous that they weren't appointed new Santa's Helper.)

The Christmas Eve snow was a couple of days late. It snowed in St. Louis the night we drove home from Illinois. It had a sort of, um, magical effect as we drove through our adorable neighborhood and watched the (still up) Christmas lights reflected on white though the windows.

It was a good break.

I can't decide if I'm excited to go back to school tomorrow or not. I really have enjoyed sleeping so much but I think it will be nice to get back to structured routines and seeing my friends and teachers at school. Alas, it's no Hogwarts.

Is it wrong that I'm 13 years old and I still eat my raspberries like this?

Cooking

On Friday at school we cooked our own lunch! Apparently our new PE teacher is also a chef... a really healthy chef.  Healthy as in no meat and veggie everything!

I normally stick to broccoli and peas and corn and that sort of stuff. Not really a big fan of beans or squash or tomatoes, especially not all nixed together! But I tried something new and I'm glad I did even though I didn't particularly care for it.

At least it was fun.  And dessert was good!

I guess I have some filling-in to do...

So I just turned 12! On my birthday I:

Had breakfase in bed. Crepes! With marscepone, raspberries, fresh fresh peaches, and chocolate sauce.

Opened presents, in bed! From parents, 'My Neighbor Totoro,' a new watch; from Abigail, earrings; from grandma Judy, a PHONE!; from grandma Linny, notebooks and money; from aunt Julie, fingernail polish and giftcards; from the other Hodges, a Swiss Army Knife and Swiss Army Flashlight (I almost blinded myself!); from the Mumfords, bananagrams; from aunt Pam, a bag and a book; from Paige a KLUTZ book (I love those!). 

The reason I do that is because people always ask me what I got for my birthday, and I really don't like answering that question.

THEN we went to P. F. Changs for dinner.  I had Crispy Honey Chicken, mom and Abigail shared some kind of shrimp, and my dad ate whatever nobody else did.  It was awesome!

I had a kickbutt birthday and I wanna thank you all.  :)

Hi

The fish fry was awesome.  The slide was HUGE!  IT.  WAS.  HUGE.  NOT.  KIDDING.

And we had fun even though we got sunburnt.

Since I left...

I've been gone for awhile, haven't I?

So...

I went to a bible camp from Sunday the 12th to Friday the 17th.  Everyday we would:

7:00-wake up (& get dressed etc.)
8:00-quiet time(read bibles and respond)
8:45-breakfast
9:30-chapel with Aunt Sue
11:30-activities (I did boating)
12:45-lunch (really good food!)
1:30-swimming
3:00-recreation time (boating, craft, mini-golf, snack)
4:00-free time in cabins
5:45-dinner
6:30-chapel
9:00-prepare for bed
10:30-official lights out

It sure was fun, but phew was it exhausting! 

For boating you could either go in a paddle-boat, a row-boat, a canoe, or a kayak.  The kayaks were my favorite!  They were a little tippy though, and I did fall in.  But it felt good!  Except for the bottom of the lake was like up to your ankles in lake slime.  Y-U-C-K-Y spells yucky.

The food was also really good.  Not as good as like thanksgiving food, but pretty good.

For free time I mostly did boating but I also had snack and went mini-golfing.

••○••



So, right when I got home from camp I litterally ate lunch, used the bathroom, grabbed a book to read and went out the door to go to Illinois. 

Now I sit in my grandma's living room listening to this annoying TV show my cousins are watching typing on my blog surrounded by lots of flowers from the funeral.

My Weekend

It was a fantastic one.

Starting on Friday:

Got home and started frantically packing because I had a sleepover birthday party.  I say frantically because my mom (incorrectly) told me that it was to be at 5 o'clock (it was really 5:30), and it was now 4:45. 

Mrs. W, I'm going to use some of your pseudonyms, if it's okay.  Too late.

It was Bree's birthday and Fiona, Genevieve, and Felicity were there.

Before dinner, we went on kind of a scavenger hunt.  We split up into two teams; on my team was Fiona and Felictity, and Bree had her brother and Genevieve.

Each team had one side of the block.  We knocked on people's doors and politely asked if they would like to donate food to Operation Food Search.  Whichever team collected the most won, but then it was more than that; my team didn't win, but when you do something to help others your heart swells up and you get this lump in your throat that says, "this is right."

For dinner we had cheese fondue with bread, vegetables, crackers and cheese to dip into the cheese.  Afterwards there was chocolate cheesecake with strawberries on top. 

After dinner, Zelda and Travis made us go up to the third floor while they hid candy on the 1st and 2nd floors.  Then, we had to find it in the dark; although the let us have flashlights.  It was so fun! 

Saturday:

Went home from the sleepover.

There is a farmer's market in Grove Valley Park every Saturday, and my uncle sells strawberries from his farm there.  So my cousins were at our house.  It was fun, but they kinda made me tired.

For Girl Scouts we had archery in Timber Park and then afterwards we dropped out cat quilts that we made at the APA.  We had a look around.  It was so sad.  I cried.

Sunday:

Went to church. 

Had people over for dinner.

Slept in my new bed.

Monday:

Kept thinking it was Tuesday.  Don't know why. 

Went to school.

Came home. 

Did homework.

Blogged quite extensively.

Ten on Tuesday: Things to be Thankful for

Well, things I am thankful for.

1) A warm or cold (depending) house with electricity and running water.

2) A good school with good teachers and good friends where you can go every day and know that you are in a safe environment where you don't have to work on the same thing everybody else is and it is okay if you are smart.

3) Food that will nourish your body and fill you up so that you can be productive in your work and not be all grouchy or tired.

4) Water and milk (and other things to drink) so that you can stay hydrated and so your body may properly function.

5) Clothes to wear so that even though Eve ate the apple and became ashamed, we may not have to suffer in such humility.

6) A warm, comfortable bed to sleep in so that in the morning you may be well-rested and able to carry our God's will.

7) Books to read that are entertaining and keep us busy, and sometimes teach us a lesson.

8) Friends and family who will always be there for us and provide for us, help us, teach us, care for us.

9) A Holy Book to study and learn so we can know what He requires of us and prepare us for His coming.

10) A savior who saves whoever believes and a God who forgives if we forgive and is faithful if we are.

Well...

It's a new month.

And, that's really all that I have to say.  Except for

I really want some Ted Drewes or something. Also

My mom is going organizer-weirdo crazy.  I don't blame her.  Really.  And

Actually a scone would do in place of Ted Drewes.  Oh

I am very excited to see how my science experiment will do in the science fair.  I won't tell you what it's about... yet.  Just because (very not-likely) one of you might might might might be a judge or something.   Just sayin.  Maybe after it's over I will post my logbook here or something, but

A piece of chocolate would also be fine.  Hmm, I'll let you know.  It'll most likely be a piece of chocolate.  Darn. 

Easter

On Good (why do they call it 'good?'  It's horrible!  It should be called Horrible Friday.  Although what was accomplished was very 'good.'  Anyhoot.) Friday we went to Church.

On Saturday we just mingled around and did chores etc.

On Sunday morning we got up and stumbled over ourselves down the 16 stairs to see what the Easter bunny brought.  I got chocolate (!), a puzzle, more candy, and my mom is going to take me to get a new cross necklace (my old one broke :0( ).  After that there was no time to hunt eggs.  We hurried to dress and ready and grab all our stuff (this is all happening at like 7 o'clock).  We scurry out to the car and drive drive drive (vroom vroom) to Illinois.

Once we get there, we get to Church (on time!).  We sing, then the kids go downstairs to Sunday school.  I love that Church.  It's so awesome; small (SMALL, really.), and your buisness is everybody's buisness.  I especially like how we testify and we could really go on all day.  And Tommy is always saying, "Can I get an Amen on that?"  "Sing Halleliua!"  I love it.

So after Church, we run down to grandma Judy's, then up to grandma Linny's for lunch.  And the Easter bunny apparently made a stop there too.  Stuffed, we go back down to grandma Judy's for (sigh) dinner.  At her house (this time) there isn't as much food, but still awesome food.  Ham sandwiches and hard-boiled eggs  (of course).  Farm fresh!  From Lula, who has, wait for it, chickens!

For desert-PINK STUFF!  My favorite.  I could eat that stuff all day.  Really.  And there was cherry chocolate chunk cake too!  Could it get any better?

After that we went down to uncle Joe's to play and (almost) watch Ponyo.  Of course, more junk food.  And since Lent is over, we played VIDEO GAMES!  (I gave up video games for Lent.) 

Then it's back up to grandma Judy's for bed.   Slept like a rock, and I had Bubbles the dog to keep my feet warm.

More tomorrow, it's time for me to get off now.  I had so much fun!

Such a Wierd Tradition

Not Easter itself.  The eggs.

We broke out the fingernail polish this year. 

But don't even get me started on the bunny.

Last night my momma was making jokes about the bunny.  She was telling The Story, and, just joking around, she said, "...  and on the third day...  a giant rabbit came and rolled the stone away!"  We all started laughing.  "What?  It couldn't have been a little garden bunny!"

Oh, mom.

So tomorrow, it's kinda jam-packed.  We'll get up at like 6:30 and come downstairs and do the egg thing and baskets.  Get dressed, take all our stuff out to the car.  We're going to take breakfast with us. 

So when we get to our destination, a 700-person town smack-dab in the middle of nowhere, we're going to church.  Then, we go to grandma Linny's for lunch with my dad's family.  After everybody leaves and stuff, we go to grandma Judy's for dinner with my mom's family.

She's making mustard ham (don't tell Abigail that's what she puts on it)  and pink stuff!  My family has a weird idea of 'salad.'  They think salad is marshmallows and Jell-O with a few maraschino cherries with cool-whip on top.  Really.  I don't even know what's in the pink stuff.  But it's so yummy.

Then in the morning we get up and drive back and get to school, but late.  Oh well, it's not like I have perfect attendance anyway. 

And right now I am loving all the white-throated sparrow calls I can hear right outside my window.  It is making me happy.  It's really spring!

Bento

Now long past my tummy.

What I've Been Doing...

Okay...

The other day we ate dinner at my dad's restaurant.  Not your average french-fries.

On Monday Abigail and I went over to one of our friend's house.

Then on Wednesday, my friend Paige, me, Abigail, Esther, and my mother went to the mall.  We made Build-A-Bears and it was just a great time.  Then, last night we had a sleepover.  EEK!

Today is St. Patrick's day!  I didn't even get pinched by a leprechaun because I forgot to wear green for about 3.6 minutes (not exactly, that's just a guessing number...)!  I changed my clothes about four times.  Hee.  AND, the weather was absolutely gorgeous.  We went to the Botanical Gardens with Abigail's friend.

I've had a really fun spring break so far! 

I Made That!

Well, I did make myself an AWESOME dinner and was going to write about it.  I took pictures, but it just isn't cool without them.  So I won't write about it.

So, I got the font to change, not exactly how I wanted it, but still good.  Who knows?  By the time I'm done posting, it may change itself again.  And I still can't comment.  WHY? 

PS:  Never mind about the font, it's still the same.

FOOD

Okay, last night we had some friends over for dinner.

We had horseshoes!  Not the metal kind that go on a horse's foot, though.  Well, more like ponyshoes. Still.

A horseshoe (that you eat) is composed of a piece of toast, a hamburger patty, french fries, and CHEESE.  All piled on top of each other.  Oh my goodness.  A perfect pile of unhealthy yumminess.  With room for cake that Kelly made to squeeze in.

So, it turns out that horseshoes originated form Springfield!  My favorite place to get them (well, the only place I've had them besides last night) is at this restaurant called Darcy's.  Cheese heaven!