Barbara got up at 5am and took a picture of the big bright round moon.  At 6am she went outside again and there was no moon in sight.  It was too low in the sky for her to see anything.  She didn't wake any of us up.

The  eclipse and colorful moon was to be happening from 6 to 8 but we obviously were not going to get to see it.

We only found out late yesterday that today is "wear a college shirt to school" day.  The only college shirt I have is "property of Oklahoma football."  Barbara didn't think I would wear it, but I said I would.  Surprise.  I have lots of sports team shirts and at Mimz' home I have U of Texas shirts.

I was the first child outside so I rode my bike for a few minutes.  Papa fixed both of my bikes.  I prefer my smaller old bike...the one Mr. Brad bought me.  It seems more sturdy and is better at jumping on my ramp. 

I took Cole into my garage to show him my dirt bike and I wore my helmet out to the bus stop to show the other three kids.  I took it off before the bus got there and we all happily climbed onto our bus.  Miss Judy waved to Barbara, as she normally does.

I played with a bunch of boys at Austin's until my dad arrived to take me to baseball field practice.  He arrived early enough that I got to ride my dirt bike for several minutes.

Normally today is batting practice, but there was a change and we had field practice.  My mom came for part of my practice.  I went home with Daddy.

I'm back to eating double oatmeal, milk, and bacon.  I have been taking a Rubic's Cube to school.  My teacher doesn't mind that toy because she knows working it uses our minds.

My Rubic's Cube broke at school.  I'm pretty sure it was one of Barbara's really old ones.   I told her when I got home.  She said that was not a problem.  I had a couple more.  She was glad I told her.  We talked about how it is okay if something breaks from normal wear and tear or because of an accident.  What is not okay is destruction.  This past weekend I asked for a hammer.  Barbara asked what I was going to use it on.  I said I wanted to smash a couple of my hot wheel cars.  The answer was "oh no!"  I said Anthony and I had smashed some cars before just for fun...  Not acceptable!

I worked my math homework and half of my reading homework before I went out to play with the Gang of Five and Austin.  We started jumping on the ramp.  Barbara doesn't like for my friends to jump on it.  She is afraid someone will get hurt.  After several minutes of our jumping, Alyssa fell and barely skinned her knee.  That was it.. Barbara took the ramp inside.  It made me mad but she would not listen to reason.

Back to homework... I make a lot of careless mistakes because I am in such a hurry to get outside to play or if I am doing my homework later I make mistakes just because I don't want to do my homework.

I played inside at Austin's until 7pm.  Barbara came to pick Alyssa and me up.  I then ate dinner and finished my homework.   I read five pages in my Diary of a Wimpy Kid Double Down.  I was in bed at 8:30pm.  I told Barbara I didn't want to get up to brush my teeth but I would brush them at 5am when she woke me up to see the moon.  She normally would make me get out of bed and brush, but she liked my thinking of an option, so I got to put it off.  I asleep at 8:40pm.

Daddy brought me home this morning.  I had just enough time to run upstairs to get my Rubic's Cube and run back down to wait at the bus stop with the kids.  Alyssa had her Rubic's Cube with her.  She wanted me to work one side for her.  I did... with ease.

I begged to get to do my homework after I played.  I ran off to play at Zane's.  Barbara came to remind me it was time to come home at 4:50pm.  I had to clean up a little because we had to meet Mommy at church at 5:30pm.  Today there was a tour of the church and a practice for our first communion.   We got to eat the bread and drink the wine.  My favorite part was about the oil, but I don't remember now what I liked about it.  It was long, lasting an hour and forty-five minutes.

I didn't do my homework because the church event lasted so long.  I'll have double the work on Tuesday night.

I spent half the day at Daddy's. 

Then he took me to the Camp Longhorn Carnival at a hotel in the Woodlands.  We met Mommy, Mimz, and Barbara there.  I played five games and earned merits to be used at camp this August.  

I'm dressed in a black shirt and am near the left edge near the center of the picture.  We watched a movie about Camp Longhorn.  Several kids told what there favorite thing was about camp.  The funniest answer was "the bacon... the best bacon I've ever had." 

I earned 48 merits.  I already about twenty something.  You use the merits at the camp store.  Morgan saved most of her merits to buy something big at the end of camp each year.  I wonder if I will be that wise...we shall see.   You earn merits by doing good things, like saying yes, ma'am, or being helpful, doing anything that shows you are building good character.

Mimz brought Barbara and me home.  I got to play for a short time before I had to get ready to go to my Faith Formation class.  Barbara took me and Mommy picked me up.  I didn't want to go.  I never want to go, but after I get there I like it.  But I still don't want to go the next Sunday.  Of course, I'd rather be playing.

After church I played until I had to come home to get ready for bed and school tomorrow.

 

Saturday, Jan 27, 2018

I woke up early, happy to find Monk Monk in my bed.  Just like I do with my original Monk Monk at Mimz home, I carried him downstairs to the breakfast table.

I wanted oatmeal and bacon and milk.  Lots and lots of bacon, please.  I so wanted to go knock on doors to find children ready to play but I had to wait.   I played a little Texas Stride before 9am when I could go see if I could find someone to play with.   Barbara spent the morning going through my room looking for things to garage sale or to give to Anna Kate.  I wasn't quite ready to give her my doctor's bag.  Alyssa and I still play doctor a little.  But I agreed to give AK a stuffed Mickey Mouse, and Bradley three big rubber cars for little boys his age.  And there were a few other toys I gave them that Kristan said she would keep to give the kids one at a time.

I laid on my bed looking through my school yearbook.

Alyssa was the first child ready to play.  She and I went found mud to play in and boy did I get dirty.  I went home wanting to just wash my hands and wipe off the mud.  Oh no... it didn't happen that way.  I got in the bathtub to remove my shoes and clothes.  Grandma rinsed them out in the sink while Barbara helped me get my shower taken.  I was shocked to see so much dirt going down the drain.  I didn't realize it was that bad.  I thought now I was clean and ready to go to Bubba's tonight.  I didn't realize I would get dirty some more, but not nearly so bad before the afternoon was over.  Barbara forgot to take a picture of me.  She was in a hurry to get me into the tub before I got mud on the floor.

Finally all the gang was awake and ready to play.

GGM darned my leggings.  Thank you, Great Grandmother. Grandma came over to help Barbara get rid of some of her belongings.  Grandma tried to use the bike tire pump but she couldn't figure it out either.

Daddy came to get me in the middle of the afternoon.  I needed another shower.  Daddy said I could take one at his home.

I went to a birthday party Sleep-over at Bubba's home.

I was not home when Andy and Kristan brought over their babies for Barbara to babysit.  I heard the kids were very good and played nicely with all of my old toys and that Anna Kate barely let go of her new stuffed Mickey Mouse that I gave to her. 
  


  

Friday, Jan 26, 2018
I studied my spelling words while I ate breakfast.  I know them pretty well.  Again I forgot this was Friday and I want to eat a cinnamon roll at school.

I tossed a football around with Xavair for a few minutes while we waited for the school bus.  Barbara asked me if I would run pick up the newspaper and bring it to her.  I started to go, then my school bus came around the corner.  Barbara said I didn't need to get the newspaper after all.  But I wanted to race the bus.  I quickly ran to the paper and ran it to Barbara, then I ran to my backpack and put it on, and I got in line with the Gang of Five and had plenty of time to make the bus.  No problem for this speedy boy.

We didn't have a spelling test today.  I don't know why.

Cole, Alyssa, and I stopped a policeman so we could chat with him.  He talked with us a couple of minutes.  We have done that before.

I jumped off the bus asking if I could have a brownie before I headed out to play.  The gang of five and Austin decided to ride our bikes.   When we were near Austin's house, I accidentally hit Alyssa's handle bar and we both fell.  She was not hurt.  I tore my leggings and ended up with just a small cut on my knee and I scraped my shoulder.

 My bike was in really bad shape.

 The front wheel would not turn because the front brakes was pressed up against it.  Xavier and Austin (two fifth graders) carried my bike half way home, when Barbara and I took over.  Since the back wheel would turn, we put the back wheel on the ground and just lifted the handlebars.  This was much easier.  For the last short distance to my home, I wanted to try another way.  I lifted the front of the bike up, like I was doing a wheelie and by myself I got my bike the rest of the way home.

I asked GGM if she could mend my leggings.  She said she would try.

I need to have Papa or Andy look at my bike to see if they can repair it.  I have my old spare bike, that Mr. Brad bought me.  The tires needed some air.  We have a tire pump but neither Barbara or I could figure out how to use it.  So I borrowed Alyssa's old second bike.
 
I played outside until 6pm.  I came home for dinner, then I ran over to Alyssa's and played there until 8pm.  At home I watched some of the old World Series.

This Monk Monk will be a gift from me to Bridget and Chris' new baby.  I think I will give it to them on the day of my First Communion since they will be in town that day.

Barbara found my Monk Monk and other stuffed animals.  They had been put in a tub on a high shelf in my closet.

This is my little ALS bear.  Pops had ALS.  

We decided Barbara would give my feet a massage using baby lotion.  It felt so very good.  I wonder if that is what relaxed me so much I fell asleep early.  Notice I'm hugging Monk Monk.  Mommy had to carry me to my bed.  I carried Monk Monk while Mommy carried me.

So we don't have to makeup one of the days school was closed due to icy conditions, we will be starting school at 8:14am instead of 8:15am every morning until the close of school.  Sounds great to me.

Daddy brought me home this morning.  I opened up his back truck door and a jar fell out and broke.  I felt bad but Daddy assured me it was not my fault.  It should not have been there.  He put the broken glass in a box Barbara gave to him.  It did not shatter so there were only large pieces.

Waiting for the bus, I was wearing long pants and I looked like I fit in with the other kids.

Barbara wasn't home when I jumped off the bus.  But GGM was waiting for me.  She had made brownies.  I took one and stood over the trash can to eat it so the crumbs would not fall on the floor.  Nobody told me to do this... I just did.  She thanked me for being thoughtful.

 Barbara had been babysitting my little cousins and she arrived ten minutes after I got home.   She explained to me I had to come inside at 5pm, eat, and get dressed for baseball field practice AND after practice I would need to study my spelling words and read for 20 minutes.  I took my phone with me so I would know the time.  I came home right on time.

At practice I did well.  I sure missed not playing with my team for a month.  One of the boys was trying to catch a pop fly.  It missed his glove and hit his lip. He just stood there for about three seconds, then he started crying.  Poor kid.  He ended up being okay.



 

I was the only child at the bus stop in shorts and short sleeves and not jacket.  I did have a jacket in my backpack.  I have long pants and long sleeved shirts but I won't where them.

Again I only ate about half of my oatmeal.  Barbara is going back to fixing me one pack and if I need something more it can be a banana or bacon or something else.  We waste very little food in this house.

I was reminded that I have homework to do as soon as I get off the bus. 

I did my math homework , both pages, and reviewed my spelling words before I went out to play.  I made a couple of mistakes on my math homework and it was only because I was in such a hurry.   I hope one day soon I will realize just a little concentration would make learning so much easier.

I rode to the park with Austin, Xavier, and Julian.  We had a good time.  I went to Austin's and played until 6:30pm.  I came home and did my reading pages, both of them.  I read some in Dog Man.

Barbara and I read the first few days of my blog.  It was about my birth and my name.

I was sure hungry this evening.  I ate everything I laid my hands on.   I nicely took my shower and laid down in Barbara's bed for the last ten minutes before I had to go to sleep.  I fell asleep within five minutes.  Mommy carried me to bed because Barbara didn't want me sleeping in her bed.  I crowd her too much.

  

Monday, Jan 22, 2018
I had a hard time waking up and only ate half of my oatmeal.  Not a good way to start the day.

We were all glad to see Cole walking to the bus stop and that he was okay after the little scare yesterday.

I asked if I could please play first then do homework after it got dark.   Barbara agreed but this would be a test to see if we could do that more often.   

The first thing I noticed when I came inside the house after school was my Effective Learners yard sign.  I took it outside and pushed it into a front yard flower bed.  I was sure happy to have earned that sign the first time there were given out.  I'm sure next nine weeks it won't be given to me.  They want to include as many children as they can.

Well, guess who was not willing to do homework after I was inside for the night.  I was not willing because my backback was downstairs and I didn't want to go down there to get it.  That means tomorrow I have double homework and can't play until it is all done.   Will I ever learn?

I spent the morning with my dad.
Barbara and Mimz met at Sprouts at about 2pm so I could get home in time for my 14th Faith Formation class at 4:15am.  There are a total of 22 classes.

Papa and Grandma dropped Mommy off at home very soon after I got home.  I played with Austin until 3:30pm.

Don't worry when you start reading this paragraph:  Cole was okay.
When Mommy got in her car to come get me she saw a little group of people huddled around someone laying in the grass in the yard across the street from our home.   The people were Mr. Mark and Alyssa and a man walking by.  Cole was laying in the grass saying something hit his windpipe and he was having a hard time breathing.   Barbara came out the front door to see what the problem was.  Mr. Mark was concerned that Cole had eaten something that was causing him to have an allergic reaction.  Cole is very allergic to some foods.   Mr. Mark was calling 911.  Then he called Cole's mom.

Mommy left to get me.  Barbara went to get a blanket because it was misting rain.   Cole's grandparents were out of town and his mom was at her apartment about 15 minutes away.  His aunt Susan was at home. 

A fire truck with five fireman and an ambulance with two paramedics arrived with sirens blaring and lights flashing.

Barbara told the fireman that Cole's mom was on her way.  They asked to talk to her, so Barbara got her on the phone again.  They were asking for permission to treat Cole.  Sarah is a RN.
Cole was getting better every minute and it was determined that he was not having an allergic reaction.

  The paramedics were taking care of  Cole.  The firetruck left.  Sarah arrived and Cole sat up, hugged her, got up, and was just fine.  Sarah got into the ambulance to fill out paperwork.  Cole and Alyssa ran off to play.
It was at that moment that Mr. Mark picked up a hula hoop that had been pushed aside.  It was then that Barbara figured out what had happened.  Cole was running carrying the hula hoop, tripped over the hula hoop, which hit his windpipe and caused him to to down.  That is why he said something hit his windpipe and he was having a hard time breathing.  Mr. Mark agreed with her.  Barbara went home.  We don't know if anyone ever told the paramedics what had really happened.  Mr. Mark talked with Sarah so maybe he told her.

In the middle of all of this I called Barbara to ask if Cole was okay and what was going on. I got to church on time.

I went over to Austin's to watch the Vikings and Eagles.  We are glad the Eagles won because Uncle Chris' family are big Eagles fans.  Mommy picked me up at 8pm.

I had a hard time going to sleep.  It was soon after 9pm before I was asleep.

I spend the day with my dad.

The first and second grade awards assembly was at 9:30am.

A funny thing:  After we were all seated, I saw Barbara standing on the side and I watched her for a minute.  I could tell she was looking for a specific person.  Finally she spotted him.  It was me and I was smiling really big.  I was sitting right by Mrs. Havemann.  Mimz would have been at the assembly but she had to wait for the insurance adjuster to come look at her damage from a broken water pipe.

In this picture it looks like I'm in trouble.  But I wasn't.  Before the assembly started, Mrs. Havemann gave me the daily attendance report and had me run it to the office.  She knows I am a reliable helper.

 When my name was called they said I had earned two spirit sticks for making the AB honor roll and for making all Es on my conduct.

 I have a big bunch of spirit sticks!

I was the last child in my class called because my last name is near the end of the alphabet.

I didn't have perfect attendance.  Remember I was the first in the family to get really sick for a couple of days, then many other family members got that illness also.

The only funny announcement at this assembly was that a girl was not at school today but she had earned a spirit stick ...  for Perfect Attendance.  

 Mrs. Meredith was my Kindergarden teacher.  She now teaches first grade.

 Mrs. Catozella (Mrs. Cat) was my first grade teacher.

 Mrs. Moody and Mrs. Havermann are my second grade teachers.

The next part of the assembly was about a new program:  Effective Learners

Ask your child, “What makes an effective learner?”

Along our journey of learning there will be times when things could get difficult, when we just can’t seem to make sense of the material we are learning, or when we simply become overwhelmed with the amount of information we are ingesting. The first step to dealing with these types of challenges is to simply recognize that they exist and that they might shake us up or challenge us a little, but effective learners are prepared for these learning challenges. Effective learners work hard, and are curious and persistent. They are goal setters and getters who self-reflect often. They embrace challenge and are not afraid to fail because they know they can learn from their mistakes.

Each teacher chose three children from her class that they thought were Effective Learners. Guess who was chosen by Mrs. Havenmann?   ME!

 21 second graders were called up to the front of the room.  Our picture was taken and we each will get a yard sign that that announces that we are effective learners.

  We were all surprised about this event.

My Effective Learner award.

 Barbara came to me at the end of the assembly so she could congratulate me on my achievements.

 These are two of my friends.

 Mrs. Havemann and me.

This was a very long assembly.   It started at 9:30 and it was almost 11am before it was over.

Xavier was chosen as an Effective Learner also.  This is his yard sign.

 My sign will be just like this.  Barbara will go get mine on Monday.

Soon after I got home from school, Grandma and Papa arrived.  They were here to get Mommy when she got off work and then they were driving to San Antonio to visit Bridget and Chris.  This will be the first time they have seen their house.  Well, not Mommy, she saw it at Christmas.

I played with the kids until after 6pm.  Barbara was babysitting Alyssa for a couple of hours, so Alyssa and I came inside and ate some green cake.  It's a pistachio cake but green cake sounds weirder.  Daddy arrived to pick me up for the weekend a little before 6pm.

Brownies -  Mimz

Bubba, Papa's dad, was having a dialysis treatment when they nurses decided he was in trouble so they had him admitted to the hospital today.   He is doing better and he might be released on Sunday.

Daddy wondered if we had missed my school bus because it was 7:33am when we got to my home and there were no children at the bus stop.  I told he I knew we had not missed the bus because I saw a child waiting at a stop before my stop AND the bus is not due until 7:35am and they don't run early.   Barbara told us I was right, we had not missed the bus.

Barbara told me to be quiet and listen.  We could here a bunch of birds making a LOT of noise.

 I looked up and saw about 20 birds at the very top of one of our pine trees.

  Zoom in and you can see them.

Soon Xavier and Julian joined me at the bus stop.  The bus had to wait a few seconds for Alyssa to come running across the street.

No homework since this is a short week at school.  I played with my friends after school.


I wanted to spend the evening and night with Daddy, so Mimz and Barbara met at Sprout's.

I ate two grilled cheese sandwiches and a bowl of chicken noodle soup before I had to head to shower and bed.

A little later I requested a third grilled cheese sandwich with apple slices.  Mimz said I was either growing or trying to delay my shower.

No school again today because the temperature won't be above freezing until this afternoon and the school doesn't want to risk someone getting hurt on the ice.

I spend the day with Daddy.

 Article about low temperature in Houston.  Words are not easy to read, so we will retype them here:
Houston hit 19 degrees for a low temperature on Wednesday - the first time temperatures have fallen that low since Jan 8, 1996.  That means 19 degrees is the cold temperature I have ever experienced, since I was not born until 2009.
 

The bridges were impassable, so on this highway people were turning around and driving the wrong way to get off the highway.  Unbelievable!

School was canceled for today because of the likelihood of icy streets starting this morning and continuing all night.   We have heard that many bridges are closed because they are covered in ice.  Houston is not equipped with snow removal trucks and sand spreaders because we don't get icy roads but once 20 or 30 years.  Instead they ask people to stay home when this infrequent event happens.


I spent the night with Daddy and will spend the day with him and Mimz today..

 This is the snow in a flower bed.  I see one of my whiffle balls hiding.

Across the street you can see a little snow.

 Table top, waterfall and patio have a little layer of ice on them.

There is no school today because it is Martin Luther King Day.

I spent the night with Julian and Xavier.   I was on my best behavior because they are both very well behaved boys.  We wanted mac and cheese for dinner but they only had one box, but I knew we had some, so we got two boxes from my pantry so their mom didn't have to go to the store.  She also fixed fruit salad but I didn't eat any.

We had pancakes and eggs for breakfast.  I came home at 10:30am because the boys both had dentist appointments.  Alyssa and I played with our hover-boards.  Barbara laid out agility cones and we weaved in and out of them.  We enjoy doing that for a long time.  Today we did gather the cones when we were finished.  We rode out bikes up and down the street a bit, then we went over to her house and played inside for an hour.

At 12;30pm my dad came over with with my dirt bike. 

 I rode it in the front yard, back yard, and behind the fence.

   I haven't gotten the hang of changing gears yet.  I have to learn that before I can ride on a real dirt bike track.

 I played with Alyssa and Xavier and Julian in my front yard most of the afternoon until Daddy came back around 5:15 so I could ride my dirt bike some more.  Mommy got home at 5:30pm so she got to watch me.  She told me there will be no school tomorrow because of the possibility of icy streets.

I got to go home with Daddy since I don't have school tomorrow.