Let's Give Thanks!

It was a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. We started our day going to church then relaxed the rest of the day, chatting on the computer with our grandparents as the smell of turkey filled the air. As we went around the dinner table to say what we were thankful for, I said I was thankful for being able to buy the things we need. I didn't realize it at the time, but I am also thankful for my fish Fiona. She had been sick a few weeks before Thanksgiving and it had gotten pretty bad. One day before I went to school, Daddy even warned me that she might not make it through he day. When we woke up on Friday (black Friday), Mommy pointed me toward Fiona's bowl and I saw that she was laying upside down on the bottom. I knew then that she had died. I was sad. I wondered why she wasn't already in the dirt (buried) but Mommy had to explain to me that her soul had gone to Heaven and that it was just her body laying there so still.
Daddy gave me two options for Fiona. We could either bury her or flush her down the toilet. The toilet idea sounded crazy to me so I definitely wanted her to be buried in the backyard so that we could be reminded of her. Soon after breakfast, the morning was mild enough that we went out in the backyard and buried her. Daddy said I could say a few words, so here's what I said:
I love you Fiona. You were a great fish. It is very sad that you are dead but now you know God's mystery because your soul is in Heaven. You made me so happy and I will never forget you.
Luckily, after that Mommy and Daddy rolled out the outdoor decorations and started decorating the house for Christmas! I helped Mommy fluff all of the little Christmas trees. After lunch on the screened porch, we finished decorating and then we went for a family bike ride!! Ever since Adam rode his bike all the way to the big park, I've been bugging Mommy for a family bike ride. And was it ever fun! We didn't go far, but it was good enough for me.

November Is Election Month

There was lots of anticipation gearing up for election day. Yes, even for me. Kids were constantly talking about the candidates for the President and I was not shy to say that I liked Hillary. I had a bad feeling about the guy running against her and I was anxious to hear what would happen on Election Day. I went to bed before the results were finalized. Upon waking up the next morning, Mommy said she had some news about the election. I asked her who won, and she told me to guess. I first guessed Hillary, and when she said no, my head dropped and I sullenly said, "Donald Trump." But that was that, it was finally over and I could begin to worry about more important things like fall weather, writing opinion papers at school, math flash cards (got to practice for On the Bus), reading books and starting another session of dance class. We enjoyed a fun outing one Saturday at a place called Eno River State Park. We met Cathy and big Adam there and explored the park with some hikes, then ate a picnic lunch there. The leaves were starting to turn all different colors. We saw one tree that had every single color on it: green, yellow, orange, red, magenta, purple. It was cool!
Then, this weekend we went to Downtown Raleigh to enjoy the Raleigh Christmas Parade! We got to sit up in Daddy's office to watch. We enjoyed hot chocolate (not necessary because it was a beautiful day), snacks, and a perfect view over the plaza complete with seats if we needed a break. It was fun to watch the parade and my favorite part was the huge Shrek balloon that was blowing so much it was dipping into the spectators and kicking into the balloon handlers. It was hilarious! The parade concluded with Santa, and as we waved we had officially begun the holiday season! I can't believe Thanksgiving is in just a few days!