Party Time on New Year's Eve!

Hello future readers,

Happy New Year! I had my annual New Year's Eve pajama party. ( I think this may become what my mom calls a "tradition".) It was super groovy! I couldn't believe it when my mom said I could invite my 13 closest friends over! She did warn me, though, that if we got too rowdy, this would be the end of this tradition! Cheryl and Danny even brought their dogs, Butterscotch and Muttley over, so Boomer would have someone to play with.

 We all had to stay on the "island" of blankets Mom spread out on the floor for us. For the first hour, we all kinda separated and played games like Twister, Perfection and Trouble. Do kids still play board games in the future? I hope so, 'cos they're really a lot of fun.

Jennifer and I played with my new View-Master. She liked the Barbie reel the best.

When Susan got up to go to the bathroom, Danny grabbed Cheryl's pillow and bopped her with it!

Wow, was he ever sorry he did that, because Stephanie, Cheryl and Wendy came to Susan's rescue and creamed him with more pillows!

Danny got kinda mad because he said he was only teasing Susan, and he didn't mean for the other girls to gang up on him. I reminded him that he started it and he shouldn't expect to come to a pajama party and not get into at least one pillow fight! The other girls said they were sorry, but I'll bet it'll be a long time before Danny tries to swat any of us girls with a pillow again!

Well, after the pillow fight, I decided to take out my new radio.

 I turned to a station that was playing "Dance To The Music" by Sly and the Family Stone, so that's what some of us did!

Right after that song was over, the pizzas that my mom ordered came, so we all settled down and ate pizza and popcorn and drank sodas.

Then we turned on the television to watch a few episodes of "The Twilight Zone". Most of us really like this show but Susan and Melody got a little scared.

 My mom said it was almost midnight so some of us got our hats and leis on, and turned on "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve". Mom filled up our glasses with soda and we toasted in the New Year!

Most of us dropped of to sleep right after that, and some of us stayed up for another hour watching more of "The Twilight Zone". We all had a dynamite time. I really hope my mom lets me keep up with this "tradition". It's really outta site when we can all get together and have fun! I think I'm really lucky to have so many friends to share special times with. I hope you future readers are just as lucky as I am!

Happy New Year!
Until next time, your friend,
Julie Newman

My Christmas Morning

Hello future readers,

I hope you are all having a really far out Christmas. I know I am. Last night, before I went to bed, my mom gave me my "Waiting for Santa" present. This year, it was a little toy Christmas dog. I named him Peppermint, because of the peppermint candies on his ears and paws. I think Boomer is jealous. He saw how much I liked the toy dog, and went to the corner and sulked. Silly pooch!

When I woke up, I took the candy out of my stocking, and ran to get my mom so we could open presents. I got her a new mug for her tea, a potholder I made in Art class, and a card. She really loved them. There were so many presents for me, I didn't know which one to open first! The first one I opened were 2 boxes taped together. I opened them, and there was a View Master, and a case with extra picture reels! Right on! The next box I opened had the radio I wanted in it! All right!

The next present had not one, but THREE pairs of groovy pants in it! My favorite pair are the purple ones. They're corduroy and are super soft! I also got a new denim purse with a happy face on it! Dynamite!

After we opened our presents, (and cleaned up all that wrapping paper!), my mom made chocolate chip banana pancakes, and we sat in the living room with our TV trays and watched Christmas movies.

 Later today, we're going over to Kim's house to have Christmas dinner with her and her family. I can't wait to see what she got for Christmas! I wonder if it's as groovy as the stuff that I got? I hope Christmas in the future isn't just another day. I hope it's a day of fun and food and super cool presents!

Merry Christmas, future readers,
Your friend,
Julie Newman

Springfield Elementary's Christmas Concert and Dance

Hello future readers!

Friday was such a dynamite day! Not only was it the last day of school before Christmas vacation, but it was also the day of the annual Christmas concert in assembly, and our first annual Christmas dance! The teachers and the PTA decorated the gym, and all of us got to bring our favorite Christmas records to dance to. (I brought my Partridge Family Christmas album.) It was the grooviest!

So this year Mrs. Taylor took over as our music teacher.

We've been practicing for weeks. Miss LaSalle's class sang "Joy To The World", "The Twelve Days Of Christmas" and "Carol Of The Bells".

 Mrs. Johnson's class sang "Away In The Manger", "Frosty The Snowman", and "What Child Is This?".

Mrs. Taylor also let Cheryl play a violin solo, ("Jingle Bells"), and Crissy play a guitar solo, ("The First Noel").  They both played really good!

Then both classes sang "We Wish You A Merry Christmas". Our teachers and our parents were so proud of us! I was proud of all of us, too. Everyone remembered all the words, no one fell off the risers, no one scratched their tush or picked their nose. Hahaha!

School was over after the assembly, but everyone stuck around to go to the dance! Miss LaSalle was in charge of playing our records.

Mrs. Johnson was in charge of the refreshment table. There was candy, cookies and pink lemonade.

Mrs. Taylor was in charge of making sure we all behaved and no one beat each other up on the dance floor!

Even though the dance was for the 4th, 5th and 6th graders, Crissy's cousins Kerry and Velvet came too. And their friend Sabrina (who was in 5th grade) was with them.

It was outta site! We all danced and ate all afternoon. Kim was all giggly after she danced with Danny. I think she has a crush on him. Danny isn't going to like that!

Velvet spent most of her time at the refreshment table. Kerry had to keep dragging her away!

I hope our school really is gonna do this again next year, we had so much fun!

Danny even asked Miss LaSalle to dance! And you know what? She's a pretty good dancer!

It was a really super terrific day! Almost as good as Christmas, but without the presents. Speaking of Christmas, I can't believe that it's almost here! My next entry will be all about Christmas morning.

Until then, future readers,
Your friend,
Julie Newman

Making out my Christmas list

Hello future readers!

Yesterday, my mom said we were going to the Springfield Shopping Center this week to do some more Christmas shopping, and if I wanted to see Santa, I'd better make out my list to give to him. So I sat down in the kitchen with some chocolate chip cookies, hot cocoa, along with a pencil and paper and thought about what I wanted.

I wrote the first thing that popped into my head...a new radio. Oh, not the big kind that's on a stereo, just a little portable one. I know I already have a record player and a tape recorder,  but I just want a little radio that I can put in the basket of my bicycle to take along with me. I took a bite of a cookie, and thought some more.

A couple of days ago, Robyn brought a Christmas Wish Book catalog to school. My mom won't let me keep a catalog, because she's afraid I'll bug her too much for stuff I might want. She says it's bad enough that every other commercial on television is a toy commercial lately, and that I'm always dropping little hints every time one of them comes on. I really don't want everything I see on T.V., but I kinda wish out loud a lot. Anyway, I saw some really groovy pants in Robyn's catalog that I really liked. So that's what I wrote next on my list. They don't have to be the exact same pants, but I do want something colorful, super cool, and well...groovy. *giggle*

The last thing I wrote down was a View-Master. In case you don't know what that is, it's almost like a little camera that you can put picture reels in to see 3D type pictures, almost like you could reach out and touch them! They have all sorts of reels of stories, TV shows, movies, nature, and places around the world! Almost like being able to see a movie or a favorite show whenever you wanted, even if it's isn't on! Or even visit other countries without leaving your house! Lisa has one of these, and it's really far out!

I guess that's really all I want this Christmas. I was gonna ask for a doll, but I've gotten a doll the last 2 Christmases, and I also have Barbies and a couple of dolls from other countries, so I really don't think I need another one yet...but maybe next year.

I know some kids have a really long list of things they wanna ask Santa for. But my mom says it's not nice to be greedy. If I ask for just a few things, that means that maybe I'll be surprised by something I didn't even know I wanted! Since I love surprises, I'm keeping my list short.

I wonder what Christmas is like in the future? Does anyone even go shopping then, or do you just punch some buttons on a computer and it gives you what you want? I hope there is still Christmas in the future. It's my most favorite holiday, and one of the best things about being a kid, and being part of a family, (even a family as little as mine!)

Until next time , future readers,
Your friend,
Julie Newman