I don't even remember the last time I wrote and I apologize for leaving you all hanging! October flew by at school with Halloween being the main event. I dressed up for three days because I love the holiday so very much. I was little red riding hood, a minion from Despicable Me, and a spider lady with a tutu and giant spider clipped in my hair. We had a parade at school with the Kinders and I didn't lose anyone in the process this year. Last year a few kids got misplaced in other classrooms as we paraded around. Our party was delicious and full of sugar. I made jello for my kids and deviled eggs for the adults. Parents brought in cupcakes, cookies, popcorn balls, and lots of candy. Last year I think I had 12 dozen cupcakes, but this year was much more manageable with the cupcake quantity.
As soon as the halloween party was over I was on the plane headed home. The decision to come home was not an easy one or a cheap one. My flight cost over $1500, but being home with my family to mourn a lost member was worth all of it. I slept in airports and had a sore back for about a week, but if I had not gone home I would have regretted it my entire life. I got to see my family for five days and it was good to be home, even under less than desirable circumstances. I made it back to Nome and back to school missing only two days. Thankfully I have an aide in my class that is a certified teacher and she led my class wonderfully.
November brought Kimmy back to Nome for Thanksgiving. We got to spend a week together over the holiday. We went out to eat and went black Friday shopping downtown and rode around on my four wheeler. It was a lot of fun having her here. I made my very first holiday meal. We had a full chicken, potatoes, stuffing, and corn. I even had to dig the guts out of the chicken; the most disgusting thing I have ever done! Food was delicious and the sister time was great too. After a week I put her back on the plane to Minnesota and cried as she waved goodbye through the security checkpoint.
The three weeks of school in December flew by and before I could blink our vacation started. I was the director of the kindergarten holiday music show again this year. We sang holiday classics: Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Jingle Bells, and We Wish You A Merry Christmas. We also had three eskimo dances we preformed and sang a song in Inupiaq. The kids did an amazing job despite the uphill battle to get 66 five year olds to stand in one place on the risers. Everyone sang and danced and looked so adorable in their holiday attire. Families cam in and filled the gym to watch their little ones perform and we had a post concert party in our classrooms. Parents came in and we had cake, cupcakes, juice, and candy canes. It was a great afternoon. We had decorated our room red and green with a paper Christmas tree and paper lights hanging from the ceiling. It was beautiful, although a lot of work!
I didn't make any surprise appearances in Minnesota this year for the holidays and it was very hard to be here in Nome. I went home at the end of October so I didn't go home in December. I was housesitting in town for a lady with a rabbit. Rabbits are definitely the smelliest animals ever. The whole apartment smells like bunny and it carries hay all over the house. I think I vacuumed five times in three days! It also eats paper so there is shredded paper under the couch and bed so it can hide and munch all day/night. I decided not to sleep there because it smells funny and gets very cold there at night. I also have my Olive to snuggle with at my apartment. I spent Christmas snoozing on the couch watching movies waiting for my mail from home to arrive. Maybe it will come next week....I continue to wait! I got a few cards in the mail from home, but the exciting boxes have not arrived. We had a week where no mail came in to town so I am sure they are still backed up. Hopefully other people got their presents in time for Christmas.
I miss home a lot and can't wait to see my family. I love Nome so much, but it would be a lot better if I had people here. My group of friends just don't make up for everyone back home that I am missing. Kimmy was here a month ago and my daddy is coming soon. I keep dreaming that he surprises me at school, I obviously miss daddy a lot! Maybe because I don't talk to him on the phone as much as I talk to my mom. I wish Nome wasn't 3,000 miles from home.
Until next time....hopefully sooner rather than later
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