Into the Time-warp

Hey everyone!
I'm sorry I haven't written in a while. Things have been hectic in my family. My mom has been on bed rest because of the baby, and I've had to help a lot around the house. And on top of that, I have more homework this year, too. We still haven't settled on a name for my baby sister, who is due in the Spring. We're leaning toward Isabelle, or Izzy for short, though. 

Yesterday was a snow day, so I helped my dad move some stuff from the attic, and I found a box of old books that were my mom's when she was a teenager. The box was dusty, and had "Patty's room" written on it (my mom's name is Patricia). I looked in the box, and it was mostly filled with Baby-sitter's Club books, by Ann M. Martin. I've heard of this series, but I've never read the books. I sat down in the attic and started paging through them. Dad said he'd bring them downstairs for me, and mom would probably give them to me, if I wanted them. So, dad brought them down to mom, and she and I looked at some of them. She laughed when she saw them, and said she read and collected the books for years. The girls on the covers wore clothes that look kind of crazy today, but mom said they were (mostly) the styles girls wore when she was young. I also found some parts in the books that sounded a little bit old-fashioned, like when they talk about things like videos and VCR's. Also, Claudia, one of the club members, had her own phone line. Today, Claudia would probably have a cellphone instead. And the Baby-sitter's Club might have had a Facebook instead of making flyers to tell people about their club. Mom said that compared to today, those days were much simpler times. She said I could have her books, so I took them to my room to read, since the weather was so bad. I found one book that is just perfect for me. It's called The Ghost at Dawn's House. I find it interesting that Dawn's last name is Schafer, because that is my last name. I wonder if mom would have ever guessed that someday she'd have the same last name as Dawn? It's funny how things like that work out.

Frankly,
Frankie

It's my birthday! Bring on the...

PINK! That's right, folks. I said pink. And that could only mean one thing, right...? Yup. It's a girl! I'm getting my very own baby sister! I'm really excited!

Best of all, I'm sharing this wonderful news on my birthday! I can't have a big party this year, since my mom has to rest a lot, but that's okay with me. My baby sister is the best present I've ever gotten! This afternoon, Paige and my new friend Emma are coming over for cake and ice cream, and of course presents. By the way, Emma is a girl my age who moved in down the street this Summer, and she's really, really nice. I'll post more about her soon, okay?

Frankly,
Frankie

Things are about to change...

...for the better! I have great news everyone. Really, it's the best news I've ever had! You see, for the past few weeks, my mom hasn't been feeling well. But, a few days ago, she made a special announcement at dinner. My mom is going to have a BABY! I'm so excited. I really, really, really hope the baby is a girl, since I already have two brothers, but I'd be happy either way; boy or girl. Tuesday, mom and dad are going to find out what the baby is. I'll let everyone know then!

My brother Brad is moving out in a few weeks, so we're going to fix his room up as a nursery. It will be really exciting. I love to decorate stuff. I have lots of great ideas. Mom has to rest a lot, so she is going to be the adviser when we get things in the room ready, and tell us what to do. I  just can't wait! I feel like packing all of Brad's stuff up for him, so he can move faster, and we can get started on the nursery already! (sorry Brad... love ya').
 
The next order of business is names. If the baby is a boy, it's going to be named after dad. If it's a girl, we've already come up with a list of names. Mom is letting me be a big part of choosing the name. Here's what we have so far:

-Savannah
-Zoey
-Amelie
-Quinn
-Isabelle (Izzy)
-Kadie
-Liberty (Libby)

Which name do you like? I like them all, but I think Zoey is especially cute.

I can't believe I'm going to be a big sister!

Frankly,
Frankie

Back to school

Well, it's that time of year again... back to school! I start school this Wednesday. Luckily, Paige and I are in the same class again. Our teacher's name is Mrs. McKee. My cousin had her for class last year, and said she is a strict teacher. But Paige's mom says she is very nice. There will never be a teacher as cool as Mr. Reese, but I'll give Mrs. McKee a chance. I went school shopping with mom last week, and got some new clothes and school supplies. I got Phineas and Ferb pencils, since that's my favorite cartoon. I'm gonna use the pencil with Agent P. on it for tests, as my lucky pencil, since Perry is my favorite character. This is the first year we'll have lockers, too. I hope I don't forget my combination! What are you doing to get ready for back to school?

Frankly,
Frankie

Hannah: a City Girl in the Country

Jumping on the trampoline

Pretty flowers

Playing on the trampoline!

Hannah on the stone steps

Just a quick update...

Hey everyone!

I'm sorry I haven't written in a while. I've been swamped with schoolwork, since it's getting toward the end of the year, and that's been keeping me busy. On the bright side, my class is having a picnic on the last day of school, and mom said if I get good grades on my report card, I can get an end-of-the-year present! I'm thinking of getting an outfit from American Girl called the Sea Breeze Outfit:

http://store.americangirl.com/agshop/html/item/id/177083/uid/189

Do you think it would look cute on me? I love floppy hats! This outfit would be perfect for fun in the sun, don't you think?

In other news, my brother, Brad will be coming home from school for the Summer. I've really missed him. I can't wait to see him again!

That's all for now!

Frankly,

Frankie

So many ghost stories, so little time!

Hey everyone!
Now that it's Spring Break, and the weather is warming up, I've been pursuing one of my favorite hobbies: reading ghost stories! I read ghost stories throughout my Spring and Summer breaks every year. So, I've already started a good sized pile of my tried and true favorites. At the moment, I'm re-reading Deep and Dark and Dangerous, by Mary Downing Hahn. It's a very eerie story, and it's very exciting. Although I've read it before, I like the story just as much as ever. I love all of Hahn's books that I've read so far, but my personal favorite has been Wait Till Helen Comes.

After I finish Deep and Dark and Dangerous, I'm going to start on my stash of Betty Ren Wright books. I have quite a collection of those. You may have heard of some of her more well-known books, like Christina's Ghost and The Dollhouse Murders, but Wright has also written many other great ghost stories, like Out of the Dark and A Ghost In the House. Her stories are great at capturing the feeling of carefree Summer days, as well as mystery and suspense. After I finish reading my personal collection of favorite ghost stories, I am going to check out the library, and maybe discover some new favorites!

What kind of books do you like to read best?

Happy Reading!

Frankly,
Frankie