HALLOWEEN!

YAY! Today is Halloween! All Hollow's Eve! YAY!
Okay. What to post about? Well, I changed my picture again, as you can see. It is me riding R. Yeah. And we're going out to the barn to ride this afternoon. R is back in the game after his cut on his eyelid and muscle pulling. He's back to full health, thank goodness.
Three of the kittens, including my favorite, left for new homes, and the mother Stephenie got fixed, but the other three kittens died. The vet came to inspect the bodies and diagnosed them by being poisoned somehow. D doesn't keep any poison around the barn at all, so it's a bit of a mystery, but they all died within about an hour of each other.
I have decided on my names for my best selling novel. Savannah and Cameron. Not based on votes, but based on what I think works best.
So have a fun Halloween, peepoles.
And I'm only going to do a few tips. Not one per day. So a few tips:
Take risks.
Have fun.
Adapt to changes.
Remember who your true friends are.
Don't be jealous.
Carry your friends when they need it.
Be creative.
Live.
Laugh.
Love.
Be fearless.
Enjoy.
Value.
-Madeline

Snow Days

Hi peeps! First of all, check out this new and TOTALLY awesome blog my friends E (Billie Jean) and Ian the Great have started. It's called Holland Snow Days and since winter is fast approaching (unless you live in California or Florida you GLOATERS!), they are going to track the patterns the weather and snow days here in Holland are taking. And what we do on those snow days. So yeah. It's under the blogs I follow.
Last night, during a rainstorm, someone ran through our backyard. They broke part of our fence, left their t-shirt in our garden and opened our garage door, though nothing is missing. The police came and took some pictures, and then they said they'd write up a report. We don't know who or why this person did that. ???
-Madeline

Hi Again

I'm going to update my picture every few weeks. The last one was of me kissing R's nose ^.^!!!! This one is of some characters from my favorite series, Warriors. They're from the third series, Hollypaw and Lionpaw, two apprentices of ThunderClan and sister and brother. Hollypaw is supposed to be black instead of dark brown, but she's cute like that too. They also have another gray brother Jaypaw, who's blind, tempermental, and training to be a medicinecat instead of a warrior. It's a really good series. In this picture (By MarikaGirl of DeviantArt), Hollypaw is saying (imaginary conversation), "Why can't you just get along with Jaypaw?"
Lionpaw shrugged his golden shoulders.
"You know you could," Hollypaw insisted, "if you tried."
"Yeah right," Lionpaw meowed.
"Come on!" Hollypaw winked her one eye and stuck out her tongue. "Do I look like I'm lying?"
So yeah. That's one of my faves.
-Madeline

Polls

So I'm having decision problems . . .
I recently had a dream I am going to turn into a BEST-SELLING NOVEL!!!!!!! Woot! So yeah. And I'm about to post two polls on what the girl and boy main characters should be named. I have a few ideas. So vote vote vote!!!!
Thanks ya!
-Madeline

BUSY BUSY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey you peeps!!!!
Hihi! So I'm reeeeeeeeally busy:
-Science Olympiad
-Writing (New idea for best-selling novel)
-Reading
-Homework
-Blog
-School
-Eating, sleeping
-Chores
-Riding
All that fun crap.
kay. That's about it.
-Madeline

Because every time we touch, I get this feeling . . .

There's this awesome song I'm listening to called Every Time We Touch, by CASCADA. It's pretty cool. I'm like listening to it a LOT now.
Anyways . . .
Halloween party at the barn!!!! We played flashlight tag and bobbed for apples and had a feedbag toss and did a jump course without horses (AKA, we had to jump over them ourselves . . . LOL) and this awesome thing where two horses are in the arena (except this time it was two people) and we pretended there was a mirror and we did mirrored movements. It was really cool. Then we had a bonfire and D accidentally forgot to feed her two fresian horses and this one called Phantom FREAKS OUT at every little thing and he spooked at our flashlight beams. It was really funny. And we played with the kittens a lot. We went to see them today after my lesson too, and one of them is missing, maybe he's been adopted. I hope so.
So back to my lesson. (E is sick today and we had the day off. Just a little tidbit of info there) We jumped and I am really tired now. D worked us really hard. So yeah. Today I got more books from the library (CURRRRRRRRRRRRSE MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE).
That's about it. . . .
Tip for Friday:Don't live in the past. Focus on what's happening today.
Tip for Saturday: Don't do anything too risky. Risky, yes, but not too risky.
Tip for Sunday: Have fun doing new things
Tip for Today: Enjoy breaks.
I remembered some other stuff that happened. I went to Em's Dad's house and played with the kittens. I also rode in the golf cart even when my parents directly told me not to. Although they only told me not to ride on it. What?! I'd say that's a valid loophole. My parents didn't think so, though. They made me write a 300-word essay on why children shouldn't ride on, in, or drive golf carts.
And I went to my church's youth group Fish Club on Sunday and we learned the Soulja Boy dance, and some other cool dances. The person teaching was going to teach us Thriller, but we didn't have enough time. Then we learned karate. That was pretty fun. Our sensei taught Taylor Lautner, who is playing Jacob Black in the bestselling-novel-turned-movie Twilight. So yeah.
Peace out, y'all.
-Madeline

The Glorious Day of Fri . . . OFF!

We have today off! Woo-hoo! I love days off.
So Science Olympiad has officially started. Yesterday was the first official practice. I have been researching dutifully, which is more than some people can say. Like one of my partners, who wasn't there and probably FORGOT. HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE????? And other people who just spend their time in the computer lab messing around. So anyway.
Today we're going to rest up and go see my grandparents, then swim in their pool. Yesterday me and E and Ian the Great got some hot chocolate downtown (except for Ian, who got ice cream when it was fifty-five degrees out!) and then we went to this new fountain built into the sidewalk that spurts water. E and Ian ran through it. I didn't. I stuck my toe in.
So yeah. And yesterday also my mom and aunt went to see one of my relatives. She just turned 102. So she's really old and we think she might die soon. Maybe even next week because her dad is dead (obviously) and she said, "Next week I think I'll go visit my dad, just to see if he's okay."
My mom said sometimes older people who are going to die say things like that, sometimes even without realizing it.
So sometime I want to go to the library and get some books about jumping so that I know some stuff. Yeah. So that's about it.
I'm glad we had the day off. I slept in until nine and now I feel so rested!
And next week I am going to try out for a play. So wish me luck!
Tip for today and yesterday:
Yesterday: Ask permission first.
Today: I'll tell you at the end of today. Or next time I post or whenever.
-Madeline

Patches the Horse

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teHfyby_veU
Hee hee . . .
So today I went for a ride. YAY! In a minute I'm leaving for TASC. Me and R jumped. And his eye is doing a lot better. So yeah.
That is about all that is going on in my life right now. Sorry for the boring ness.
Tip for Sunday: Uh . . . Don't put rats in the ventilation system.
Tip for Monday: Trust.
Tip for Tuesday: Laugh a lot. It burns calories.
Tip for today: Don't be embarassed about wearing anything you think is cool.
Sorry if some of these are kind of random, but I'm random too, so it fits.
-Madeline

Michael Jackson

No one, I repeat, no one, can dance like Michael Jackson. The old Michael Jackson is so awesome. If only he hadn't gotten all weird.
Unless you want to see the whole thing, go to 8:20 at this video: (eight minutes, twenty sceonds)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtyJbIOZjS8
It's so awesome.
Remember!!!!! NO ONE CAN OR EVER WILL SING OR DANCE LIKE MICHAEL JACKSON!!!!!
-Madeline

Ciencias . . . Um . . . How do you say Olympiad in Spanish???

So I'm doing Science Olympiad right now.
I learned from last year:
Only take things you think you'll need.
Organize, organize, organize!
Focus.
Find your classes when you get to GVSU BEFOREHAND!!!! Not when your class starts.
Manage your time wisely.
Make sure you look at the rules and tips for your classes to make sure you know the requirements and what you can bring.
Don't cram at the last minute.
So yeah. I'm working on Science Olympiad. I'm on Dynamic Earth (Earthquakes and Volcanoes) with my friend Corey, and Fossils with my other friend Maria. Me and Maria did both of my events together last year, which were Rocks and Minerals, and Crave the Wave. Maria also had Metric Mastery with Carly, I think.
So here's the scoop on S.O. You go to meetings starting Thursdays in fall, then Tuesdays AND Thursdays after the Winter Break. It's like a huge test you have until March to study for. And you get to choose the subject. And you have a partner. And it's a lot more interesting. So it's not really a test. LOL.
So you choose two classes and study for it. In certain classes you can bring a binder or even a book to the actual test. If there's more than one pair in a group, the group that will be actually competing is defined by another test the coach devises. If you're a returning student (Like I am!) you have a guarenteed spot on the competing (Varsity) team.
Each school is allowed up to three teams of fifteen at the invitational at Allendale High School in February, but in the real thing at GVSU, only the varsity team gets to compete. Last year, even only as a sixth grader, I made it onto the Varsity team and at the Invitational made seventh in both my events. At GVSU, I got like 16th in one and 25th in another . . . bad luck, I tell you!!!
So this year I have a goal: BEAT PLYMOUTH CHRISTIAN!!!! Holy CROW that team is good! There wasn't an event that would go by where you wouldn't hear, "Plymouth Christian!!!" and "EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!" from behind us. Co and my other friend Diana got first in their event at the Invitational, and then sixth at GVSU. The prizes go up to sixth at the Invitational and eighth at GVSU. It's really fun!
Whew, that was long.
Anyway, back to earthquakes! Me and Corey and me and Maria and EVERYONE ON THE SCHOOL TEAM IS GOING TO KICK BUTT IN MARCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOOOOO HOOOOO!!!! Especially Plymouth Christian butt!
Wish me luck!
Over and out
-Madeline
PS. Tip for today: Uh . . . . well . . . probably practice, practice, practice!!! And study study study!

Some random stuff

WHO-OA!!!!!
Okay . . .
The dance was pretty fun. Bad things: (I know you're all thinking 'Why the heck is she listing the BAD things???' Well, I want to list both good and bad, ok????)
-Mostly rap music
-Almost none of the requested songs were played
-My friend's date never showed up!!!!!
-It started later than I thought and ended earlier.
GOOD things:
-Both of my OTHER friends' dates showed up.
-E's practically held hands with her!
-Some good songs.
-Mostly a good time.
-Some hilarious stuff!
And then we came home and had a snack and played poker, then read and talked and fell asleep around eleven.
We woke up because my dog was whining all night, but she eventually calmed down.
We woke up around seven and had breakfast, then played MORE POKER!!!!! And DDR.
It was pretty fun, all in all.
So yeah.
And SCIENCE OLYMPIAD has started again! I cannot tell you how much I've been looking forward to this!!!!!
YAY!
So that's about it.
Tip for yesterday: . . . . . . . . . Um . . . . . . don't forget your friends . . . . . (please no questions) . . . .
-Madeline

The Dance!!!!!

Homecoming is in . . .
Two hours exactly by my mom's computer's clock. Actually, it's . . . an hour and forty-five minutes if you count when it starts EXACTLY. Oh wait . . . now an hour and forty-four minutes!!!!
YAY! I'm waiting for E and Z to get here, and I am soooooooooo excited, and I dreamed about it last night, and I woke up early this morning, and I've been watching TV and doing DDR and I just took a shower and my mom's at the grocery store getting snacks for us!
EEK!!!!! An hour . . . and FORTY-THREE minutes!!!
Oh . . . NOW FORTY-TWO!!!!!
Okay . . . so now I'm blogging because I WANT TO SHARE MY EXCITEMENT!!!!!!!!
R is doing better. His eye is still really swollen and we're not going to ride him at all this weekend. But he's tolerating having his eye cleaned. He just keeps hurting himself. Poor R. =(
1:41!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Okay!!! So plans for tonight: (Things like this vary and differ and go crazy, but I'm a planning person, okay???)
(1:40!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
Z and E get here, we talk, play around, have dinner, decide sleeping spots.
We do more playing around until 6:45, then we leave for the dance after I get dressed and have my pre-dance ritual (Just getting ready, listening to music, getting PUMPED!!!!)
Around nine, we get back from the dance.
We change into jammies, brush our teeth, have snack, play poker, go to sleep.
We have breakfast and do DDR and stuff like that.
And play more poker. I hope.
We have this HUUUUUUUUUUGE money to play with. YAY!!!!!!!!!!
(1:38!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
w00t!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So I'm just sittin' around, blogging, surfing the Internet, being bored. You know.
Okay. SHOUTOUT to ALL you peeps out there goin' to the dance!!!! Can't wait to see you there!!!!
I'm also excited (1:37) about going around and introducing E and Z to my friends they haven't met before. Like Autumn and Kayla. They both have blogs on here! (Actually Kayla and Diana share a blog, but whatever).
1:36!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So as you can tell I'm veeeeeeeeery excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Okay, see you later!!! (Or, blog you later).
I'll tell you all about the dance. And my tip for the day will be posted after the dance too.
1:35!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-Madeline

Hola-la!

Like ooh-la-la!!!! Get it??? Get it??? Never mind . . .
So yeah. Madeline here! W00T! Hola. Sup-sup??? All's well here Madeline's house. YAY! I'm being happy now! And hyper. HYPER! So anyway.
True, I have not posted in a long-ish time. I'm busy going to riding (more on that later), writing my story, reading, and doing homework. Bleargh. So anyway, lotsa homework. And going to the library (Hence the reading like a pyscho--CURSE MY ABILITY TO SINGLE OUT GOOD BOOKS!). So R is a wimp. He cut his lower eyelid. We think the fence beat him up. He's a 7-FOOT-TALL-HORSE, for gosh sakes! Anyway, we cancelled my ridng today because his eye is swollen shut, though as far as we know, his eye isn't damaged, just the eyelid. On Monday we started out sharing the arena with T.C., Sara, Fancy, Boo-Boo and Jesse. Jesse left soon after I mounted up, then T.C. I was a bit disappointed though, because I couldn't jump, and I had to use a 20-meter circle. It seems too cramped. But R hates ponies and it was safest. R was also being a bit of a bug, yanking the reins when I gave him a bit of freedom and tugging his head around, trying to get to the ponies.
So my story's coming pretty good. It's close to 21,000 words now, so yay!
Homecoming . . . pretty good. But my friend A has a date with someone on the soccer team, and they have a game during the dance. So we're hoping we can either move the dance or the game. I'd rather it was the game, because E and Z and I have been planning this poker night afterwards for like forever. So we don't want to have to move that.
So anyway.
Thanks for reading.
Tip for Monday: Don't live in the past. Keep moving forward and everything will turn out O.K.
Tip for Tuesday: Keep hope in your friends and family.
Tip for Wednesday (today): Keep hope in small chances. Always believe you can change something if you try.
-Madeline

Saturday, Sunday

Hola me peepolees!
Whasup?
Yesterday we went to C's hockey game. They lost, but they played great. Two players got hurt, too. We also went to the barn. While my mom was away, my dad took me. Me and R did ok, because the other girl who half-leases him came an hour earlier and worked him really hard. So R was a bit confused when I dragged him in from sun-napping. He was slower than usual (Possible? Before, I wouldn't have thought so), but I don't blame him. He refused a few jumps, but eventually got over them. We stopped early because since I just had a bad cold, I was starting to overheat.
We went over to Co's house for dinner, since C was at his high-school homecoming dance. Our's is this week . . . I can't wait! So me and his sister watched the old 'Ten Commandments' while he built a lego castle that was so awesome. Then we played DDR and man, did I get a workout! But thanks to Co, I'm now "challenging myself" into a sweat, and back into playing DDR in my spare time!
I plan on going to school again tomorrow and I heard T is doing better, that someone saw her at school. So that's good!
Tip for Saturday: Don't push yourself too far (Or your horse!)
Tip for Sunday: Don't make a decision, then change your mind, then change it again. Just decide and stick with it. Especially when involving dates.
-Madeline
PS. Do me a favor: Watch this awesome video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vr3x_RRJdd4
PPS. go to www.partyintheouthouse.blogspot.com and check out my friend's Bushisms. Don't read if you like George Bush!!!!
PPSS. You make me love you.
-7 things, Miley Cyrus

'Tis Friday

Avast, 'tis the glorious day if Fri. LOL.
I love Fridays. But today I was sick again. If there was school tomorrow, I'd be going back. Trust me, guys. Today was just to complete the recovery, but unfortunatly, my stomach is still acting up a little. Tomorrow we hope to make it out to the barn and ride. I still really want to start jumping again, so practice practice practice! My dad would be taking me and I look forward to showing him how far R and I have come, including jumping, and D taking R to a horsey shrink. She taught me a few tricks to working with him and said something that surprised us: That he desperately needs and wants a leader, despite his bossy, in-your-face-and-space additude. Go figure!
So that's all about it. My good friend Ian the Great has posted a HILARIOUS video, which you can see by going to his blog, The Tragic Life and Opinions of Ian the Great (www.thetragiclifeandopinionsofianthegreat.blogspot.com) and clicking on Posting Again Finally under October. So yeah.
Thank you for reading!
-Madeline
P.S. Tip for the day: Keep life interesting.

Sicky-Poo

Today I stayed home from school. This is what I did:
-Read
-Watched TV
-Dozed
-Was bored
-Forced fluids
Since I was sick and it is cold out now, my dad drove me to a funeral for the woods near our house but WOULDN'T let me get out (gr). He let me open my window though.
See, we have this copse of trees near our old school. But today they tore half of it down and boom! A place that holds so many memories was gone. Our old school is now a kindergarten place and they put in the playground. We think they will tear down the rest of the woods too. We often played Capture the Flag here, so we're all very sad.
Meanwhile my friend emailed me and told me she asked her crush to the dance--and that he said yes! I'm happy for her.
T still has not returned and we have no new updates.
And I'm finding myself feeling empty between the knees when I walk around: I'm missing the hard feeling of a saddle there. I'm itching to swing back up and try larger jumps. Fortunately if I feel better we might be going to the barn tomorrow.
Even though I know my parents will read this, I have to tell the truth. I wanted to go to the funeral so I pretended to look better, but I still feel kinda crappy. If I continue on like this, I will not return to school until Monday.
So yeah. Today's tip: Don't catch my cold.
-Madeline

TASC, The Dance, Etc.

So today was Wednesday. Yeah. Not my favorite day.
Let's see . . . Today it stopped raining and we even got a little sun, but it was still only close to sixty in the highest. I woke up late because I turned my alarm off yesterday when I got up because it was six and I usually get up at 6:30 and since my mornings are busy--what with packing the lunches, laying out cups, placemats and silverware, getting breakfast ready, putting in my contacts, etc etc--I didn't want to waste that extra half-hour waiting for my alarm to turn on. So I turned it off and this morning I woke up fifteen minutes late. The first thing I did (as you can imagine) is turn my alarm back on. Luckily I still managed to complete all my chores/responsibilites.
In History today, since we're studying Australia right now, we got to try vegemite. It has the consistancy of jam, and has the color of dark chocolate. Here's the story: When the English took over Australia they used it like a prison. They would cart all the prisoners down to Australia and have them clean out the rocky shores. So they started getting sick. Vegemite was invented to keep them healthy. They had to eat a spoonful a day.
So we either had to smell it or try it. One of my friends Co was sitting next to me. Our teacher offered it to him and he smelled it. He swallowed, took some deep breaths and said "No thank you." I admire his politeness. Next up was me. I leaned in and took a huge whiff. Good thing I have a bad cold! It smelled terrible. (Around this time I started feeling sick to my stomach and almost called my mom to pick me up--whether this was because of the vegemite, don't ask me. My cold seems to work on and off.)
It made my day because it was hilarious to watch people eat it, and their reactions. Case in point:
Another one of my friends, J, was sitting next to Alex (which is a pretty common name, which is why I'm not bothering to use and initial). J took a toothpick and stuck the vegemite in his mouth. A few seconds later, he looked like he was going to throw up! Alex shrugged and took a glob, too. He ate it, then said, "Mmmm!" and took another. It was really funny, watching J sit there retching and Alex happily sucking away at his. I heard these things about it later: "It smelled like soy sauce, and tasted like it too!" "It tasted like dogfood that was rotten." "The aftertaste was like wood." "It tastes like reeeeeally salty chocolate."
After school we went riding and D set up a large crossrail for Cl to jump her pony over. I used to jump: in fact the majority of my riding career has been jumping. I even won a blue ribbon in vertical jumping with a throroughbred named Ellie. So I asked my mom if I could jump it and I did! I stopped jumping because I fell off twice in a row jumping. So that is a big milestone for me. And R did great: he only jumped wide a few times, and he seemed to be enjoying it.
Right now I'm not feeling too great. I have a terrible cold and might stay home tomorrow, so if any of you peeps at school wonder where I am, HI! Right here.
Thanks for reading, again
-Madeline
PS. Tip for the day: Try old things you knew you loved, even if it makes you scared.