Christmas 2015

Okay. Sorry for being slow on my blog. This is what I did on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
On Christmas Eve, I went to my aunt and uncle's house to eat, sing Christmas songs, and open presents. I gave a Panda Express gift card to my cousin, Riley, then I put it in a small box and wrapped it, put the small box in a bigger box and wrapped it, and put it in ANOTHER box and wrapped it. When Riley opened his present, we all got a laugh when they realized there was another box underneath. Even Riley was laughing! We sang We wish you a Merry Christmas, even though we messed up. I got a shirt that said "I love St8s" on it. And I also got $50 in dollar coins. After the get-together, Becca and I opened 1 present for each of us. Becca opened the Beanie-boo I gave her. I opened some pants and a shirt that says "Donut bother me".
On Christmas morning, I was too excited to sleep. I woke up at around 2:00 a.m. Luckily, it was after Santa came. When we opened presents, this is what we got:

Dad got a CD (from me), clothes, and a waffle-maker.

Mom got a new camera and pajama pants with Snoopy (from me).

Emily got Fallout 4 and a book (from me).

I got a new camera (like Mom), blank CDs to burn, state flags (bigger ones! They include Utah, Nevada, and Mississippi), and my Dad's old Ipad.

Becca got a karaoke machine and some Shopkins. 

Mom, Dad, and Emily got an Iphone, while Becca and I got a watch phone.

After that, we went to my Grandma Nana's house (since she moved back from Alabama) and had brunch. The bacon was delicious! We watched Ice Age, too. When we opened presents, I got 2 books. After that, we went to Grandma Barbara and Grandpa Nate's house. While there, my sisters and I got a chair that plays music. When we went home, we had a very Merry Christmas, and we will (hopefully) have a Happy New Year.

Funny states

I have made a bunch of gags starring all 50 states! But there aren't 50 gags. There are about 43 because some gags star more than 1 state. My printer/scanner doesn't work, anymore. That means I have to give them to Mom to scan them onto her computer and e-mail them to me. Once she's done, I'll post them. They can be hilarious! They were inspired by Laurie Keller's Scrambled States of America books. Here's an example:

Delivery Man: I've got a delivery for the state whose capital is Kleenex.
Arizona: It's Phoenix. Thank-you-very-much.

I've worked REALLY HARD on them. I hope you enjoy!

New baby and EEG

Amazing news! My aunt and uncle just had their first son. His name is Brayden. My aunt and uncle had to agree on whether his name should be Brayden or Joshua. I would have liked it if his name were Joshua, but Brayden's a cute name, too. He weighs at least 8lbs. When I saw the pictures, I thought he had cute, chubby cheeks. Congratulations! Today, I had to have an EEG because I kept "jerking". It went well, but I think I'll know what's going on later because the doctor said he'll show another doctor my brain waves. I'm still jerking and hopefully it's not a seizure. But I'm still able to talk and walk. Well, I hope I'll stop jerking, somehow. Let's hope it will happen!

Upcoming Halloween

I am looking forward to Halloween! I may be too old to go tick-or-treating, but that doesn't mean I'm too old to dress up. I am going as a fortune-telling machine, this year. Last year, I went as a Vegas lady because Halloween is also the statehood date of Nevada, and Las Vegas is in Nevada. Although, my costume looked more like a 1920's flapper girl. Close enough! Anyways, I've got this year's costume most of the way done. I just need a big box to fit over my head to make the machine part. I am planning on giving the trick-or-treaters candy, because I find it fun to pick which candy goes to which kid. There are families who let the children pick, but my family doesn't do that. One thing I'm glad about is that next year is a leap year, so Halloween will skip from Saturday to Monday. No one likes having Halloween on a Sunday! That would mean we'd have to go trick-or-treating on the day before. Well, I sure hope you'll have a spook-tacular time! This will be scare-riffic!

My opinion over John Oliver's 50 State song

I wish I could make a video like John Oliver's, but with the actual "50 states that rhyme" song. You know, with kids singing along. Except the background will have a 50 states map. I'm not trying to steal any ideas; I just want there to be a kids-version of the video. I couldn't believe the kids were swearing like that! Of course, it's because it's for adults (and maybe teens). I would love to make a video of me singing with children "50 states that rhyme". That would be so cute! I think the best age group for the kids singing would be somewhere between 3rd grade and 5th grade. I hope that idea comes true! Let's keep my fingers crossed.

My dream rooms

Hi, everyone! Sorry for the wait. I should really post more often. Anyway, I have a few dream rooms:

• The stage room. This is where I would pretend I'm singing in a patriotic program, which I sadly never did in elementary school. There is a wall with a GINORMOUS animated picture of an audience. When I press a button, it applauds. There is also a piano that plays music by itself. I can put in arrangements to different songs and sing. There are at least 3 arrangements of each song. Just so I won't feel stupid, there will be mannequin-like robots that sing with me through a microphone that makes my voice sound like a kid. I can dress them the same way a class would in an elementary school program. I would love to be in this room!
• The idea room. This room is very empty and quiet. This is where I walk around and talk to myself, which is what I do around the kitchen table. It has lots of space and not much furniture. I would go to this room whenever I want to. It's called the idea room because it's so I can get ideas for some projects.
• The chatting room. This is so I could chat with people. It has chairs and a table with some snacks and treats. The snacks and treats can be chips, homemade cookies, and other things, too. I love to chat with people, so I think this would be very nice! It's helpful when I feel lonely.

These are perfect rooms for me to be in!

Supermoon Eclipse

My camera doesn't have good video, but here's one of the supermoon eclipse tonight. Don't miss it! It won't happen again until 2033.

Trip to Oregon, RIP Lizzy, and Trip to Zions

Hi, everyone! I'm back! My trip to Oregon went well. I've seen lots sights! We went through Nevada and Idaho. It turns out Nevadans think it's funny that Nevada and Mississippi fell in love in the SSOA books. They're right. We stayed in a nice hotel in Portland. It didn't have a pool, but the trip was worth taking pictures for. My dad took me to the coast and we saw tidal pools with lots of creatures. Best of all, I got to visit some relatives in Washington state, so now I can say I've been to Washington. That makes it so I've been to all the Western states in the continental 48. A month after the trip, I've faced bad news: My dog Lizzy passed away. She had a bad tumor on her muzzle that was bleeding. The vet couldn't do anything about it, so she was put to sleep. It was a similar death to Dakota, my rat. Lizzy is now buried in our backyard. After that, my family went to Zion National Park. It was pretty, but I got bored. I have met people from all over the world. And I have met a LOT of people from California. That trip was worth it, but I'm just glad to be home!

Upcoming trip to Oregon

Hi, everyone! Sorry for the wait. I was getting tired of posting on this blog, but I'll post again. My dad is taking me to Oregon on June 16th. We will drive through Nevada, stop in Elko for lunch, go up to Idaho, stay in Boise for a night,  go up to Washington, then go down to Portland, Oregon. We are going because Dad has a conference there. I am looking forward to this trip so much! I will bring my camera and take pictures in every state we drive through. I hope I'll have a good time, this trip. 

I am really excited!

My new friend and Class of 2015

I'd like to tell you some stuff that went on this month. Since I make videos, a boy named Brady, who lives in Pennsylvania, loves watching them. It turns out we have a lot in common. We both like states, we both have autism, and many more! We like to talk to each other on Skype. We have had good times, so far. Also, my older sister graduated high school! I was crying tears of joy (literally) when she walked up to the stage (it was a basketball stadium). Earlier, my grandparents, my parents, my sisters and I went to a Japanese restaurant called Sakana. They had really good Moki ice cream. Yum! That was very exciting to see my older sister graduate in the Class of 2015. Good job, Emily! And good job to all of the Class of 2015!

Mother's Day Weekend

I had a fun weekend! On Saturday, my mom, my grandma, and I went to the mall for a shopping spree. The clothes I bought were a blueish green floral shirt, a pink shirt with zebras, a neon green pair of shorts, a brown pair of shorts, and a swimsuit top and bottom bought separately. After that, we went to Red Robin for dinner. I had some fish and chips (fries). Earlier, when my mom took me to the grocery store, I bought a Mother's Day card for her with her permission. Since she knew she wasn't supposed to look, I paid for it, myself. On Sunday (that would be Mother's day), my mom, Grandma (same one that took me to the mall), my aunt and uncle, my sisters, and I went to Applebees for dinner. I had some fries, mozzarella sticks, and some churros with a s'more dipping. Then, we went to Grandma's new house (she moved back from Alabama) and saw all her dogs. One of her dogs, Velvet, liked to give me and my family kisses on the face. Another of her dogs (I think her name was Gracie) bit Becca near her shoulder. Poor Becca. I could tell that hurt. But I'll bet all of Grandma's dogs were sweet. We had Louisiana Crunch bundt cake (lemon flavored). It was delicious. After that, we went home. I had a great Mother's Day. I love you, Mom!

Need new State Flags

I'd like more state flags. So if there are any stores in the Salt Lake City area that sell state flags, that would be great! Thanks!

Choir Solo Tryouts

Hey, everybody! You won't believe what just happened, today! In choir (I take that class!), I tried out for 2 songs from the Beatles (Imagine and Blackbird) to sing solo to. I didn't make it for Imagine, but when I tried out for Blackbird, I did! It was a close call. One girl and I did so good that we made it in a tie. Since I have been in choir for longer than she did, I made it to sing my solo! Other songs we are singing are:

• Lean on Me (This song also had solo tryouts, but I called it quits for that song because the solo was too hard for me.)
• Bohemian Rhapsody (We call it Boho for short.)
• Into the West (This song is at the end of a Lord of the Rings movie)

I am so happy I got to sing solo! Well, let's see how I'll do for the big performance. I'll have to wait and see.

DO NOT WHOOP YOUR KIDS!

Parents, everywhere, please listen. Just because your kid is being naughty doesn't mean you should give your kids a whooping. It's a very selfish punishment. I'd rather be put in time-out than get a whooping. Just because it "never killed you" doesn't mean it won't kill anyone. Children have been hospitalized for being hit with a belt, shoe, etc. Even worse, kids probably even DIED from such a cruel punishment. It is against the law to assault people. And to me, this counts. Therefore, whooping your kids won't solve anything!

16 years of creativity!!!

It is my birthday, today!!! I am turning 16 years old. My family can't believe all that time has passed. One thing I have been planning to do is learn how to drive. Then after that, I will have my first job (don't know where I'll work, though.) My extended family will be coming to celebrate 16 great years of creativity and imagination. I will have the best day ever!!!!!!!

RIP Dakota and more about rats

Well, there's bad news for me. One of my 2 rats passed away. Her name was Dakota. She had 2 tumors as well as a hole in her belly. My mom took her to the vet where she was put to sleep. Rest in peace, Dakota. I will miss you. Well, at least I have my other rat. Her name is Carolina. She is in good shape and I'll bet she misses Dakota. But when Carolina dies, I'll get 2 new rats. I hope they will be female. That way, I can name them Virginia and Georgia. I'll bet they will be cute rats. And I hope they'll give me kisses like Dakota did (Carolina does, too.). I gave Dakota and Carolina nicknames like "Cute little finger-lickers" and "Kissy rats". Well, you'll never know when I will get new rats. I'll just have to wait and see.

Sweet 16 Party and New baby announcement

I just had my sweet 16 birthday party, today! We went to the Nickelcade in Taylorsville, Utah. We had a cake with fondant (my request), a baked potato bar, and even a chocolate fountain! I played a lot of games. After that, we went to my grandparents' house. That was when I realized my aunt was going to have a baby. It's going to be a boy, and he will be born in October. My family-on Mom's side- sang happy birthday to me and my cousin (we were born one day apart.). We had pizza, whereas mine was cheese with no sauce (the way I like it!). When my cousin and I tried to blow out the candles, it turned out to be the prank candles that light themselves up again after you blow them out. My family can be funny! I got to see my toddler cousin, Milo. He was very cute and silly! Well, I had a great time for my Sweet 16 party! I hope you've had one or will, too!

Jokes

Every day at lunch during school, I tell the staff members good jokes that I made.
Here are some of the jokes I have told:
Q: How do you make a piano laugh?
A: Tickle its ivories!
Q: Where did the worm go on vacation?
A: To the Big Apple!
Q: Why did the bottle of ginger go to the dentist?
A: He had ginger-vitis!

TROUBLE!

A few days ago, my teacher caught me for seeing a picture of a p*nis getting a paper-cut. I saw this on Facebook and she almost sent me to the principal's office. But the truth is, I didn't intend on seeing that picture. I didn't even post it! My friend did. While on the way, I told my teacher the truth and worked things out. She sent me back to the classroom and I blocked the picture and un-friended the one who posted it. So now I'm back to normal. So remember to be careful on what you post on Facebook (or any public website!) regardless of your age, what you/your friends think is funny, or any other reason leading to excuses. Otherwise, someone (maybe even YOU) could get in trouble like I did!

I goofed!

I accidentally spelled my Kindergarten teacher's last name wrong! It's actually Mrs, Ostered. Sorry, folks!

Becca's Talent Show and Prom

Today was an interesting day. I watched Becca at her school's talent show. I thought she did great at gymnastic work! While I was there, I heard my Kindergarten teacher died a few years ago. She died of cancer. I didn't know about it until today. Goodbye, Mrs. Ostrid. Rest in peace! But on the bright side, I had prom, today. It was a lot of fun! I chatted with a lot of people and gave compliments to the girls' dresses. I also saw my friend's baby girl, Marion. She was so adorable! We took a few teachers' cars to the Utah Cultural Center. I enjoyed dancing, there. While I was there, I found a picture painted by my grandma! Her painting was awarded with a blue ribbon next to it. I thought it was pretty cool. After that, I went home and am now sitting here to relax.

Still on the search

I'm still looking for that version of "50 Nifty United States". I've even planned a video of it. I still need help. Hello? Is there anyone who has that version? If so, please give me a download of it. That way, I can make a video of that version. Thanks!

Like me on Facebook!

Hi, everyone! I now have a Facebook page. If you have a Facebook account, you can find my page here. If you want to see me on other social media websites, just ask me and I'll join it right away! But in the meantime, like me on FB! Thanks!

Sick Day

I am not feeling very good, so I have to stay home from school. My parents let me use the computer on sick days like this (they aren't very strict), so that's why I'm posting. I've got a bad cough and a headache. It started during Spring Break. That really does suck! Well, I hope I'll feel better someday. But then I'll be back in school, and that's no fun, either. Oh, well. I guess I'll be home for a while. That will be a good time to do whatever the heck I want.

Happy Easter and Back to school

Hey, everyone! This Easter, I didn't get a hollow chocolate bunny, but I DID get a chocolate bunny that's solid! Well, it's better than the crispy kind, which I think tastes boring. I also tried to put a video of my family on Easter, but my computer wouldn't let me. That really made me so frustrated! I had to delete that video from my camera. Sorry, everyone. My mom got hot cross buns! Now I know why they're called that. It's because they have a cross in the middle. Tonight, we will have ham for dinner, as well as deviled eggs (they're the Easter eggs we colored, yesterday!) The ham smells like bacon, and I LOVE bacon! Bacon, as well as hot dogs and chicken nuggets, is the one of the only meats I'd eat! As I was saying, I have school tomorrow. DARN! That really sucks! But at least I have one more week until the next and last term of my Sophomore year! After that, I have summer! But also, I have a few more years until I got to college. That means I will have to miss summer vacation. Phooey! But that's not going to happen until later. I've got plenty of things to do in the meantime! But tomorrow, Spring Break is over for the year. But luckily, I just might learn how to animate! Might, that is. But there will be a whole bunch of fun things to do. You'll never know what!

Coloring Easter Eggs

Here are some good pictures I took of my family coloring Easter Eggs. I made an egg with Utah saying: "Happy Easter!"

Eclipse, Easter, and April Fools

Well, I missed the Lunar Eclipse this morning. Oh, well. At least I've seen other eclipses in my life. I woke up past 7:00pm MDT. Well, tomorrow's Easter. Today, my family is going to color the Easter eggs. But we will do it once Dad is back from his run and after his nap. In the meantime, we will clean the house for the Easter Bunny to come. Tomorrow morning, I hope I will get a hollow chocolate bunny in my basket. Those are good! Oh, and on April Fools day, I put tape on the bottom of Emily's computer mouse while she was in the shower. It was a good prank, but it was no match for when Becca put dog food in all of our cereal boxes! Then we had to buy new cereal. Boy, did that suck! Well, I hope you have a fun time, this Easter. Or if you don't celebrate Easter, have a good spring! Or if you live in the SOUTHERN hemisphere, have a good fall!

Autism Awareness Day and My life story

Guess what?! It's AUTISM AWARENESS MONTH!!!!!! My family is proud to have me around, but here's a story about my life. When I was about 2 or 3 years old, my parents were wondering what was going on with my attitude. I didn't like hearing motor noises such as the blender, the mixer, or the garbage disposal. I was also afraid of the vacuum (not for how it sounded, but for how it looked which affected how I THOUGHT it sounded), the statue at my grandparents' house, and overhead airplanes. My parents went to a psychiatrist and found the result: I have autism! My parents were worried that they wouldn't make any successful work in parenting.Years later, I went to school  in Tooele, Utah, for Kindergarten and 1st grade. When I started 2nd grade, I went to a new school in North Salt Lake. In 5th grade, I got expelled from that school for my attitude and went to another school in Tooele. I didn't like it there because they played kid songs and pushed kids against the wall with their butts as a timeout. One time, I got cut because of it. In January 2010, I moved on to a new school near the University of Utah. It was more fun. Then, in 6th grade, I moved back to the school I got expelled from, except it was in the High School building (It was for middle schoolers AND high schoolers). But when I hit puberty, my attitude got worse. I started destroying property, hurting people very seriously, and everything worse. My parents didn't know what to do, so they sent me to a mental hospital. The mental hospital was no fun, but my attitude got better. There, I developed an interest in the 50 states, but I also started hating it when people told me to ignore of walk away from someone who's bullying me. And I still hate the word "reaction" (unless you mean it as in "chemical reaction"). Almost a year after I started, I discharged from the state hospital. I went to a new school near Salt Lake City. That was where I met two women named "Alyssa". One was Jewish, and the other was from Mississippi (I called Mississippian Alyssa "Alississippi!"). I am now 15 (almost 16) years old and I still am afraid of the vacuum, but it's in the basement because it doesn't work anymore. I am also afraid of tornadoes because of the dark clouds. I now go to school in West Valley City. Oh, and one more thing: Don't forget to wear blue, tomorrow!

Where's that "50 Nifty" Song?!

I'm looking for a certain version of "50 Nifty United States". It's not the Schoolhouse Rock version, and it's not the version that sounds patriotic, either. They are singing the states portion twice. I found the states portion, but that's not enough. I need the FULL version. The states portion can be found on this video shown here. I want to hear the full version so I could make a video of it. It also has to be compatible with Windows Live Movie Maker. I can't seem to find it on Google!Also, is there a way to download it without hurting the computer? Thanks!

Spring Break

I'm having spring break next week! It's awesome, but however, my sisters only have 3 days of Spring Break, whereas I have the full week off. My mom is a counselor in a high school, but she doesn't have a single day off the same week as I do. That was why I wanted to go to Liberty Park. So I could do something fun this Spring Break, but because my parents have to work and my sisters have school during most or all of my spring break, I had to do it this last Saturday. But so far, it was fun!

Haircut and Liberty Park

Yesterday, I did a lot of fun stuff! First, I got a haircut (As shown in the pictures below.)

Then, My Mom, my sister Emily and I went to Liberty Park in Salt Lake City.We fed the geese and ducks and some seagulls snatched the bread out of the pond. That made me laugh!We attempted to go on the rides, but they were still closed for the season. So instead, we went to the playground. I went on the swings and chatted with people. I tried to play "50 Nifty United States" on the xylophone, but it wouldn't do so. I saw lot's of kids and cute babies. I love to make babies smile and laugh! After that we went to 7-Eleven to get some food and then we went home, listening to the music from Into the Woods along the way.

Piano Accompaniment Ideas of "50 Nifty"

Here are some of the accompaniments I heard on Youtube that I really like:

50 Nifty States- Piano Accompaniment

One thing I REALLY want to do is sing "50 Nifty United States" while someone accompanies me on the piano. On Youtube, there were 4 classes that sang that song and sang "Utah is the best", but none of which were while someone played the piano in the background. Bummer. Most of the states where they did so were in the Northeastern United States. And the only 4 Western states in the contiguous USA that did so were Washington, Oregon, California, and Arizona. I take piano lessons,but I forget to practice. Worse, my piano teacher is going to move to Pennsylvania, this summer. That's far away from here! But there's hope. One, I saw a video of an elementary school patriotic program that I can tell is from Utah because of the flag. They didn't sing 50 Nifty, but they DID sing with piano accompaniment. And two, my Uncle Gary can play the piano. Maybe he can accompany me on the piano. The 4th of July would be a PERFECT time to sing that! As a bonus, I could sing Wakko's state capitals song from Animaniacs in the same way! Well, I hope I'll do this before I outgrow my interest in states. Fingers crossed! Oh, and that video of me singing "50 Nifty United States" from earlier? That was just from a video of the song instrumental (shown below).

How to pronounce "Nevada"

I know it's a Spanish word, but it's not pronounced "Nev-AH-dah". Locally, it's pronounced, "Nev-ADD-ah" No offense, really, but ask yourself this question: Is Nebraska pronounced "Neb-RAH-ska"? No? Then remember to pronounce Nevada similarly as Nebraska. I'm not trying to hurt your feelings. I'm just giving you advice in case you are (supposedly) going to Las Vegas for the weekend. I love my Scrambled States DVD (The Scrambled States of America and more stories by Laurie Keller), but I was disappointed on how they pronounced "Nevada". They said "Nev-AH-dah and Mississippi fell in love", whereas they should have said "Nev-ADD-ah and Mississippi fell in love". I'm not really from Nevada, but I'm just saying. Well, at least lots of people said it right on Youtube. They said "Nev-ADD-ah and Mississippi fell in love!" Also, in the CD read-along, there was one - just one- line where they said Nevada correctly. It was when North Carolina said to South Carolina, "Nevada and Mississippi fell in love!". I'm glad there are people who say it right!

Videos

It's really fun to listen to music that I'd use to put into a video. Yep. I make videos. These videos shown here were both made by me on Mom's computer. I used to have to wait for my mom to get home so I could use her computer, but now I have my own. I got it for Christmas in 2014. As I was saying, The videos showing happy music usually have a watermark to prevent theft. I really wish I could use their music for my videos, but their music costs about $18! YIKES! I can't pay for all that! Oh, well. I guess I could just listen to their music, instead. I also want to start making videos about something different. Something besides states. I would like some ideas for videos. Anything but lyrics videos. I would love to make a video about all 50 state songs, but they get on my nerves. No offense. Are there any ideas for videos? If so, give me some. Thanks!

Happy Spring and Happy (almost) Birthday!

Spring is officially here!
I like spring because:

• The weather gets warmer.
• I get to see pretty flowers (It's fun unless you're allergic.)
• My birthday will come.
• It gets closer to summer (No school!)

I hope you enjoy spring as much as I do. I'm going to turn 16 years old this April. (Boy, how time flies!) I'm making plans for my Sweet 16 birthday party. I want it to be something unique, compared to all my other birthdays. I'd better keep my fingers crossed that there will be NO EVENTS AT SCHOOL during my birthday party. Last year, even though it went well, there was an event at school that happened the same day as my birthday party. I also want it to have a LOT of guests. The only problem is I don't recognize people by name. Instead, I recognize them by face. But I'll probably have the best birthday in a lifetime! Hopefully. 

All about me!

Hi, everyone! I'm Eleanor Swan.

 This blog is about a lot of my creative ideas. But before we get started, I'd like to tell you about myself. I was born on April 28th, 1999 in a Salt Lake City hospital. I have high-functioning ASD (autism-spectrum disorder). I live in Tooele (Pronounced "too-WILL-ah"), Utah, USA, with my mom and dad, my older sister, Emily, and my younger sister, Rebecca (She goes by "Becca"). I love my family, so I have empathy toward people whose parents are very strict. I feel like their parents are abusing them. Especially when their parents are spanking them. Ouch!

I love learning about the 50 U.S. states. I've been to Hawaii, California, Oregon, Nevada, Idaho, Utah (of course.), Arizona, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado (I pronounce it "col-uh-RADD-oh".), New Mexico, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida (I went there by accident. We were originally going to my grandma's house in Alabama, but we took a wrong turn and ended up in the Florida panhandle.), Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. I've also been to Washington, DC.

Laurie Keller (author of books like "The Scrambled States of America" and "Arnie the Doughnut") and I know each other on the Internet. I like to give her neat ideas on Facebook. We've known each other ever since I e-mailed her an idea of the Scrambled States. It was about a Scrambled States Christmas book. I also wanted Utah to be the main character. Fortunately, she responded! Laurie Keller said that she LOVED the idea! She also asked if I lived in Utah. She was right. Also, on my 15th birthday, she gave me cool stuff. One of them was a picture of Utah saying "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ELEANOR! Thanks for living on me!". I just couldn't stop smiling. It was one of the best birthdays ever! I also have empathy toward people who are being bullied. I hate it when people tell me to ignore them and/or walk away. It make things worse when people say they are doing it because they know they are getting a reaction. That makes me mad! Sometimes, I'd rather hurt the bully, but others say it won't work. The best way in which I'd rather do is tell a trusted adult. That way, the bully will get in trouble. Another way I'd do it is to crack a joke. He/she would be so disappointed on how I responded,so they'll leave me alone. I love this song called "50 Nifty United States". My favorite part of the song is "North, South, East,West, in our calm, objective opinion, Utah is the best of the..." (But this is MY opinion. You can sing your state as the best.) On Youtube, I have found all the states sang as the best except Vermont. So if you live in Vermont and know the song, feel free to sing it, as long as you know that part and know how it EXACTLY goes. Don't forget to post it on Youtube. Thanks! This is the inception of a blog about a creative, autistic girl. Enjoy!