Tropical Isaac

No School for the kids today!!!  Isaac is passing by us...thought was we would get hit harder than what we are, as you can see in the first photo we were expected to mildly get good winds and rain.  We are in the Yellow area...I did hear some pretty good winds last night and actually woke up around 4am because of them, but it mostly has been a steady rain, but not too hard.

School was cancelled yesterday, "just in case"...this is a bit different for me as I am used to school only being cancelled for "Snow", ha ha...but hey the kids are excited.

Just in case, the kids and I did a little bit of prep around the house, making sure that there was nothing that could fly off in the wind and brought our Avocado tree (still in pot) up next to the house to protect it.  I went to the store, made sure both cars had gas, plenty of batteries, water and flashlights.  I also bought a small propane lamp.  I was going to go and get propane for our BBQ incase I need to "cook" and we had no electricity, but it looks like I won't need it right now and that is good because I didn't get out to get it, ha ha

In this photo it appears Isaac really turned toward the West and is now headed to LA...this is sad news for them as Isaac is expected to hit on the 5th Anniversary of Katrina's devastation to the same area.  My prayers and thoughts are with them.

Just another photo depicting the latest Isaac Route.

Enjoying Outside

I love the Wild Nature that I get to see here in Florida.  This is a Sandhill Crane that was at the Cell Phone Waiting lot at Orlando Airport. I had taken Mom and Sam to the Airport to pick up a rental car that they are driving to WA.  This Crane let me walk up with in 3 feet of it.  I loved it.  I get to see them in my yard at home.  I also love to see the Lizards and Toads.

We found a really big "Stick" bug too!!

Sam and Mom are driving to WA and then next Wednesday, Sam is flying home.  This is a good bonding time for them and seem to be getting along well so far.  The first night they made it to Manchester, TN...last night they went to Mound, MO and today their goal is Chamberlain or Rapid City, South Dakota.  Mom said that the fields of corn in TN and Kentucky are utterly destroyed due to the drought.  This is not a happy thing.

Meema bought the kids a couple of "Forts" (tents) to use in the backyard.  She helped Jairyn put one up, then it rained and rained.  We didn't think water would get in, but some how it did. :o(  Maybe cause it rained pretty hard and there wasn't a lot of water, but enough for Aamerik to think he could swim, lol

Tariyah's First Week of School

DAY 1

Tariyah has been beside herself, so excited to start school!!  The first day was great, she was happy and ready to go as fast as possible, everything had to be perfect. 

DAY 2

 This was a rough start for the morning, I had gotten her new "saddle" shoes and I wanted her to wear them with her Uniform Jumper, but she did not want to wear her jumper, she wanted to wear a non-uniform dress and wasn't happy when I told her that the school has rules and she can't wear just anything to school.  She finally got dressed, and it was time to do her hair, Jairyn and Aaliyah needed to leave because their bus came earlier, Tariyah got upset because she wasn't leaving with them and thought she was going to miss her bus.  I finally got her hair done and it was time to go, but now she was upset and decided she didn't want to go to school.  At one point I tried to do reverse psychology and it backfired.  She was whining and fussing and I told her that maybe she wasn't old enough and ready to go to school, through tears (that were already there) she cried that no she is not ready.  Great, what was I supposed to say now?  Yep, I just told her that she doesn't have a choice and she needs to go to school.  So out to the car we went, she didn't want to walk because she "needed to get there quickly".

I finally got a smile out of her before the bus came...then when it was time to get on the bus, she didn't want to go and wanted me to go with her.  After some coaxing from the sweet bus driver, she got on.  She came home from school with a smile.

DAY 3

Yep, the tears came again and she just didn't want to get dressed or go to school.  She whined and fussed the whole time, I was getting frustrated but trying to stay calm and understanding.  Finally I was at my limit and I had Sam take her to the bus stop.  He said she was crying the whole way and even when it was time to get on the bus.  The bus driver gave her a hug and Tariyah wouldn't let go... ha ha...at least she likes her bus driver, I am glad for that.  The bus driver was able to get Jasmine (our neighbor girl that is in 8th grade), to come and get Tariyah to sit with her.  Off to school she went.

But look she came home with a smile and a sticker.  I am thinking it was/is just getting used to the whole school routine and new bed time for her.

DAY 4

I was so excited she wanted to wear her Jumper and Saddle shoes, doesn't she look adorable??  Ok, I am a bit prejudice on that one, lol

The day before this picture was taken, (day 3), I had rec'd a call from the school district telling me that Jairyn's name came up to take a spot at Bethune Academy.  So I had to get him transferred and into the new school.  While I was there I decided to take a peek in Tariyah's class.  She was sitting down working on a story book project of The Gingerbread Man" which they had just read. She saw me and was so excited to tell me that they made a HUGE Gingerbread Man cookie and that they get to eat it tomorrow, Friday!  She came home and retold the story for me, it was part of her homework.  She was so dramatic in her retelling that I now love the Gingerbread Man, ha ha...she was so cute.

This was the picture she wanted to send to her Daddy.

This is the picture I wanted to send to her Dad, I sent both of them.

DAY 5

A completely exciting day for her, she gets to eat her Gingerbread Man cookie!!

First Day of School

He wanted to do a mug shot.

So then we had to get him behind the bars, lol

What is he getting himself into???

 After school, since I forgot to get the picture in the morning.

 I wasn't gonna wake up at 5:30/6am to get their pictures, so their had to wait until after school as well, ha ha

Brave

We decided to go on a "Family Date" today.  We had two unused codes for Fandango to use toward movie tickets.  The codes were worth $13.50 ea. So with 2 adult matinee tickets, and one child ticket and of course Fandango processing fee, 4 of us got to go to the movies on 3 tickets and only paid $1.25.  Not bad huh?  But then we spent $20 on two medium drinks, a medium popcorn and some cinnamon bites.  Man I miss the days you can take your own popcorn into the movie...ok, maybe you couldn't but at Drive in's you can, lol...

 We tried having a little fun with the camera, it was darker than I wanted it to be, but we got a few cute shots, especially the one with all 4 of us.

Brave was a cute movie, Aamerik was surprisingly very good and sat for 99% of the movie, the other 1% he stood up but was quiet and watched the movie.  Tariyah did pretty well, I thought she would sit better, but I know she enjoyed the movie and wanted to watch another one when it was over.  The Theater only had about 12 people in it total so she did move along our isle of chairs a few times.
For some reason she (and the rest of the older kids) think that they have to be physically entertained all the time and that there is no such thing as just sitting and being quiet.  I think I have stirred them wrong and need to re-think my training on this, lol

  I was trying to get a picture of Tariyah and her sour attitude...she was very impatient for her food and even a bit sassy.
We went to Johnny Rockets, for some Old Fashioned Hamburgers, between the 4 of us, we ate two Bacon Cheesburgers and some fries, I had a 1/2 of a burger but could only eat 1/4 of it at the time, I ate the other 1/4 later.  Tariyah had 1/2, I was surprised she really ate that much, she was hungry, lol.

 The other night I had the opportunity to go to "Nick (Nickelodeon) Mom's Nite Out" where they were taping two 1hr stand up comedy shows and we were part of the audience.  I went with Melissa Kemple, Daphnes Toro, Patricia Austin and Rebecca Halliday.  I really enjoyed being out with the ladies.  Some of the comedy was pretty funny and I laughed more than I thought I would.  They handed out complimentary White or Red Wine for each show, but the gals and I settled for H2o, lol...I was surprised that there were a few curse words, guess the World thinks it is a part of comedy....that is why I don't watch/listen to many comedians, but I am thankful for the night out with my Sisters, it was great fun.

 I even got to raid Teighlor and Taiason's closet because I had no appropriate "evening" wear, ha ha....so I am wearing Taiason's bolero/jacket and Teighlor's dress and shoes.  

 Melissa and I taking a picture of each other, lol

 The "set"

Rebecca, Patricia, Melissa, Daphnes and Me

 Last week Sam and I shared a steak at a Longhorn Steakhouse...we brought the bone home to Layla, I would say she thoroughly enjoyed it and was a happy camper after.

I think Aamerik thinks this is his own Personal Grocery Store, he loves to jump in the way when the refrigerator door is open and sit on the lower part or see what he can grab.

After our RS Presidency meeting he took it upon himself to climb up on the table and finish our snack...he loves his fruit so much he will climb the table, lol

He is such a cutie and a fun little man.