October 8.2008

Hi and welcome to Wednesday. Haven't posted in awhile-seems like its been busy lately. Not sure with what but busy none the less! Here's another picture from summer vacation. Jess was panning for gold. Too bad she didn't find any! Haven't taken any new pictures lately. Guess I will have to drag out the camera. Weekend was busy. Jessica had a birthday party to go to. I helped chaperon. The kids started with lunch at Wendy's, a make up party at the mall, and then to see Beverly Hills Chihuahua. After that is was cake and presents and home. It was a full day though. The movie was cute. Definitely watchable as an adult. You know how some of those kids movies can get. This one was cute. Sunday was spent cleaning up around the house. Jess had a friend sleep over. I went to sleep before they did. Just can't stay up like I used to. The kids were talking in bed till after midnight. It seems I told them they could play in the morning and they thought that 1201 qualified as morning! Lucky for me they fell asleep before they could get up to play. Oh well... speaking of sleep........

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Thought I would share another picture from our vacation at the lake. Kind of wish I were there right now! Much better than this work stuff! Not much going on these days. Jess got her mid term progress report. She got all A+ or A's. We had no idea what to expect as she has a new teacher this year and it is getting progressively harder. We spent all night Monday studying for a science test. We had studied prior to Monday but when she took the pretest we never thought she would pass. Somehow it didn't seem like she was studying the right things. She got her grade back today and it was 100%. Only her and another boy got perfect grades. She never had a doubt that she wasn't going to do well. I am so proud of her. I figure I may as well brag now since my bragging days in the future will be few and far between! Jessica also went for an adjustment on her braces today. Busy day! The orthodontist said we may be nearing the end of treatment. She has created all the room she has to-hopefully. On the next appointment she will reevaluate her and maybe start preparing for them to come off. That in itself is a process where by they have to take more molds to make a retainer etc. So maybe by Christmas we will be done. I can only hope! Oh well....

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Well, its been a few days since I last posted. I dug through some pictures and thought you might enjoy this one from Jungle Island in Miami Beach. Jess just loved this. They bring the animals out and let you interact with them. This little monkey jumped from person to person. The kids loved him as you can see in this picture. I stood behind the camera rather than partake of the monkey hopping. He (or at least I think it was a he) liked to run his paws through the visitors hair. No thank you!
This weekend was busy. Judy and Sofia came over for a while on Saturday. They brought with them some clams and lobsters. We had some good eats while the kids played in the pool. I am still trying to get Jess to go out there and pick up the pool toys. We finished off with some home made ice cream. Sunday was much more boring. Housework and errands. Jess and I went to Target and picked up a new book bag. I finally got her to admit that the backpack wasn't cutting it and we needed wheels. Luckily she found a bag she liked with the wheels that I liked. Considering I am the one lugging it around most days it is a much better choice!

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Hi everyone! Wasn't aware of the impact of the date until after I typed it. I was able to take part in the moment of silence this morning. I will always remember being at work that day so I guess it was fitting that I was there watching the tribute also. Since it is such an important day I decided to post this picture instead of another I had picked out.
On a happier note, Jess and her cousin Sofia are enjoying one of their favorite activities at Wanna do City. Where they get to dress up as firefighters and even put out a fire. Its really a cute place for kids.
At least tomorrow is Friday. Don't have any real plans for the weekend. This week went by really fast. We had a lot of wind and rain from Hurricane Ike. If those were the feeder bands I am glad that we did not receive anything more. I will keep my fingers crossed for those in living in its next destination.
Jess was out of school today. She has strep again. Pediatrician changed her antibiotic and said no school. Mike spent the day with her. Actually the pediatrician said if we decided to send her to school take some of her cards to pass out to her classmates as she could use the business. When you hear that what choice do you have? Luckily Jess does not appear to be that sick and was able to enjoy her time at home with dad watching Animal planet!

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Well it is Sunday evening and I just thought I would check in. Doesn't appear that Ike will give Southwest Florida much trouble and for that I am thankful. I will keep my fingers crossed that he just spins out into nothing and doesn't trouble anybody else either! Have I introduced you to my little froggy friend? He can almost always be found hiding in my orchid plants as you can see here. Unfortunately my four legged friend Simon doesn't care for him too much. Last night Simon almost got him. Chased him around the lanai. At one point froggy jumped on Simon's back before Mike was able to get Simon in the house. I was pleasantly surprised to see that froggy survived the ordeal and was back in his perch today. So far this is the second close encounter between froggy and Simon. The last time froggy had to be fished out of the pool. Yeah I know he's a frog but I am not sure all that chlorine is good for him! Anyway I thought maybe you might enjoy this last bit of summer as much as I did! Goodnight!

Saturday, September 6, 2008

Well may be this is the calm before the storm! Seems like all I do is post about hurricanes. That has got to stop! Hopefully soon. Worrying about yet another hurricane. This one has me freaked out. Path seems to close to Charlie's which was not good for me personally. Too many hot, humid days with no electricity. So instead I prefer to think of the Gulf as in this picture-nice and calm. Because they say that this weekend is supposed to be incredible her in South west Florida. Simon tried to experience some of that weather for himself. Mike is working outside and Jess went out to the lanai to talk with him. She didn't tell anyone that Simon came out also. Mike didn't notice and opened up the screen door. Next thing I know the neighbor down the street brings Simon home in his car. He knocks on my door to tell me that he has my dog in his car. At first I was like no way. But Simon is distinctive. It's not like you are going to confuse him with a lab. Sneaky little guy. Like where else are the groceries going to be as good!

September 4, 2008

Haven't posted in a few days. Wanted to upload the perfect end of summer picture. Not sure this is it but..... Butterflies always remind me of summer and Labor Day always reminds me of the end of summer. Since I don't have an end of summer picture this one will have to do.
We had a Labor Day Barbecue on Monday. Mikes brother and sisters and parents came by. Shannon was a great helper as she did all the cooking. She tended the grill-with only minimal input from Mike. Her chicken was awesome and Jess thinks that she makes the best hot dogs. While she was cooking the adults were playing the Wii. Marci beat everyone in archery. While Nana beat everyone in bowling. Once again we had to wrestle the Wii controls from the kids. Talk about a game that everyone enjoys.
And then it was back to work on Tuesday. This week has been slow at work which makes the days seem really long. Plus it is really, really, really hot and humid out still. I am looking forward to the end of summer and cooler October weather!

Sunday, August 31,2008

Well the baseball game was a washout. Judy and Sofia came over early. When it was time to leave for the game it was pouring out. They do not call the game until its actual start time but it was raining. We all piled into the car and headed over and it continued to rain. We could not imagine sitting in the stands as the rains poured down over our heads so we decided to head back home. We ordered pizza and played the Wii. Talk about fun. It is the first video game that even adults can play. Judy and Sofia gave Jess a new sport game for her birthday so they were all figure skating. The kids make it look so easy. And they do a whole lot better than us adults do. It is comical.
I added a picture of Jess feeding the giraffes at Busch Gardens. For her birthday Jess decided that instead of having a family party she wanted to go to Busch Gardens for the day. As a special treat we added on this behind the scenes tour of the Serengeti with giraffe feeding. This was well worth the additional fee. They boarded us up on open back trucks and drove us out to the fields among the animals. They carry romaine lettuce heads on board and when the giraffes see the truck they know they can come over for a treat. Not all the giraffes will partake of the treats. Some never come at all. But those that do get rewarded. After the lettuce was gone they drove us around to see the other animals. All the animals are really close to the truck. The guide gives a talk about the animal which seemed more personal. Like with the Zebras she gave us the name of the Zebra (there are many different kinds of zebra which I did not know) and then told us which ones were nice and which ones weren't. Most Zebras aren't too nice. They spend a lot of time fighting over a spot in the Zebra hierarchy. Certainly not like the Zebra you see on Stripes. Anyway..end result is I would recommend doing this next time you are at Busch Gardens.
Jess is having a friend from school over today. She is all excited and can't wait. This whole weekend has been a kids weekend! Oh to be young again!`

Saturday, August 30, 2008

Jess is off to Pony Club this morning. She loves anything to do with the horses. She rides with the girl down the street. I was off the hook this morning as Alana's dad took them over to the farm. I usually like to go and watch but with all the flooding in that part of town my car would never make it down the road. They say it is really bad. The camp will ferry the kids to and from the stables in their trucks from the end of the road. So no watching for me. Thats probably good since it is also really hot and humid today. A good excuse! So that being said this picture is from a previous pony club. They usually have a lesson, do a craft, and then wash and clean the horses. That is fun for a 9 year old. Me-I call it work!

Got Snails! Friday, August 29, 2008

Hi everybody! The weekend is finally here. And it is a long one at that. We don't have too many plans for this weekend. Tomorrow night we are going to one of the final games of the season for the Fort Myers Miracle Minor League Baseball team. The games are usually a lot of fun. The kids have a great time as the games are very family oriented. They have games and activities designed to prevent the kids from getting too bored. We are going with Judy and Sofia. And of course after the games they have a really good fireworks display.
I couldn't resist posting this picture of my niece, Ella. She is adorable. Here she is while we were on vacation in New Hampshire catching snails. She had to show everyone her snails. Anyway this is one of my favorite pictures from vacation. We really had fun at the lake this year. In fact Jessica told me the other day that it wouldn't be too bad if we could go back to the lake again next year. I agree!

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Hi! Been a few days since my last post. The rain has dried up at my house although in other parts of town the roads are closed and residents have been evacuated from their homes. It doesn't promise to get any better for those folks. Been busy for us though. Monday was a late night. I had a Board meeting (or is that a Bored meeting!. Never know which one it is. Tuesday was curriculum night at Jess's school. Her teacher spent a lot of time with us. We got to sit at her desk-Mike got to sit at the teachers desk! Her teacher went over his expectations for the school year as well as the material they would be covering. Sounds like an exciting year. We got out later than I was expecting. Today I am beat. Mike mowed the lawn and put the mower in the garage while it was still hot. The air conditioner sucked up the gasoline fumes and we were smelling them all night. I didn't sleep a wink for fear that it was something else leaking. I kept checking the house, dog, rats (figured they would be the first to go!) and kid. Needless to say I didn't get much sleep. Hopefully tonight will be better!

Saturday, August 23

It is getting late so I thought I would just check in with everyone. Nothing much going on today. Jess had a friend over. They played horses all day. Meanwhile I cleaned house. Yuck. But the place looks nice and now maybe we can do something tomorrow. That is if it decides to stop raining. You guessed it. It is still raining. Not steady but enough to keep you from doing anything outside. And talk about humid. Not sure that all this rain is good for the new palms that Mike planted last week. If we could just get a little sunshine. Maybe tomorrow. Jess and I worked on a school project. Can you believe she has only been in school three days and they have a poster project due on Monday. She picked the geography of Florida. I am not sure what she is supposed to do but we will give it a try. We went through some travel brochures and cut pictures out of the Everglades, dolphins, the river or grass, beaches, etc. We are going to layer everything over a map of the state and write a blurb about the different areas of Florida and call it a day. I also got my hair cut. Or should I say all of them cut. I know, stupid joke. On that note I am going to sleep. Must of been all that housework tiring me out. I knew housework wasn't good for you!

TGIF Friday, August 22nd

Well, it is Friday at last. This has been such a strange week. Having the day off on Tuesday-Tropical Tuesday as we have been calling it-has made everyone cranky and out of sorts. The rain hasn't helped either. We have gotten a lot of it. I am glad that we are not in the upper half of the state and really shouldn't complain as they have really gotten a lot of rain! I thought I would take a minute and introduce a few of Jess's new friends. She finally got her rats. The little white one is named Ruby and the brown ones name is Amber. She loves them. She has had them for almost three weeks now and the novelty has not worn off. She takes them out everyday to socializes-as you can see we use the bathtub because it is easier to keep track of them and they can't climb up the slippery bathroom walls. The really aren't bad pets. They are clean and we almost have them litter pan trained. They really seem to like her and will actually curl up on her shoulder while she pats them. So far they have been a good choice. The tails are a little hard to get used to though. We keep them in a cage in her closet and so far Simon has yet to figure out they are here. So much for the fearsome terrier. He can't figure out why he gets locked out of the room during socialization time. I still wouldn't trust him and I have no plans to introduce him to them. Better to leave well enough alone!

Wednesday, August 20th Back to work!

Well it was back to work and school today. The sun finally came out today although it was very windy. No picture to post today. I took Jess to the pediatrician today as she has been keeping us up coughing. And coughing and coughing and coughing. Seems she goes to sleep okay and then gets a going. Gets so bad the entire house is up and there is nothing anyone can do to help her. So off we go to the doctor. Seems she has a case of streph that has progressed into a sinus infection. The doc seems to think we will have a few more nights of coughing before the antibiotic kicks in. Got to love them antibiotics. Although I wish I had taken her earlier.
Doesn't seem to be much damage from the storm. Lots of leaves and palm fronds. The roof at the surgery center leaked-again! Only this time all over an expensive piece of equipment. Wait until the building management finds out about that! Oh well........

Tuesday, August 19th Fay Day

Hi everyone! I am new to this blog thing. I have always wanted to have a website so family and friends can check in to see what we are doing. It always seemed so intimidating. Who was it that said "that a life worth living was worth writing down!" I am not sure but I always thought it sounded good. Since today is a lazy day-we are all off due to the arrival of hurricane/tropical storm Fay-I thought it might be a good day to start. So here goes........
Hurricane/Tropical storm Fay blew into town last night. We dropped the shutters and hunkered down for the night. It was windy with a lot of rain The house was really dark but with the shutters down we didn't hear a thing. It is still windy and raining today and I am glad to be home rather than at work.
Jess wasn't too happy. Yesterday was the first day of school. With the arrival of the storm school was canceled. Jess is one of the few kids who actually likes school. She has been asking me all day if I am sure that she will be able to go tomorrow. I can remember when I was a kid a snow day was the best day. The storm is not supposed to last so I am sure it will be business as usual tomorrow. Guess that means she should probably get her homework done and I should probably get something done around the house! Enjoy your day! Margaret