Fay Day

So I thought I would take my hurricane day to update my blog. Summer has come to end (one day later than it was suppose to thanks to Fay). I will be back to teaching chem and getting up before 5am. I must admit that I am looking forward to the new school year but not the hour at which it must start. The kids are ready too I think. Jackson is starting second grade - his second year in the partial Spanish immersion program. Perhaps I will have hime blog in Spanish one of these days. Madeline is going to 4th. She did pass the FCAT with flying colors for those of you who were concerned she wouldn't ;)

So on Fay Day, I went for a nice easy 3 mile run. The weather was cooler than normal with a decent breeze! I had to test my back since it froze up on me over the weekend. That was not fun but the run was good and my back feels good now. I think brownie making with the kids is up next. The weather is holding up pretty nicely; a little gusty but no rain yet. Still to come... preparations for the First Day: pack the backpacks, get clothes together etc.

So as I am typing this - I am watching an update on Fay. Strangely this peculiar storm has strengthened over land and is looking more defined. Still somehow missing Pinellas County entirely. Stay Away Fay!

A few Pics of the new house

For those of you dying to know - yes, I made it 4 miles today! Woohoo. Slowly - very slowly. It took me almost 47 minutes to run it but I didn't stop :) Next up - run faster!

OK so here is an incomplete look at the new house...

A shot of the family room from the breakfast nook
















Family Room















Breakfast nook (and a shot of the screened in porch)














Living Room (not quite unpacked)














Dining room that is acting as the kids work/play room

summertime

So it has been awhile since my last blog...

I have moved and will post pictures of my new place soon. My goal for the summer started off being sleeping in past 7. It was hard the first week - now it is no problem. It is now getting hard to get up before 8! Yikes - maybe I should not have tried so hard. My other goal is to workout as much as possible. I am running a nice slow 3 miles now - I hope to get up to 5-6 slow and run 2-3 pretty fast. I am headed to the gym now to try a nice slow 4 miles. I will let you know how that goes. I have also been active at Tae Kwan Do. I started taking the Hapkido class a couple times a week. It is more self defense (butt kicking) and you also get a much cooler black uniform. But I go back to a white belt in Hapkido. I will get a picture up of me in that as soon as I get one :) The kids and myself have been enjoying time at the beach and various pools. They have also become assistants to me at my part time summer gig as a mad scientist. Well, that is all for now - I will upload new pics soon :)

Moving, an important word

Moving. This is a very key word to me right now. For one, I get up at 5am and pretty much go until about 10pm. So I am moving most of the day. More so these past few days but I digress. Moving on - I think it is time for me to move on with my life. I have not been purposefully mourning my past relationship - my past life - just have not felt ready for anything new and different. But I am moving (there is that word again) this weekend into a new house. It feels right and good. See moving into a new house has kept me moving physically with all the packing and more importantly I think it is helping me move on with my life. It is a new start and it feels good. Did I just say that? I am dog tired and we haven't done the major stuff yet.

PS - I may lose internet for a few day - did I tell you? I am moving - Yeah :)

San Diego - Here I Come!

I spent Memorial Day Weekend in San Diego for my cousin Bobby's graduation. We had such a great time! We jammed so much into a handful of days. We spent time in La Jolla (the cave was amazing!). We visit the USS Midway (even though I didn't really want to - it too was awesome). Balboa, the mountains, Cabrilllo lighthouse... we climbed up hills, down hills, up stairs and down stairs. Just ask my mom about the stairs. After Bobby's graduation we were treated to a party on top of a historic hotel in the Gas Lamp district downtown. The trip was great - really. I will show you some pictures of our escapades.

Tae Kwan Do Belt Test

Madeline is a second degree red belt and I am officially a green belt. Here are a couple of videos of Madeline's performance and one of me breaking my board.

Dear Mr. President...

"I hate kickball" Madeline told me. She sat down during a kickball game at PE and had to run the rest of class of the class. She could not understand how it works that she (as a child) just had to do whatever an adult (her teacher) told her to do. "Why don't children get any rights?" - "Children can't even vote, I mean it is a really important election year..." She went on and on and my explanation of maturity and responsibility was not helping enough. She got out of bed and wrote a letter to the President... all because she felt wronged by her PE coach during a kickball (did I mention how much she HATES kickball).

Here is her letter we are sending off later today (I will scan it in and include if I get time)


Dear Mr. President

I am eight years old and live in Clearwater, Florida. I am concerned about children's rights. Why do adults get to vote and children don't? We make make up a great part of the population you know. And there should be a holiday for children too. There is Grandparent's Day, Father's Day, and Mother's Day. But, no children's day. Please send a response as soon as possible. Once again, I am eight years old, I am a girl, I am in the third grade and I live in Clearwater, Florida. I think I am speaking for all children when I say we should get some rights too!

Sincerely,
Madeline ******