A Sweet Surprise

Thursday after school I was summoned to the office to retrieve my surprise...two dozen yellow roses (my favorite)!

Thank you honey. They are beautiful!

By the way, since you sent me 24 roses,

I decided I must be turning 24, right?

Weekend with Daddy and the Manatees

Saturday morning we went to breakfast and then ventured to Apollo Beach to see the manatees. The temperature of the water near the power plant was 74 that day which was much warmer than the air. If you've never seen a manatee (you non-Floridians), I describe them as slow moving baked potatoes in the water. Nothing like the ancient sailors who mistakenly thought they were beautiful mermaids. Are you serious? Can you say DESPERATE? Anyways, we enjoyed watching them stick their snouts out of the water to get some air. Potato looking or not...they are cute!

From the Mouth of Babes

If you know my little Travis, then you know he is quite a character. He knows what he wants and voices these thoughts regularly. Yesterday on the way home from school, he suddenly asked, "Mom, when I grow up do I have to marry someone I don't know?" I explained to him that when he got older he would find someone that he likes to marry. "Well, I like Alli," he announced. There ya have it! My son has found his soul mate at age 5. Now he has one less thing to worry about when he grows up. HA! At least he's no longer asking me to have a sister for him so he can marry her.

Tweet! Tweet!

Skywalker, Orange, and Eva (named by our children, of course)

Our long awaited finches are here! Jeremy and I went to PetSmart around Thanksgiving to pick out some pet parakeets. We really wanted to watch them lay eggs and have babies (oh, the memories of childhood). Well, we left the store empty handed and intended to go back another day. Lucky for us, I told the art teacher at school the following week and she said her birds just had six babies. You can call it FATE. Now we have three of those little babies. They are so cute! I love it when they huddle together like in the picture. Unlike children, they put themselves to bed at night. They cuddle together in their nesting box. They're also pretty soft spoken birdies. The noises they make sound like soft little squeaky toys. Aaaawwww! We'll let you know when they have babies...in case you might want one!

The Story Behind the Master

Okay...I must tell this story. It seems like I am in the comedy Seinfeld most of the time. So I take the kids to Yung Ho Tae Kwan Do to sign them up. I told Master Greene, "That's a cute name for this place." He looked at me oddly so I explained, "Ya know...Yung Ho Tae Kwan Do like YOUNG HO." I smiled. With little expression he pointed to the picture mounted on the wall behind him and said, "You see that picture of those guys? THAT is Master Yung HO. That is his name. He is from Korea." Oooops! He continued on, "You just don't see those names in America. But I don't want to get in trouble with Master Yung Ho." See? Much like Seinfeld, I get myself in these predicaments by putting my foot in my mouth. Innocent mistake though, right?

YUNG HO!

Before you get the wrong idea...look at the spelling. Yung Ho is the name of the Tae Kwan Do place our kids just started going to. We met up with some other friends and their kids for some serious competition. Can't you tell?

These kids look the part.

Travis sitting very proudly after rolling up his belt.

Master Greene showing Tyler how to tie his belt.

So how did our little darlings like Tae Kwan Do? Tyler said, "It was really fun!" Travis said, "I HATE Tae Kwan Do and I don't ever want to go back!" Why such different responses you wonder? Well after Travis pushed his brother, he got to experience the true discipline behind marshall arts and Master Greene. First he had to apologize. Then he stood in time out and watched how the other kids followed directions as he cried. I think this is just what Travis needs, don't you? Can't wait for tomorrow!