Fun Friday: Here's an Easy One

I have posted this same thing on all four of my blogs today, but no one has given the simple answer to this:

Q: First I threw away the outside and cooked the inside. Then I ate the outside and threw away the inside. What did I eat?

A: Corn on the Cob

First Days

Not all of my children went back to school the same day. Kayla is at the charter school, and it started a day ahead.  They get out a couple of days earlier and don't have the same teacher work days off. I don't know why they insist on having a different schedule. It makes it hard for those who need daycare or who have children in both public and charter and want to do things as a family on those days. This year if Kayla's grades are good, I am going to pull her out when the other two are off so we can do day trips.

Kayla signed up for band but was denied it with them saying it is due to her having to take intensive math. They are not at the same time. And she has PE. Normally the kids get a PE waiver to take band.

The public schools started today.

 Jasmine has said this will be her last year of band due to the overwhelming commitment both during the year and the summer. It takes up most of the summer. We skipped some of it for our trips and her surgery. She is going to focus on drama and voice starting next year. She has a tough year this year with Band, Biology, World History, Liberal Arts Math (which uses the Algebra 1 book), 2D art 2 even though she hasn't taken Art 1, English 2 and Spanish 1. 

Kaleb only scored 4 points higher than Kayla on the math test and should be in intensive but isn't. I'm not sure if they waived his for band or not. They have one less period in the day than the charter school. Although they are in the same grade, they don't actually have all the same classes. He has US History and she has World Culture. He has band while she has PE. She has the extra math class and he doesn't.

My step grandchildren started school last week. 

Ashley is a hair sylist, so they always look great. Phoenix is in 7th and in her town, that's the first year of middle school. Griffin is in 3rd. He's a little smarty. We got a spend a few hours with them in Indiana this summer. I am hoping we get more time together next summer.

I suppose we will blink and this one will be in school!

Last Days of Vacation

It feels like we haven't done as much this summer as other times. Maybe because we did all the big stuff in June--Jasmine had choir tour, we went to the Smokey Mountains in NC, the twins went to camp, Jessica, Jasmine and I went to Indiana, and then Jasmine and I went to Cincinnati and Chattanooga. But then Jasmine had enough band camps and practices to last us for a long time. Enough that she's talking about this being her last year of band and focusing on drama and voice after that. It has also rained the past two weeks with only a couple of clear days. So we have hardly been to the pool even though we paid a lot for a season pass. We went to the springs on two of the nice days. Well, actually it started storming as we were leaving.

Two of the kids were in the Missoula Children's theater play this year.

Here are some photos of that.

The whole cast. Jasmine is Scarella, the wicked fairy. Kaleb is a troll, but he changed to a 50s character. However, they left the troll paint on him, so he looks a little crazy. I wish they would have changed back into the troll costumes for photos.

Jasmine was amazing. The audience loved her.

The videos are too big to upload here, but if I get them uploaded to YouTube, I'll post a link later.

River and Uncle Ty Ty are becoming attached

Jessica didn't get to go to Ponce de Leon springs last time, so we went again. I can only take 5 people in my car, so not everyone went.

Kaleb was thinking maybe he wished he'd volunteered to stay home and play Wii!

River found the springs a little cold for her liking!

Tonight is Kayla's last night of freedom. She starts middle school at the same charter school she's been attending, and it starts a day early. The other two start Thursday.

We are looking forward to an exciting year and many changes!

Fun Friday: What Was the Number One Song the Day You Were Born?

The number one song the day I was born was "The Lion Sleeps Tonight."



What was the number one song the day you were born? Find out HERE

Today's Activities are Tomorrow's Memories

Okay, I just made that up, but doesn't it sound impressive? LOL.

Well, yesterday we went to a state park and made tomorrow's memories.

Tyler and Kayla opted out. Jessica had another activity, and Adam was at his reserve weekend.

The tubing didn't amount to much. It was only about a foot deep and no current.

It's a lot shorter jump than the 22 foot drop at Wakulla. This was about a three foot drop into 8 or so feet of water. It's a spring for 72F year round. For water, 72F is cold. You need a wet suit if you stay in long.

Jasmine wasn't sure about it, but she tried it once.

The cold water caught her by surprise, and she didn't like it. So this was her only jump.

Rick went several times. He tried to bounce on it like it was a diving board, and that didn't go so well.

The child who was suppose to pack the forks for the hot dogs and marshmallows, the plates and napkins and matches, left them sitting on the counter. But we had paper towel and one set of tongs in the car so made do with that.

These are the moments memories are made of.

Check out my post on the Tyndale blog about making the most of the final moments of summer HERE

Fun Friday: Can You Figure it Out?

What makes this number unique — 8,549,176,320?

Hint: You are all thinking too hard. Think of the numbers in word form.

Catherine has it. The numbers are in alphabetical order when written out in word form.

Meeting the Birth Mom and Brother

Jasmine had her follow up for her surgery on August 1. She got the stints out of her nose. It was not fun, but she survived. 

Dr Lentz, her surgeon for this surgery. Her previous one retired.

This was in Gainesville, then we drove to Jacksonville to visit their dive shop. It's great. They even have a pool in the dive shop to teach the basics and to test skills. Jasmine and I both got wet suits there. Much, much less expensive than here.

Then we went to a nearby Chuck E Cheese where we had arranged beforehand to meet Jasmine's birth mom, Alma. I had not seen Alma since Jasmine was an infant, but have shared pictures off and on for the past four or five years. I haven't seen the brother since a Christmas party when Jasmine was an infant. 

I felt Jasmine was old enough to meet Alma. Jasmine is so attached to me that I had no worries about any of it, and it seemed like a good time to meet.

 Alma's boyfriend and one of Jasmine's birth half-brothers came with her. He was supposed to be adopted by an older family but for some reason he was adopted by a single lady. Not a good choice. He was moved constantly while we were foster parents, yet he was never placed with us even though we had Jasmine. I would have adopted him too. But there was always someone else who was going to take him and was a better choice. Obviously not since he is not with his adoptive family. He was kicked out I guess.

It was mid afternoon and we hadn't eaten, so we got pizza while we waited for them.

Wanya (Juan yay), Alma and Jasmine

Alma and I talked a lot about Jasmine while Jasmine got acquainted with her brother. It wasn't awkward at all. Alma said we do a lot (trips and activities), and I told her that my kids don't have all the latest game systems and electronics. Jasmine only has a tracfone with minutes. We'd rather put the little extra money we have into experiences than things. We talked about Jasmine's academic struggles and how they compare to birth family members and such.

We plan to meet up again next summer so more of Jasmine's birth family can meet her.

Anyone else in contact with birth parents?