Summer Fun!

We took our first trip to the pool today.

We started a new "incentive" program for the kids. Each day they get a star and at the end of the week if they have enough stars they get to participate in a fun activity.

The first week only Makkiah got enough stars. I had let all the kids know that we would be headed to the pool so they had plenty of time to earn the stars.

Our first trip allowed Makkiah, Taniyah, Raquel and Ladaria to enjoy the fun. Tyreque didn't come with us and the other three sat with me.

Hopefully this will give them some incentive to have a better attitude this week.

Tyreque's 17th Birthday

Happy 17th Birthday Tyreque!!

This year had been an interesting year.

One of testing limits, growth and well, testing more limits.

Grades have come up, all classes were passed and given credit for (he learned the hard way last year that doesn't matter if you pass, if you don't show up they still don't give you credit).

He played varsity Lacrosse and earned his letter.

He's improved his skating techniques.

He's learned that although he's getting older he's still not the adult in the house and well, that he's not yet an adult.

Some lessons have been learned the hard way and some lessons have been learned the easy way and there are still many, many more lessons for him to learn. In time I'm sure he will!

37 weeks and no baby!!

Made it to full term and now nothing!

No contractions, no nothing.

I was hoping to have the baby before Rod left for 2 weeks but no luck.

We went to the park and took some pictures.

Hopefully this baby will decide to wait until Rod comes back.

I'm not holding my breath though.

Raquel's 8th Grade Promotion

She DID it!!!

Raquel has finished 8th grade and is headed off to high school.

She was so excited to finish 8th grade.

She really didn't think that she would make it.

She finished with a 3.5 GPA and was excited about that also.

Brayana's 5th Grade Promotion

Today was Brayana's 5th Grade Promotion.

The day started out with Dr Parsons greeting all the parents and family. Then all of the 5th graders were brought into the auditorium.

Each class had 2-3 speakers who talked about their teachers.

After the class speakers they presented awards to the top students and then

FINALLY they gave out the promotion certificates.

Brayana's class was the last class to go. By that time I had a ton of parents who had decided that it was ok to come and stand in front of me.

The one that really got me was the guy who came to talk to someone right in front of me RIGHT before it was Brayana's turn to cross the stage.

Mom yelled at him to get down before I could say anything. She must have seen him coming.

Karate Promotion

Last week the kids did all of their karate testing. Today was their promotion to the next belt or degree.

Makkiah advanced from white belt to yellow belt.

Brayana, Destini and Jaleel advanced to second degree yellow belt.

They also got to show off their trophies from tournament.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!

A Father and a Dad Are Not the Same

A father and a dad are not the same:

One can be a dad and not a father,

Or one can be a father and not bother

To earn through love the more endearing name.

Some find fatherhood a bit too tame,

Leaving all the details to the mother,

Or dumping the sweet burden on another

Man with just a passing twinge of shame.

You have been our dad so many years

That you've become the landscape that is home,

The mountain that we look to from afar.

No matter where we go we're not alone,

For you remain within to still our fears

And be the word that tells us who we are.

I am so thankful for the wonderful man that God has given me to be the father of my children and DAD to all those children that God has given us. Not many men are willing to take a child totally unknown to them, love them and care for them as their own. Many of the times not knowing how long that child will even be in our home. Makes no difference to him. He sees them all the same no matter how they came into our home. Just wanted to wish you a HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!

Destini's 10th Birthday

Today is Destini's 10th Birthday!!

She's been waiting for this birthday for a while now.

10 years old in this house means that you get a razor and shaving cream.

She is just beside herself with the knowledge that she will be getting one.

She's asked me everyday for the last week if she can shave yet!

Not until she is 10 - not a week before or a day before.

Honestly I'm not sure WHAT she is going to shave.

The hair on her legs are super light but she says that her friends look at them.

With Ladaria and Brayana it was a little different since they both had lots of dark hair on their legs.

She is definetly my "girly girl" though, the DIVA, the hair needs to be "perfect" girl.

The last year has brought her a long ways and I can't wait to see what the next year brings.

She's finishing up 4th grade. She likes school but I think it's more for the social aspect than the learning aspect.

If she could go to school to chat with friends and play she would be happy. Throw in a little art and life would be grand.

Darn teachers actually expect her to do work! What a travesty as far as she is concerned.

I think the fact that Jaleel is passing her up in reading is helping in that realm.

Some day she will make an awesome lawyer!

If you don't know the exact question to ask her you aren't getting any information from her. Unless it's a secret that someone doesn't want told!

She is unique, she is fun, she is dramatic, she is DESTINI and she is 10!!!!

Karate Tournament

Click on the picture of Tete and me to view the slideshow.

Our BIG event on Sunday was the Karate Tournament.

We spent from 9am to almost 5pm at the tournament.

Makkiah was our only white belt competing in the tournament and his "events" were in the morning.

All the white belts warm up together and then they are divided into age groups.

They all do forms and then sparring (fighting).

The organization comes together four times a year to compete. Each instructor jas their own way of teaching the kids moves and each judges a different square. The kids are broken up by belt color and age.

All the kids in the 4-6 age group looked a little confused by the instructions given by the judge for the forms part of the competition but it was still fun to watch them.

Makkiah placed third in forms.

He placed second in sparring-

We brought chicken, potato salad and some other stuff for lunch. Rod and Tyreque brought the wagon around back and we all ate.

After we were done we watched the black belt demonstration and the prize drawing.

In the afternoon all the colored belts have their events.

They all warm up together and then are split into belt and age groups as well.

Brayana and Destini were in the same group and Jaleel was in a different group for both forms & sparring.

None of our colored belts placed in forms. They were competing against yellow and orange belts and know now that they need to practice harder.

Brayana placed 1st in sparring and Destini placed 3rd. Destini ended up giving one of her opponents a bloody nose so she automatically lost that match. If she has won then she would have faced Brayana to determine the 1st and 2nd place spots.

Jaleel faced a harder group of competitors. He had a good round that lasted a long time but in the end he was eliminated and his opponent moved on to the next round. Probably didn't help that his Dad picked out the wrong size athletic protector.
He did receive a participation trophy though.

Burial at Sea

Rod sent me some pictures that were taken of him. He is the one who recieves the flag from the captain on behalf of the family and scatters the ashes at sea. What a privelege to be the one to help these people realize their last wish.

School Play

The fourth and fifth graders in Building 1 do a school play. This year the name of the play was "Team Me Up". 9 kids had to work together to finish a project that was assigned to them by the teacher. The problem was that there were three "groups" of kids - the nerds, the athletes, and the actors so none of them understood each other.

Each class sang a song from days gone by. Then some of the songs were sang by a combination of classes. It really was a fun show to watch. Even Tete did pretty good through it.

Rod was out to sea so he didn't get to watch it. I did buy the DVD though so he will be able to watch it when it comes in.

My 30th Birthday

Today was my 30th Birthday!!

"People" try to tell me I'm getting old, but they were there first!

Poppa was in Florida but he called to tell me Happy Birthday. He says I'm not getting older, I'm getting better! I tend to agree.

Rod was underway but he also called to wish me a Happy Birthday.

Mom and Makkiah baked me a cake and it was yummy.

All the kids got me gifts. After dinner I got to open all of my gifts. Makkiah worked REALLY hard on my gift. He got me a nightshirt that says "Best dog-gone Mom". He also got me a "bedtime hat". I am not a hat person but everyone, including my precious son, seems to think I should wear one. Wonder what they are trying to tell me?
Tyreque was out getting job applications so he didn't make it for the party and missed the picture. He came in after we had finished the festivities and no I did not wait for him before I opened his gift!

All in all the kids did a really good job choosing gifts. I got lots of chocolate, ice cream, foot rub cream, shampoo & conditioner, some age defying lotion, sudoku puzzles, bubble bath, lip balm, nightshirt & nighthat, spa brush, scrubby thing, and a movie.