Pow Wow and other random things

Oh. my. goodness!  Has it really been 2 weeks since I last blogged?  Wow!  Let me do a quick update of what I can remember:

Scott has started in school and he really likes it.  It's a one room schoolhouse sort of deal, so the fact that he is in different places in different subjects doesn't really matter at all.  Our homeschool life is much quieter and more settled.  The worst part is that sometimes Scott returns home pleasant, and sometimes he is a monster of epic proportions.  It's kind of like he bottles it up all day, and lets it lose on us.  But even Mimi said, "Sometimes he comes home happy."  That happy boy is soooo seldom seen around here that she was telling her friend that was one of the best parts about him going to school.  Sad, but true. 

Scott was in a regatta two weekends ago and got 6th place in his class.  He would have had 5th, but there was a protest against him (sailors protest other sailors in races frequently) and so his one race result was disqualified.  He sails okay, but racing isn't his strong suit, so anytime he's not last, it's cause for celebration.

Last weekend was "Georgefest" and a local realtor had their hot air balloon there and they were offering tethered "rides".  The rides were supposed to be from 2-4, but because of a "weather system" they didn't even start until about 4:30, so we thought we had missed it, but actually arrived just in time.  I had never been up in a balloon, and neither had my girls so all three of us went up.  Oh, and we got to watch them inflate the balloon too, which the girls enjoyed.

We went to the Magic Kingdom with the DisneySchooling group last Friday.  We did some scavenger hunts and had a good time.  We stayed late, and got to watch the ELP, the fireworks, and the new "The Magic, The Memories, and You" show projected on the castle.  Both Mimi and Tyler declared that the "most awesome thing EVER".

The Winnie the Pooh ride now has the coolest queue of any Disney ride.  They took many elements from the Pooh playground they used to have and incorporated them into the ride line.  I hope the new Fantasyland includes many, many more lines like this one!

This heat sensing wall featured liquid "honey" that you would write in.  Under it all were Pooh characters.

Mimi and TJ rode, or tried to ride, Space Mountain.  The ride got evacuated just before they got on, but not before they waited 50 minutes in line!  Sari and I spent our time, as we usually do, waiting outside.  They did eventually get to ride SM twice later in the day.  Many thanks to manager Keenan who turned our bad experience into a great one!

We watched the fireworks and ELP from the train station, which offered a great view, but meant the flag pole appears center stage in all my photos!

Here's one picture from the new Castle show.  I can't recommend it enough!  The kids loved it.

It's peak allergy season here in sunny FL.  I'm sniffling and sneezing my head off.  And now I have this tickle in my throat and I can't seem to resist coughing no matter how hard I try.  The orange blossoms are in peak bloom and I am probably the only one in FL who dreads that because I am allergic to them.  And so my running has been a bit more sporadic.  More like every 3-4 days instead of every day.  It just depends on how snuffly I am and how fast my heart is beating just to walk around the house.  I have however gotten to the point where I am running 8 minutes at a time with a 5 minute walk break between.  I never thought I'd get that far!

That said, I dosed up twice recently on heavy allergy drugs so I could spend some time outside while the weather is beautiful.  The first one was for Aunt Fanny's son's birthday.

This swing is the hands-down most popular thing at the park.  The kids love to pile on and take turns swinging and pushing.  It's always fun until on the of the pushers slips or one of the riders bales, and either ends up UNDER the swing.  But luckily, the kids are attentive, and relatively smart, and so far no one has really gotten hurt.  TJ of course has to up the ante and jump off the moving swing, as you can see here.

My godson, who just finished playing the "phantom" as a child in a local theatre's production of Phantom.  He tends to live for theatre, and so the show might be over, but he's not done being the phantom yet. 

Aunt Fanny's son, who abhors the spotlight, and was totally embarrassed to be sung to.  Don't you love his birthday cake?  Two plates of donuts, and everyone was a happy camper.



This picture makes me laugh because Aunt Fanny tends to be just like me-always making an unintentional face in candid shots.  Here, her daughter is equally as guilty.  Guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

Last item- the Pow Wow.  That was the other event I dosed up on allergy meds for.  We go every year, and Scott's class was going there on a field trip, so it all worked out.  This was not the best year, but the kids still enjoyed it.  They got to interact with a wonderful grown wolf and a wolf cub, which I think was the highlight for them.

An Alaskan Native American who told the kids the story of how we got mosquitoes

Sari dancing around the drum.  The costume she is wearing was my sister's when she was little.

TJ in a lodge (tee-pee) with a Native American woman who was happy to share her life with us.

The magician's son



Okay, that's it for now!  It's bed time.  At least I feel a little more caught up with my life ;-).