Manatees

Here in the theme park capitol of the world, it is refreshing to know that this park is nearby. And only $9 for adults, $5 for kids. It's a diamond in the rough. Quiet, peaceful, leisurely. And the only rides are a (very slow) boat or a tram to get to the park from the entrance. Can you say "ahhhhh". Even M. enjoyed herself.

Mailia loves Jimmie :-)

And baseball, and basketball, and skating, and skateboarding, etc.etc.

Wanted to say "thank you" to all who sent online birthday wishes. She really enjoyed hearing from her Fu sisters, her friends and family.

Happy 9th Birthday!!!

Seemed like Christmas, almost! She had 2 celebrations so far, and one more to go.

As predicted, she LOVES the pitching machine, new bat, and most of all, the Jimmie Johnson goodies: chair, shirt, poster.
Happy, Happy Birthday, Mailia!
xoxoxo
We Love You!
Mom and Dad

Going Camping

It's her birthday weekend (she'll be 9 on Sun.) and there's so much going on that she can barely contain herself.
She took cupcakes to school today, and then came home to find packages had arrived in the mail with her name on them. She nearly peed herself, but I told her she has to wait until Sun. to open them (mean mommy). She also got 2 cards in the mail, one with $10 in it and another with a $25 Walmart gift card. She has been screeching ever since......I have $35!!!! My very own card!!!! This is soooooooooo awesome!!! Happy Birthday to me!!!
Yippeeeeeeeeeeee! :-)
But tonight is also her first overnight campout with the Brownies. It's a 'test run' for not only the girls, but for the leaders as well. :-) Tonight they'll be 'camping' in tents out in the country in the leader's back yard. She is sooooooo excited. She now has her own canteen and mess kit, OH BOY! Tent camping is a thing of the past for me. I much prefer an RV these days, but when you're almost 9, this is just the coolest thing ever!
Next campout is the end of the month, on a small island out in the middle of Lake Toho....only accessible by boat. She can't wait for that one either. A final campout is being planned at the Brevard zoo later in the spring.
No big birthday party this year. Finances mandate that we keep it small. But she's a happy camper (literally) right now. We got her a Jimmie Johnson camp chair and new Jimmie t-shirt, along with a pitching machine to give Dad a break. :-) She will love all of these. Then her Lai Lai will be here on Tues, (with more presents, I'm sure) and we'll go to her favorite Chinese restaurant for dinner. Again, Dad will get a break. He doesn't like Chinese food.
What a fun birthday weekend in store!

What will you do with your $8.00?

And other things that keep me up at night, and make me go "hmmmm". Not intending to become too political on Mailia's blog, but then every child in this country is, and will be, affected by the policies of today.
While the president and his sidekicks toss around billions and trillions as if they were wooden nickels, they tossed us poor folks a bone by cutting our income taxes by $8 a week. Thank you Mr. President, you really are our 'saviour'! Of course this will only apply if you have said income to begin with.
Meanwhile, (while raking in that $32 a month), utilities are going up, tolls are going up, once tax free items are no longer tax free, school budgets are cut, schools are closing and combining, class size is going up, sports, music, art, etc. are all being cut, teachers being laid off. Not to mention, homes that have been lost, credit histories destroyed, life savings 'stolen' by the rich and greedy.....I could go on for pages, but won't. You get the picture.
We will survive, because that's what we as a people do, regardless of who's in charge.
But it WON'T be because our president 'gave' us $8 a week. Is this the 'change we can believe in'????? A handful of 'change'?????

The Lion Roars

March certainly came in like a lion this year. It was 83 degrees yesterday, 53 today, extremely windy, and supposed to be around 38 tonight. It is snowing in Alabama, Georgia and S. Carolina.
Must be that global warming thing :-)
I'm not complaining (much). Another couple of months and this cool weather will be a distant memory. We're running about 2 weeks behind in getting our garden in, but with this cold weather, it's probably just as well. We'll get to it this week. Just tomatoes and green beans this year. They'll both be ready before we pack up to move. Just can't let spring go by without planting something.

The Amaryllis

Our "Ugly Duckling" story.

We received an ugly, dormant, dead-looking flower bulb for Christmas, from my little sister.
I'm sure you've all seen them at Christmas time in/near the garden center at most big box retail stores. I never really gave them more than a passing glance.
Now I would buy another one or two, for myself as well as inexpensive gifts. What a fun gift this has been!
Mailia and I followed the directions on the box, which was basically sticking it in the dirt and watering it. For four weeks it did nothing. By the end of January, after looking at a 'dead' bulb in my kitchen window for a month, I was "this" close to tossing it out and proclaiming it DEAD! But as it was a gift, I decided that it wasn't hurting anything by sitting there, so I would let it rot first, before throwing it away. :-)
I'm sooo glad I waited.
When the first little green sprout popped out we were all thrilled. After that, I became convinced that the plant was on steroids. More than once I thought that if I stood there long enough, I would actually see it grow. Each morning we were even more amazed than the day before at how much it had grown over night.
Finally after two full months, it is in full bloom, and it is BEAUTIFUL!

Lessons learned: Don't give up! Don't judge a book by it's cover. Be patient with others as God isn't finished with them yet. :-)

If you see these 'ugly ducklings' at Christmas time next year, consider getting one (or two). They are worth the wait.