SCHOOL

School has begun. It started later this year so we had exactly 3 months together. I was excited, I thought, for them to be off to school, but when I got home and it was so quiet, I was very sad.

We got Sara to ride her bus for the first day. The traffic at her school is terrible so this was a great thing. She was very excited and rode with friends. She did get a little bus sick sitting in the back, so we may need to make front seat arrangements. Then she called and could not remember her bus number, and then still almost ended up on the wrong bus. Her 6th grade friend made sure she was on the bus and that she got to her first class alright-thanks Brianna! She loves having a locker and just bubbled when she got home. She does love her math class. Sara is in the pink backpack with her back to us about to get on the bus.


I took Ruth to her class since Sara was on her way. Both schools have the same times this year. Ruth does like her two teachers. The gifted program works a little different in 4th grade and she has 2 primary teachers. She did come home sick and told me she was very very hot and her head was pounding. She told me it began right after school when they had the kids waiting in the 103 heat for the rides. I called my nurse friend and she said it sounded like heat exhaustion and she was probably dehydrated. So I woke her up and got her to drink some and she was much better. I guess you would say her first day was overshadowed with the end of the day, but I am sure the rest will be wonderful.

I did attend the Boo Hoo breakfast at elementary school for the moms and dads dropping off their kids. Chocolate chip cookies, juice and coffee. I did a little boo hoo thinking that my baby is getting so grown up and I was NOT the only mom or dad there so there you go.....great idea!!!!!

I still carpool the elementary kids, but only in the morning this year. We do help the other if there is a need, so I may still have a few afternoon pick ups. This year we are not watching children after school, their parents feel they are OK to stay home 45 mins until an older sibling gets home.

Swingset is gone!

The new neighbors on one side have a trampoline. The problem is that it has no net so I will NOT let the girls get on it....mostly because I love them too much to gamble with their health. SO, I gave them the option of keeping our super cool swing set/fort or selling it and getting a trampoline with a net. Now, I would have been OK with either and I gave them 3 wks to decide and they had to agree. They decided on the trampoline and the 6 yr old other neighbor boy got our swing set/fort, which took much sweat, a little blood, and a few tears to move to their house. We had the kids in our pool to keep them out of the way, and at least someone was cool, while we move it then reassembled the fence.....it was only 100+

MISC

Sara is a princess now. We got this dress at our favorite thrift store and she will wear it for the father daughter dance, and maybe for holloween to be a princess.


She also made this halo out of long grass strands and flowers from the yard. She said she learned this in China.









This is Sara's new shirt....it sort of sums up the whole thing - I may be small, but I'm the boss - - aren't all kids?

A NEW TIGER

Sara has had her orientation last week and tonight we went to pick up her schedule. Her friend that lives a few blocks away will ride the bus with her and be in 2 of the same classes. Sara is most excited about the library. We bought her PE t-shirt.

We decided to meet the school nurse, another excitement for Sara. Sara told her that she was an ouchy girl and that the nurse needed to make sure she had lots of bandaids for her.

She explained that she wore glasses and why. I talked to the nurse about Sara's sensitivity to the heat.

Then we got the paper work for the school bus. I think this is causing Sara the most anxiety. This week we are almost on school time-yikes! We have the to bed at 9 down, but not quite to up at 6:15. Maybe the girls will let me sleep in and wake me when they are ready to go to school......not!

Ruth gets her teacher's name on the 22nd and meet the teacher on the 23rd. With her being in the accell class, we know who her teacher is already...she will have one main accell teacher, and a second who teaches a few subjects to them, so basically 2 lead teachers, got it....we don't yet either.

HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 2

IT IS FINALLY HERE. . . . screamed the girls upstairs as the months of waiting ended and the movie began. We warmed up with singing and dancing to the CD we bought a few days ago. They already knew the words before they saw the movie...great marketing!

Both girls had a friend sleep over and we shopped in the morning for the menu for the party.








After the movie, there was a new Hannah Montana program, also a favorite. Then it was tumbling off the old couch and drawing pictures on the marks a lot board.....

HOT

HOT Summer is here and the furnace is on full blast! So, what do you do when it gets this hot? Not much....too hot. We did find some fun ways to cool off.





As for the cat, she just sleeps in her box all day long, lucky cat!


By the way, the girls named their sea dragon Flower. I have been adding a little more color to the girl's rooms.....you all know I love to paint.


This morning Sara had 5th grade orientation. She will be attending Intermediate School and riding a bus after the first few days. She is so excited and had a great time today. I am not sure how the principal already knows her, maybe because she is so cute. Ruth is excited about going into 4th grade. Her class is the first class to go to her school from K-4th grade....my babies are growing up.

FU girls reunion-Atlanta

This is Sara-10, Mailia-7, and Dani-13. They were friends in Fuzhou, Jiangxi. Sara and Mailia came home at the same time in Nov 6, 2006, and Dani followed ASAP and came home in January 07. This is the first reunion that Dani had with the girls-Malia and Sara got together in March of this year. There was great excitement and it was fun to listen to how much English the girls learned. They did some Chinese, but mostly English.

In this photo, you will also see the girls. Dani is to the right of the baby wearing a white sweatshirt with blue lettering. Sara is in the green long sleeve standing to the right of Dani, and Mailia is in the front in the light green shirt.

This was one of the FIRST photos we have of Sara and thank Gina so much for having taken this when getting her daughter and sharing the photo.

These are the kids as everyone arrived:

Ruth, Dani, Sara, Dani's brother Jonathan , Mailia, Dani's sister Hannah

This is why it took us a little (lot) longer to get home! Thanks to Officer Moore of Alabama for stopping and changing the tire for us!!!!!!!!

Family reunion

The Judd family. We could not all come and missed Elisha and the new baby Kyle, but most of the gang attended, with an extra bonus of Uncle Joe and Aunt Rosa coming for a few days too with their dog Sheba.

Everyone played a little badminton

Grandpa read stories to the children-young and older

Sara loved the fishing and Ruth caught frogs...my nature girls

Karaoke was a little scary....mental note to bring ear plugs next year

On the wildlife safari, the animals came onto the bus for a handout....or a hand