The First Day of School...sort of...

So, this first day of school seems to have a sense of deja vu to it...but I'll get to that in a minute.



Cassidy headed off to her first day of preschool this morning. She was awake before I could get her up, she actually had her socks on when I saw her (I was so proud). She only goes to preschool 3 days a week from 8:30-12, but Ryan has to take her to school since I can't be in 3 places at once (2 at once, isn't a problem) dropping all the girls off for school. So, since Ryan has to take her, he has to drop her at before care so he can be at work by 7am. She was excited and peppy and headed off to school with our standard Cassidy enthusiasm. Ryan said she was a little teary at drop-off, but pretty soon her boy Sam joined her for breakfast and she settled down and had a great day!



Erin and Katie headed back to another year at Bellalago Academy. Aside from an hour to drop them off and an hour and a half to pick them up, not much changed. I think we'll avoid the car riders loop except when necessary for rainstorms. Just opened near the school is a Walgreens, Publix and McDonald's. I'm seriously thinking I'll pick them up at Mickey D's every day. As the car loop is RIDICULOUS!!!!! They had good days. Erin is jazzed about being in a different building, being on the second floor and changing classes this year. It's hard to believe she's in fifth grade. Katie has a great teacher who is pretty familiar with her from last year. Ms. Toy (great name for a teacher, huh???) has a classroom that connected to Erin's former 4th grade teacher's classroom, so whenever Erin and Katie would stay after school with Mackenzie, Katie would go visit Ms. Toy. So, she was excited to get her this year.



Alison, only a month away from being 13, headed back to Horizon Middle School for the first day of 7th grade. As far as I can tell, she LOVES her teachers so far. She's yet to live through "gold" day, since today was a "blue" day. She is in Advanced reading, science and math (I don't remember if she's in adv. social studies). She also has sewing and PE for her electives. She's going to try out for cheerleading next week.



So, remember how I said we are sort of having deja vu? School was canceled for tomorrow. Why? Well, we live in Florida...we start school during Hurricane Season. There's not a hurricane out there, but Tropical Storm Fay is making landfall as I type on the south west coast. While it's not a strong nor particularly organized storm, it has the potential for some miserable rain, wind and since we're on the "dirty" side of it, the possibility for tornadoes is out there. Just when we were fixing all the damage of the 2004 hurricane season on our house...nice timing, huh? This is the 3rd year of 4 that we've missed school during the first week due to hurricanes.



So, we'll try again Wednesday or maybe Thursday for our second "Fay" of school.



I'll post pictures later on.



Laurel

Cassidy says the Darndest Things!

Swimming is a way of life around here. Even our temporary digs has a pool...we just can't live without one. Anyway, Cassidy has been watching Michael Phelps blow the competition out of the water (pun completely intended of course) during the Olympics. She's pretty sure she could beat him. She needs practice though.

So, today Ryan was getting the younger two ready for the pool time. Cassidy's swimsuit, which is like a short wet suit, was drying outside from yesterday's swim. Ryan's exchange went with her went something like this:

Ryan: "Cassidy, where's your seal suit?"
Cassidy: "It's out by the pool...hello?!?" (like, you moron, where else would it be, du-uh!)

Then the next one happened as Ryan told Cassidy to use the potty before swimming, she's sitting on the potty when this exchange occurs:
"Dad, I need your help turn my seal suit backwards." (it was inside out)
Ryan apparently did not act fast enough for Cassidy so she adds just for clarity, "...today!"

Out of the mouths of water babies!

A long time, but a short summer!

I kept meaning to update the blog on our second trip up to NC, but it just didn't happen the way I planned. We were BUSY! After our friends Patty and Lucy headed back to Florida, we had a whirlwind of activity. Ryan came up, followed the next day by our best friends Christine, Jorge, Shelly and their kids Sofia, Sam and Ashley. With Alison off in Texas, the friend/BK girl ratio was perfect. Everyone had their best friend! That weekend, the mommas and the 8+ daughters headed off to girl scout camp at Camp Ginger Cascades for a mother/daughter weekend. It was 70's themed and it was a blast. We all camped in the BK Family tent and in a delightful grassy field far far away from the noise of all the other campers. We met another mom and daughter there. Christine and I proceeded to initiate them fully into our group by playing canoe tag with them, ending with them in the lake! It was great fun.

When M/D camp was over, we headed briefly to Asheville to meet up with Shelly's mom, then it was back to camp...for the girls! Ashley and Erin did a session called Slumber Daze...they were able to bring their best cuddle buddies (Florida and Teddy) along for all the fun. Sofia and Katie did Hide and Seek which was a geocaching adventure. They used GPS and compasses to find treasures! The moms went back up to rejoin/relieve the dads who'd been watching the jr. crew up on Beech Mountain.

Ryan left on Monday to go back to work. The rest of us did the touristy things...we went to Tweetsie, Fred's, Sliding Rock, little hikes, we picked blueberries (yum) and just enjoyed hanging around. Shelly had to go back to work on Thursday. On Friday, Christine and Jorge took Sofia, Sam and Ashley white water rafting. Karma got back at Christine from the camp canoe flip when Sofia ended up in the river and Christine in right after her. Their pictures were fabulous and the all looked like they had a soaking good time!!! The Garcias left on Saturday and honestly, the silence was deafening. Peaceful for the first hour (naptime) then lonely.

We spent another week up there, Erin, Kate and Cassidy went to Day Camp 3 days and on the other days, we stocked up on some school supplies and uniforms. NC had a tax free period, but FL did away with theirs, so we shopped up there and saved a little money. We headed home on Friday afternoon, stopping in Savannah overnight and reaching Kissimmee at about 2pm on Saturday.

Now for the other half of our adventure...our house is being remodeled...note: it's not done being remodeled! So, we found a house in Kissimmee to rent for a month until the house is back together. They are making awesome progress...we have walls, and a texture on them at this point, painting is happening in the next few days! All of the delays have been ours...I can't blame an inept contractor...H&L Builders have been fantastic and quick! To check out pictures you can go to http://gallery.me.com/birkskilman We're posting more pictures very soon.

The girls start school on Monday. They are all ready for summer to be over. It's hard to believe that I have a 7th, 5th, 4th and a preschooler this year. Stay tuned for pictures of the First Day of School!!!!

Oh, all this and Lily's walking!!!!!

Sorry for the long post, but we had 3 weeks to cover! I hope everyone is doing well and has a safe back to school!!!