Happy Halloween

Halloween was definitely an adventure this year. We were very happy to be living in a community this year instead of out in the middle of nowhere! We knew we had lots of safe and convenient places to trick-or-treat. Elizabeth absolutely had the best time ever. Banastre still isn't too sure of what all happened. When I tried to put his costume on, he screamed bloody murder and fought me as hard as he could. But, as Mommy, I won. We jumped in the car and drove to Grandma and Grandpa's house. There both kids received lots of goodies. Then we headed on our way to trick-or-treat. Banastre wanted to "wak" every where. He looked at everyone's "pumkims" and admired their "Yo Ho's" (any skeleton, pirate, or monster). But once we arrived at a house and rang the doorbell, he would wait for the people to answer and then run the other way yelling, "No, no, no". He was actually ok at a couple of houses and tried to give them candy from his bucket. He would only say trick or treat when we were walking between houses. He also acted very tired the entire night. (Mom and Dad's favorite part was the house that gave the kids candy and all the parents margaritas...we will definitely start there next year!!) We finished up around 8 and came home to give out candy to the other little princess and ghouls. It was a great time, but I hope Banastre will understand a little better next year. He refused to wear the gator head most of the night. But they were both still looking great!
Elizabeth the Vampiress
He actually started crying and jerked the head piece off right after this was taken.

Waiting for treats at Grandma and Grandpa's.

This morning, Banastre woke up with a very pink eye. After the doc appt. it is confirmed that he has pink eye. That might explain his behavior yesterday. It does give me hope that next year will be much better!

Elizabeth Smarty Pants

Today, Elizabeth's school had an assembly for all children in second and third grades that made the A and A/B Honor Roll. Miss Tarleton made the all A honor roll. (We will be doing this again in a couple of weeks, she made all A's again for the second nine weeks too!!!)

She will also have a coupon for a free pizza for making the all A honor roll.

We had a Parent/Teacher Conference earlier this week. The teacher had nothing but praises for Elizabeth. We are having her tested here in Florida for the Gifted program. If she makes it in, she will be going to a different school next year. It's an all day Honors Program. They will basically do the whole third grade curriculum in the first half of the year and then move on to more difficult and challenging items.

To give you an idea at how well she is doing right now, here are a few of her test results from the beginning of the year. For her oral reading fluency test, you must have at least an 80 to receive an A. Elizabeth is currently at 147! That's almost double what is required for an A!!! On the SAT10 she has a cumulative score of 1265. Her reading comprehension is above the 79th percentile. Her Math Problem-Solving skills are above the 96th percentile. She is currently reading at or above a 4th grade level!! I'm sorry if it seems I am bragging a bit, but we are just SOOOOO proud of her!! She is really our little genius. She's only 6 years old and doing so well!!!

Jack-o-Lanterns

Today we carved our pumpkins for Halloween! Elizabeth was so excited!!! Banastre just kept saying pumpkin over and over!! So, here's how it went:

Daddy making the first cut!

Elizabeth and Banastre watching closely.

You want me to stick my hand where???? What the *&#@ are you thinking?

The finished products. Can you figure which pumpkin belongs to which child???

What a sweet smile!!!!!!!!!

Beautiful girl!

All lit up to scare everyone!

Minneola Fall Fest and Leesburg Halloween Festival

This weekend, Elizabeth performed two Halloween dances at two different fall festivals. "I Want Candy" and "Thriller" were both great and were applauded well each night. It was great to learn about both of these festivals. Hopefully next year, we can go earlier in the day and enjoy all that they have to offer. Here are some pics of my little ghoul!Ready for "I Want Candy"

Dancing....

My "Thriller" Zombie (Minneola)

In the pic below, Elizabeth is the one standing in the back.

My Zombie at Leesburg

Matt didn't even recognize her the first night she did this dance in the costume and make-up!

The Next Magic Dancer

Tonight, Elizabeth performed at the Amway Arena in Orlando as part of the pre-game show for the Orlando Magic vs Miami Heat. Last Saturday, she did a three hour dance clinic with three of the Magic Dancers and learned two dances. They only performed one of the two. It's amazing that the girls could learn this in only 3 hours!!! She did a wonderful job and we are so proud of her. She loves dancing and it shows.


I have to admit I am not a big NBA fan (give me NFL!!!), but I did recognize some of the more famous players and have a few pics. I will try to identify them correctly!! Also, check out the video of my hip hop girl!!!! Elizabeth is the one in the very center with "DANCER" across the bottom of her pants.

A pic of the three of us before Elizabeth and I left.

Patrick Ewing helping to warm up the magic players.Elizabeth wants to be one of these!!!Alonzo Mourning (Used to play for the Hornet's)

The long-haired hippy boy. (We actually really like his hair long even if he is called a girl sometimes!!)

Fireball Run

Matt has finally returned from the Fireball Run. He had a great time and even finished 3rd in the SUV class. We are very proud of him and very, very, very happy to have him home. Here are a few pictures from his adventures. I will have more when Matt's copilot gives us his cd.


On his journey they had many missions, saw great landmarks, had lots of fun, and helped out a great cause.

Lining up and ready to start the days adventures.

One of the many celebrities and politicians he met.

Standing on the corner in Winslow, Arizona such a fine site to see... (courtesy of the Eagles)The Hoover DamMatt with his third place trophy!!!

The Big 3-0

I really would like to know what all of the hype is about. Everyone warned me that turning 30 would really affect me. So, when will it hit? When will I be able to tell a difference? I feel the same now, 2 days after turning this magical age, than I did 2 days, 2 months even, ago. What's the big deal?

Maybe it's different for me because I am really happy where I am at. I have a wonderful husband who I love more than words can describe. Two beautiful and precious children whom I love unconditionally and they have shown me the true meaning of the word love. I am surrounded by family and friends who love and support me. I couldn't ask for anything more!!

I found this on wikihow.com...did you know there is something called the 30 blues???

Steps on how to handle the 30 Blues
Comfort yourself with the fact that medical advances continue to improve the length and quality of life. Thirty isn't as old as it once was! In fact, 30 isn't old at all and your 30's promise greater certainty, clarity and understanding about life.
Treat yourself to a youthful indulgence. This could be a big night out, a new outfit or a new car, depending on your budget.
Work out and get in good shape. You'll look like you're in your 20's!
Consider that many people have turned 30 and lived through it. It's not the end of the world! Indeed, a lot of people will tell you that they finally discovered themselves in their 30s, that life finally made some sense for them. You become more settled with yourself and more directed about the person you are.
Remember that 30 is the new 20! You're still young!

Tips
Life really does get better after 30 - you get much better stuff!!!
Don't wear too much makeup - it only makes you look older.
Wear sunscreen every day. The key to that youthful glow is youthful looking skin.
Watch your weight.
Stay hydrated. It helps prevent wrinkles.
Continue to set goals for your life and then work to achieve them. Being 30 doesn't mean you should stop growing.
Be thankful that you're thirty, some people don't get the chance to even make it to 30, due to illnesses, or bad things that are beyond their control. The likes of Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, and Jim Morrison.

Warnings
Beware of people selling you anti-aging remedies, most don't work and just play on your vanity!

Well, according to this (and to me too) all I need to do is lose some weight. So, my goal before my 31 birthday is to lose 30 pounds. Now, you can all keep me to it. I have printed it online.

Otherwise, to me age is only a number. It's how young you feel at heart. In my heart I am still really young, which explains that incredible urge I often have when driving by Toys'r'us. I still enjoying walking down every aisle and seeing all the new toys. I guess I am just a big kid now!!


This is by Andy Rooney:
As I grow in age, I value women who are over 30 most of all. Here are just a few reasons why:

A woman over 30 will never wake you in the middle of the night to ask, "What are you thinking?". She doesn't care what you think.
If a woman over 30 doesn't want to watch the game, she doesn't sit around whining about it. She does something she wants to do. And, it's usually something more interesting.
A woman over 30 knows herself well enough to be assured in who she is, what she is, what she wants and from whom. Few women past the age of 30 give a damn what you might think about her or what she's doing.
Women over 30 are dignified. They seldom have a screaming match with you at the opera or in the middle of an expensive restaurant. Of course, if you deserve it, they won't hesitate to shoot you, if they think they can get away with it.
A woman over 30 has the self-assurance to introduce you to her women friends. A younger woman with a man will often ignore even her best friend because she doesn't trust the guy with other women. Women over 30 couldn't care less if you're attracted to her friends because she knows her friends won't betray her.
Once you get past a wrinkle or two, a woman over 30 is far sexier than her younger counterpart.
Older women are forthright and honest. They'll tell you right off if you are a jerk if you are acting like one! You don't ever have to wonder where you stand with her.

Ladies, I apologize. For all those men who say, "Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free." Here's an update for you. Nowadays 80% of women are against marriage, why? Because women realize it's not worth buying an entire Pig, just to get a little sausage.



So,I go forward towards forty with this thought in mind:
"It is not by muscle, speed, or physical dexterity that great things are achieved but by reflection, force of character, and judgment; in these qualities old age is usually not only not poorer, but is even richer."
– Cicero