And off to Tampa we went...

Don't ask me where Mark gets his last minuet bug from...Friday evening he had decided he was too tired to go to Orlando and Tampa for the weekend. So we broke the news to the kids and they took it pretty well. Valentines came and went and Sunday got up, got the kids dressed, fed, they played outside, you know a typical Sunday for us. Mark mentions the weather is beautiful and next thing I know he has started packing the boys items and I got the hint quickly and packed Elora's and myself right up.
I did the drive to Orlando and he watched what he calls "man movies" which was a series of Will Ferell movies lol. Got into Orlando about 4 pm and went straight to Sea World after grabbing a bite to eat at wendy's so we didn't have to pay the high prices lol. The kids really enjoyed the evening there...Here are some pics:


this was caleb when Mark was teasing him bout not going on Sunday


Our traditional first pic lol


In love with the sting ray petting area


Gotta love the dolphins


on a ride


That was sea world...of course I have many more pictures from there but you get the jist of it.
So after Sea World we headed to Chevy's for dinner and then into Tampa to stay the night in our hotel. Monday was a GORGEOUS day. Couldn't of asked for a better day at all. It was 75, breezy, not a cloud in the sky and was perfect for our first visit to Busch Gardens Africa! The kids loved it, rode rides and saw lots of beautiful animals...Here are some pics from Busch Gardens:


beautiful Macaw


they had tons of pretty bush sculptures


Mark and the kids


Caleb have a great time on the kimono dragon


Boys getting wet in the splash zone


Beautiful Siberian and Bengal tigers


In front of tigar trails


Great time on the rides


They loved the Clydesdales


Elora and Me on the sky ride

Well hope you enjoyed looking at the pics as much as I have enjoyed taking them :)

Boys being Boys (update on Andrew and Caleb)

Andrew and Caleb are definitely brothers who are best friends. It just amazes me watching the dynamics of their relationship to not only each other but with their sister as well.

Andrew is working really hard at school. Being in the 3rd grade at a new school, in a new state and city, with new friends to make and to learn to trust 3 new main teachers amongst a new Speech therapist is allot to take in for someone who's reading comprehension needs help with. His 1st quarter grades were disastrous he had 2 F's, 2 C's, and 1 D. His conduct was a B+ all his extra classes they have to take like PE, Art, and Music were all B+'s but the move and a new school and rotating like they are in high school is hard on him. We are now into the 3rd quarter and got the 2ND quarters grades and he has improved some but he is still really struggling. He got 3 C's, 1 B, and 1 F. Now the F is in a teacher who I'm not crazy about and she has made no effort to make Andrew comfortable. He had another F in the 1st semester and the teacher sat him down and had a talk with him and now that grade is a C. He is a sensitive child whose feelings get hurt easily. We are working on expanding his IEP and getting him re-evaluated to get the services he needs and even Virginia recognized he needed them but didn't want to give them to him. So now I'm really hoping he can get the services. He is already in an inclusion class. His social skills are improving with the help of going to the Youth Center after he comes home and does his homework and Cub Scouts. I just really hope he can get the help he needs in place this year.

In his cub scout uniform


At the Zoo

Caleb academically is the complete opposite of Andrew. His 1st quarter he received 2 B+'s and 1 A . He was considered to be on the A/B honor roll, he got awards for grades and conduct. He is an avid reader and a social butterfly along with being deemed by the class Mom a "ladies" man LoL. He also complimentary even at home and to our friends he is always so sweet and charming. He loves going to the youth center after school as well and Cub Scouts is definately very fun for him. His 2nd quarter he moved one of his B+'s to an A so now he has 2 A's and 1 B. We got the letter of invitation for his award ceremony which I will blog about next week when it happends lol. We claim him as the lucky child. Not for ways people automatically think of but because he is our middle child. Most middle children are deemed the "trouble" child or the "forgotten" child....You know the middle child syndrom lol. But not ours. He has best of BOTH worlds he not only Andrew's best friend he is Elora's best friend too and they both seek him out to play and be their confidants. Here are some pictures of our Caleb:

Just hanging around lol.

Elora the gorgeous

It is amazing how much I love having a girl amoungst both our boys. Like she is the perfect balance and a break from Transformers, TMNT, video games, death matches lol. She loves barbies, Disney Princesses, Hello Kitty, Littlest Pet Shop, and so many other things I remember liking when I was a kid. As the day's get closer to her 5th birthday I relish in the moments that proclaim she is still my "baby". She will always be the baby in our eyes but you know when she looses that baby look, the pudgyness of her cheeks and starts to grow into being a child rather than a toddler and a pre-schooler. The day is coming and it is coming with out our permission. She is almost exactly 2 months away from turning 5 and it has gone SO fast.

This is Elora in her cute Gap top. It was a sad day for Mom when I realized Gymboree probably won't be in our future much longer lol. Although I did turn a baby dress into a cute swing top for her from there!!


She looked absolutely adorable in it
I also loved the leggings I got from Target!! They looked like dark denim but they are actually a really soft cotton and love love love them!

I also loveddddddddd this dress from Gap:

In person it is a deep red and looked amazing on her.
I'm hoping to get her birthday pictures done next month as well as Caleb's :)



She definately is my fashion diva:

The joys of having a girl :)