Sad thoughts

The news today about the children and staff who were killed by a gun man in Conneticut was a shock to my system.  How can anybody take a gun into an elementary school and shoot those babies.  May God Bless and Keep the families tonight as they grieve for their lost loves.

Homecoming Dance

I am having a hard time once again dealing with the fact that my baby girl is growing up too soon.  She is currently off at her first High School Homecoming dance.  She has been very excited about this dance.  She is there with a bunch of her friends, mostly girls, but then there is Raymond.  He tends to stick with the girls, but I am guessing at some point Tyler, who went to a different middle school will make his way to the group at the dance.  He seems to click with the crew of kids.Here is Jasmine as we were heading out to take her to the dance.
Love her so much.

High School

It seems hard for me to believe that the scared, tired 3 year old that was placed in my arms at the airport all those years ago would be entering high school already.  Yesterday Jasmine and I went to her open house at the high school she will start on Wednesday.  Yes our school district starts back to school on the 8th of August.  Jasmine says she is not ready or excited but I think she is.  She is attending the center for the arts program in our area and will be a dance major.  For the center of the arts programs you have to audition and be accepted into the program.  She did that back in February.  She will take all her majors subjects plus ballet and dance technique.  She is excited to be training with the teacher she had at her elementary school.  The teacher was a bit impressed when she was told Jasmine has already started doing pointe, which this teacher doesn't start until Ballet 3, which is jr. year.  Jasmine will already be ahead of the game.

FCATs suck

We got Jasmine's FCAT scores this morning and I am so mad I could spit.  She passed her math, science, and writing, but missed her reading by one stinking point.  And that is because the legislature decided the kids were starting to make progress on the stupid test and raised the passing scores.  This test is the biggest joke in the entire state of Florida education.  No one is allowed to even see the test, it was designed by politicians and not educators and does nothing but make an entire generation of our population feel bad about themselves.  I hate this stupid thing and have made phone calls to my state senator and representative.  The senators office may be able to set up an appointment with either her or a legislative aide.  The representative is too busy, but I did give all my complaints to the lady who answered his phone.  Now Jasmine has to take "intensive reading" and losses the chance to take an elective.  How is this working in the best interest of kids.  It's not scientifically proven or developmentally appropriate.  I feel bad for my child who is reading above age level, although slowly, and is in the National Jr. Honor Society to have to take an intensive class.  UGHH!!!!
Thanks for letting me rant.

Goodbye Middle School, Hello High School

Today was Jasmine's last day of middle school, meaning that on the 8th of August she will start school at the high school.  I can hardly believe that my little girl is growing up to a young lady.  Time is flying by way to fast for this momma.

End of Middle School

This week was a busy one for Jasmine and her fellow 8th graders.  On Monday night she had her final middle school dance recital.  She was not all together with how the whole recital went.  But I must say she did a wonderful job.  Her toes were pointed, she had good extension and when she was dong anything in sync with someone else they were right together.  Today was her 8th grade awards ceremony.  She did not recieve an award, but she is a star in my eyes.  Tomorrow she is going to a local water slide park for the end of the year National Jr. Honor Society field trip.  I am having a hard time belieiving that my little girl has only one more week of middle school left.

Confirmation Sunday

Today was Confirmation Sunday in our church.  We had 8 young people in the confirmation class this year.  2 of which were confirmed since they completed two years.  Jasmine was one of the young people being confirmed.  All of the young people had to give a testimony of faith.  Jasmine spoke about how to her Jesus was not someone you heard about in Sunday School, but a friend she could turn to when she was scard or confused.  She did a very nice job and I was and still am very proud of her.  She is a bright and wonderfully caring child who makes her dad and I very proud.

David, Pastor AJ and Jasmine after confirmation.

Teen years

I have decided that Jasmine's teenage years may be the death of me.  When she gets to school she is supposed to text that she is there.  Lately she has been forgetting.  two weeks ago she forgot 3 out of the 4 days she had school.  So, we told her next time she loses the ipod for a day and the punishment gets progressively worse as she continues to forget.  Well, today she forgot to text.  She tried to say she thought she texted, but still she didn't and so she lost her ipod.  now she was warned and we have always followed thru, so why then did I receive the silent treatment for several hours this evening. 
And to think I have 5 more years of her being a teenager, Oh Joy.

Amazing Speaker

This morning here in Florida we had the Promising Pathways conference at the local university.  There were two speakers.  The first one who was amazing.  It was Dr. Temple Grandin.  If you don't know who she is she is a PhD, who is also an individual diagnosed with autism.  She was an amazing speaker and the two hours she spoke went way too quickly.  She is funny, articulate and very well spoken.  I loved it and wish all my staff could have been there to see what a person with autism is capable.

New adventures

Jasmine is in the 8th grade and in our district we have "school choice", which means you place in order the schools you want your child to go to and hope you get it.  We have 3 high schools in our "zone".  One of the schools is a center for the arts, so of course Jasmine auditioned back in February for the dance program.  She was accepted in the program and last week we went and registered her for her high school classes.  She also did a new routine for her spring recital.  It was Samoan Fire Knives.  She did a good job too.  She has tried out for her middle schools talent show doing her regular somoan dance knives routine.  She has that this Friday night.  She also tried out for the tennis team, don't ask me why but the coach really wanted her to try out and she made the team.  I think she just wants to see if she can drive Mom crazy before the end of the school year.  She still has her 8th grade field trip, 8th grade dance and conformation in church.  I am so looking forward to the summer and hopefully a bit of a break.

Tme flys

Time marches on so quickly I am often at a loss for where my "baby" has gone. Jasmine will turn 14 this coming week and I am amazed at the young lady she has become. Trust me she makes me crazy at times with her stubborn streak and teenage attitude, but most of the mime I am thrilled with the wonderful child I have been lucky enough to have in my life. Tomorrow we go to get her birthday pictures done.

Wonderful

Last night Jasmine, my parents and I attended a wonderful concert. The group is called Re-Creation. They are out of Pa. and travel all across the country doing about 320 concerts and worship services a year. Their mission is to bring music and music therapy to thousands of vets who are in the VA hospitals across the country. That is half of there tour, the other half is doing shows and worship services that help to pay for the VA program. The singers are 10 young people who give at least one year of there lives reaching out to the sometimes forgotten vets and passing on the love of our Lord and Savior. This morning Jasmine and I traveled back to the church where they were last night for their worship service and how the music and service lifts a soul. I have listened to this group for more than half of my life and really missed when I hadn't seen them live in years, but now they are doing some programs here in Fl and I have seen last year and this years groups. If you have a chance to see them. please do. You will not regret it.