Today there was Fay

For seven and a half years, I have had a child in tow 24/7, waiting for those days to do errands alone, lunch with friends and chat uninterrupted on the phone.  Today was the day to have that wish filled.  As it was Natalie's first day of  pre-school.  Eight hours a week for me, too cool!

As I woke my sleeping child for her big day, she screamed and cried, " my eyes are sleepy no school today".

Rain was pouring hard on the roof.  Her yells so loud I couldn't hear the siren warnings!  Great a tornado is coming.  What do I do,  head for safety or dress her for school?  For that I'd be a fool.

Thankfully the tornado had passed.  We jumped in the car,  I'm not wearing this shirt she sassed.

I so wanted today to go well , instead I feel like I'm in h_ _ _ !  The traffic driving there was a bear, the parking a dreadful sight.  My freedom was finally near  all I had to do was stay calm and not shed a tear.  

I am a scrapper you see, pictures of every special occasion are precious to me.  My son the camera guy maxed out my cameras memory.  A cute picture of Nat is not to be.

Checked into her class so sweet as can be with teachers who care as if they were me.

AS I leave tears fall down my face-it was with mixed emotion that I leave this place.  Our morning unfolded, I didn't picture it that way.  Well, because today there was Fay!

It's not the best rhyme..but you get the picture!

Kitty Litter Cake

Friday night our street and the cul de sac connecting to it had a backyard bbq.  It was actually a front yard bbq in the street and  on sidewalks.  It was a lot of fun ( I went solo) as John was still in OC.  Actually having dinner with Petie and Papa while they were camping in San Clemente.  It was a great time to meet neighbors, visit and just socialize before the new school year.  Each family was to bring their own bbq item and either a side (if your add was an odd) or dessert (if your add. was even).  We'll were even.  I had a recipe from last year that I had been wanting to make.   I figured cats poop in backyards, this is a backyard bbq and so, kitty litter cake.  As you can see it is very realistic and funny.  Just let me know if you want the recipe :)

Open Housw

Yesterday was Open House for the kids.  That means school starts Monday at 7:50am.  The bus arrives about 7:10am...ouch.  I AM NOT a morning person.  In fact, while researching school districts in Atlanta I was very bummed to see that all elementary schools started at the 7:50 time.  Those extra 10 minutes were going to be a strain.  But the bus...that would surely put me over the edge.  I was relieved, when in May a letter was sent out from our CA. school that the start time had changed to 7:50am.  YEA!!!!!  At least I have the bus stop 2 doors down, I don't even have to get dressed (not that I did before) but leaving my car in the garage along with a longer school day (2:20 release time) was going to be a consolation prize for me.  

Well I digress!  Open House is when the teachers open their doors to meet their students, see the class room and just get a feel for the upcoming year.  It was really great and definitely made things easier for my kids.  Infact, Micks teacher is new to the  area moving from New York.  As Mick would say, "She's a teenager".   From what I know we received 2 of the "most wanted" teachers at the school and I was informed by a friend, "MMM, the Johnstons got some special treatment.  I need to join the PTA!"   Obviously that makes me feel better knowing we should have a good year.

In truth, the whole thing was a little too much for me.  Walking the halls of an inside school, which is not the norm in Cali., really not knowing anyone (kids, teachers or parents).  Even though, I saw some people from the 'hood who I've met, it wasn't quite the same.  

I realized that this wasn't some fun fabulous summer vacation spending 2 months in Georgia, playing with friends from college.  It is real.  All the friendships, familiarity and honestly , safety I built over the past 9 years in Placentia (really almost 40 years) of my life are now 2000 miles away.  I am a "legal alien"  (any songs come to mind) here in GA.   All this topped by John on work travel, where else but the O.C.!  Ooooo, ouch!

SO in my melancholy state, HI my friends, family and security blankets in Cali.  We all miss you and think and talk of you often.  I have my giant computer screen set up to do this fabulous mosaic picture show as the screen saver, so we see you, your kids and our lives every day.  Wishing you all the best for the rest of summer.  Love C...yes, there are a few tears on the desk.

Branson, Missouri

We've recently returned from our rescheduled family vacation. Our original plan was to drive to Estes Park, CO. the second week of August for a fun week exploring the beautiful scenery CO. has to offer.  Well, John's job move made that trip a NO-DO.  I am not driving back west after driving east as it was and school actually starts the 2nd week of Aug...yea!!!(more on that in a future blog).

SO with short notice and minimum time share availability we rebooked to Branson, MO. It was a great short trip of only 12 1/2 hours.  SO compared to our 2,260 miles here this is like driving to Sac. for us. 

Branson is actually a really fun place to visit.  It was a family focused Vegas without the gambling, nestled along a lake.   There was so much to do we didn't know where to begin. Theatres with shows of all kinds, amusement parks, water parks, shopping, eating, lake activities, golf..you name it you could probably do it.  We did a "ride the Ducks" tour which is a tour of Branson and Table Rock Lake all aboard a military amphibious assault vehicle.  Which means this bad boy can drive on land and float in the water like a boat which we did.  A very fun experience that we all enjoyed.  Another fun attraction was the Titanic Museum.  A fantastic attraction aboard a partial replica of the actual Titanic.  As you board the vessel you were handed a boarding pass with the name and info. on an actual Titanic passenger.  They were complete with country of origin, reason for travel, destination, passenger class the works.  As you toured  the ship you were to try and find your person to determine what happened to them on that fateful night.  So many interested artifacts, pictures and items recently recovered or found from survivors.  Of course, there was an entire section dedicated to James Cameron's movie version with costumes, jewelry and director interviews about the movie.  

 Our last day heading back East we stopped at Fantastic Caverns outside of Springfield, MO. It is 1 of 4 drive-thru caverns in the U.S. that was discovered in 1882 (about) and kept secret for 7 years during the "The Northern Aggression against the South" (said with proper southern dialect).  With all that driving through the country this past month (11 states) I realized that I really did not know about life here in the south and southeast.  You would think with todays conveniences and mass media, wether TV or internet, everything about our 50 states would be jumbled together as one big continent of a state.  I can say first hand, already we have seen it is not.  We traveled some interesting roads and scene somethings found only in Hollywoods movies(so you'd think).  Anyway all that is for another blog.....just to keep you coming back for more!  And more I'll give you!  :)