My Kindergartener didn't start Kindergarten today.

This morning as I drove J & C to their preschool, I saw the little neighbor girl from across the street being walked to her first day of school by her parents and older sisters. She and J would've gone to school together.

I saw several other small children walking with their backpacks so large it seemed as though the child would tip over. Some kids were dashing to get in the doors before the bell rang and big yellow buses were lumbering all around me on the streets.

Today should have been the day that J started Kindergarten and I must admit, I'm feeling a bit sad that he isn't...yet.

When we purchased our house 5 years ago, J was 8 1/2 months old. Already we were thinking about what elementary school he'd go to and we chose our house in large part because it was part of a school district that had an elementary school with consistent EXCEL ratings, as well as good middle and high schools close by. Many of our neighbors had sent their kids to the elementary school that was walking distance from our home and they raved about the school, the teachers, and the principal.

We've spent these past few years acquainting J with this elementary school with frequent walks to play in the playground. We talked it up a lot to build his excitement.

Not all that long ago, we attended Kindergarten round-up and enrolled J in the upcoming Kindergarten class, not knowing we'd be moving out of state. He was so excited to tour that elementary school and we were just as excited.

Given our current circumstances, I had to make the practical decision to wait on starting J in Kindergarten until we get to FL. He would only be in this elementary school 2 weeks before our move. It didn't make sense to put him in one school only to pull him out and start him in another.

So, my little Kindergartener didn't start Kindergarten today. Most likely, he'll start on Sept 7th, about 2 weeks after the FL schools begin. We will have missed any 'meet and greet' social events they have for Kindergarteners and their parents. We won't have the luxury of getting a tour in advance. We will miss out on the fanfare and excitement that comes with all the little Kindergarteners starting their first day of school together.

I'll have to make J's first day special for him in my own way. A special breakfast, new school supplies, being there to help him get settled in a new classroom, and taking lots of pictures. Same for C as well, as she'll be starting a new preschool too.

And when that's all taken care of, I'll get to go home to a house full of unpacked boxes. I suppose it'll be nice to have the distraction of unpacking that first day.

My little fishes!

J and C are becoming quite the little fishes this summer, thanks in large part to the weekly swim lessons from Erin and the availability to swim in our pool every day!

It became quite apparent lately how much they've turned a corner and gotten over their fear of the water and I've really enjoyed seeing this improvement.

Tonight they tried a diving board for the first time, while at Shari and Christian's for dinner (our pool doesn't have a diving board).

C went first. She's my little daredevil and when she saw the "big" kids (Christian's nieces) diving off the board, she wanted to do it too.

J was soon to follow and swam steadily across the length of the pool back to the steps with no assistance and no problems.

C got even more daring when Christian asked if she wanted to go off the diving board with him. They jumped in together and Christian threw C ahead of him. She loved it and kept asking him to do it again and again! After the fourth time, he finally had to tell her enough was enough.

The evening of pool play, dinner, and a couple of rounds of Jenga was a huge success and a much needed brake from my packing efforts!

Thanks for the invite, Shari and Christian!

We've secured a rental home in FL!

When G accepted his FL job offer we began discussing what we should do about our living situation. Since we're going to be trying to sell our house here, we'll be new to FL, and I have no idea exactly where in FL I'll be working, we decided that renting for at least a year was the smart and responsible thing to do. It's going to be an adjustment going from being a home owner to a renter, but we'll manage for the short term.

It was quite a bit harder to find a decent rental house than we expected it to be.

After much scouring of the Sarasota Craigs List, the local newspaper classifieds, and a lot of drive-by searching by G, he's managed to secure a rental home in Venice, FL! And it has grass that I'll get to mow! I'm so excited! I've truly missed yard work since moving away from NE.

We were surprised to find that there aren't a lot of 4BR homes in this area of FL, unless you want to pay $1400-$1500+/month in rent, which we do not. 2BR and 3BR homes are much more common. Perhaps it's because many people that live there are retired couples, or "snowbirds" and don't need the space that a single family of 4 needs (or likes)?

We were also surprised at how quickly the good rentals got snapped up. Several times G would respond to an online ad, the same day, and leave a voice mail message saying he was interested in scheduling a time to walk through the house, only to be told it'd already been rented!

G found a lot of rather dismal, ill-kept houses for rent during his search. Knowing how picky I am, he realized that if he wasn't thrilled about them, I certainly wouldn't be willing to consider them either.

But with determination and perseverance, G finally scored us a nice house this past weekend!

It's 3BR, 2 BA, a bit over 1700 sq. ft (about 300 sq ft smaller than our current home so not bad), and although it doesn't have a pool in the back yard (we'll miss our current pool but we'll have an ocean instead), the back yard is entirely fenced in (that means we can take our turtles with us) and it has lots of plants, grass, a spa, and even a tire swing. And I'm quite happy that the house has an attached 2 car garage, rather than a carport or just street parking.

Best of all, this house is a 2 minute drive to the nearest beach, 3 minutes from the Venice fishing pier, 2 miles from the Venice Island Harbor Blvd (where there are restaurants, art and craft fairs, etc) and 5 miles from Caspersen beach, where a bunch of fossilized shark teeth are found! It's also close to two elementary schools, the YMCA, a baseball field, a park, and a grocery store. We'll be able to bike to just about everything we want!

The couple that is renting it out has lived in it with their kids (13 year old son, 11 year old daughter) and they decided to move into a larger 3BR home with a pool, just a couple of blocks away. They love the close-knit neighborhood and didn't want to leave it. They rave about the quiet, friendly neighborhood.

When G walked through the house with the landlord, he was invited over to the landlords own nearby home to meet the wife and kids. G ended up sitting there talking with them for over an hour. They seem to be genuinely nice people who wanted to rent to another small family who would enjoy their home as much as they have.

Now that we have a new place to live, as of 1 August, I feel a bit more motivated about getting in gear to get this house packed up. I don't have much time left anyway...only 5 1/2 weeks to go before we're on our way to FL.

Here are just a few more pictures of the of the house that G took with his iPhone:

front yard

2 car garage

back yard

back yard spa

the landlord showing G the spa

front entry way

dining room area

living & dining room areas

kitchen

We have an adoption date!

After anxiously awaiting for this outcome over the past 2 years, 5 months, and 16 days (not that I'm counting or anything), we finally have an adoption finalization date for C!

Although she's been our daughter in our hearts for that long, this sassy, strong-willed, beautiful, beloved little girl will legally become part of our family on August 30th at 1:30 PM!

As most of you know, our attempts to adopt her through the foster care system have proven to be much more of a challenge than we ever imagined. But against all odds, we are so thankful to be basking in the light at the end of the tunnel!

We feared we'd never get there, but the day is almost upon us, in large part due to the amazing support of family and friends. We love you all so dearly!

Later that evening, we'll be celebrating C's special day with a casual BBQ party in the park. We found a splash park that she loves (thanks to Terry and Chole for the reminder of that park) so I've just secured a reservation there.

Specific details will be shared for all who are interested in being a part this joyful day!

The rain Gods have finally answered!

Image from http://www.tucsonazrealestateblog.com/.

The monsoon rains have FINALLY arrived at my doorstep, after teasing and tempting me for many days. I have a hazy recollection of being awoken earlier this morning by the sound of heavy rains. As I drifted back into slumber listening to the downpour, I felt happy and content.

Once I got out of bed for the day, I rushed outside to see if the rain was a reality or a dream. I stood barefoot in my nightgown and surveyed the dark patches of rain soaked concrete and dirt in the back yard. I filled my lungs full of the rain scented air that was light and cool around me.

Ah, there's nothing more Heavenly than monsoon season. I've been waiting impatiently for this!

I think the kids and I will have breakfast outside on the back patio and continue to enjoy this cool air while we can.

What a refreshing break from the oppressive summer heat!

Exploring new surroundings!

G is spending some time exploring his new surroundings. He tells me that it doesn’t get dark there in FL until around 9 PM, unlike the 7-7:30 PM time frame here, so he has plenty of time after getting off work to go hang at the beaches.

He took an amazing picture of the Venice Fishing Pier yesterday that I want to share. Believe it or not, this great picture was taken with his iPhone camera, not his nice professional camera!

7-16-10 Venice Fishing Pier

And although G didn’t take this picture (I found it while scouring the internet for info on the new place we’ll be living), it still does a wonderful job showing how breathtaking FL sunsets can be!

Venice Beach sunset

G’s taken some videos of the ocean as well to share with the me and the kids (they love watching videos on my laptop). As you’ll see, it’s not always bright and sunny in FL, but it sure is beautiful, even during the rainy, stormy season!

7-14-10 Windy day on Venice Beach.

7-15-10 Venice Fishing Pier

He has airplanes on his mind.

(Click to enlarge.)

I have always loved children's artwork so I was thrilled when J started drawing stick people last year!

Over time, his drawings have become a bit more detailed.

Here's his latest masterpiece.

J explained to me that the man at the front of the plane is the pilot and that Daddy is sitting in the chair next to the second window.

Yes, J definitely has airplanes, and his Daddy, on his mind!