Fun after a hard week!

When visiting Disney, depending on the time of year it could be relaxing with short lines and very enjoyable. Or, it could be not so enjoyable with very long lines and feeling like you didn't get to see much at all. Last week was a hard week with all the activities and homework we had. I thought we all needed a break and we decided to take the weekend and go to Disney. We have never been to Disney in September before and we didn't know what to expect in terms of crowds. I have to say, it was perfect. We went to Hollywood Studios and there was hardly anyone in the park. In my 40 years of going to Disney, I have never seen it that empty. The economy and school starting must be a big part of the park's attendance.  Needless to say we had a great time seeing the park.  The weather was great and there were no wait lines.

The first ride we had to go on was the rock'n roll rollercoaster.  We like it so much that we rode on it twice.

The Toy Story Army Man 

The entrance to Honey I shrunk the kids play ground. This is a pretty wild place. Everything is so large. The blades of grass are thirty feet tall and the ants are as big as a small car. I don't understand why this Tonka Truck is so small.

There are two favorite shows we like. This one is the Car stunt show. The cars and motorcycles do some amazing stunts. Here a motorcycle slid through the fire and the guy caught on fire. The other show is Indiana Jones stunt show.  

This is a new part of the show.  Lightning Mc Queen and the secret weapon car from Lightning Mc Queen 2. 

  The next day we went to Blizzard Beach Water Park. Again the park was empty. No wait lines and the weather was great. We went to this water park about three years ago and I thought it was to dangerous for a young child. They have some child friendly rides but the majority of them are very high and fast water slops. We spent most of our time on the obstacle course, lazy river and a couple of tube rides. This really kept us occupied for most of the day.

We could spend all day in the Lazy River.  

The Cisco Kid loved the challenge of catching the floating Ice burgs across the water.

It's a good thing The Cisco Kid got a chance to do this because they have a size cut off and within the next year of so he will be to big to go on it. 

The guys are heading to the summit. 

Heading up to the top! There are two different kinds of rides up there.  The one in this picture is a fee falling slop at 55 mph.  As daring as I am, I won't even go on that. The other ride is a nice easy ride on a large family sized tube.   

Bird’s eye view of kid friendly obstacle course.  

Blizzard beach gives you that icy cold atmosphere in sunny Florida.

At around three o'clock, sunny Florida turned into stormy Florida, as it often does.  When the parks weather watchers see a storm front coming in, they get everyone out of the water and close the park until the storm blows over.  At that point we said we had enough and come home.  

  

 

Crazy Crazy Week!!!

Now that school has started and we are in full swing with all of the Cisco Kids activities, we are busier than ever. I look forward to the weekends just so I have some time not to think about an activity or homework. The homework situation is ridicules. The after school activities are just as ridicules but The Cisco Kid loves them all. My big concern with the heavy load of homework and all the activities is him being able to keep up with his grades. He definitely is in shell shock with the pace of the class and the homework load. Last year he was on easy street. Homework was done in ten minutes. The class atmosphere was light. No disciplinary action was in place. They were able to pretty much do what they wanted as long as there work was done. Now we have the Dragon Lady. We went to open house Thursday and the teacher introduced herself as the Dragon Lady. She started off her introduction......Yes! Everything you hear about me is true! I am the Dragon Lady! I do not put up with anything. I expect them to come to class prepared and ready to work. She said her background is teaching 4th and 5th grade gifted classes and I am going to be extra hard on them because I know what they need in fourth and fifth grade to succeed. At that moment I realized this is going to be the ride of our lives and we better hold on tight.

The Cisco Kid is definitely in shell shock. The past week he still thinks he is in second grade with Mr. M and he can get away with completing his work quickly and then doing whatever he wants. Not with The Dragon Lady. If a student finishes their work quickly they must sit and look over the paper again and then take a book are read quietly. When the whole class is done they will self correct their paper and re-do the work.

I want to give you a glimpse into the weekly homework. Let me remind you that he is eight years old and only in 3rd grade. Every Monday he comes home with a Language Arts packet. Yes, I did say packet, not paper. The packet consists of twelve pages of work. That has to be completed by Wednesday. He also comes home with a Spelling Contract. This has six pages of work, with two extra credit work sheets for a total of eight pages. New spelling words and new vocabulary words must be memorized. This is due on Friday. On top of all that he get a math sheet every day and that is due the next day. Now if you are thinking WOW!!! Wait, the teacher said at the open house they will be getting much more homework in the next couple of week. Now I'm worried!!!! All of the Cisco Kids Activities are in question. I hope time will be on our side. Monday he has Guitar lessons. Tuesday he has Karate. Wednesday he has Church. Thursday he has Cub Scouts and Friday he has Karate again. We spoke to the Cisco Kid about all the homework verses activities and we let him know that we will drop activities if he does not do well in school. He got very upset thinking he might have to give something up. We'll see!!!

Open House and a map that the Cisco Kid did.

Honoring the victims in 911 and veterans

Yesterday we went to the Clyde E. Lassen State Veterans' Nursing Home. The Cisco Kid had the honor with one of his friends to join a Memorial Service remembering the 911 victims and honoring veterans. The boys represented our Cub Scout Pack and led the ceremony in the Pledge of Allegiance. Not only was it an honor being part of this ceremony but a privilege to meet many Government officials. The Cisco Kid got a change to meet the governor of Florida, Rick Scott. Also he met Major General Emmett R. Titshaw, Jr. He is a highly decorated combat pilot for the Air force.
Governer Rick Scott

 Major General Emmett R. Titshaw, Jr.

Governor and his wife

 

Learning about the US Flag

One of our Cub Scout Achievements this year is learning how to raise, lower and fold the US Flag.

Since the Chief is a retired Military Man he knows all about the flag.  I had hem show the boy how to respect the flag.

 

We also talked about the rules. 
1. Display the flag from sunrise to sunset. It may be flown 24 hours a day if illuminated at night.

2. The flag should be hoisted briskly and lowered ceremoniously.

3. The flag should not be displayed in inclement weather unless it is an all-weather flag.

4. When the flag is displayed from a staff projecting horizontally or at an angle from a balcony or building, the union, or blue field, should be at the peak of the staff.

5. When flown at half-staff, the flag should be first hoisted to the peak for an instant and then lowered to the half-staff position. The flag should be again raised to the peak before it is lowered for the day.

6. The flag should never be dipped to any person or thing. It is flown upside down only as a distress signal.
7. When displayed, the flag should never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, the floor or water.

8. When the flag is lowered, no part of it should touch the ground or any other object; it should be received by waiting hands. To store the flag it should be folded neatly and ceremoniously.

9. The flag should never be fastened, displayed, used or stored where it could be easily torn, soiled or damaged in any way.

10. When a flag is so worn it is no longer fit to serve as a symbol of our country, it should be destroyed by burning in a dignified manner.

Does the fountain of youth really work????

Sunday we went into the city of St Augustine and took a journey to the Fountain of Youth archeological park. It is a very large park along the intercostals water way. There are many things to see and some of them are the Discovery globe. It is an education movie about how St Augustine was settled. There is also many fountains in the park. Cannon firing area where they fire the cannon off. Shipwreck exhibit and Planetarium. We also saw the Fountain of Youth, where they were serving water to everyone. I am a non believer and did not drink any. The well is a 200 ft. mineral well. I reminded the Chief, we have one of these wells pumping into our house and I won’t drink straight from it without a filter. Maybe if we did we would look like we were twenty again.

The fountain of Youth.

The Cisco Kid is lifting a 25 lb. cannon ball.

The Southern Cross

The Cisco Kid must always climb a good tree.

Ponce de Leon Statue

The Cannon Firing area. Unfortunatly they were not firing them that day.

The Indian Camp.