Finished Book

Sarah and I have been doing stories back and forth for a few years. We make them up and talk about them while in the car or shopping. It's really a lot of fun. She also is working on her own books and stories.

I'm quite proud of her for finishing one of her stories. It's actually quite good and although my family has had some critical comments after reading, to help her improve it, I am pleased at her talent.

Saturday I sat reading her last revision and I was so pleased to find myself laughing out loud on several parts, because her humor was priceless. I'm also thrilled to see her use her creativity, which I feel is very important to grow. She is very creative and seeing her do this for fun and on the side is fabulous. Her friends love her stories and they beg her for more. To me what greater flattery is a friend begging for more of what you create, it really makes you feel good inside.

I plan to take a yoga class and I asked her to take it with me because she too has wanted to do yoga, it's an interest for both of us. She found out there is a yoga class after school starting in October so she signed up. I'm thrilled she took the initiative to do it on her own!

High School

Sarah has started High School!

It looks like it's going to be a busy year for both of us. She's thrilled that several of her friends are attending the same school and I'm thrilled also to see her blossom this year already. Of course she's getting bold and freaking me out!!! But it's expected, she's almost 15.

Her classes are just like she wanted and she has our driving to school all planned out. She's waking up with less difficulty this year and I'm blessed! We shall see how the sleeping pattern is like in a month when the newness wears off. hehe

Paramore

Last night was a wonderful night for Sarah. It was her friends birthday and her friend had tickets to the Paramore concert in Virginia Beach. This was Sarah's first concert and wow what a concert. Sarah was so excited and so happy when she came home today telling me all about it.

They were in a balcony suite over looking the side of the stage. There was food and drink even Wow! What a way to see your first concert. I told Sarah, The Secret is sure working for you!

She is even more in love with Paramore, (if that's possible). She had so much fun with her friend(s). Energy drinks, cupcakes and coffee this morning! Yet when I picked her up it was all about sharing with mom. Although I wish I could have gone with her to experience her first rock concert, I'm honestly glad she got to experience just like she did with her friends.

Dinner and a Movie -> Leads to Typos

Today Sarah and I had lunch with my mom, brother and his wife and daughter, celebrating my mother's 70th birthday, which was three days ago.

We went to our favorite restaurant, Carrabbas. I ordered a pitcher of blackberry sangria (amazing) and calamari to start off the meal. My sister in law and mother loved the sangria and Sarah had her usual unsweetened iced tea.

The meal was amazing as always and it was the first time we were able to share our favorite place with our family. Sarah and I were very happy. Then a quick trip to Prime Outlets (again) and soon we parted from our family and they headed back to Hampton.

Now we decide to see a movie and just as we pull up we see Salt on the Marquee and Sarah turns to me and says, "Oh we are seeing Salt!" I wasn't even going to argue because I wanted to see it too. Well we both think the movie rocks and we hope there is a sequel!

Now after a quick (hour) in Books-A-Million and a nice LARGE cup of coffee we head home with our purchases. Sarah has already said she's going to Facebook about Salt. However she kept making typos and I would read it and point it out and we laughed and she fixed the first one. Then she makes another typo and she screams and this time she doesn't fix but adds a comment and we laugh... ok then she makes another typo instead of "sequel" she writes "squeal" When I read it back she shouts, "oh no tell me I didn't do that!"

So we both are cracking up because Sarah rarely ever makes typos... I'm the typo queen in the family and she is always editing me! Of course she says, "You're gonna blog this aren't you." I laugh and say, "I am now!"

Movies

Sarah and I went to the movies to see Knight and Day. I told her my friend saw this movie and said she enjoyed it and that she told me they cursed only twice.

We were at the new theater where you can eat and drink. They have these computer chairs you sit in. Well we found our seats and mine squeaked and hers did too, so we switch out the chairs to the ones next to us.

We are joking back and forth as she tries to make the chair squeak. I don't know what possessed me but I told her if she kept squeaking the chair I'd have everyone in the theater vote. “It'll be like voting you off the island.”

I turned around and there were people behind us grinning. Sarah's laughing making the chair squeak more! But she calmed before the movie.

Now movie is over and Sarah says oh your friend was wrong, they cursed four times, using the f-word twice. I look at her and said, “Are you serious? You counted.” hahaha

Because my friend mentioned it she had to count to see if she was right or not. hahaha

Twilight

Right before the movie Twilight came out, Sarah and I were in the movie theater about to watch a movie and I saw the poster ad for Twilight. I asked the girl taking our tickets if she's heard about it. She said, yeah it's based on a book series. I said "You know I think I've seen this book before. I'll go pick it up and read it and then you can read it Sarah. Then we'll go to see it at movies. Sarah gives me this look and says "You read it I'll see the movie."

Next day was Saturday, I picked up the book and dropped her off at my brothers for the weekend. I settled in at home and picked up the book and began reading at 1pm. I finished it at 10pm that night. I just couldn't put it down. I loved the book. I loved so much about it.

So Sunday I worked then after work I pick up Sarah. I tell her about the book. I said, "Baby, it's a great book. No sex, no cursing, no vulgarity and it's about vampires and it's a really good love story." I was impressed BTW.

She blows me off and says. "I have to read my AR book for school."

So the next day I'm at work telling everyone about the book. I end up saying I'm going to ask her to read it again. So that night I'm home working on my computer, writing and playing some games when I turn to her on the couch. I say, "I think you might like..." I notice her reading a book. I stop and say, "What are you reading?"
She flips it around and it's Twilight and she's more than half way done with it.
She shouts out, "Don't tell me! Don't tell me! I want to find out all by myself." She's squealing and I'm squealing. "I say it great right?" With her dreamy eyes she says, "YES!"

I return to my pc and wait for her to finish. Once she is done we began discussing how much we loved it, what we loved and about everything you can imagine. Edward and Bella were amazing chars.

We then began getting the series and it is amazing how close this book brought Sarah and I together. We see the movies together. Read all the book together. We talk about the characters. We probably mention something about the movies/books around the Twilight saga every day still after all this time.

So tonight Sarah and I have tickets to see at 7:00 pm Twilight - New Moon - Then Eclipse begins at Midnight. We bought our tickets two weeks ago and right now we are so excited. This is one of our bonding moments.

Money Money and more Money

This payday Sarah and I are doing something different. I've given her $100.00 to spend for her food for the next two weeks. That's basically $50.00 a week. My goal is to help her get a better understanding on spending money. Also give her some accountability with responsibility, not to mention some control over how she spends her money and what she eats.

The money is for food. So if we eat out together, she buys her meals. Also we are going to movies and although I pay for the movie, she has to buy her own snacks at the movie.

So far she has done an amazing job. She made out a menu for herself and then as we go shopping at different places she spends her money for what she wants. I've noticed her several times pick up an item and put it in the cart then before I know it she's putting it back.

I know this is going to be successful and If it works out well this payday we will do it again next payday.

Over the weekend.

Sarah is such fun and she allows me to have fun, which is great. This weekend was spent in bed. With pajamas on. I had the xbox on my left, my laptop on my right and I wrote some chapters in between playing a Jedi Knight on Xbox and Castle Age on Facebook, then at some point we put the laptop on the small table I put on my bed and Sarah cozies up with me and we watched Firefly on my laptop, while she cooks dinner in the electric skillet and I play the xbox.

By end of evening last night I was back to writing and playing and she's next to me with her laptop writing a new story. In the midst of all this we are discussing her story and the characters and what names she wants to use and she's doing internet searches and it suddenly hits me once again what a great kids she is. Also how much fun I have just being around her doing my own thing.

Of course I have to laugh because we joke back and forth about my gaming... I'm telling her, "Hey log into Castle Age and help me real quick." I then joke and say "Hey I'll do it for you if you don't want to." She says to me. "I'm probably the only kid whose parent logs in their their kids facebook, not to check their content, but to help them play their games."

Our favorite saying is... "If it aint fun... don't do it."

Thanks Jack Canfield!

Growing up.

The other day Sarah got a new hair cut and a curl done. She look fabulous and beautiful. She put the new pics on facebook and of course she was flooded with great responses.


I shared her photos as well, but the responses I get are totally different than hers. I have friends telling me how much older she looks and I should watch out for boys because she's so beautiful.

If they only realize... been there... done that with the oldest girl Rachael, who is drop dead gorgeous too. I survived that one so I'll survive this one with Sarah.

Sarah is just thrilled she loves her new hair style and loves showing it off and trying new things with it. Yet I do see she is growing up, fourteen and about to graduate 8th grade. Wow the time flies.

The Spider Dance

A few days ago I was getting ready for work. I asked Sarah if she still had this liquid eyeliner. She said yes and went to get it for me.

She comes out of the bathroom and is holding it out in front of her. She stops and it looking at it. Then suddenly she begins to run/jump up and down in place and then tosses the eyeliner.

I stare at her a moment and ask, "Was there a spider on it?" She cries out, "Yes!" I then ask, "Was that the spider dance?" She laughs nervously now that she is officially on the spiderless bed. "I suppose so."

So I'm thinking about the size of the eyeliner and it's obviously not too big so I then have the nerve to ask her, "Well how big was it?"

She turned on me so quick and says, "It's a spider! It was big enough!"

hehehe

So I tell her I'm gonna have to blog this and she gives me this... "I'm death and you will die " look then she thinks a moment and then agrees it was funny so she decided to put it on her facebook. :)

300

A few years ago I took Sarah to see the movie 300. We loved it. Super loved it! Now she was I think eleven or twelve years old.

So there is the great scene where all these half dressed Spartans are about to go for a "walk" The scene has their muscular abs brimming in glory. If you've seen the movie... you know what I'm talking about.

My beautiful little Sarah leans into me and whispers "Their all 8-packs, not a 6-pack among them."

Now I'm not saying I'm dense... but this is not what I'm expecting from my young daughter. So in my mind I'm thinking... "beer???" then a split second later I grasp what she said... and the fact she said it.

Seriously... I turn and look at her and look back to the movie thinking, my girl must like muscles.

So the movie is over and we both are pumped up. We walked to the movie so now we are walking home. I turn to her and say the line, "This is madness!" Which in turn she says, "MADNESS??? THIS IS SPARTA!!" Then kicks her foot up in the air as if kicking the guy in the endless pit. We walk several feet and I turn to her and we do this all over again the whole way home. No worries no one saw us it was late at night.

The next morning I'm at work and I call home... she answers the phone.. "Hello?" I say, "This is madness!" I hear her giggle then she says, "MADNESS??? THIS IS SPARTA!!"

Honor Roll

I'm very proud of Sarah she is an exceptional student. Since she was a small child she has this commitment to doing well. It's amazing. Each day she would come home and start her homework and I never had to tell her to do it. She no longer does it right away now that she is a teen, but I never have to tell her to get it done.

She has been on Honor roll each semester since Honor Roll began in either second or third grade. Not once has she come off it and I must say it is all her. She does the work and if she gets a C on a midterm grade it is her that brings it up to a B or even an A. Last year she received straight A's on one report card. Amazing!

Now that she is getting close to graduating 8th grade she is still growing strong in academics. When she talks about going into forensic science and all that goes with it. I just smile and tell her I'm glad it's her and not me!

I know whatever she decides to do, she will do it well.

This Blog

I'm always telling friends and family about my life with Sarah. Most of the time the stories are quite funny.

I'm truly blessed to have such a great relationship with Sarah. She's a great kid and an absolute wonderful person. Even if her new name is death. :)

I'm sharing this blog for my family and friends and for her older sister and brother who live 1300 miles away from us.