FCAT

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Today is the last day of FCAT! FCAT stands for Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. If you ask Anuhea (who was just joking about it the other day), then she'll say FCAT stands for Florida Child Abuse Test. :) We had a good laugh about that one.

http://fcat.fldoe.org/

All 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders (and students in higher grades) need to take the test so that includes Anuhea and Nalani. They have been taking the tests for a week now.

I think the girls will be glad the tests are over, but they'll miss not having to do homework every day. Because of the testing, they haven't had homework for a whole week! Luckily, they'll be having Spring Break soon and shouldn't have any homework then. This is so unlike school in Taiwan where they think the breaks give you more time to do homework so they pile it on.

See you later, Alligator!

September 2, 2007

After church today we went to Lake Jesup, which is where the alligators are kept here in central Florida. Nalani is standing next to a sign that says, "DO NOT Feed the Gators." I think that won't be a problem. We don't want to get near the alligators.

We walked out along the grass toward the lake and past the boats where people can go on rides on the lake to see the alligators. Anuhea and I stopped to look at a small boat like a fishing boat. We couldn't understand how anyone would ride a boat like that since it was so low and close to the water. While we stood there, I saw the tip of an alligator's mouth (about the size of my hand) lurch out of the water, possibly to snatch an insect! I hoped I would see it again so I could get a picture, but after standing there for a while--in the hot sun--I gave up.

Here are pictures of alligators that the people at the lake have for visitors to see for free. Jason says that any alligators caught are taken to Lake Jesup.

Our new home

My family and I are renting a nice home in Oviedo, Florida. We have 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a kitchen, and living room. We have a front yard and back yard (which we've missed for the past 3-1/2 years while in Taiwan), and they're beautiful!

Here are pictures of our house.

RAIN!!!

August 25, 2007

2 days ago I wrote how we hadn't had any rain here in the Oviedo/Orlando area of Florida since we arrived. Well, the next day--yesterday--it rained.

I guess someone did the rain dance. THANK YOU!

We had dark clouds and thunder this evening, but I'm not sure if it rained. Now we just need more rain to cool things off here. Heat and humidity are not fun.

No rain

It's August 23, 2007, and I have been in Florida for 2 weeks now. I think my children and I brought the drought from Hawaii with us because it hasn't rained! Normally, it rains about once every afternoon here at this time of the year, but we've had none/nada/nil.

The weather's hotter here than I thought it would be. We're in the mid-90s, and I didn't think it was gonna be that hot here. Thank goodness it's not as humid as Taiwan!

Somebody, please do the rain dance. . .