A Day at the Botanical Gardens

On Thursday my class went to the Botanical Gardens. We went to a classroom and learned about the rainforest. We got to study plants. We got to plant a polka dot plant.

These are Carroll, Kim, Anusha, and Emma from my class.

Guest Blogger-Nicole

Centennial Essay

Jessica was the big winner for the sixth grade for her essay on why she loves Floral Park. She got to read her essay at a village meeting. She received an award and gift.

Oppa's Crew

Jess, Nicole, Brendan and Kelsey say cheese aboard Oppa's Crew. This is Rick and Erin's boat which is docked in Freeport. Hopefully we will spend many days in the sun smiling and fishing.

Friends

After walking through town, the group takes a break. Nicole and Jess are chilling with their friends-Melissa, Hannah, Emily, Caroline, Emma, Harry and Maggie. This is before we head out to celebrate Mr. Schlechterberry's birthday at Shea.

Centennial Day Parade-May 10, 2008

This year Floral Park celebrates turning 100. Part of the festivities was a parade through town. Many politicians, fire trucks and civic groups turned out to march. Nicole marched with her Girl Scout troop. Her troop leader, Mrs. Schlectherberry, said she waved like a queen. Perhaps it is watching all of the Disney parades?

Winner-again!

Jessica did it again! She entered an essay contest on why she loves living in Floral Park. It is our town's Centennial and she won for the sixth grade. Here is the award winning essay:

I love Floral Park because of its memories. My family’s memories travel all the way back to when my great grandparents’ raised my grandmother on Hemlock Street. I continue to make memories on Daisy Avenue.

Memories are the stories of the good and the bad times passed down from generation to generation. I enjoy hearing stories from my grandmother about what Floral Park looked like, how it changed and all that she can remember about it. My grandma talks about playing volleyball down at the park with her friends just like my mother used to. My grandma also talks about the shops that used to exist on Tulip Avenue. My grandma still drives by the house she grew up in to check on its condition.

My father tells stories about what Floral Park looked like, what he experienced and his fondest memories. A few of my father’s memories of growing up in Floral Park is when they filmed the Reebok commercial on Tulip Avenue, participating in the Sewanhaka High School homecoming parades, and he recalls with great joy jumping off the high dive board at the Floral park pool and wishes that it still existed.

Even now at my young age, I already have some cherished memories of Floral Park that I hope to pass on to my children. I love recalling the first time I dove off the diving board at the pool. I can not wait to tell my kids of my days at school, especially my class winning Olympic Day two years in a row. Even the lemonade stands that my friends and I made have been stored away in my head for future generations.

Memories have to be cherished. Memories are a piece of history in someone’s mind. Memories allow you the chance to recall good times and friends you had in Floral Park. My family has many memories of Floral Park. I look forward to adding to that list. Memories of Floral Park can last more than a lifetime.

A New Adventure-Scrabble Road Show

JetBlue University has a blog for the faculty. Today, one of my colleagues started a new blog talking about adventures. It has a picture of one of my favorite adventurers, Indiana Jones. In the blog, it mentions how playing Scrabble is not an adventure. Clearly, he never played with my friend Dawn.

Dawn is at her most competitive during a game of Scrabble. Many a nights her family and mine would get together. Some nights we would play Scrabble. Jim and Dawn would go crazy trying to win. Ray and I would just try to spell "it" and duck the fireworks between the other two. Luckily, our four children would be down in the basement without a care in the world.

Today we learned our friends, Dawn and Ray and their sons, Mark and Eric, would be starting a new adventure this summer in Chatham, NJ. While I will miss the traditions we had a neighbors and friends, I am excited for them. Ray will not have the terrible commute to NJ everyday and we now our the proud owners of a whole snowblower.

As for adventures, we will just take the Scrabble game over the bridge. Who knows-maybe I will win!

The Tower of Doom

This tower is where the best defenders would stand to have the most protection.

Where is Teddy Roosevelt?

One of the things Jess wanted to do in San Juan was charge up San Juan Hill like Teddy Roosevelt. This is her in El Morro on the cannonballs which would have rained down on the Roughriders. There is mention of the battle at this fort and the sister fort down the road-San Cristobal. However, TR is not mentioned anywhere!

Nicole took this shot.

Bio Bay

So after hiking five hours in the rainforest, we ate dinner and then went kayaking at night in the Bio Bay, Fajardo. This was truly an amazing experience. There are only five bio bays in the world of which three are in Puerto Rico. You kayak through mangrove trees in the dark to discover the glowing creatures when you paddle.

It was an amazing experience and the whole family would recommend this as a must see in PR.

The Rare Puerto Rican Parrot

We hiked for almost five hours in the rainforest and did not see one of the 47 wild Puerto Rican Parrots which live there. Besides the 47 in the wild, there are another 60 in an aviary in the rainforest.

However, we did find four in Old San Juan. This one is on top of El Morro Fort.

Top of the World

This is a picture from one of the observation towers. The white is from the underside of the leaves of the trees.

You can see the Atlantic Ocean in the background which is about 20 miles away.

La Mina

This is one of the larger waterfalls in the rainforest.
We hiked about 30 minutes uphill in the rainforest to find this spot.

As you can see, like any prepared family, the bathing suits were in the car and of course Jess and Nicole fell in.

It was a beautiful and relaxing spot.

El Yunque Rainforest

During spring break, we went to San Juan, Puerto Rico. We visited the El Yunque Rainforest which is the only tropical rainforest in the US.

This is Jim and Nicole at her favorite spot, Coco Falls.

The National Geographic Geography Bee

Jessica was one of only 100 students from NY to participate in the National Geographic Geography Bee State competition.

After she won the school Bee, she had to take a written test and it was submitted for scoring. She was one of the top 100 scorers and got to represent her school at the Bee. She was the first from her school or the district to get this far.

We journeyed to Albany on April 3 for the contest on April 4. She went off to her group to compete with other children who were mostly 7th and 8th graders. She answered 6 out of 8 questions correctly which is amazing in itself as the questions can range from anything on the globe and then some! They only put the students with perfect scores to the final round of 10.

We toured the museum and headed home for a victory party which Jim and Nicole decorated the house!

This is Jess in front of the sign marking the Bee!

The Bake Off

Nicole entered Aunt Hilda's famous 7 Up Cake recipe into her Girl Scout troops bake off. We had a lot of fun making this cake whose leavening agent is 7 Up. She was an excellent bundt pan greaser as nothing stuck to the sides and the cake released perfectly.

She came in fourth place and the cake was delicious!

The Chair

Jessica spent most of her weekend sitting in the massage chair reading.

When we could not find her, she would be in this spot with the massage feature going and reading a book.

I am surprised she did not ask to bring the chair home.

The Gang

Here is Nicole, Ryan and Jess with their loot. Once again there is more money and candy in the eggs than at a candy store.

Annual Easter Egg Hunt

As long as there is an Easter Egg Hunt, Nicole and Jess do not care where they spend Easter.

This year we were at my sister Kathy's new house in PA.

Nicole traded her treats for her cousin Ryan's money.

Easter Egg Dying

Jess and Nicole dye Easter eggs with Denise at her home. Not much trouble this year except we used more eggs than we wanted too.

Oh well-more deviled eggs this year!