Kids R Kids Black History Program 2013

Thursday, February 21, 2013, was the annual Kids R Kids Black History program.  It was held at a local elementary school.  Sidney and I went without Roger and Cleo because they were both sick.

This picture was taken in the dressing room where the kids gather before and after the show. This picture is before the show.  Mr. Bob is standing behind Sidney. I am sorry I cut off Mr. Bob's head in the photo.  Mr. Bob is the after school teacher and the driver of the bus that picks Cleo up after school and takes her to Kids R Kids.

Sidney's class did a presentation on mayors and newscasters of Atlanta.  Sidney's role was Maynard Holbrook Jackson, a former mayor of Atlanta.  Sidney did an awesome job. I will figure out how to post the video I took of his performance.

Here he is eating one lollipop with another in his other hand.

Sidney with Ms. Hughes and Ms. Zora, his two teachers.

Post show celebration lollipops!

Me and my little guy.

Sidney and his pal Ryan French.  Ryan's family was trying to take pictures of her alone but Sidney interrupted that.  They are used to 4 year-olds so they didn't mind.

Saturday morning, Sidney enjoyed his post breakfast slice of cheddar cheese after a bowl of Dinosaur egg oatmeal.  He has been asking for a slice of cheese after each meal.  He's also discovered squeezable apple sauce. It's like it's a different food. We used to have to implore him to finish his regular applesauce.  Those are his vitamins in the little green dish.

Roger is doing better today and is now just suffering from allergies. This morning, Cleo woke up with a 102.4 temperature. She has a cough, sore throat, super chapped lips, and a runny nose.  Despite all of those symptoms, her mood is good. We gave her children's ibuprofen and children's Allegra (there are no cold remedies for kids so we give her allergy medicine).  I did a lot of homework with her yesterday and she did some this morning. We will do some more when she's up from her nap. We really hope she's well enough to return to school tomorrow.

We have a lot going on in March.  Vivian will be in town Feb. 28 - March 9. She's staying with us March 1-4.  March 4, I head to Dublin, GA (it's 2 hours southeast of Atlanta) for 3 days to attend an employee training at YKK AP America Inc. That is one of the companies I do a lot of work for. They make commercial doors, windows, sliding doors, store fronts (like at Barnes & Noble), and curtain wall (the shiny mirror-like windows on some skyscrapers).  Curtain wall is not weight bearing, it is aluminum frames that snap onto the outer wall of the building.  A glazier installs the glass into the aluminum frames and installs the curtain wall on the skyscraper.  While I am in Dublin, I am going to observe and participate in mock installations of store front, windows, and curtain wall.  I hate to be away from the kids and Roger but it will be a great educational experience for me.  I return to Atlanta Wednesday evening.   Friday, March 8, I sleep over with Vivian at her hotel.  Saturday, I return home and she starts her drive north to D.C.

Saturday, March 16, we are celebrating Cleo's birthday at Brunswick XL Zone; it's a laser tag, bowling alley, and arcade in Kennesaw, GA.  Cleo is having a bowling and pizza party. The location is around a 30 minute drive north from our house.  It will be a small group of around 10 kids (that's all we are inviting).  Kaelin and Cleo's best buds Alexandria and Quintin will be there.  Ahnya is coming down for the party on Friday, March 15 and will be with us until March 19.  I am taking off Monday, March 18 to run the streets with Ahnya.

Have a  great week. 

Girls Day Out - Monday, February 18

Cleo and I had our first big girls day on Monday, Feb. 18. I took the day off from work and her school was closed in observance of President's Day.

Breakfast at the Original Pancake House.

At Publix buying popcorn because the next stop did not sell popcorn.

Outside of the Fernbank Museum of Natural History where the Imax theater is.

Cleo looking at a stuffed Bald Eagle chomp on a stuffed mallard duck.  Cleo correctly identified the Bald Eagle and duck!

Me and Cleo in the Imax theater waiting for the Flight of the Butterflies to start. It's an Imax movie about the amazing winter season trip that Monarch butterflies make from the northern area of the U.S. down to a small mountainous area in Mexico. Millions of the butterflies make this long journey to avoid the cold U.S. climate.  Cleo didn't love the movie but I thought it was very interesting.





Fired Up! was our next stop. Cleo chose to paint a unicorn.

For lunch we went to Atkins Park in Virginia Highland.  Cleo likes their kiddie steak and broccoli dish.  I had a really good black bean burger.

After lunch, we went Hello Kitty wallet shopping. We went to Toys R Us, Old Navy, and Cumberland Mall. We found a cute wallet at Claire's at the mall.  Cleo spent a great amount of time strolling the candy section of Toys R Us. She bought Sidney some golden foil chocolate coins.  She bought herself some Hello Kitty cotton candy. Don't judge me.

Cleo showing off her new wallet.

Cleo relaxing for a minute at the mall.

Cleo enjoying a Cinnabon roll in the food court.

We had a great, but very tiring day.  Next time, we will do one meal and one activity.

Cleo caught a virus and was sent home on Tuesday with a fever. She was out of school Wednesday through Friday. She's better today but still a little rundown. Roger caught what Cleo has. Cleo will return to school on Monday.  I picked up her homework packet on Friday so she won't fall behind.  Have a  great week.

Valentine's Day and Movie Night

Cleo and Sidney made out like bandits in their class Valentine's Day celebrations.  Cleo designed her own box.

Sidney in his new Angry Birds pajamas.

Cleo and Sidney watching movies during our typical Saturday movie night.  We watched some Hello Kitty movies.

Sidney participating in Roger's impromptu spelling test this past weekend.

"Church Music and Jackson"

Sidney is obsessed with the Black History Month special of A.N.T. Farm on the Disney Channel. For the uninitiated, it's a show about a few super smart kids at a special program for high school kids.  On the particular episode that Sidney likes, one of the characters, Chyna, falls asleep and dreams that she's Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin and Janet Jackson.  Chyna as Aretha Franklin sings in her father's church, that's the "church music" portion of the episode. Then she dreams she's Janet Jackson crashing the Thriller video.  The actor who portrays her dad on the show (when she's not dreaming) is dressed up as Michael Jackson in a red leather suit.  The actor's imitation of Michael Jackson is rather hilarious and Cleo and Sidney imitate him really well.  I laugh dozens of times in this episode and the music is really good. Sidney calls the episode "Church Music and Jackson," thus the title of this blog entry.  Below is Sidney in what he calls, "Church Music."  I think it's his take on Aretha Franklin's minister father's robe in that segment of the show.

Here's a picture of  the Wynns & Beltons on February 3 as Kaelin, Linda and Robin were about to hit the road for Jacksonville.

This weekend, Roger and I attended our friend Kevin's surprise birthday party at Il Localino, a cute Italian restaurant near our favorite restaurant in Atlanta, Wisteria Restaurant.  The food was very good. I had an X-rated martini which had grapefruit juice, vodka and some other fruity stuff. It was good.  Here I am with Craig Glee, Nikki's husband and dad to Cole, Myles & Sydney (the latter 2 are twins).  The restaurant had lots of hats for us all to wear.

Here is Roger with Derrick Bell, Kim's husband and Kennedy's dad.

Saturday morning, Roger took Cleo to her acting class. I went shopping with Sidney at Target, Ross, TJ Maxx, and Marshall's. I was looking for a yoga mat for Roger at the latter 3 stores. I was comparison shopping  bit so I went into Ross and Marshall's two times.  Sidney realized we were making repeat visits to some of the stores and as we went in he'd say, "not again!"  I found a nice yoga mat for Roger at Marshall's for $10. The same one was $12.99 at TJ Maxx.  I was also looking for 8 pound weights for me but was unable to find them. They're $11 each at Target but I don't want to spend that much.  I have not gotten them yet.

Roger needs a yoga mat for some of the P90X workouts.  We have been doing it for 2 weeks and I already notice a difference. This week, I went to the gym in my building's sister building during the day 3 time so I did 2 workouts each of those days.  I  jogged and walked on the treadmill for 40 minutes.  I was up a pound at Weight Watchers but my jeans no longer cut off my air supply.  I think I am firming up the jiggly bits some.

Saturday, after the kids' naps, we went sneaker shopping at Shoe Carnival for Cleo.  Cleo's babysitter, Ms. Angie, braided Cleo's hair Friday night when she babysat them.

After we found Cleo some cute sneakers, we took the kids bowling.  Cleo said that she wants to have a bowling party.  She vacillates between bowling and a science magician party at the same place we had Sidney's party.  She'll make up her mind in the next week or so.

She and Sidney loved bowling.  I think Sidney enjoyed bowling a bit more than she did.  Sidney asked if we could go bowling today. Cleo used a 7 pound ball, which she carried herself.  Sidney used an 8 pound ball which he too carried himself.

Cleo checking out the scores.

There was a big screen Fruit Ninja that we let the kids play. They both love playing it on our phones and on my Kindle.

The aftermath of Sidney's enjoying the chocolate covered strawberries at the chocolate fountain at Golden Corral.  We had dinner there after bowling.

Cleo lost another tooth yesterday morning. She was so excited.  The tooth fairy left her $5.

This photo was taken in the waiting room at an Urgent Care center in Stockbridge, GA, it's around a 30 minute southward drive from our house. Cleo and I got there at 9:40am and after 3 hours, we saw a doctor who informed us that the sore on Cleo's lip is a cold sore. We were worried that it was a Coxsackie's Virus sore.  She and Sidney had that virus while we were in NYC for Thanksgiving and it was horrendous.  We are so relieved it's just a cold sore. It's super contagious so no kissing for a while.

Here are Cleo and Sidney trying on my glasses tonight, just for fun.

Have a good week!