Archive for » August, 2014 «

You know what I hate the most at the beginning of the new school year? It is the other drivers, specifically the drivers at my children’s schools. Just a handful of the drivers who feel that rules do not apply to them can make those drop off and pick up times dreadful. The beginning of the school year is already hectic enough without their help.

A dad backed into my car during drop off. We both got out of the car, it was a minor bump, no damages. So, he didn’t feel the need to apologize. He flatly told me that he did not see me. We were in the middle of the drop off loop in our school’s parking lot!! Every car was sandwiched between two other cars, with the line backed up all the way onto the streets.

In the afternoon, a mom in this red convertible will bypass two lines of waiting cars that will eventually merge into one pick up line, and will pull to the front, then blinker and wave her arms with a big sassy show to try and cut into the front of the pick up line. Now, once or maybe even twice I could understand, perhaps she is new to the school, or has a real emergency, but every freaking day?!! Clearly, I am not the only parent not falling under this witch’s spells. At least on two occasions, no one yield to let her in. So, she pulled way into the front of the line, and parked at the red zone next to the red cones marked for Fire Lane. Hey, if you don’t mind being obnoxious to everybody every day, why not go all the way.

Then there are the walkers, who neglect to teach their children the importance of looking both sides, disregard the clearly marked walkway. Sometimes, they will even talk on the phone or worse, they text or update their Facebook status. Well, if I had to describe every single offense in detail, this blog will turn into a book.

Pick up and drop off at my 14-year-old’s new High School is significantly more orderly, mostly thanks to the school’s security personal directing traffic at every major high traffic junction. However, on my way to pick up my high schooler, I happened to have to pass an elementary school and a middle school, and I will often sit in their traffic and watch their dramas unfold.

All this is making me MAD and short-tempered. Every tiny infractions other drivers or walkers commit will have me huffing and puffing in the car, and turning me into an ugly fire breathing dragon with big sharp teeth.

This morning, I was transformed into a threatening beast in my car again, and even produced loud hideous sound effect to go with it.

Mad driver


“Mom?” a small voice from the back seat.

“WHAT?!” I growled.

“You are only 5′ 2”.” the baby.

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Big Trouble and Small Trouble for the New School Year

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Category: Humor, Kids, Parents  One Comment

My 14-year-old will start her new High School this Thursday. On Monday, I took her to school for registration. After standing in lines to check-in, to get school ID picture taken, and to get her new schedule of classes, we were finally in line for school locker.

“Hi, we were told to get in this line for a locker.” I said to the lady that sat at the table.

“Well, you don’t have to get a locker. It is optional.” the nice lady told me with a big smile.

“Optional?!” I wrinkled my eyebrows together. How could a necessity like high school locker be optional? My mind wondered back to when I was in high school. At the end of a school day, I stood there scanning the kids pouring out of the school gate, trying to spot a familiar face, familiar enough to want to help me carry my heavy load of textbooks to the bus stop.

My 14-year-old brought me back to the present time by waving her brand new iPad in front of me.

Our High School requires all student to have an iPad. There will be no paper textbooks, with the exception of a couple of workbooks for Spanish I. All books will be on this iPad.

“Everything I need is on this iPad. I don’t need a locker.” 14-year-old.

Ipad for school


“Only 30% of our students get a locker.” the lady added.

I got us a locker. Just for old times sake.

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No first time visitors to the Big Island can properly visit the island without a rendezvous to Madam Pele’s Volcano. We are proper tourists, and arranged to spend two nights near the volcano.

A live volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii


When we left the sunny Kohala Coast, and into the roam of Hilo, we were immediately greeted by darkening skies, powerful angry sea, and sheets of slapping rain.

Hilo coast

Well, if you are willing to brave the rain, Hilo will generously reward you with gorgeous lush tropical greenery…

Green Hilo

Akaka Falls

Rainbow Falls, except there was no sun to make the rainbow

This massive tree really wow'ed us

Canopy tree road

Local family having fun in this Hilo beach

That night, after dinner, we drove into the Volcano National Park to peak at the live volcano. Wow, RED GLOW, yup, there was hot lava burning underneath us.

Nighttime red glow can be seen in the distance from inside the museum

During the day, you can only see the aftermath of Goddess Pele’s handy work.

Earth's burned crust

New life on Lava

Where the lave met the sea

Aloha.

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