Cool Dogs

We had an amazing parent teacher conference today, the sort where you walk away wondering what on earth it is that we did to deserve such a great student.  Here's Madison right now, in fact, posing in front of one of her art creations hanging on the wall (this one was created on her first day of that enrichment class after school).  We were just leaving the conference, and we were really quite happy with everything we were hearing from her teacher.  Daddy was so pleased with how things went, he remembered we were talking about getting this game for her, "Costume Quest."  Madison wanted this one when she saw it a few months ago.  And this week was perfect timing for a few reasons.

The game involves a bit of trick-or-treating on October 31st, so it's a perfect theme game for this month.  Plus, it's one she was really wanting.  It's pretty funny.  She didn't get to play it so much tonight because things were later when we got home - there was ballet tonight too.  But she'll have a little more time later on.

Basically, Madison's scores are really high.  She scored herself a bit lower, but her teacher was grading her much higher.  And there were several places where her behavior was mentioned, all in a positive light.  Of course, there are things left to learn.  But she's making great progress at school.  Music to our ears.

So the news out of Florida is that things could have been much, much worse.  Hurricane Matthew did bring an immense amount of rain and wind, and there was damage as well.  But as it moves up the coast today, the feeling is that it isn't anywhere near as bad as feared.  Not to say it isn't bad.  But Nana and Ba-Ba were relieved to hear that their place in Daytona Shores received minimal damage, and as we watch the news reports from that area, it appears as if there are trees down and debris all around, but nothing as catastrophic as we saw when the same storm rolled over Haiti earlier.  There, things are much worse.

The storm is currently moving up the coast, and the last we read, it's supposed to turn around and head south again, which is rather spiteful if you ask me.  But Nana and Ba-Ba are relieved, as are most Floridians I'm sure.  It could have been much, much worse.  And last night was certainly a really long one for those who rode it out.