LauderKids

Hi again everyone! It's your faithful blogger Isabella. Back for more adventure. And I really really DO mean adventure, blog buds! Last week was the best thing so far this whole year. I've already done so much this summer even if the summer has hardly started at all. So listen to this because everything I did last week was all on the water. Or way high above it.

Or under it. The week started when Dad took Juliette and me on a morning scuba diving trip out in the ocean. He can't dive but he can snorkel. (There's that weird word again that always makes me laugh. Don't know why. Snorkel!! ROFL!) I'm sure you remember that J and I are official certified scuba divers now. Dad was so nice. He just says, "I want you and Juliette to get some practice. So I'm taking tomorrow off work and we'll go on a dive trip, ok?" Like, YES! I texted Juliette and she was so excited too, just like me. My dad even paid for both of us. He really can be pretty cool even if he gets a little uncoordinated sometimes like on that Segway a couple weeks ago. Remember that? Haha.

The dive boat took us to this way beautiful coral reef near the coast of Fort Lauderdale. We put on our scuba tanks and all our strange equipment and stepped into the deep, clear blue sea. Cool! Once you're underwater, all that equipment feels lighter than a feather.  And it lets you stay under there for the longest time to watch everything really close up. Big rays and schools of small pretty fish going by. And then this huge monster grouper fish swims up near Juliette and so J just looks over at me like, "Can you believe this??!" We only went down about 30 feet and Dad was snorkeling above us anyway. It was totally safe. But also totally amazing. Definitely worth getting out of bed at 6am to do this.

The very next day we took a ride on the big yellow Water Taxi! Not Dad this time but just Juliette and me. And ... unfortunately, J's little brother Spencer had to come with us. But it was ok and still lots of fun. We all walked over from their house together because the Water Taxi stops near the gigantic 17^th Street bridge and that's pretty close to where we all live. Then we just hopped on and went everywhere around town. In a boat!

The guy on the boat talks about everything you see along the way. About all these awesome mansion homes owned by these famous rich guys and some movie stars live in some of them too. There's even this big old white house in the middle of the Intracoastal Waterway and it looks just like the real White House in Washington where the Obamas live. Well, not just like it - but a little like it anyway. :-)

We stopped on Las Olas and walked to Kilwin's for ice cream. All I can say is that it's the best! Mmmmm. Luckily, Spencer was too busy texting all his friends to make his goofy, dorky eyes at me like he's in love or something. (I also think he's mad at me because I don't talk to him that much or whatever. Yeah, right! He's 12 and I'll be 15 next month. Get real, Spencer!!!) After we hopped back on the Water Taxi, I got this lame text from Bryan too. It's about the third time he's texted to tell me all this pathetic stuff about how beautiful I am and everything. I totally deleted all his texts and SO barely even read them.

But the very best, most amazing and totally awesome part of my week was still ahead, blog amigos!! I'll have to save that part of my story for the next blog, ok? Sorry! But I won't keep you in suspense either because that's not fair. So I'll just say that we went parasailing ... Up, up in the sky on a real parachute, hanging high above the Atlantic Ocean!! So I sure hope you'll want to hear all about that next week, all right? Can't wait to tell you about one of my most exciting, scariest adventures ever!!! BFN! :-))

That was Juliette's tweet and I read it early in the morning. So I clicked on her "visitlauderdale" link and then clicked again for some blog. I started reading about these beautiful butterflies and guess what? They're at this place called Butterfly World. I went there two summers ago with Juliette and her dorky brother Spencer. But we had a great time even if he was with us. The blog talks about "piano key butterflies" and hummingbirds and other totally amazing things at this totally amazing place. So I tweet back: "Butterflies and hummingbirds too! Gotta go back to Butterfly World with my BFF!! ;-)" Yes, this was how it all started, blog buds.

Two days later, Juliette and I were riding on our way to Butterfly World again. No Spencer this time! Yay!!! Her mom dropped us off and went shopping for a couple hours so we could be alone. Big thanks to J's mom for that one. Except here's what happened.

We get there and go straight to the Paradise Adventure Aviary, which that Fort Lauderdale blog talks all about too. This is like a huge, huge garden surrounded by screens so the butterflies and hummingbirds don't fly away. There's a waterfall and ponds and this rock tunnel thingie that sprays a mist of water when you walk through it. And butterflies! Thousands of butterflies, flying and floating all around you like beautiful, colorful angels. They also have hummingbirds buzzing everywhere with the butterflies and it's so amazing that I can't even really describe it. You just have to go to Butterfly World if you want to find out what it's really like.

But listen to this. J looks at me and goes, "Let me borrow your cell, ok? Mine just died. I need to text my mom something." That's all she says so I'm thinking like, sure whatever, right? But instead of texting, she starts reading - MY texts! She walks away for a minute like she's texting, then starts laughing so hard. So I say, "What's so funny? Your mom?"

Then I have to admit I got pretty mad about what happened next. Because Juliette says, "You texted Bryan! I knew you would! I knew it!" I mean, she's my best friend ever but that doesn't mean I want her reading all my texts. You know what I'm saying, don't you? Wouldn't you be angry too? I was for sure!! :-{{

You probably remember Bryan from my last blog. He's that really lame guy who actually kissed me in the Galleria Mall the first time we met! And who I only texted to tell him what a total loser he acted like. Here's all I texted him: "Your SO rude!! & SO lame!! Can't believe what u did!!!"  Even if I did misspell "you're" - not good for someone who wants to be a famous writer. LOL. Anyway, I had to let him know that he shouldn't treat girls that way. That's the only reason I texted. I mean really that's the ONLY reason!!

But J wouldn't believe me. "You like Bryan! I could tell at the mall you liked him," and then she's saying all this other stuff about me and this dude who I don't even know. Oh yeah, right - as if!! No way do I like this guy and no way do I want to see him ever again!! That's what I even wrote in my last blog, remember? But Juliette just had to read my texts and then start saying all this goofy stuff.

I won't even tell you what I said to Juliette, except let's just say she knew I was really, really, really mad. But Butterfly World still was totally amazing. Even after our fight. Because J said she was SO sorry and then we both cried and made up like the sisters we almost really are. "Julibella" again, right? But when we went home, I couldn't help writing this blog. Sorry J. I just had to write it down so I don't stay all angry and everything, ok? Hope you understand. And then I posted a special tweet just for her too. It's just some quote from some guy I never heard of before. I found it in one of my dad's books at home. This is what I tweeted, "Special words I found 4 someone special: ‘The only way to have a friend is to be one.' Ralph Waldo Emerson. Still BFFs, ok??" This Emerson guy must be a pretty smart dude, whoever he is. Don't ya think so, Juliette?? :-)) See ya next week!!

Remember I told you I'm writing my first book? About my life growing up in Fort Lauderdale. This blog is for my fun writing that I'm doing just for you. My blog amigos! So I guess I should tell you all about my latest adventure, even if I wouldn't even mention this person in my book. Ever! Like, never, ever!! His name is Bryan and this guy thinks he is just SO cool - even if he is really one of the lamest guys I've ever met in my life, ok?

And if you think I'm getting all weird about him just listen to this. I met him at the mall yesterday for the first time. And he kissed me!! Right there in front of everyone!! Eeeww, so totally and completely gross!! I wanted to take a shower or jump in the ocean or something to wash it off.

Here's how this bizarre, strange thing happened to me. I guess it's not surprising since I told you this was going to be a big "summer of adventure." I just didn't expect adventures like this! LOL! My best friend Juliette and I rode the bus to the Galleria Mall. We both love it there. Great places to eat in the very cool food court that looks like it should be near a canal in Italy. Great stores too with lots of summer sales right now. I can afford to buy some things, even with my pathetic allowance from Dad. ;-)

So then J and I walk around the mall for a while and then decide to go for some gelato in the food court. (I call Juliette just "J" for a nickname pretty often when we're together, as you might remember if you followed my old blogs.) Anyway, there's this dude standing there waiting for some chocolate gelato or whatever. I hardly notice him but he keeps staring at me. Eeew again, right? I'm totally ignoring him, just talking to Juliette. And he goes, "Hi beautiful! Let me buy the gelato for you and your friend here, all right?"

Huh? Or maybe I should say, "Duh!" Like, "Uh, hello!! NO! Duh!" I just say hi to be polite and we order our gelato and pay for it. But this guy keeps hanging around. "I'm Bryan." Like I care. And then he says, "Let me taste that flavor, would you? I've never had green gelato before!" He's all smiling and acting cute like I'm supposed to be really totally impressed. J looks at me and just rolls her eyes and we both laugh and walk away.

Except there's old Bryan, who must be in high school because he looks older, and he won't quit hanging around. He keeps bugging me about where I go to school and he wants my phone number and everything else. Why can't some guys take a hint? Now you won't believe this part! Because Bryan writes down his phone number and shoves it in my hand and then he puts his own dirty spoon into my gelato to take a taste. Can you believe this guy?? Then ... you probably won't even believe me for sure this time. But yes, he really kisses me!! Half on the cheek, half on the lips!! I wanted to slap him but my hands were holding the gelato and I didn't even know what to say or do or anything anyway!!! :-O 

O ... M ... G!!!

Then Bryan does that phone thing with his hand like, "Call me!" and then walks away. Juliette just laughed and laughed. "He's so totally cute! You've GOT to text him," and that kind of stuff she's telling me. All the time now. I just got a text from her while I'm writing this blog: "Text Bryan yet??! LOL!!!" Very funny. There's NO way I'm going to give this crazy guy my cell number, even if he is pretty cute like Juliette said. I hope I never see him for even one second ever again!! Come back next week, blog-o-buds, because you'll find out I'm not kidding, ok? I might want a great "summer of adventure" in Fort Lauderdale ... but definitely not with totally creepy Bryan!!! BFN!!

Ok, so I'm still too young to drive a car.  :-(  You too, right? I can't wait til I can go wherever I want to go all by myself. BUT we're old enough to drive a Segway, blog amigos. And believe me, these little things totally boogie right along. I'm not exactly sure how fast, but it feels so really fast that it's almost kind of scary. And fun!!

I hope you remember my last blog about those wacky Segway thingies. They're like these really weird and wild scooters with little engines and they move when you stand on them and lean forward. So now we're in Birch State Park, remember? And Dad finally learned to drive his Segway and my BFF Juliette and her little brother Spencer and me are all on them too. And the guy who rents them out, Brent, is just starting to take us all on a long drive around this beautiful park.

Now the first thing we see is iguanas - these huge, huge lizards. I felt like we were living in some movie preview for "Land of the Lost" or something. There must have been 10 or 15 of these strange creatures, big and dark green and just standing around in the sun. They look sort of ugly but sort of cute too. They live in South Florida but I've never seen so many in one place before. So all five of us just slowly roll our Segways through this field of mini dinosaurs. I didn't want to laugh and scare them away but I couldn't stop smiling.

Now we get on the road for the first time. It's this long, winding path all through the park. This is where we really start to hit the gas. Spencer is the first to speed way up, of course, then Juliette. Then me. We all just start shooting straight down the road like race car drivers or something. It feels so free and exciting to roll over this path with the wind in my hair. I'm just totally leaning as far forward as I can to make the Segway really take off. Wow, this is another "awesome" moment for sure.

But now it gets tricky for us, blog buds, because Brent takes us off the road again and on this really tiny, skinny, bumpy dirt path. It was like walking through the woods without doing any walking at all. The tricky part is going slow enough to stay in control. But the Segway just rolls right over the rocks and big tree roots and stuff with no problem at all. Pretty cool, really, until ... guess who falls off?

Who else, right? My dad! He's so, like, uncoordinated sometimes. Duh! So I just hear this, "Whoa-whoaaaaa!" Almost like he was on a wild horse or something. Then I look back and there's Dad getting up off the dirt! I have to admit Spencer was pretty funny right then. He just looked at Dad and goes, "Oh cool, are we going fishing after this? That's why you're down there looking for worms, right?"

LOL! Even Dad had to laugh. It seemed pretty funny at the time anyway. But my dad just brushed off the dirt and got back on his Segway and didn't talk too much for a while. I think he felt really stupid maybe. Poor Dad! ;-)) But I know he had lots of fun anyway because he said so when we were done. Dad just says, "I really loved that - even if I did fall off."

We all loved it too, Juliette and Spencer and me. It was another adventure for us in this whole summer of great adventures. Next week I'm moving on from middle school and then our summer seriously starts for real. No classes at all for over two months and lots of time to do more amazing things around this amazing place. Fort Lauderdale really is the best and I absolutely, completely love living here. I don't know what my next big adventure will be. But I hope you'll want to come back for another visit with your faithful blog friend to find out! Because I know it will be something "very cool" as we start this "very hot" summer!! Haha. See ya next week!!