Look Out Summer, Here We Come!

Friday was the last day of school for this crew and I think I can safely say that we're all ecstatic!  For the time being.  Hahaha.  Give me a few more days, though, and I just might be ready to lose my mind with the constant messes around the house, the near constant fussing and fighting, and the never ending snack parade coming out of the pantry.

 Last Day of School for the Elementary Kids 2016-2017

 And last day for the Junior Higher

 Mornings are rough y'all!

Scott worked from home on Friday morning to help see the kids off to the bus, and to allow me to run over to the school to snap some teacher pics with the kids without having to drag Alex and Isaac with me.  It was nice to see the morning dawn so lovely and light after such a gray and rainy day the day before.  Everyone was in high spirits and super excited to get to the bus even EARLIER than usual.  Alex, Isaac, and Scott tagged along and after capturing a few shots we waved them off to school.

 I don't know what was up with the towel on her head.

 Grace made a giant poster card for all the 6th graders on the bus to sign for their bus driver.  Sophie was so inspired, that she made her own banner to give to her homeroom teacher.  Hahaha.

It's been a really great school year!  I think each of the kids' teachers was a perfect match for their personalities and I've seen them learn and grow so much this year.  Alex could only identify 3 letters at the beginning of Kindergarten, and this weekend he just finished reading his very first chapter book all on his own!  {Captain Underpants -- in case you were wondering.  ;) }

 Re-rolling that banner poster for her teacher.

 I think he can't wait to be able to ride the bus, too.  :)

To close out the school year, here are some reflections on the end...

 Ethan -- Last Day of 8th Grade

Favorite Memory:  The teachers

Best Thing He Learned:  Trigonometry

Hardest Thing This Year:  Science -- "because her grading system was corrupt"

The Thing He'll Miss the Most:  Probably the teachers -- "because the whole entire building is terrible"

 Grace -- Last Day of 6th Grade

Favorite Memory:  "I don't know"
Best Thing She Learned:  "I learned about poop"
Hardest Thing This Year:  "Nothing was really hard"
The Thing She'll Miss the Most:  Friends and the elementary school and her teachers

 I got there JUST in time to catch the end of the 6th grade talent show that Grace didn't want me to come to.  Hahahaha.  Obviously, I had to snap a few pics to document it.   :)

 Sophie -- Last Day of 4th Grade

Favorite Memory:  The talent show and field trips
Best Thing She Learned:  "Nothing"
Hardest Thing This Year:  "I don't know"
The Thing She'll Miss the Most:  Her teacher

Jane -- Last Day of 2nd Grade

Favorite Memory:  "Doing fun stuff"
Best Thing She Learned:  "Obviously science!"  And fractions
Hardest Thing This Year:  Division
The Thing She'll Miss the Most:  "My teacher.  Obviously."

Alex -- Last Day of Kindergarten

Favorite Memory:  100th Day -- "I got to make a hat and build a tower made out of plastic cups."
Best Thing He Learned:  "I think Math"
Hardest Thing This Year:  Math -- "I like math and it's hard"
The Thing He'll Miss the Most:  His teacher

And just like that, another year has ended!  Jane was crying her heart out when she got off the bus at the end of the day because she loved her teacher so much and didn't want the year to end, but I managed to dry her tears by reminding her that her teacher lives in our neighborhood and that she'll definitely be seeing her again.  Hahaha.  Grace admitted that she cried, too, but only because someone in her class was playing "sad" music and everyone else started crying at school.  She had already composed herself by the time she got home, and even though she's graduating and moving on to junior high next year, I think she recognizes that she still has a bunch of younger siblings at the elementary school, and she'll be able to go back and visit whenever she wants.  Now that this year is over, it's time to enjoy the summer, and not even THINK about how crazy it will be to add high school to the mix next year!  Hahahaha.

So Long, Sixth Grade

Last night, Grace graduated from the 6th grade!  Although technically it's billed as a "Recognition Night," everyone knows we're there to celebrate the graduates.  ;)  Hahaha.  After getting her hair did at the SuperCuts yesterday after school, we had to make one last stop at Kohls before heading home, because she decided that she didn't want to tower over her classmates in the high heels she wears to church.  So black, high-top Converse All-Stars were the inexplicable order of the day!  Once we were home, I de-poufed her hair by flat ironing it and then she got dressed and we were ready to go.

 {What she wants to be when she grows up.  Although she informed me afterward that she just didn't know what else to say.}

Highlights of the evening included seeing Grace with all her cute little friends, discovering she was the girl runner-up for the Citizenship Award in her class, and getting a family picture snapped at the end of the evening.  The only lowlights, really, were trying to keep Jane, Alex, and Isaac from running amuck in the back of the gym while the ceremony was going on.  

(Standing up to recognize being part of the 5K Training Club) 

 Receiving her Runner-up Citizenship Award

Only two boys and two girls were chosen from each homeroom.  I don't think Grace realized she would be winning anything.  :)

I absolutely loved seeing Grace in her natural habitat with school friends and knowing that she was so happy to be there with them.  Pretty much nothing makes me happier as a mom, than seeing my children experience true joy.  She was so funny with that hair of hers -- I could tell she was equal parts kind of excited for the novelty of wearing it down and having everyone fawn all over her about it and equals parts legitimately aggravated having all that thick {hot} hair hanging down and not being able to put it up in her customary ponytail.  Hahahaha.  Oh, Grace.  Growing up is hard.  Hahaha.

 Lining up to walk across the stage.

 These two.

 Trouble, trouble, trouble.

Dancing away!  What can I say? This kid has got the BEAT!!  Hahahaha.

We made it through the program in one piece -- with a special treat at the end when we got to watch some hilarious dancing in the aisle by the sugar bear when the 6th Grade video was being shown -- and after everything was over, the kids were pretty excited to raid the treats and the lemonade.  Grace so graciously allowed me to take some pictures of her with some friends and then everyone happily cooperated with a family photo before leaving.  Hahahaha.  Perhaps happily is the wrong word, but cooperate they all did, and I finally have a current family picture!!!  Hip hip hooray!  

 Oh, Grace.

Parting is such sweet sorrow, and as stoic as Grace is, I know she will be sad tomorrow to say goodbye to her elementary school forever.  The good news is that she has a LOT of younger siblings who still go there, so it's not like she's never going to grace the halls ever again.  :)  Stay tuned for a recap of Alex's Kindergarten Sing and everyone's end-of-year reflections...