School's Out For Summer!

Hip hip hooray!  The day has FINALLY come!!!  Friday was the last day of school, and I haven't stopped celebrating yet.  Hahaha.  J/K, j/k.  I'm fully aware that the flip side to the kids being out of school is that they're now going to be home with ME all. day. long. for the next 2-3 months.  Thankfully, we've got some fun stuff planned for the duration (hello ROAD TRIP and our, as always, awesome Summer Reading Challenge) and I think we're going to make it.  ;)  {Of course, we'll be able to make it even more if Ethan can find himself a JOB for the summer.}

Believe it or not, I didn't get around to taking a group picture on the last day of school, so I guess I really should have pushed harder to take one the night BEFORE like I wanted to for precisely this reason.  Haha.  Other than our annual end of school year recapping that I love to document here on the blog, I'm realizing that I've never blogged about a couple of OTHER school related festivities -- namely, Isaac's preschool "Celebration" and Jane's 4th Grade Commencement.  (Middle School is 5th and 6th grade.)  So, I'm going to throw those in the mix as well.  Here's to the end of the 2018-2019 school year!

Ethan -- 10th Grade

(Clearly we've moved past the stage of getting his picture taken with his teacher.  And apparently we've also moved past the stage of taking this interview seriously...)

Me:  "Are you ready?"
Ethan: "NO." (spoken very emphatically.)

Favorite Memory:  "Mom, like what are you doing?  Why would I do this?"

(Apparently I'll be filling in his answers for him.)

Best/Coolest Thing Learned:  Definitely all about the 1920s.  😉

Hardest Thing of the Year:  AP Block.  For sure.

What He'll Miss the Most:  ???

Grace -- 8th Grade

(Grace sent me this selfie during one of her last days of school.)

Favorite Memory:  "P.E. was so fun.  We didn't do anything -- we just played sharks and minnows across the field.  And we would do socratic circles all the time because our P.E. coach couldn't handle us."

Best/Coolest Thing Learned:  Personality Unit in Spanish

Hardest Thing of the Year:  "Missing a ton of school and having to catch up on work."

What She'll Miss the Most:  "My friends that are moving."

Sophie -- 6th Grade

(Unfortunately, I didn't make it over to the middle school on her last day to get a picture with her teachers.  I don't know yet if she will hold it against me for years to come.  I'll keep you posted.)

Favorite Memory:  Going to the park for the end of year field trip and checking out the Junior High for next year.

Best/Coolest Thing Learned:  "I learned a bit more of Algebra and I need to go back and learn more because I'm taking Algebra next year."

Hardest Thing of the Year:  "The first day of school -- because I knew no one."

What She'll Miss the Most:  "My friends and my teachers."

 Sophie had the opportunity to participate in a fundraiser for Yearbook for next year and as a result, we all had the opporunity to support her fundraiser by buying some pancakes one Saturday morning last month.

(Taking our order.)

Jane -- 4th Grade

Jane and Miss Hollis

Favorite Memory:  Going to the State Capitol

Best/Coolest Thing Learned:  Fractions and Decimals.

Hardest Thing of the Year:  The last day of school/Having to leave the elementary school.

What She'll Miss the Most:  Her elementary school

The 4th Grade program was a delight.  There were reflections and songs and a rap solo from Jane.

 Carrie Underwood's "Champion" was their theme song this year, and Jane was one of three 4th graders chosen to rap the Ludicris portion of the song.  I'm not even kidding.  Hahahaha.

I never realized Jane was such a shorty until I saw her with her friends.  

Alex -- 2nd Grade

Alex and Mrs. Vann

Favorite Memory:  "The first day of school!"  (Because it was his birthday.)

Best/Coolest Thing Learned:  Multiplication

Hardest Thing of the Year:  "I'm thinking..."

What He'll Miss the Most:  "My teacher."

Isaac -- Preschool

 Isaac with Miss Mary and Miss Haley

Favorite Memory:  "Toys!"

Best/Coolest Thing Learned:  "Circles."

Hardest Thing of the Year:  "Mom, can you stop talking to me?"

What He'll Miss the Most:  "Jumping in mud."  "My teachers."

 (Grace's comment upon seeing these pictures was something along the lines of "Ew! Why did you let him wear that??"  Hahaha.  Well, I guess by the time you get to child number 6, there's no guarantee that cute outfits will happen -- even for special occasions.)

And there you have it!  What a year it's been.  I've been especially grateful for the younger kids' teachers who have helped make this transition to a new area and a new school so smooth.  Hopefully next school year will come with as many highs and as few lows as this year.  :)

Field Trips, Field Days, and Fun

Five more days -- we can do it, we can do it, we can do it!  Hahaha.  Today was packed with activity. This afternoon, Isaac and I crashed Sophie's field trip to a nearby park and then swung by the Elementary School for Field Day with Alex and Jane before having to pick Ethan up from school.  It was a tad bit exhausting, but it's always so great to see the kids having so much fun.  Enjoy the following photo dump of our day...

  

(Not to be left out, Ethan's AP Block class had their "Blockie Awards" today.  He got "The Only Guy to Finish The Grapes of Wrath" award.  Hahaha.)

 (They also received their AP Block shirts that they designed for this year.)

 (That face, though.  Hahaha.  Apparently "the ducks are quacking" is an AP Block inside joke.  Haha.)

And that's a wrap for the night!

Mamma Mia!

Last year for Mother's Day, I was on my own with all 6 kids.  Scott had already left to start his new job position at work while I stayed behind to finish out the last few weeks of the school year with the kids.  Those weeks were rough.  Not gonna lie.  I was so grateful last year for a dear friend who helped my kids plan a Mother's Day surprise for me -- complete with a homemade meal and award for Best Mom Ever -- and I was so grateful THIS year that my kids totally stepped up on their own!

I'm pretty sure Grace and Sophie were the spearheads behind the movement, but color me surprised and impressed when last Sunday rolled around and I was presented with a treasure trove of lovely gestures.  {And let the record show that having ZERO expectations for Mother's Day is the best way to go.}  Along with a painted "You Are Our Sunshine" picture resplendent in bright yellow handprint "sun rays," I was gifted with an hour's worth of quiet time to myself after church while they pulled everything together, and a piece de resistance gift in the form of a box filled with all of my favorite things.

As much as I loved the felt tip pens they bought me, and Grace's tongue-in-cheek gift of "Gracias" cards (since she knows I'm trying to re-learn Spanish), the thing that warmed my heart the most was the brand new journal they bought for me and then stuffed with notes from each of them, along with pictures and past Mother's Day cards that they dug up from their memory boxes in the garage.  They like me!  They really like me!!  Hahahahaha.

 Possibly the most validating thing I've ever read?  "...I just wanted to let you know that I love and appreciate you and your efforts regardless of what I say when I am in a bad mood..."  (-- Grace)

It was quite lovely to realize that not only do they actually love me, but they also know me really well, too.  It's going to be pretty tough for them to outdo themselves next year.  ;)

 Not to be left out -- Scott also knocked it out of the park with a pack of brand-new freshly sharpened pencils, along with a book and some cupcakes.  😍