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Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Playing Catch Up

Playing catch up on all the exciting things that have been happening around here in the last ONE week!
(For the record I am sitting outside - it is perfect out! - listening to Pandora sipping (slamming) a Bud Lite Lime.  Did I mention I love summer?!?!?

The Tuesday of the last week of school we went on a second grade fishing field trip.
Mark came to volunteer. So did Mama and Papa!!
Tons of fish were caught!
Every kid caught at least 2 and one kid caught 13!
That's a lot in 45 min.


My Jonathan graduated. 
I started babysitting him when he was 1.
I lived with him for three years when he was in elementary school.
We moved just one block away.
He was our most amazing groomsman in the second grade!
I cannot believe he is an adult and will be moving away this summer.


His mom called me right after school to see if I could stop by with the kids to take pics.
I was at least 30 min away.
I sadly declined.
On the way home I took a uturn -
I occurred to me, if they were running 10 minutes late for the dinner maybe I could catch them in the parking lot!
Sure enough, he was heading in when I flew around the corner screaming like a crazy lady, "Wait!  I'm here Jon!!!"  I came running with all three kids.
Here we are outside Outback.
SO GLAD WE MADE IT!!
We were only with him for less than 5 minutes, but I'll never forget it!






The last day of school.
V is making sure she's taller than C.



 For the first year ever we had an End of the Year Sundae Party and then Awards.
We switched off giving each kid in our classes an award.
It was so incredible.
They were silent - until they cheered for each other.
I made a bigger deal for my 7 I had two years in a row.
There were some tears.
At the end Amanda surprised LB and me with awards for us.
Most Thoughtful for me (what a compliment!) and Best Dance Moves for her.
After last weekend -let me tell ya!  She deserved it! ;-)





Victoria received Jr Author.
So fitting!


 Christian graduated from kindergarten.
I rearranged my classes day so I wouldn't miss any of it.
Thank goodness I did because the entire thing only last 17 minutes!
I would have only seen two minutes!
So glad I was there.
Dad and Deb rearranged their day too to make it.
They surprised C and he was so happy!



 C and his teacher.
She has the patience of a Saint.


I try not to post pics of students….
But I can't resist this.
And I'm certain this family wouldn't mind.
This is a second grade friend of mine - from about seven years ago.
He came to the US two days before he joined me class.
It was torturous.
I felt so bad for him.
He often went home with headaches and crying.
However, the very last day of second grade he read a poem in front of the ENTIRE school on how I changed his life.
I laminated that poem in his second grade writing and always hang it in my classroom so I see it every single day.
He came back to vista me on the last day of school.
He and his mom.
She told me the story I so often tell myself, of how hard his first year was and how he still learned so much.
He doesn't have a sibling at our school.
Just came to visit.
There were tears.


Christian loves being a daddy to his dolls.
And I love that about him.




 I had to move rooms AGAIN this year.
That marks three years in a row.
What a pain in the ass!!!!!
I'm getting smarter each year though.
I am no longer afraid to ask for help.
I had 9 older responsible students helping for 3-5 hours.
And my amazing friend Sue took these two to her friends house on the lake.
Also a former student!
She was excited to meet them!


That same night I started a new tradition.
Participating in graduation.
I was nervous.
I didn't know what to expect.
I LOVED every second of it!!!!!
Parents were waving at me from the stands!
Former students' names were called and I gasped because I hadn't heard their names in so long and didn't know if they'd moved or something.


Throwing their caps up.
There were red caps (from Jonathan's graduation two nights prior) stuck up in the rafters.


Good Neighbor Days sure was fun last weekend!
We took the kids up there and I ended up running into my college roommate.
I made a quick phone call to Mama and next thing I knew we were kids free for the night.
Guy and Chris picked us up and we had a blast - all night long!
Lots of laughing and dancing!!


Some how I ended up with a TON of tickets the next morning, so we took the kids back there for rides and lunch.
















They both said it was the "funnest" afternoon ever.

That evening V and I went to a former student's dance recital.
She graduated and is an amazing dancer.
V loved it!


You can see V and her buddy Jenna enjoying the show!



It is amazing how fast this young lady went from a second grader to all grown up.
Her mom said, "You just wait."



First day of summer vacation = Chuck E Cheese.

 B is suddenly scared of him. 


He found a great place to hang out in the afternoon.
The tennis court.
B is fenced in and loves to crawl under the nets.
It's a win win for all of us!




He now sits and smiles when I say "Cheese!"


C said, "Send this to Uncle John so he can see how strong I am."
I did, with that quote.
Uncle John said, "He's an animal!"
C was all smiles!



 Working on a Father's Day project.
Harder than you think.


 Can I say how much I love Instagram?
Posted this one.
Love it!


 With these busy summer days this is how this  baby naps.
Loooooong and hard!



Which means late night trips for even more fun!
Teddy Bear Park!







I've been calling him my lil' animal lately.
This kid is a machine!
But he's sooooo cute!!!


Daddy had to show him how it's done.
Two feet off the ground, that is.


 A stroll be the very high river with ice cream.
Seriously, what is a better night?


B is into birds right now.
So this was amazing for him!


My lil' diva!
Another Instagram!
I swear she's 8 going on 18!


Today we headed to the Nature Center bright and early.
Everyone loved it!




We walked to the nearby soccer field this late afternoon (after B's nearly FOUR hour nap) to kick the soccer balls around.
Turns out the big kids just wanted to be my goalie!
It was a win win for all of us.
Until one hit Brecken right in the face. 
Knocked him down, not out, so that's good news.
After I kicked C in the face too (at least was playing goalie)
we headed home.
The big kids were way ahead on their scooters 
and this little blondie and I strolled down the street together.  
I looked down and thought, "I am so lucky to be his Mommy."
Then took this picture.


I love summer!!