Official Start to Summer Vacation

The endless wait is over! The neighborhood pool opened over the weekend and we've officially set up residence for the week.  It was too cold to go today, but we've been soaking in the sun and enjoying every last minute of these guys before Saturday morning. They moved in a few months after we did and have been like family the last four years.  I am holding it together for now, but I am going to miss them dearly when they move this weekend. I couldn't have asked for a more fun family to have next door.



Play ball!

Ben wanted to play baseball this summer. He really wanted to play t-ball last summer but I didn't sign him up in time, bad momma, ugh.  We asked for him to be placed on the same team as two of his classmates but that didn't pan out. He ended up as a Tornado and I was a little amazed at how intense practice was.  His teamed practiced for 2 hours on Sunday, 1.5 hours on Monday and "optional" batting practice on Friday for another 1.5 hours. (He's in a rec league!) After one rough practice he came home in tears worried that he was the worst player on the team.

My heart broke for the little guy so Jeremy and I spent even more time in the back yard working on the basics. He played surprisingly well during his first game and had fun doing so. We continued with practices for the next few weeks until he fell off his scooter in in the cul-de-sac. He fractured his pinky on his right hand. He was already bummed about missing field day, missing PE and worried about not being able to write during school but when he was told that baseball would be on hold too, he burst into tears. We have only missed one game and he was hoping to get back to it but the fracture hasn't healed as quickly as the doctor thought it might. As of Tuesday we're out for another three weeks which puts us at the end of the season.

As the Cubs fan in my house would say, "There's always next year!"



Summer Break

Just a little over a week into it and we've already been to the pool five times this week. The boys are loving being home and I am enjoying having them around.  We've started keeping up the summer reading logs and handwriting journals.  If I don't start now I'll blink and it'll be August with nothing done.

They both had super years in school this year.  Owen has learned so  much. He'll be ready to read before I know it! He's so quiet that I don't always know what he is learning about, but then he'll surprise me by sounding out words when I read his bedtime story.   He has also been logging time at the art table here drawing and writing his letters.

Ben had a great year of Kindergarten. If I could be a kindergartner again, I would want to have his teacher! His reports were always glowing and positive and he came home proud of his attendance certificate.  He only missed 1.5 days of school all year long. He took a lot of time off from daycare when he was a baby getting whatever was passed around every week or so, I guess that immunity has stayed with him.

Jeremy took him to get a haircut this week. He talked Ben into a buzz cut for the first time.  He looks so different now!  We took him back for x-rays on Tuesday and he has to wear his splint for another few weeks.  He is bummed, but it could be worse.  He fell off his scooter three weeks ago and fractured his pinky, resulting in the 0.5 missed day of school and the shortest baseball season on record. I have pictures from his one and only game that I'll post soon.

I have a feeling the next two months are going to fly by!



Field Trip

Ms. Phyllis, Ben's bus driver, was standing beside her bus, ready for the field trip when Ben and I arrived at the school on Friday. She has waited patiently for the two of us to come running out across the yard many mornings this year. When she saw us she apologized and asked me if she took off without Ben this morning! He doesn't get on the bus until 8:30, it really shouldn't be a problem!

Anyone who wanted to could go along on the class trip. (Lots of parental involvement at our school- almost every kid had a parent or grandparent there, some had both parents!) Space was limited on the bus, therefore most of the parents would need to drive to Deanna Rose in Overland Park on their own. I was not disappointed by that news in the slightest. I ended up riding with a couple of other moms and the trip went by much quicker than it would have with fifty antsy six year olds.

Ben has been to the "farm" several times but we still managed to do a few things that I had been too cheap or not thrilled to do in the past.  He bottle fed some goats, went fishing with a cane pole and then we went for a horse drawn wagon ride.  He was a little upset with me for making him hand me the worms to put on the hook while fishing, but if I was going to touch them, so would he! Thankfully we didn't catch any fish. I'm not sure that I would have actually been able to take it off the hook and throw it back in.

Although it didn't rain, the park was put under a lightening advisory when we were waiting in line for the wagon ride. Everyone there had to sit under the pavilion at the front  until the storm passed. We took our time there to eat our sack lunches but the kids were squirmy and ready to go as soon as we were done. Needless to say, it got a little loud in there before we received the green light to head back to the wagons. We finished out the day with a short walk through a butterfly garden and a new area that has a few rescue animals such as a bobcat and peacock. 

Later I asked Ben how many kids fell asleep on the way back to school. I was surprised when he said that only three did. I know I was ready for a nap.

I'm not sure how it is already the first of May and we only have three more weeks left until summer break! Ben is looking forward to field day and the kindergarten picnic next week after school.  Ready or not- first grade here we come!



A morning with Owen