Last Day of School!

I'm always a little amazed at how much the kids change over the course of 9 months, though I feel like as they get older they changes slow down a bit.

I doubt I'd want to do a side by side comparison of myself!

I'm certain this year aged me.  It was a challenging one and I was all too glad to bid it adieu.  Each time we finished a project/commitment/sport/ etc. I would feel a little more relieved.  Schedule wise it was just a tough year, add in all we had going on with Andrew and the time that took and I was hanging on by my fingernails by the time the last day of school arrived.  Andrew's psychiatrist said she felt that while all we did was good, it took a toll on Andrew as well.  We were both struggling when it was over and very anxious for a break.  So I really felt like celebrating when this day arrived.  With the exception of the last day of college, I don't think I've ever been so happy on the last day of school!



I quickly took the kids' photos before piling into the van and Andrew was just not feeling it.  He gave me this face as soon as I snapped one of him smiling.  And I had to take a photo of him because this is SO Andrew!  He has made this face since he was a toddler and can look so sad! 



I dropped the boys off for for the last day in their "hawaiian" clothes.  It is always "Hawaiian" day on the last day of school for them.  Mom gave Matthew his outfit for his birthday so that worked out great!

 

As parents line up to pick up their kids we hand the teachers tags with our child's name.  They take the tags back to where the children wait and call out that child's name.  Once they have their tag, if they are first grade and up they can walk to their car and give the tag back to their parent.  So that is what Matthew is doing in this photo.   I always love to see the kids at the end of the day.  Truth is, Matthew is often grouchy and Andrew is tired, but I'm always happy to see them.  Everyone was all smiles today though!  School was only 2 1/2 hours long.  Not enough time to get worn out!  And Matthew was SO excited about his gold medal (you can see it on his neck) that he received that day for the amount of miles he ran in the school running program. 



It was so cute when the kids came running out of school they were cheering and the teachers/principal were lined up blowing bubbles over them as they left.  They do this every year and it's just fun and festive.  By the time I got up to them most of the kids had left so the teachers were dispersing but you can see some of them there.

We left school and drove by our house and the kids said, "Where are we going?"  And were so excited when I said, "Auntie Shannon's!"



She put together an ice cream party for the kids which was so sweet.



Hannah had another celebration so we missed her, but this little crew was happy to be together.  Claire and Kaitlin are SO much alike (and getting more so by the second in both good and challenging ways!)  I'm amazed sometimes at how similar our kids are, we just had them in a different order as Grace and Andrew are such kindred spirits as well.



Shan set a festive table for the kids.



The kids delighted in mid-morning ice cream with toppings of their choice, and then we headed back to our house....



Where we celebrated summer vacation by doing what we longed to do all school year.....



absolutely nothing of significance!!

Birthday & Baseball

Claire marked her 8th birthday with a cheerful Rainbow party!  The kids gathered at her house for cake before heading off to G-6 airpark for jumping on the trampolines.  Andrew's last birthday party there left him with a sprained ankle.  He is now afraid of G-6 and didn't want to jump, (and issued many warnings to Kitti about it) but wanted to celebrate with Claire for her birthday.  So he joined for the cake and ice cream part before heading out.  (more on that in a bit).

Coincidentally, Kitti developed an ear infection while previously jumping at G-6.  Half way through the party (in december) I had to leave with her because she was in a lot of pain and sure enough, she had a bad ear infection.  So before the party she was asking me if it would make her ear hurt to go jump there.   :)  However, she still wanted to go and had a GREAT time.

 

Such cuteness.



This was such a fun, cheerful birthday theme and as usual, Shannon did a great job with the party.

After cake, Shannon took Kaitlin and went to G6.  Dan took Matthew and went to his end of the season party.  I took Andrew and went to get Andrew changed and off to his last baseball game.




Is it just me because I'm his mom, or can you see the sweetness in this little one's face?

 

After I got Andrew to his game to warm up I drove back to Shannon's house and got Kitti and took her to Matthew's end of season swim party, then came back to the game. 

During the game, Andrew had an opportunity to play first base.  Here he is catching the ball!








Even with more activity at first base, the lure of the dirt proved to be too much.



The kids enjoyed pizza, cupcakes and received their trophy after the game. Here is Andrew with one of his coaches.  Our friend Kyle helped coach too, and both were exceedingly patient and positive.  They were exactly the kind of coaches Andrew needed to have a good season, and I was grateful!

And that officially wraps up baseball!

Last Day of Pre-school

 

The end of May brought the last day of pre-school.  It was the passing of an era.  I remember so clearly balancing a baby Andrew on my hip as I hugged a 3 year old little Matthew so tightly as I said goodbye.

Here is Matthew at 3, when we started Circle of friends seven years ago.   Kaitlin wasn't even a part of our family yet!  I remember how my heart ached on that day to let him go.  He was fine, but I struggled to hand him over.



I had no idea on that day what this sweet school would grow to mean to our family.

We started attending Columbia Pres. (where our pre-school is housed) because of COF.  When I was in the hospital with complications after having Kailin the pre-school director called one of the church pastors who came and sat with Dan while I was in surgery.  We joined the church shortly thereafter.  Through this school we have made dear friends.  We found a church home & a church family.  Our faith has grown and blossomed as a result.   This little school has meant a lot to me ~ more than I ever would have anticipated when looking for a pre-school.  I loved the teachers.  Loved the director.  It was a wonderful experience and I am sad to see this precious stage in our life pass by, because really, there are few things in life sweeter than a pre-schooler and I will miss having one at home.

We didn't do carpool on the last day of school and so I just had Kitti with me.  As soon as I turned into the parking lot the tears started flowing. 

Another thing we will miss at pre-school is this darling girl.

 
 
We do not attend the same elementary school as Shannon's kids.  Andrew struggled a bit to not have his Claire there taking care of him in Kindergarten.  While I know Kitti will really miss Grace, I know she'll be just fine next year. But we will miss getting to share our days with Shannon and Grace.

Kaitlin had a loose tooth and she sat down in circle time and she and Gracie were so cute comparing their teeth.  Grace has already lost quite a few so Kaitlin was excited to join the ranks.

 

It was an emotional morning for me.  I loved this stage in our life, and I am sad to see it go.  Our life has followed the routine and rhythm of the pre-school school calendar for a long time.  The school traditions have come to feel like family traditions and I will miss them.

I know new traditions will form and there is so much fun to be had and new friends to make when Kaitlin steps through the doors at Fox.  We will embrace and enjoy our time there just as we have at COF.  I look forward to that and will make the most of that time.  But for this one day, I allowed myself to acknowledge and feel the sadness of seeing this time go....

I walked down the hall from my last pre-school drop off with one of those familiar "mom" aches in my heart.  A "heartstrings" moment that you read about but never really made sense to me before.  I get it now...that pull on my heart that happens when I feel like I deposited a piece of my heart somewhere have had to move on and leave it behind.

Miscellaneous May

May was a jam packed month.  Lots of fun things going on to be blogged about.  These are just a few random photos from the first part of May....

As we hit the final stretch of pre-school and I took a few photos of Kitti before school each day.







She is getting more opinionated about what she is wearing.  The clock is ticking on our sweet fashions.  The transition from toddler to "girls" clothing (which comes too quickly when you have tall kids) is not pretty.  As long as I want to dress her like a pop star wannabe, we're good to go.  Whatever happened to dressing little girls like little girls? 




Matthew (in desperate need of a haircut in this photo) had to write a myth.  He chose to write about "How the Angler Fish Got it's Light."  He made this diorama as his "illustration."









The Bug was wearing my shoes one day.  Just too good to pass up.

Shannon and I went out to celebrate my 39th birthday.



I love our nights out.  They are few and far between.  The talking starts the minute she picks me up and is nonstop until we return home.  When we go out we're often asked if we're sisters.  I don't think we look alike but in this photo I could see how someone who didn't know us might think that.   As the years go by our friendship just grows more dear to me.  When I think of the most significant days of my life ~ whether joyful or painful, Shannon was always there.  Always ready to celebrate or offer support and lessen a burden.  It's a blessing to have a friend whose presence feels so comfortable & easy it's as if you're with you're own family and that's the kind of friend Shannon is to me.

Tulip Festival

 

It was a COLD trip to the Tulip Festival this year.

I also forgot to charge my camera battery before we left and it died as we were taking photos.  Definitely disappointing, but I was able to take a handful.  It was just so cold and rained a bit as well so it just wasn't as enjoyable as in years past. 

If Dan and I look suspiciously young in the first photograph it's because I put some of my new photo editing to work on it.

For fun, here's the photo that was taken straight out of the camera (or SOOC)....

 

And here's after I played with it in Light Room.

 

I can now do virtual Botox! :)  AND bring blue skies to our cloudy Pacific NW!  I think I made Dan too Plastic-y.  I'm learning.  Seriously though, it was a fantastic class, and I'm really excited about all that I learned.  It does take a while (at least for me) to do an edit like the one above, but nice to at least have the tools to do it when I need/want to.



After we arrive we always head to the fields to take photos.   When the kids were little they ran willy nilly down the path by the tulips.  They field just called to them to run.

Love that Kitti and Grace are still wanting to do that.

 

You are not supposed to pick the flowers.  Soooo hard for this flower-picking-girl of mine.  That is asking a LOT.  But she did very well!

My boys don't enjoy posing in the fields.  But that's just part of the deal.  The little carnival area is what they really get excited about.  But they know it's important to me and so they go along with it.  I think it's good practice for them to do things like this for when they are married and their wives have requests along these lines! :)



I didn't get great individual shots of the kids this year.  Or many good ones in general.  That's okay ~ there's always next year!  I do like this one because of Matthew's arm hooked with Andrew's and Kaitlin daintily holding up the apron to her dress.



And another.....

 

It would be fun to see our collection of tulip photos with Shannon's girls, side by side through the years.  They start when Kaitlin was just 3 months old.  I remember going out that day and just feeling so grateful to be out in the sunshine.  This little crew is just growing up much too fast.



Andrew had turned his ankle at a birthday party held at a Trampoline park the day before.  It was quite swollen and he was hobbling around.  Dan had to carry him a bit.



The most disappointing part about that was not getting to do the bungee jump that the kids love.  So he was treated to cotton candy instead and he was quite pleased!



Matthew is so great at getting down to business and smiling for me.



He is so easy to parent. And just such a great kid.  Quite simply, a joy.

The Bug was quite pleased with the flower fields.



I think she would have happily played and posed for much longer had my battery not died.











And this is where my battery died!

We quickly ate some lunch and limited the kids to one choice at the carnival (instead of two) as the adults were ready.to.go.  It was COLD. 

Hopefully next year we'll have better weather.  But cold or not, the Tulip fields are so beautiful to behold and it simply wouldn't be Spring without our visit to see them.