Last Day of School

The school year came to an end on Friday!

First, we dropped this crew off at school. Neighbors Tyson and Kate went with us on Fridays this year. The kids loved having them over on those mornings.

 

Grant and I enjoyed celebratory donuts after we dropped them off, our last morning with just the two of us for a couple of months.  

Waiting for the kindergarten bus for the last time ever, for Grant anyway! In a couple of years, I'll be waiting there by myself for him.

Last time getting off the kindergarten bus.

Last-day-of-school chocolate chip cookies

Last week of school

I am very much looking forward to summer, but I am also soaking up the last few days of a quieter house in the mornings and errands with just one or two kids. Grant and I went strawberry picking one morning. Sure do love Oregon strawberries! Grant wouldn't eat strawberries last year, but he discovered he loves them this year. The little stinker threw his hat in the air, for some reason, and we never did find it. We searched up and down the rows but just couldn't spot it. I'm thinking the wind must have carried it further than we thought. He wasn't upset at all. He shrugged his shoulders and said, "I guess we will just have to leave it!" And we did.

 We stopped at a park one day after running errands, and he learned to maneuver the "rings." He was pretty proud of himself! I really have enjoyed my one-on-one time with Grant this past year. We have a good time together. He's a good little housecleaner, too, when he's not making messes. He vacuumed the stairs all by himself yesterday and did a might fine job with it, too.

On a totally different subject and yet important, I think, to remember...yesterday is a day that will be burned in my memory forever, I think. It was a sad, scary day for Reynolds High School, as an armed student came to school and shot and killed another student, injured one teacher, and then killed himself. There were lots of texts flying back and forth all morning, one of the first ones from Leah, confirming that Eric, who teaches Physics there, was safe. It was a sobering day, a reminder that we live in a fallen world and that things can change in an instant. I prayed a lot yesterday.

Spirit Week

It was Spirit Week at the kids' school last week.  I found out quickly which kids still enjoy this sort of thing and which one really doesn't! I was only semi-successful in convincing our eldest to join in the fun and gave up towards the end of the week.

The first day was Crazy Hair Day. Joel decided not to make an effort with Crazy Hair day this year and went with his normal hair, but I helped the girls. The night before, Kari asked me to put sponge rollers in her hair so we could do a crazy, curly hairstyle the next day, so I did. She has a lot of hair! Well, that next morning, after I'd worked on the crazy hair (and spent quite a bit of time doing it, I might add, winding pipe cleaners through each little curly ponytail), she decided she didn't want to do it anymore and was afraid no one else would remember (it was a Monday). Tears, lots of tears from her and lots of frustration from me! She did end up going to school with the crazy hair but took it out once she got there.

Aubrey, on the other hand, fully embraced all aspects of Spirit Week. We did lots of braided ponytails for her. She had an eye doctor appointment that morning, so she even went to the doctor with crazy hair and was totally fine with it! (Turns out she doesn't need glasses--yet. Not perfect vision but dr says not too bad.)

Aubrey with her friend, Makayla, when they got off the bus together with their crazy hair. It was pretty bright out, hence the squinty faces. :)

Tuesday was school color day. Everyone happily wore blue and green.

Aubrey and Makayla again but without the squinty faces.

Wednesday was Hawaiian Day and another morning of convincing Kari to be a good sport.

Thursday was Dress Your Best Day, but I didn't get a photo. Aubrey was the only one dressed up. She did look cute, so I wish I would have remembered to take her picture! And Friday was Rainbow Day, which all the kids embraced, as they just had to wear colorful clothes. No photo for that one either. Oops.