Last Day of School 2018

SCHOOL IS OUT FOR SUMMER!!

I seriously counted down the days this year. I really look forward to having the kids home for the summer, and this time was no different.  As much as Caity and Johnny love school, I feel like the day to day of the school year can wear them down. By the time it ended, I could feel how much they needed a break and a refuge in home life.  This year was new school, new friends, new social rules, new "normal." I'm so proud of how well Caity and Johnny handled the transition and challenges. Watching them make friends and excel despite their reservations was so rewarding as a mom. That said, boy am I happy to have those kids back!

^I really love this picture of Matthew! (Shoes and all, ha!)

William and Matthew were so excited for Caity and Johnny to get home so we could celebrate. They waited patiently, but eventually convinced me we needed to wait at the bus stop.

Johnny and Travis were "so done with first grade!" They came off the bus (the first ones off) running and hollering "SCHOOL'S OUT!! YEAH!!" They ran, they chest bumped, the parcour-ed all over the place. They were a happy pair.

Then, the rest of the kids filed off one at a time, and about ten feet behind everyone else, I saw Caity's silhouette slowly make it to the bus exit.

Caity was a little more heart-broken and emotional. There were tragic tears and a genuine I-can't-even-go-on meltdown. She felt "despair" and said she would even do third grade all over again so she could have the same class and same teacher. She worried about all her friends and who would help them with different things while they were apart. It was really sweet. I always hated saying good-bye to friends at the end of the year, so I could totally relate.

Isn't she the sweetest though?

And here is me trying to get a picture of all my kids!

Johnny. "Get one of me dabbing and getting major Michael Jordan hops!"

I know it's blurry, but this one of William!!

Travis and Abbey came over for our end-of- the-year bus cake! I completely forgot about this tradition (started by my mom) until Caity exclaimed the night before how excited she was for it! I had to improvise with what I had on hand, but I'm glad we got it together- it was so fun, especially with friends. the banner said, "Welcome Summer!"

OK, this next part I am really excited about! 

This year year we had our first annual "Be the Light" Award Ceremony. The concept being: as we look out for others, build our talents, choose to grow and keep pushing forward through challenges; we become part of the "light" in a sometimes dark world. Jesus Christ is the light of world and as we try to live and love as He did, we can be "lights" too. I often challenge them to be intentional lights to their friends, classmates, and strangers. This was meant to be a celebration to honor their efforts doing that.

I made three certificates for each child, and we had a big presentation with a spotlight, music, applause, prizes....it was really so much fun.  It was so sweet seeing their faces light up as soon as they realized I was talking about them, and also how excited they were for each other.  

They would each get up and give a little acceptance speech. Sometimes they were funny (Johnny's always mentioned underwear on his head, Caity did a british accent for her's, William would do silly dances in the middle of sentences, etc.), but sometimes they were very sweet and sincere. Johnny got up and talked about how he felt when he read his first chapter book, and when he was reading "Narnia", and how he wants to finish the Book of Mormon this summer, you could just tell he was genuinely proud of himself. Then, as he got down- he said, "Oh! And thanks to Mrs.O for her reading charts and my mom for not giving up on me even when I didn't want to read." MELT MY HEART! Ever since he got the award, he has really identified as a reader, and I really love it. 

When Caity talked about having a "Growth Mindset," it was touching for her recognize how she maybe defined herself by all the wrong things and about how changing the way she viewed situations she was able to overcome things that seemed too hard at first. "And what do you know, all those mess ups and failures actually helped me in the end be a better Caity, so I just want all my brothers to know; yes even you, Matthew, just don't give up! Learning takes time and not getting everything right the fastest all the time!" I mean, seriously? I know I'm biased here, but I just can't get over these sweet moments.

The not so red carpet (I used what I had!)

Johnny's awards:

Rapid Reader (For learning how to read this year and moving to chapter books.)

Super Friend (Even though he was sad to leave his friends; and people weren't nice to him at first, he kept trying and now, they are some of his best friends!)

Never Giving Up (There were days he really didn't want to go to school or do his homework, but he always figured out a way to keep going and keep trying.)

Caity's awards:

Editor and Chief (For working so hard on her writing and using it to light others' day, and even starting her own book company.)

Kindness Queen (Volunteering to work with friends with special needs and always being kind even when there was drama with friends.)

Growth Mindset (For learning to accept failure as way to grow and challenge herself.)

William's awards:

Inside Out (For learning how to recognize his feelings and express them in a healthy way.)

Hug Attacker (For giving spontaneous hugs.)

Play Master (For over coming his fear of friends and babysitting co-op, and being a leader for fun games that involve everyone.)

Matthew's Awards:

Best Laugh (For laughing easily and for a long time and making everyone around him laugh.)

"I not Baby, I Maffew" (For growing up into a toddler and making sure everyone knew it (insert all the crying emojis.))

Houdini (For learning to escape for anything ie- nap time, car seat, diaper, house...)

Friday night was date night for John and me, then we came home and had a movie night with the kids and had popsicles. It was a great start to summer!