They Say...

The other day we were driving by a Taco Bell.  The kids asked what it was.

Me:  "It's a restaurant called Taco Bell.
Adelie:  "Do they sell tacos?"
Me:  "Yep."
Adelie:  "Do they sell bells?"

Ummmm....no.

When we are going somewhere, the kids always point out people on motorcycles and comment on whether or not they are wearing a helmet.  Yesterday we saw a man riding his motorcycle and Briggs pointed out that he was wearing a helmet.  I commented that wearing a helmet was a very safe decision.

Adelie:  "But he could still break his leg if he's wearing a helmet."
Me:  "That's true, but I'd rather break my leg than my head."
Adelie:  "Why?"
Me:  "Well, what's inside your head?"
Briggs:  "Bones and blood."
Me:  "True, but there's something else important inside your head that a helmet helps protect."
Staley:  "Your brain."
Me:  "That's right.  You wear a helmet to protect your brain."
Briggs:  "You have a brain in your knee too."
Me:  "Nope.  You only have one brain and it's in your head."
Briggs:  "You have bones and blood in your knee."
Me:  "True."
Briggs:  "You have bones and blood in your leg and your arm and your hand."
Me:  "True.  You have bones and blood in your whole body."
Briggs:  "And you have earwax in your ear."

#anatomylessonsbybriggs

I always want to protect this little boy and his amazing brain.

Staley had a sleepover the other night with her cousin.  I got a text from Jill, stating that Staley had just informed her that she was the best athlete in our whole family.  I responded, reminding her that Staley's closest competition was 2 years younger than her.  Jill replied again, letting me know that Staley was including Zach and I in that hierarchy as well.

Oh, this girl and her confidence.

And Breathe...

As the first official week of summer break comes to a close with a schedule full of nothing but a few baseball games over the next few weeks, I can breathe a sigh of relief and enjoy this reprieve after the craziness that the beginning of May brought with it.  And so, through a photo-heavy post, I will try to encompass all that was checked off the calendar as we waded our way through the end of the school year.

We attended Awana awards night, although Briggs would often tell people that his sisters were at 'Moana' on Wednesday evenings.   

Both girls had a good year in Awana, learning Bible verses, making friends, and having fun.

Briggs, Adelie, and I helped out at the concession stand at the 3rd and 4th grade track meet.  Adelie was a big help.  Briggs?  Not so much.

After the helping, we got to see Staley with her class and enjoy the FFA fun area.  There was a petting zoo, face painting, and fun vehicles to sit on or get in.  Briggs was most enamored with the mini-loader and the mini-excavator that he got to sit in.

Zach graduated from 'Fight Club' at church.  It was an intense 10-week men's program that had weekly assignments in different areas that the men had to complete.

Of the 19 men that started the program, only 12 completed it.  We were all proud of Zach and the hard work he put into it.  (Here the graduates are planking with their kids on their backs.)  Physical challenges were just one small portion of the Fight Club assignments.

Staley's class with one other first grade class put on a "Children Around the World" presentation where they shared interesting facts about various countries.

There were also songs and/or dances from each of the countries.

And, of course, Staley had no problem memorizing her lines about England and saying them loudly and clearly.  Give the girl a microphone and she's right at home.

Adelie's pre-school class took a field trip to Pizza Hut.

They got to tour the restaurant and even got to make their own pizzas.

Staley had grandparent's reading day at school.  There were 2 separate times that grandparents could come to read with their grandkids.  Staley felt so lucky that Uma came for one and Grammie came for the other.  What a lucky girl!!

Staley had field day at her school.

(I love her little head peaking out from behind her friends.)

Field day at Staley's school is kind of like an extended, glorified recess.  There is a bouncy house, water balloons, playground fun, jump ropes, popsicles, and no learning taking place for an entire morning.  Of course, the kids love it.

Adelie's last day of pre-school was water day.  It was so much fun wearing a bathing suit to school and playing in the water with her friends.

Our nephew, Cade, graduated from 8th grade.

We celebrated graduation and May birthdays with a family brunch.

Staley's spring semester of Stage Kids culminated in 2 performances of 'Mulan, Jr.'

Staley was part of the ensemble as a daughter, a hairdresser, and a Hun soldier.  She didn't have any lines, but did have a short solo in one of the songs.  In my opinion, "with good fortune and a great hair-do" was the best line in the whole play.

Staley is always so pleased with the support she receives by those who attend her plays.

Grandparents...

cousins...

friends...

and neighbors.

I love just watching the way Staley enjoys every moment of her plays.  Her enthusiasm and enjoyment is so evident, and that's what makes her so fun to watch.

With Staley's final play rehearsal and performances, she missed both her baseball practices.  However, we squeezed in two Adelie t-ball practices.  The skill might not be there yet, but she sure looks cute doing it.

Even though Briggs didn't have any end-of-the-year activities to contribute, he attended lots of his sisters' events and found time for some fun of his own, like watching the digger working in the neighbors yard.

Briggs also went on his very first fishing outing with Zach.  He was so pleased with his new Thomas the Train fishing pole...and the fact that he caught a fish.

The last few weeks of school were busy and full of so many end of the year activities crammed into a very small window.  (Really, can we not tour Pizza Hut or learn about the Children of the World in February??)  But now it's time to slow down, relax, and breathe.

Hello, summer break!  So glad you are finally here.

Question of the Day

Now that summer break has started, why is it that all my kids have slept in until 8:00 but never all on the same day?

Question of the Day

Why is it that I have one kid who never wants to wear socks and one who insists on always wearing socks?  (He wears socks with his sandals and refuses to go to bed unless he has 4 socks--one on each foot and one on each hand.)

Socks and no socks.

Why can't we just find a happy medium??

Play Ball!

Adelie and Staley are both playing on baseball teams this summer.  Staley had to miss her team's two practices because of conflicts with her acting class.  Her first game was tonight, so after work I was trying to practice with Staley a little in the driveway before her game.  I was trying to teach her how to turn her glove so that she could catch a ball that was coming towards her, but she just wanted to keep her palm facing up with the hope that the ball would land in her glove.  I told her, "If someone throws the ball to you and you don't turn your glove to catch it, the ball is just going to hit you in the face."  Staley replied, "I'll just jump out of the way.  I'm really good at dodgeball."
#missingthepoint

As I continued to try to show Staley how to properly catch the ball, she finally said, "I don't even want to play baseball if I can't do it the way I want."
#whoneedscoaches

Maybe organized sports just isn't going to be her thing.

It's Over!

 In the blink of an eye, August turned into May and the school year ended just as quickly as it started.

First day of 4 year old pre-school

Last day of 4 year old preschool

Adelie had another great year of pre-school.  She always loved going to school.  And although she told me her favorite thing about pre-school was snack, I know that she also loved her teacher, loved her friends, and learned so much.  For the little girl who didn't even know all her letters going into this year, my Adelie is now sounding out words and spelling some sight words...and is so proud of herself.

We loved Mrs. Ferguson and were so glad that Adelie got to have her as a teacher the past 2 years.

First day of first grade

Last day of first grade

Staley had a great year in first grade.  Our backyard neighbor was in her class this year and has become her best friend.  Staley enjoyed the kids in her class.  She loved being in a special reading group for advanced readers that she called "reading club."  Her teacher was a highlight for her this year.  She loved Mr. Garber, always coming home and telling us about the funny things he did or said.  I know she learned plenty throughout the year in school.  However today she told me, "We are going to learn cursive writing in second grade, but I don't want you to teach me cursive over the summer.  Since Kindergarten and first grade were really easy, I want to have something to learn in second grade."

Mr. Garber was a great teacher for Staley.

So apparently the school year highlight for Adelie was snack time and Staley didn't think she learned anything this year.  I don't know if I'd count those as the true signs of a successful school year.  I count the friendships, the improved test scores, the new skills, and the two girls who were always ready to enjoy another day at school.  It was a great year for these two.  And just like that, I have a second grader and a Kindergartener.  How did that happen??

Hmmmm...

Staley:  "Mom!  Mom!  Adelie just called me a tattletale."

Ummm...yeah.  Not sure how to even respond to that.