Global Wildlife Trip

I organized a private tour group for Lake Castle families following the awards ceremony earlier that morning to celebrate the end of the school year.  We had cake before the tour departed and everyone enjoyed eating together.  The wagons held about 15-20 people, so groups of friends and families were able to sit together for the tour.  We sat with our good friends from class and baseball, The Crusta's and Bono's.  We all shared a giant sack of feed for the animals.  A large antelope stole Jack's feed cup, but Dave was able to snatch a replacement cup from a different antelope later in the tour.  Theo loved feeding the animals small handfuls of feed.  Jack preferred to dump cupfulls into the mouths of the animals.  There were thousands of deer, antelopes, llamas, camels, zebras, buffalo, giraffes, and rhea birds (ostrich-type bird).  We got to pet some of the animals as we fed them. Adults and kids alike had a blast!  The weather was overcast with a steady breeze.  This was a wonderful way to celebrate the beginning of summer with friends from school.

Awards Ceremony

Jack had a stellar year in 2nd grade.  He moved up to the B class this year, so it was anything but a cake walk!  There were days when I wondered if we would make it.  Second grade really fostered independence and organization, so through the struggles and forgotten books, Jack learned to keep track of his things better.  Homework was intense, but that also shaped Jack to be more focused, to apply more effort, and improve his handwriting.  His teacher, Mrs. Esker, knew Jack's potential.  She pushed him to not slack off, and encouraged him firmly and lovingly.  It was definitely a year of growth through these challenges.

Jack maintained an all E average in every subject for the entire year (90 or above average).  He earned the highest average in math, which is his favorite subject.  He was given an achievement trophy at the awards ceremony since his SAT test results left him ineligible for the high honors award.  High honors standards are all E's in core subjects and 90 or above on the SAT testing.  Jack sadly got a 89.8 on his SAT average.  Sooo close!!!

We're so proud of him and all that he's accomplished this year. He's proud of himself as well, especially for being moved up to the A class for next year.  We know he'll continue to rise to the challenges!!

Jack's last day of 2nd grade!

Jack went to school two days longer than Theo.  I took him to Donut King for breakfast that morning and he brought 10 dozen donut holes to school to share with his friends.  He had just a half day that Wednesday, so we had a pool party that afternoon. The kids were from all different grades, but their parents are all my friends.  The kids played Marco Polo, had a handstand contest, and just swam and had fun!  We served ice cream and had an assortment of toppings for their sundaes.  One mom brought a cookie cake for the kids.  We had such a fun time!!

Theo's last day of Pre-k

Public school gets out much earlier than our school, so we celebrate BIG when we are finally done! Theo brought in icee treats to share with his class on the last day of school, which happened to be Memorial Day (I know, I know).

The next morning was his graduation at First Baptist Church.  They combined all of the PK classes this year and graduation was held in the sanctuary.  Much better than being delegated to small rooms that were cramped.  Theo is pictured with his best friend, Alex, in the picture by the balloons.  Alex is the only name I've heard all year long.  Good thing these two will be in the same Kindergarten class next year!

School let me organize a celebration at Chuck E Cheese after graduation.  Over 90 kids signed up! We had the place to ourselves and it was a BLAST.  The kids got to run around and play with their school friends, the parents had an air conditioned place to hang out in, and hopefully parents got to meet other people in their children's classes.

Wicked!

Dave and I took the boys to see the Broadway play Wicked on Sunday in New Orleans.  It was their first Broadway experience, and clocking in at 3 hours long, I'd say they were baptized by fire with this one!  We had great seats on the Mezzanine level.  They were both mesmerized by the singing and dancing.  Luckily, M&Ms and cookies got us through the slower scenes :-)  There are several amazing shows coming to New Orleans this coming year, so we hope to take the boys to another play in the future.

Swim Team and Baseball

Swim Team kicked off a new season so that means we're juggling pool time with baseball practice and games. Our weekdays are go-go-go!

Jack had a pizza party at school to celebrate the end of his Helping Hands club. They did several projects for the school and community this year. Jack is pictured with Ella and Joe from his class.