More Beach Fun

Jack went parasailing not once, but twice while we were at the beach! I had taken him up for the first time when he was in kindergarten and he loved it. Uncle Miller had never been, so Jack went with him on Tuesday. He went again with his dad and Theo on Friday. Theo did very well. He's pretty cautious so this was a stretch for him.

Here are bonus pictures from the week.

Perdido Key

We headed over to Perdido Key, Florida with Gigi, Uncle Miller and Aunt Sarah, and cousin Rowan this week. We celebrated Gigi's birthday and Father's Day together. DaveDave cooked steaks for us all and we toasted to Dada.

Our condo was amazing!  It was so large that the eight of us had plenty of room to ourselves. We had the penthouse floor which provided amazing views. Our favorite pastime was reading out on the balcony, watching the waves crash down below.

We visited the pool often (the indoor section was a lifesaver for rain showers), went to Waterville and rode the water slides, and relished sitting under an umbrella out on the beach. Our umbrella attendant really took care of us and was such a nice guy. Joel became a family friend by the end of the week :-)

What an amazing week we had!

Summer Days

We've been staying busy getting together with friends, either setting discount summer movies, going to Chuck E Cheese, going to the library, or bowling. It's been fun and relaxed!

My book club read Me Before You and got together at a nail salon to discuss the book (it was a fantastic book!). The salon owners cooked for us and treated us like royalty.

Theo's start to summer

 The rush from the end of the school year is over!  We juggle swim team with both  boys'  baseball practices and games in the afternoons.  It's hot hot hot out on those fields! I got a computer program to try with the boys this summer.  It's supposed to increase focus a and attention.  We'll see how it goes.

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!!