Wrapping Up The School Year

Off to school...

Before summer leaves the old school year in the dust, I wanted to blog the last few events of the school year.  Some of the year we had to drive (hello snow for months!) but our favorite way to to get to school and back was walking/riding. I would walk, pushing Carly in her stroller, and the boys would ride bikes, scooters or rollerblades.

Everyday on the way to school we would pass this patch of wild pansies and it made me so happy. (For those who don't know, my grandma's name is Pansy, so they're one of my favorite flowers!)

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(Jack's in the middle in pale blue)

(Logan's in the middle in pale green)

(Wyatt is in the second row, grey striped shirt)

For the end of year spring concert the kids sang the cutest little songs and I loved watching them.  Especially Wyatt's because they do little hand motions!

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Jack's Class: End of 3rd Grade Shenanigans

Jack has become such good friends with everyone in his class.  I love how school has allowed him to be his usual outgoing self and make a million new friends!
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Another new thing for us this year was class birthdays!  

Sharing cupcakes with all Wyatt's little friends was especially sweet.

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I loved some of the words Wyatt used in his alphabet of words.

Kk: Koomplucatid (complicated)

Vv: Voolum (volume)

Ee: Empoosubl (impossible)

He's such a little smarty!

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Wyatt went on a field trip to the fire station.

Since Carly and I couldn't go, Wyatt's good friends' mom took some pictures and texted them to me.  I cannot tell you how much it meant to get those pictures as I was home sick that morning.  Thoughtfulness from other moms means so much!

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Wyatt's stories are my favorite:

"This is me and mom and Carly jumping on the trampoline."

"I am ridi abou mi cites namd rumona and jorj."

"I am writing about my kitties named Ramona and George."

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The boys had art in the elementary school art show:

Wyatt

Logan

Jack

Jack

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While I was going through some notebooks Logan brought home from school, I found this note he wrote to the school counselor.
"Dear Mrs. U,
I need help calming down.
Yesterday my dad was close to having a seizure like me."

He was talking about when Josh had a bone infection behind his ear and had a really high fever with the shakes.  It was absolutely terrifying for me, so I can't imagine how Logan was feeling. I am so proud of him for reaching out for help.

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Our boys had a lot of learning to do when it came to testing (at all) this year, and state testing took it to another level beyond that.  Logan got a HUGE reward for taking his time and doing his best on one of the end of year tests, and I was so proud of him. He worked so hard, he even surpassed his goal!

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As much fun as we squeezed into the last few weeks, it also left me reeling some days!
It's making me grateful for these lazy summer days!
Just looking at these pictures is giving me anxiety!

The last day of school was rainy, and honestly I was so happy to come home, let the kids plug in for a minute and just breathe (and do a little blogging, of course!).  

What an amazing year we had.  

I'm so grateful.

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Around Here: Week 24

{Wyatt's embarrassed/proud face} 

Watching... Wyatt's class performance on Octopus at school.  He did so great, sang so loud and smiled so big.  Josh surprised both of us and took a half day so he could attend.  It meant so much to both me & Wyatt.  Wyatt told me it took him "100 hours" to cut out his octopus.  Hah!

Finishing... Confessions of a Domestic Failure and Dreamland Burning.  This puts me at 34 books for this year!  I loved both books and recommend them highly.  Dreamland Burning had me turning pages faster than I have in a long time, and Confessions of a Domestic Failure was both hilarious and validating talking about how hard it is to be a stay-at-home-mom.

Reading... Everything, Everything and when I'm done with that (probably this afternoon) I will be starting The Identicals by Elin Hildebrand and The Color Purple, which are all on my summer reading list from The Inspired Reading Book Club. (If you love reading, click over to our Facebook page and ask to be added.  One of us will approve you and you'll be on your way to a summer of reading awesomeness!  We'd love to have you.)

Swirling... in the chaos of what was our last week of school.  There has been activity after activity, and full backpacks coming home everyday this week.  Last night, around 11:30 I realized I hadn't posted anything about Wyatt's birthday on social media.  Josh accidentally drove to work with both sets of keys in his pockets, so I had to walk to school to take Wyatt's class his birthday cupcakes.  Which wouldn't have been a problem, except it was raining. Ha! Go figure!
We made it to the school, just a touch damp, and got to celebrate our little guy.  Then it was laundry and dinner, opening presents and doing dishes, showers, baths and and bedtime, and before I knew it, the day was nearly over.  I am happy to be taking a big breath today, knowing we will have a nice long break from our routine.

Celebrating... Wyatt's sixth birthday yesterday with homemade cake and a yummy meal-- drumsticks on the BBQ as well as corn on the cob.  He was so happy to open presents and share some cake with his brothers.  I was happy to celebrate our sweet little boy.

Crying... as I reminisced and wrote a birthday post about Wyatt this morning.  (Sometimes thinking back on hard times in my life, especially the miscarriages, can really get me!)

Embracing... the good and the bad of motherhood.  This week felt like one big dichotomy.  It was equal parts yelling & hugging; forgiving & laughing.  The boys are stretching their independence, which is mostly good, but can also mean trying things out (like sass-mouthing, or not doing their jobs) and that makes my job exhausting. I also think we were all a bit tense knowing this was the last week of school.  As much as I know we will enjoy summer, we also like knowing what's happening everyday, and we can all struggle a bit with change, so there was definitely some tension among us.  But there were also many, many tender moments sprinkled in, that allowed me to carry on despite the challenges.  Like overhearing Logan tell his classmate that his mom made "the best spice cake ever" for his birthday; or Wyatt telling me I was the best mom ever; or Carly giving me kisses and hugs out of nowhere as she plays.
Nearly a decade into my parenting gig, and I'm so grateful for the perspective I've earned.  I know that "this too shall pass" applies not only to the hard parts, but to the good parts as well, and it reminds me not to take any of this journey lightly or for granted.

Closing out... the 2016-2017 school year.  Today was the last day of school!!!  For summer we're looking forward to lots of reading, swimming and family time, as Josh has summer off as well.

Grateful... for the amazing year my boys had in public school.  We have been so, so blessed by the teachers and staff at our school, and I am so pleased with the decision we made to send them.

Prepping for... a huge birthday party tomorrow.  All three boys got to invite five friends to the party, and we'll have a house FULL to the brim of little boys.  They can't wait!!!

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A Decision Has Been Reached

After much thought, we've decided to keep the boys separate for fourth grade.  After thinking putting them together would be lovely, we had a few days of fighting, some competition about spelling tests (despite being in separate classes currently) and a few friendship/playdate issues, I decided that even though having them together would be convenient for me (honestly, that was a big part of it!) I now realize that being apart is best for them.

They need their own friends, their own experiences, and their own relationships with each of their teachers.  They feel good about the decision, and so do I.

In other twin news, I received word a few weeks ago that I am one of the Top 80 twin bloggers.  I am #37, which was a pleasant surprise!  If twins fascinate you like they do me, check out the post to find some new twin bloggers you'd like to follow!

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