[cue bell ringing]

School is finally out for us in our darling little town. I wish our weather reflected the beginning of summer but we have had rain, rain, and more rain. It's a good thing we don't mind a little moisture...
It's also a good thing that I have been cut off from my internet because it means that I have been able to give my attention to more important things, like all of the end of year festivities of elementary school. I love elementary school. I think it's just as fun to watch my children go through it. I love visiting my children's school, seeing their classrooms, interacting with their teachers (are there any more pleasant people than elementary school teachers and principals that love what they do?) I love that smell when I walk into their school-a kind of tempera paints and sneakers, little kid sweat and chicken nuggets. I love class parties and friends and field days. I am grateful for how my children have grown and changed and developed through the school year...for the things that they have loved, overcome and learned from...for the friends that they have made to the books they have read and the experiences that they have had, all of them. It's what makes my little people tick...it's seeing them in action, out of the grasp of my apron strings. I am proud of them.
So to recap:
Haley had a field day. I stood in their non-air conditioned gymnasium on the one warm day we have had all month (field day moved inside because of the rain.) It was a very stuffy volunteer gig. But Haley makes me smile. And watching her be social makes me smile bigger. And watching her run to her Mom and hug and kiss me and Hazel in front of her friends makes me smile the biggest of all.Abby had Kindergarten graduation. They sang, they wore special t-shirts and she beamed when she saw Haley walk in to watch. Mia picked her a flower. Haley's teacher sent her down because she thought it would be nice for her to be there for her little sister's program, without me even asking or mentioning it.
I am grateful for teachers that are invested in my children, not only in their education but in their emotional and social development. They were loving and caring and we were sad to end the year. I appreciate their input and ideas, their reinforcement and their support. I am especially excited to be living in one place long enough to do two years in a row at one school. Poor Haley has already attended four different elementary schools and she just finished second grade. The teachers and principals know these sisters by name, as well as all of the other kids in the school. Small towns sure have their perks.
We said good-bye to the school year and HELLO to summer! I have been thinking about their summer schedule for some time and I am excited to get started. But first, we are going to sit in our pajamas ALL weekend long, sleep in, not go anywhere and be L-A-Z-Y for a few days.I have taken on the project of bestowing upon Haley her own room...which means I put to rest a much loved office space. But it will be good for her. And it will make her happy. She needs a space that is all her own and I am excited for her to have it. I naturally took before pictures, and if the "after" ever happens, I'll let you know. In all reality the project will have taken less than a week but the sorting through of things makes it seem oh-so-much longer. We're down to needing Clark's brute strength and some finishing touches and we'll be there.

Father's Day now means something a little more delicious, a tradition that I happily started last year...a little delivery all the way from Brenham, Texas. We don't even share it with the kids and our own bowls are rationed by the day (sometimes by the hour, based upon need, of course.) The dry ice that it comes packed in provides us with hours of entertainment as well.

Then one day in between all of that, the sun came out long enough for us to work in the yard, clean out the garage, and play with the leaf blower.After wiping away the laughing tears from the leaf blower situation, Mia spontaneously dove into one of her "explanations" and I was so happy to capture some of it on film. It's all genuine folks. She was explaining to me, in a very emotional and detailed manner, how the roller skates came to be on the porch.
It took a good four minutes. Her hand gestures and facial expressions are phenomenal. I could watch her talk to me all day (consequently, I listen to her all day long, the girl can talk.) My favorite is her squinty eyed, lopsided-mouthed emphasis...I simply adore it to pieces. She adds it for sympathetic emphasis. (She also uses this one regularly when asking for something that she really wants, like a cookie. It typically gets her whatever it is she is asking for, just in case you were wondering.)
I really love this picture because it's what she looks like when she is finished explaining something. I think she is actually tired but very satisfied.

Oh, being back online and purging our activities has provided me with relief.

Now, bring on summer.