Graduation Blitz!

Well, not sure if it's truly the definition of a blitz, but we've had no less than three graduations over the past month and one half! I'll go first to last :)



The entire 5th grade class (about 12 classes with average of 20-23 children per class) went through a D.A.R.E. education course over a two or three month period - it was part of their overall grades as well. The culmination was a D.A.R.E. graduation ceremony. One child from each class was picked to read his or her report. Darren the Lion was there, town reps and a handfull of the D.A.R.E. officers also attended! They all learned A LOT about peer pressure, being a good friend and, of course, how NOT to get involved in drugs and alcohol! Way to go Alex - she really took a lot out of the program!

Water Fun!

Also last month...

The kids enjoyed the hose for the first time in their new swim suits!

AND, their first dip in the pool! Summer here we come!

Watermelon

Last month...man oh man am I behind...we enjoyed

Our first watermelon of the season!!!
They LOVE Watermelon!
Stephen, not so much!

All pooped out!

Stephen couldn't keep his eyes open waiting for the Daddy-o to come home on Johnny's birthday! *(6/12/08) He tried so hard, but pooped out reading his favorite book...
This is one of those fantastic picture books...very few words....the child gets to tell the story as they see fit - great for the imagination, and boy oh boy does Stephen run with it! Stephen loves the adventure that Polo goes on, through the clouds and into a cotton candy world (YUM) chasing after the little light being that stole his book!

Whilst in Philly

I decided whilst waiting on a bench with Alex for a tour of Independence Hall, that I'd share a special little secret with her. I briefly spoke about it a few weeks ago in my Read Me. Open Me post. She absolutely loved the idea and we started scribbling away...

Briefly, for those of you who I know are not going to go there, you write little secret fortunes on pieces of paper and place them around populated areas in secret, but obvious spots.
You write lovely, random little thoughts on them like...You are loved...
You are beautiful...you are an awesome person, believe in yourself.
Then you fold them over and write read me or open me on them in hopes that someone will and that it will make their day more special coming across a little unexpected sunshine in what may be a mundane day in the life of...

Alex just loved this, and I loved doing it with her! Despite all the adversity she faces on a daily basis, she astounds me that she is the first person who will always step up when it comes to helping someone feel better about themselves or trying to make someones day better.

5th Grade Trip to Philly!!!

Today, Alex and I went with the whole 5th grade class on a trip to Historic Philadelphia! We had to wake up at the crack of dawn...5:00 a.m. for me, 5:30 for her!!!!!! ACK! But, well worth it! We had a wonderful day!

Alex standing before the Signer's Statue representing all the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Pretty Little Park :) Plaque at the park.
Alex in Independence Hall - the room where it all went down!
We walked and talked and shopped and had a great time...but the MOST fun was the Ducks ride! It is an amphibious vehicle that brings you around the entire historic district, THEN drives INTO the Delaware River, turns into a boat - I guess the wheels are raised up?? and takes you for a tour of the river...then drives right back out! We all got these really cute quakers shaped like a duck bill once we hit the river! OF COURSE, we had to buy the picture! What a great day!!!

Me and My Guy

For the third year in a row, Alex and Chris attended the annual Girl Scouts Me and My Guy Dance. They rocked out to the Macarena, The Chicken Dance and, I think a slow dance or two. I love that Chris does this with Alex every year...but it warms my heart to no end that Alex wants him to be there with her. She just adores him.

Somewhere Over The Rainbow

For some reason this song was on my mind on the long ride home from ripping up carpets and getting thoroughly disgusting in 91 degree weather ....long story...but I happily hummed the tune knowing I'd be googling this...wow, did I find out a lot...first listen to the video :)



Then, read all about this extra-ordinary man here. What they do at the end...wow...made me google even more to see if it was true. I shoulda known he was Hawaiian ;)

10 Minutes Ago

My beautiful Johnny turned...

At 9:50 p.m., ten years and ten minutes ago, I fell in love in such a new and profound way, again...I gave birth to my second child, my Johnny!

PS...once I get my battery charged, I'll post a pic of my INTERMEDIATE boy :)

(Intermediate boy was his response when I called him my little man one day..."Mom, I'm not little, I'm intermediate!!!!)

Here they are :)

We celebrated John's birthday the day after with steak and greenbeans and a homemade ice cream cake that he helped make - chocolate and vanilla with extra crunchies!

Yea, that last one was a doozy, lol!

Proud Mommy Moment!!!

Tonight was the Spring Concert! Do I look excited enough!?! My babies both played in the Symphonic Orchestra this evening - John on violin, Alex on the Upright Bass - also known as the Double Bass. This evening was the culmination of a year's worth of hard work and it really paid off!
Alex had the honor of playing a duet with the only other Upright Bass player in 5th grade! Not only did they both NAIL their pieces, but it is the first time that the school has ever had a duet from two bass players.
Each girl takes takes lessons with the same outstanding teacher. Not only did their teacher come to the concert, but HER teacher, whom she calls maestro also came. He gifted each girl with a pair of earrings that he brought back from Turkey for them to wear especially this evening!

Although I was unable to get any pictures of John on stage, he absolutely nailed his part as well. The violins were a big part of a lot of the pieces that were played this evening! But, on to bigger and better things for him...he is switching over to the Cello next year and will be only one of five cellists! Hmmm....do I smell a special piece for John on stage next year... might be rabbit!

Twilight

This must be the most guilty pleasure I've allowed myself in such a long time...it's almost embarassing, but I must share!

My bookclub picked this book for a meeting in July....for various reasons, most of which is that one of the daughters is going into high school and has read the series over and over again....it was more of a scouting mission to see what was going on in her world...well, I'm completely addicted now!
Vampires, a herioine, action, suspense, great plot and being thrown back into the day when I was 17 and life was simple and sweet...Stephenie Meyer is a great author! Don't open the book, unless you are ready to dive in, feet first with no turning back ;) Want to find out more about it and the author...click here you won't regret it.

Addendum to my original post...the more I thought about it, in reality, life was not simple and sweet when I was 17...it was truly just as complicated - in a completely different way - as it is for Bella in this book...I was always finding myself in weird situations with even weirder people and things happening...

New Look :)

What do you all think???

It wasn't on purpose, but I had been playing with the colors of the other template and messed them all up severely! So...I figured, let me begin again! I absolutely love the water lilly picture! It's one of my favorites from the Botanical Gardens Jaunt! Yet, everytime I look at it...I can't believe that I actually took it myself! It was a once in a lifetime thing that I'd probably never be able to recreate...but so happy I captured it!