Last Day of School...FINALLY!

Well, the never-ending-school-year finally came to a close today!  Due to a 3-day strike in September, a cancelled day of school from a power outage in January, and three snow days in February, our school district was supposed to stay in school until June 26th.  Luckily, the state approved to "forgive" two of our make-up days which meant that the kids got out of school today!  Although it was a super late end to the school year, it really didn't end up being that much of a bummer since we have had cool, cloudy weather for the last few weeks.  It also gave me a chance to focus on getting ready for our big trip to Florida that we are leaving on in three days while the kids were still at school.  So, overall, I am grateful that school is just getting out today.
I would say that the 2018-2019 school year was a success for all three of our older children.  Ella LOVED going to preschool and having Miss Vera as her teacher.  She made some great friends and enjoyed learning her letters and numbers and completing all of the crafts and worksheets.  She also thoroughly enjoyed her weekly ballet/tap class with Miss Krystal and some friends from church and preschool and also loved her weekly gymnastics class at the Y.  And although she did not love her twice-a-week swim lesson, she improved tons this year and can now swim and can jump and 'cannon ball' into the water without a life jacket on.
Logan continued to grow and progress in first grade.  He got another wonderful teacher who ran an efficient, organized class each day.  He continued to improve in reading and can now read little books with barely any help.  He is still an awesome artists and writes with beautiful and neat handwriting (that his teacher commented on more than once).  Logan made some new friends in his class this year and enjoyed participating in his third soccer season and first basketball season.  He also took another 8-week session of swim lessons this spring and moved up to Level 3 where the class is taught in the deep end by the diving board. 
Lia had another successful year as a 5th grader.  She made two new friends (Elle and Ryann) this year which was such a blessing as most of her old friends have moved on to the 'gifted class.'  She loved her teacher and being with Elle and Ryann every day in class and at recess.  She competed in another soccer and basketball season and also took swim lessons this spring with Ella and Logan.  We decided that she will continue with soccer in 6th grade, but not basketball as the sport is just getting too aggressive for her personality.  Lia enjoyed going skiing with her dad four times this past winter and continued to improve at that sport.  She continued with piano lessons, Girl Scouts (thanks to me stepping up to the plate and being the second troop leader which saved the troop from ceasing to exist), and Activity Days at church.  She also participated in her first track season at school which turned out to be a bit of a disappointment due to injuring her ankle during the second week of the season.  Lia is still an avid reader and writer and excelled in all of her other subjects at school.
Overall, it was a successful school year and I am just so grateful that we all survived adding a newborn baby to the mix.  It was rough for a few months there, but we managed to make it without eliminating most activities from our busy routine after school and on the weekends.  The children all adjusted really well to baby Emmett arriving in their lives and they all just love him to pieces!  However, I am very ready for a break from the busy routine and hustle and bustle of the school year.  It is time to let go of the schedule, go on some trips, and have some fun!

Sweet Ella standing outside her preschool door for the very last time on June 14th.

Ella waiting in line in the church foyer for Miss Vera to come and pick up her class.

Ella getting ready to follow her teacher to their classroom.

Ella walking off to her PreK class for the very last time.  Sigh.  It is all starting to go so fast!

Lia and Logan posing outside their school with their teacher gifts in hand on their last day of school today.  I have just loved watching these two kids head off to school together every day for the last two years and I am so grateful that they have one more year together before Lia heads off to junior high school.

Girl Scouts and "I FLY"

Lia and her Girl Scout troop met up today next to the Southcenter Mall to participate in their big, cookie reward activity that they earned by selling cookies this past winter.  After taking a survey several months ago, they chose to go flying at "iFly" and to spend a day at Wild Waves water park.  After making some calls and getting the parents to vote on a date, I made the reservations for the girls to participate in this unique experience this afternoon.  Unfortunately, Ron had to go into work after Ella's dance recital, so I had to bring all of the children up with me for the event.  Luckily, baby Emmett managed to do okay and Ella and Logan were entertained most of the time watching all of the girls 'fly' in the tunnel from the observation area.  All of the girls had a great time and thoroughly enjoyed their two flying experiences in the tunnel--including the "high flight" when they got to fly up to the top of the tunnel with their instructor at the end of the second flight.

All of the girls dressed in their special flight gear and ready to go at the beginning of their flight experience.

Sienna, Lia, and Elle waiting to go on their first flight.

The one complimentary picture, "iFly" provided for us of Lia's flight.

Lia coming into the tunnel with her instructor.

Lia getting the hang of it.

Going up into the air with her instructor!

Lia flying towards me on the other side of the window.

Getting close to mama!

Lia going up high at the end of her second flight.

Coming back down at the end of her flight.  What a fun experience this was for Lia!

Ella's Spring Dance Recital

After getting Ella all dolled up and dressed in her adorable lime-green leotard and tutu, we headed out this morning to attend her annual, dance recital at our church.  Along with the six girls in her class, Ella did a great job performing her tap and ballet routines.  She is so adorable to watch that I couldn't stop smiling and giggling the entire time.  Ella really has such a grace and coordination that makes her a natural dancer and one of the best in her class.  It has been so fun to watch her progress this year with such a nice, tight-knit group of girls from church.  I am so grateful that we learned about Miss Krystal last Spring and were lucky enough to have 1.25 years with her.  It's a bit sad to see all of the girls go their separate ways this Fall as Krystal will be enrolling her own daughter in a local ballet studio and will not be continuing with teaching in her home studio.  Regardless, it has been so fun to watch Ella enjoy her weekly ballet/tap class and to develop a love of dance.  It will be fun to see how far she goes with this talent of hers in the years to come!

Ella posing for me at our house before heading off to her recital.

Ella flashing me one of her million dollar smiles before the recital began.

Ella starting her tap dance routine.

Ella tapping away.

This is one of my favorite tap moves that Ella does.  I just think it is the cutest thing!

Another shot of Ella dancing.

Ella and the rest of the girls in her class holding hands...

and kicking away!

Ella waving to me as she and her class exits at the end of their tap routine. 

Ella pointing her toes as she begins her ballet dance.

Ella doing another adorable pose.

Ella skipping with the other girls in her class.

The girls holding hands and dancing in a circle.

Ella getting ready to run across the floor to do a leap before the end of the dance.

The girls final pose at the end of the routine.

Miss Krystal asked the girls to demonstrate a few dance moves after their ballet number was complete.  Here is Ella and another girl in her class doing a chasse across the room.

Ella was then asked to do a grand jete the other direction across the room.  I just love this picture!

The girls finished off by demonstrating some creative dance movement they do in class.  Here is Ella skipping around the group of girls while waving a scarf.

Ella getting ready to pass the scarf off to another girl.

Ella passing the scarf to Emmy.

Ella's class posing at the end of the recital.

Back row (left to right):  Amelia, Caitlyn, Liesel

Front row (left to right):  Dakota, Mia, Emmy, and Ellie

Ella received a red rose from her teacher at the end of the performance.  Here she is proudly showing it off.

Ella and her teacher, Miss Krystal.

Ella standing with her siblings after everyone was done eating their refreshments after the performance was over.  Good job, Ella!  We are so proud of you!

Bridging to Cadettes!

After seeing another GS troop's bridging ceremony at this same park years ago, I decided that it would be a fun to have Lia's troop bridge to Cadettes at Wildwood this June.  After planning the entire thing, we showed up this evening and had Lia's entire troop walk over the little bridge one at a time in order to officially become Cadettes.  After the ceremony and some play time at the park, we gathered the girls together under the pavilion to receive their cookie sale rewards and patches/pins for their new Cadette vests before eating refreshments complete with a custom cake.  It's hard to believe that Lia has been with more than half of these girls since Kindergarten.  They have been Girl Scouts for six full years now!  Much to my relief, I was able to find two new moms who are willing to take over the troop next year as it has been a bit of a sacrifice to co-lead this troop this year with everything going on in my life including a new baby.  But I am grateful that these girls will have the chance to stick together for their sixth grade year before they all probably go their separate ways as they head into Junior High.  It's been a good, long run with a great group of girls!

Lia, Mollie, and Sienna waiting their turn to walk across the bridge and put on their Cadette vest.

Lia getting ready to "bridge" to Cadettes and meet me on the other side.

Putting Lia's new vest on.

A proud mama with her new Cadette.

Lia's entire troop showing off their certificates and new vests.

Lia with the four other girls (Mila, Addy, Mollie, and Sienna) who she has known since PreK at Celebration Preschool.

Lia enjoying the refreshments with Sienna, Elle, and Ella.

Rolling Over!

After waiting for it to happen, Emmett rolled over in the blink of an eye today!  We have been waiting for him to roll over from his backside onto his stomach which is what he has been trying to do for several weeks now.  Today, I decided to put him down on his stomach since I have not been good about providing "tummy time" for him lately.  Within five seconds of putting him down on the floor, he simply rolled over and looked up at me.  I was so surprised!  I just couldn't believe it.  I tried to get him to do it again, but he would have nothing to do with it.  So, just like that, Emmett rolled over for the first time and I was the only one to witness it.  It happened so fast and was so unexpected that I found myself wondering if it really happened a few minutes later...but it did.  So, although I couldn't get Emmett to roll over again for me on video, I decided to take a few pictures of him while still on laying on the blanket to 'capture the moment.'  Such a cute baby.

Besides his adorable smile, I love this picture because it captures something that Emmett has been doing for a few weeks now--clasping his hands above his chest.  He discovered this little trick a few weeks ago and I find him doing it several times a day.  Whenever I see Emmett doing this, I always ask him, "You got your hands?" to which he always responds back to me with a big grin. 

Father's Day 2019

Par Ron's request, we wrapped up a very quiet and relaxing Father's Day tonight.  When I asked him what he wanted to do on his special day, he thought about it for awhile and then declared he wanted to stay home and eat Filipino food for dinner.  So, we turned down the invitation to join the rest of my family at my brother's house and a graduation party of a former student in Kent to stay home and spend a quiet day together as a family.  After church and naps, I cooked up Ron's favorite dinner of adobo, sinagong, rice, and lumpia which we ate out on the deck because it was such a beautiful evening.  I then treated Ron to a raspberry cream pie (made with raspberries from our garden) before we watched him open up his gifts that were mainly made by the children at school.  It was a nice and relaxing way to celebrate the husband and father in our lives who we love and appreciate so much!  Happy Father's Day, Ron!

The father of four getting ready to dive into dinner!

The three older children gathered around their daddy during the gift opening.

Ron opening up Lia's gift she made at school.

Ron reading Ella's card that she made for him.