LAST DAY OF SCHOOL

To celebrate the last day of school we had ice cream at...

BRUSTERS! 

Our favorite ice cream place in town.

It is crazy to think that the school year is over and when we start again in the fall we will not only have a new stanger baby but a ...

KINDERGARTENER 

2ND GRADER

&

4TH GRADER!

I mean WHAAAA!

Mindblown!

.............................................................................................

I will say being pregnant and just in terms of bad planning and timing I didn't get to do quite as much with the kids this year. I missed out on field day, and a field trip with Con (I try to go on at least 1, but chaperones weren't as needed this year except to the Science Center in Baltimore and I wasn't able to make the trek being 8 Months pregnant). I was able to attend Connor's writing workshop mid year, and Bella's last field trip and her first grade ice cream social. I also went to lunch with both of them right before school ended. Bella's all about having Mom there, a little shy about it but LOVES it and hates when I leave. Connor is in the 

Mom-you-have-to-come-to-everything-but-when-you-do-I-am-way-too-cool-to-notice-you're-there stage

So he wasn't too heartbroken when I missed out on a few things.

Bella's Ice Cream Social

The highlight of the year for both kids was when Daddy came to be the WATCHDOG!

A special program they do at the school to promote positive male role models, any father figure can come and sign up to be a watchdog for the day and they help with announcements and lunch and recess and in classrooms and the kids of the Dad get to tag along for a lot of it. So it is a really special thing the kids have been talking about since they started at TUES. Unfortunately the spots fill up pretty fast and it is pretty hard to figure out what the work schedule will be for Dad. But this year Shea made it happen and they both couldn't have been more thrilled!

Both kids worked hard on projects throughout the year. Art masterpieces and clay pots, and storybooks, etc.

Bella in particular got really into her HABITAT project and was so proud to present it to her class. She did the tiger habitat and was very inventive as she constructed her project, I felt like I did only what I was told to help speed the process and she was even upset I helped that much. She made it clear it was HER project not mine. And she was right it was ALL HERS! And it turned out great, so proud of my little overachiever. 

Connor worked really hard on a poem, he was stressed about it for weeks. Maybe it is just my love for english and words, but it was by far my favorite of his projects. I am sure his teacher had a hand in it, as she had a hand in a lot this year. (Considering she seems on the too helpful side of teaching.) But I like to think that the heart of this poem was Connor and he proudly presented it to us multiple times. 

We also went to a few TUES events this year and hope to do even more next year. They are always fun and the kids love spotting friends. And I hope to attend as many field trips and school activities as possible as well. I know they mean the world to Bella and I probably should take advantage of the chance I have to go embarrass Connor while he'll still let me. 

It was a great year, but they are both excited for the break!

First Day of School

We have a FIRST GRADER AND A THIRD GRADER! 

It’s hard to believe summer is over, and yet we are all so excited!

(School normally starts Mid August, but with the recent changes with BOE the start date is now after Labor Day like many surrounding counties.)

They loved showing off at Back to School Night!

Connor.

Third grade. Desks! (He hasn't had a teacher that has done desks yet.)

Teacher, Mrs. Shankle. "Super Nice" (Code for I think I will get away with a lot this year.)

Best friend Ryan. Same Class. Lockers right next to each other. 

Bella.

First Grade. Desks!

Teacher, Mrs. McGuigan (Out on Maternity leave doesn't come back for a month, but her long term sub was a long term sub for art(?) last year so Bella knows her already; SCORE!)
Doesn't have any friends from her class last year in her class. More than a little anxious. But we spotted some potential friends so we are going to be just fine!

So bittersweet saying goodbye at the bus stop (first year riding the bus)... actually they just ran to get in line no goodbyes, I guess that’s a good sign. I have walked them to class every year the first day, (even when I wasn’t supposed to) I so missed that today.

Daddy surprised them at lunch and heard all about their day so far!

UPDATE:

And a few weeks later Miss Syd started PRESCHOOL!

She gets a little clingy but once she gets over the initial drop off she warms up, I'm told.

She started beginning of October

With each new child in school it gets all the more quiet at home and yet all the more busy.

It’s going to be a fun (crazy) year!

Class Picture '17

Mrs. Foley

First Grade 

Isn't he the cutest!

STEAM FAIR

Connor has been talking about the Science Fair STEM Fair STEAM FAIR, for forever.
His class made projects so he had been working with his team for a month working on his project for the fair.
Each morning he'd tell me something new about it or he would tell me something new he had to have for it.
I promised we go to his STEAM FAIR and take lots of pictures for Daddy.
Bella actually had a birthday party to go to, her first one! But didn't want to miss the FAIR!
And honestly I didn't know what to expect.
I was very impressed it was a lot of fun.

We started out in the library with tables of different activities for the kids to play with.

After 15 minutes playing there was a SCIENCE MAGIC SHOW! 

Which was a lot of fun and the kids loved.

Front Row

 We made our way to the cafeteria next where there were animal furs and animals to see and pet.

They make me melt!

Bella and Ryan.

 The rest of the cafeteria was set up with the projects, by grade.

Showing off for his friend Ryan.

His Project!

It definitely wasn't what I imagined. Haha! But SO PROUD!

There was a musical performance next (the A in STEAM = Arts) (?).
It was really sweet but the cafeteria was really loud and not many watched, I felt so bad for the kids on stage.

Next we went down the first floor halls where rooms were open for different stations. 

Paper Planes, Hula Hoops, Bowling, Robots, Virtual Reality Goggles, Boat Making and Racing and More. 

They had a blast!

Robot Dancing and Talking

A few projects were in the hallways as well, that the fifth graders were showing. 

We will definitely go again, and I think Connor will always be excited for SCIENCE STEM STEAM FAIRS in the future. 

FIELD TRIP

I promised Connor I would go to his First and Last Fieldtrip (that allowed chaperones) of the year so ESSL, Earth Space Science Lab it is. I was pretty excited it seemed like a pretty easy Chaperone, which it truly was and it was fun to watch Connor in the planetaium ask questions "umm umm ummm ummm I forgot." He finally thought of one but I forget what it was... It was really fun seeing him with all the animals. He was a lot braver in theory then practice. But really loved the whole thing probably enjoying the frogs and the iguana the most. 

Afterwards I followed him to school and watched him at recess and ate lunch with him. 

HE LOVED EVERY BIT!

MY FAVORITE BOY!