Goodbye Kindergarten!

Friday, we celebrated Luke's kindergarten year with an awards picnic.  Parents were invited to come to school to look through Memory Books the kids made about their year, watch a video, and enjoy a picnic lunch with them.  I'm so thankful to my administrators for letting me take off in the middle of the day for awhile so I didn't have to miss it!  It was amazing to see the progress Luke has made in his learning over the past year.  Brandon and I look at each other in startled surprise everytime he reads things to us off billboards and signs, etc. and go, "Oh yeah, he's a reader now!"  It was fun to read the letters his friends in his class wrote him.  Watching the video of pictures from the year was really emotional - of course, all the songs were about kids being kids and starting school, growing, and all that sappy stuff that I usually roll my eyes at, but it hit home as I sat there in realization that not only has Luke started school, he's already got a year under his belt.  When his teacher got up to say a few words after the video, I was crying, Luke was crying, and Brandon even teared up a little.  She talked about how much she loved each one of her students and you knew she meant it.  Mrs. Borsella has been such an amazing teacher and I am beyond grateful for her guidance and patience for all the children in her class, including Luke.  As a teacher myself, it is always my goal to love every student - especially the unloveable ones, because I don't always know if there is anyone else to do it.  I admit, though, that there are days I fall short and struggle to treat those really difficult kids with the love and respect that they deserve, but don't always know how to receive.  I am so thankful that Luke had a teacher who is able to do that with her students.

Luke and Mrs. Borsella

Luke & his classmates performed a little song for us.

Brandon & Luke enjoying our indoor "picnic".  Darned rainy weather!

He's getting big, but he's still my little buddy.

And I do have to throw in a couple of better pictures from Luke's 2nd baseball game.  We did manage to show up on time and discovered that all we really missed last week was the practice portion of the game.  Maybe that wasn't so bad after all...

Up to bat - he was able to hit both in practice & the game.  We're so proud!

He made it home!

{not that there was any chance he wouldn't, because there are no strikes, no outs, no score. (: }

Go team

There was no doubt what this Royals fan was going to wear on Sports Day.  Thanks to Aunt Krissy & Uncle Dusty for the awesome jersey!

And there was no doubt this girl was going as a "West-side Soc" for Outsiders Day.  I was rocking the 60's hair today.

My whole team looked awesome!

Tomorrow, we celebrate (nearly) completing kindergarten with an awards picnic.  What a bonus - I get to leave work for awhile to attend.  I can't wait to enjoy a little part of my day with Luke and Brandon celebrating a great year!

More than Meets the Eye

If you grew up in the 80's like me, you might remember that theme song for a popular kids' toy.  Today was character day and Luke wanted to be Optimus Prime, the ultimate good Transformer leader of the Autobots.  Hey, he got use out of his Halloween costume (without the mask, of course, there is some learning taking place still) so it's all good.  He decided to go for a serious and tough look today since he's a machine super-hero setting out to save the world.

What he couldn't save anyone from today was the hour-long "tornado drill" (his words).  It sounds like they had fun in his class - reading stories & playing games.  In my class, not so much.  Sixty seventh graders who are forced to sit on the floor for an hour get bored with tornado warnings a lot faster than one might think.  It was exhausting...I actually came home and took a semi-nap after school and I never do that!

Tomorrow - Sports Day for Luke & Outsiders Day for me!  Will I be a Greaser or a Soc?  Will I have a picture of me?  We'll see tomorrow!

Dude, just relax. You're going to blow out your squeaker!

Truly, I have no idea what that means, but I decided to look up surfer lingo and that one made me laugh.  Hopefully, it doesn't mean something bad! 

Who wants to go catch a wave with this guy?  He's all geared up and ready for the beach (or most likely, pool, in his case).  Summer vacation is only 5 & 1/2 days away and he's ready!

Cowboy Up!

Well, by golly, it's Kindergarten Spirit Week!  Who's the cutest little rascal this side of the Mississippi on Western Day?

Luke is!  At least I think so.  I love spirit week!



Batter Up!

This spring Luke has been obsessed with baseball.  He wants to stay up late every night the Royals play so he can watch the outcome.  He gives us updates after nearly every pitch if we're not in the room watching with him.  One night, when the game wasn't on TV, he sat in Brandon's office and "watched" the game on the internet.  It just showed the ball count and who was on base, etc, but it was just as enthralling to Luke. 

So, you can imagine his excitement at playing on his own team for the first time.  His first game was last Thursday and the build up in excitement as the days passed was almost unbearable as he waited for the big night.  Rain was in the forecast for Thursday, so Luke worried all night Wednesday that it would rain too much and he'd be unable to play.  Little did we know that rain was the least of our worries.  On game night, Brandon and I experienced a huge parent-fail (we I seem to be having a lot of these lately between the Easter Bunny & the Tooth Fairy), but this one was the worst by far.  We headed over to the ball park around 5:45 for his 6:00 game, thinking that this would give us plenty of time to find his team in the big ballpark complex nearby.  We arrived there to see people all over the place - I couldn't believe all the people of all ages there to watch.  The only problem was, we didn't see any kids who looked like they were Luke's age anywhere.  So, we walk over to field 1 where Luke is supposed to be playing, and which also happens to be the farthest field away.  Hmmm...those kids are way too old to be on a 6 & under machine pitch team, we thought.  Well, maybe we got the field wrong and it's on field 5 (his games are all at either field 1 or 5 - we DO know that much).  Hmmm...no, those kids are definitely too old too.  By now, it is almost game time and we are starting to freak out.  Brandon decided that he should run home and check his e-mail and the messages that he'd received and make sure the game hadn't been canceled or something.  I thought about asking at the concession stand, but there were just kids in there, and I thought there was no way they'd know every schedule for every league.  So - in hopes that we'd run into someone from the team who could clue us in on what field we were supposed to be at, Brandon left us there.  About 2 minutes after he left, I run into a guy who is with his grandson; we start talking and sure enough, his grandson is on Luke's team!  He can't figure out what is going on either, and he decides he will ask at the concession stand.  Then he tells me the worst news I could possibly hear - we are at the WRONG baseball park!  We are at Tiffany Hills park - Luke's game is at Tiffany Springs Park.  Gosh, I guess we just assumed that they were the same place being as Tiffany Hills is right next to Tiffany Springs Road & The Springs Aquatic Center.  BIG. MONUMENTAL. FAIL.  You know what they say about when you assume, right?  Well, it's true.  So - it is after game time, Brandon has left us and I have no way to contact him and tell him to get back here right away as fast as he can.  Those of you who know me well, know I don't have a cell phone and I have never, ever been in a circumstance where I felt I needed one until that instant.  (I still don't really think I need one - this was an unusual circumstance).  So...we wait.  As we're waiting, I run into a guy I used to work with who apparently now works at the ball park. He asks what we're doing just standing in the parking lot, so I tell him the sad and sordid tale.  He shares that, "Oh yeah, we have people here every night who make the same mistake."  And I'm thinking, seriously, EVERY night?  If this is such a common mistake, then why, why, why, doesn't someone - either the coach or the ball association or SOMEONE - make it clear to people that there are TWO ballparks and who plays where?  Sooooooo frustrating...Luke is beyond devastated at this point - it's close to 6:15 and his dream of playing his first game is falling apart before his very eyes.  And I am SO mad I can hardly see straight.  Finally, a little after 6:20, Brandon comes rolling in, and we run to the car and explain what happened.  We fly to the other ballpark and get there a little after 6:30.  I had already prepared Luke that he might not get to play at all, but he could at least meet his coach and the other kids on his team.  However, once we got there, everyone was very nice (you can imagine my horrified embarrassment at being THOSE parents) and Luke did get to play.  It's funny - because in his mind, it was like he didn't even miss anything.  He got to go out on the field (where he jumped and hopped around  because he couldn't contain his excitement).  He even got a chance to bat - and he had an amazing (if I do say so myself - and not just because he's my kid) hit!  Brandon overheard him say to a kid on the bench, "This is the best baseball game ever!"  And there you go, what should have been a completely ruined night, turned out for good and I'm mostly over my anger now.  :)

On the field (in the dark gray pants & blue hat)

At 1st base after his big hit

What a night - I know I won't soon forget it.  If you hung in through that horrendously long story - thanks for reading!



Better Late

For whatever reason, I have been incredibly lackadaisical about blogging the last couple of weeks.  Mainly because there is nothing interesting going on in my world, I guess.  I don't want my posts to completely bore those who actually read them to tears.  I think the excitement may pick up around here soon, though...summer break is only 11 & 1/2 days away (but who's counting?), Luke is going to start playing baseball this week, and Brandon & I are getting ready to take our yearly adults-only vacation.  But in the meantime, the only semi-interesting thing I have to post is a couple pictures from my Mother's Day.  I woke to find multiple flowers at my spot on the table.

From Luke:

Every time I look at this, I think - when did his hands get that big?

 From Brandon & Ginger:

These iris are from our flower garden...from my mom's flower garden...and some that we have go back to my grandma's flower garden.  My grandma has been gone for nearly 11 years, but every time I see an iris, I see my grandma.  I see my grandma and my mom digging them up and splitting them.  They are one of my favorite flowers because of the memories they stir up and because they're gorgeous.  Thank goodness for Brandon's green thumb and love of gardening that continues the legacy of iris passed down from my mom & grandma.  I can't think of a more perfect flower to commemorate my Mother's Day than that!

Oh & the only other noteworthy thing - another mother fail...somehow Luke ended up on my blog & saw my face on the tooth fairy (my attempt at a little goofy humor) in the post below and wanted to know how come the tooth fairy has my face?  Hmmm...for the same reason the Easter Bunny delivered your basket to my closet, I guess.  I don't know, maybe he bought my story that I was just being silly...



Weekend in Review

Brandon and I got to enjoy a weekend on our own, thanks to Grandma & Grandpa Jackson taking on Luke for Friday and Saturday nights.  Friday evening was pretty quiet, but we did enjoy the Chili's 2 for $20 menu (chicken fajitas - yum!). 

Saturday we went to see Water for Elephants.  Now, I absolutely loved the book when I read it a few months ago and was thrilled when I heard it was being made into a movie.  However, I always have that fear that I will be disappointed by the movie when the book is so good.  Obviously, they can't use every detail from the book in the movie, but I thought it was very well done and I enjoyed it almost as much as the book.  Brandon was a  little worried when there was only one other man (who happened to resemble Santa Claus) in the theater.  Then when every preview seemed to be a "chick flick" he was starting to get a little annoyed that I'd dragged him out to see this movie. :) (On an aside - there was a preview for The Help - didn't know that was being made into a movie - def want to see it too!).  However, Brandon really liked the movie.  He likes movies that "have a story" and this one definitely met the criteria.  If you haven't read the book - I recommend reading it first, then seeing the movie.  Unless, of course, you don't like to read.

Saturday night, we tried out the new Brazilian grill at the shops at Boardwalk - Fazenda.  It's a more casual type of Brazilian grill.  Brandon had bought a Groupon for it and it was delicious!  I highly recommend it - it's not nearly as expensive as your normal Brazilian grill & it was YUMMY!

Today, we met the grandparents to pick up Luke at the Smithville Pizza Hut.  It's a nice halfway point to make the exchange & get a little lunch too.  As we were eating, we were all startled when Luke shouted out, "MOM, DAD - my other tooth just fell out while I was eating this cucumber!" (we had the buffet - salad bar included - not on the pizza).  It didn't even bleed.  Looks like this lady will be paying another visit tonight.

My final task for the weekend, if I so choose to try to figure it out, is to find an audiobook or two for Brandon & I to listen to when we travel to Arizona next month.  It's a long drive and it breaks up the hours to listen to a story as we go.  What's hard is I read all the time, so I am always reading the books I want to read...and I know what I like, but it's hard to find something that Brandon will enjoy too.  I spent hours Friday night, skimming lists and reading about different popular titles.  It made my brain hurt and I haven't been able to get back to it.  Any great recommendations out there???