Last Day of Second Grade

Second grade came and went in the blink of an eye. We had an amazing class this year, both with the students and the parents. It was incredible to see the changes in the kids this year. They really grew up a lot. Parker is now reading chapter books completely on his own, doing multiplication and fractions, started cursive, and grew a couple of inches. He is becoming more grown up and also embarrassed by things that are not cool (like character Band Aids are suddenly no longer "cool").


Parker received 2 awards that were voted on by his classmates; one for "Best Friend" and the other for "Most Athletic" in the class. He was so funny because when we got to the car, he asked me, "What does Most Athletic mean mom?" I told him it meant best all around in sports and he replied, "Cool!"




Two new 3rd graders! Joey and Parker with Mrs. Allison.

Bowling Party

To celebrate the end of the school year, Parker's class had a party at the local bowling alley. It was the first fieldtrip I was able to attend this year--thanks to Nana Ann for watching Spencer! Parker's team came in first and he had the second highest score with 105. He definitely bowls better than his mom!

Toadly Awesome

One of my favorite things about summer in Brentwood is all the toads and frogs that are around. There is nothing like opening your windows at night and feeling the cool Delta breeze while listening to them down by the creek. Justin happened to find a toad in our backyard the other night and it kept the boys entertained while we sat on the front lawn.

Caught Red Handed!

Spencer has discovered the fun in our extra bedroom aka the "Toy Room." While Parker was at school the other day, Spencer sat in front of the closed door to the toy room and threw a fit. Nothing would distract him. He wanted in...now! I finally gave in and as I opened the door, Spencer gave the most evil little giggle. He knew exactly what he was doing and that he was getting to play with his big brother's forbidden toys. He went straight for the Bakugan balls and cards--Parker's absolute favorites. When he was done playing with those, he grabbed the self inflating whoopee cushion, another of Parker's current favorites. I must admit, it was a lot of fun and I felt like we were getting away with something! :)

Camp Fetterman

We had our most recent pack meeting out at Camp Fetterman, the infamous location for our Father and Sons outing each May. Parker was so excited to take me on a tour of the property. He showed me everything I have been hearing about for the past 4 years. Before the campfire began, we showed Spencer the animals. We learned very quickly that he doesn't like horses. Just look at how he is gripping Justin's shirt.




According to Parker, the two best things about Camp Fetterman are the campfire and the zip line.







Even Spencie took a turn on the zip line with Daddy's help.





The sunset was just beautiful on our way home. Justin pulled over so I could get a few shots of the view. It was an amazing summer evening and the Brentwood corn was just starting to grow.

An Unforgettable Mother's Day

I am sure that when you think of Mother's Day you think of flowers, chocolates, breakfast in bed, etc., etc. Well, my husband nearly died when he came home with this.



In the 11 years we've been together, Justin has done an exceptional job as a gift giver. I think it was his one saving grace that kept this sleep deprived mom from becoming the next woman portrayed on the Oxygen series "Snapped." He had decided to go run some "errands" aka Mother's Day shopping. I stayed home with the kids, excited as I imagined what he might be getting me. Several hours pass, and I am ready for him to come home so I call to check in on him. Before we hang up, I jokingly add, "And make sure it isn't an animal!" He sounds flustered and I begin to panic. For 15 minutes I wait at the front window and sure enough, Justin pulls up and proceeds to get an aquarium out. Lucky for him, I had the baby locks set and he couldn't get in. He turned back around and left to try and return it. Long story short, he can't return the lizard, the oldest child cries about us selling the lizard on Craigslist and the lizard now becomes an early Father's Day gift. I can laugh about it now, but it took about 24 hours to get to this point. Parker learned a very valuable lesson that day about what not to get your wife for Mother's Day. I ended up having a wonderful day with my boys and got the best present of all--a nap!

Dinomotion

The entire 2nd grade at Parker's school recently put on a musical about dinosaurs called "Dinomotion." It was full of fun and silly songs. The best part was watching Parker's embarrassed face the entire time. He made the cutest faces! Spencer loved the music and danced throughout the performance.