Here we go.... Let's look back at 2nd Grade!

Well, here we are, a week into the 2016-17 school year.  It's a whole new routine for all of us - Riley's started kindergarten and we're at a brand new school.  With that new routine, I'm hoping to spend a lot more time blogging again, and so...we need to do  A LOT of catching up.  Hopefully, this will be our last big catch up and I can get back to this more regularly.

So, even though he's now a third grader, let's look back at the end of Gavin's 2nd grade year.  I already blogged about Riley's preschool graduation, so it's time to give Gavin some of the spotlight, too.  

Gavin had a rocky end of the year after his teacher began having health issues and missed the last six weeks or so of school.  He had a lot of substitutes coming and going, and because of that, there was a lot of chaos in the classroom - because, you know, kids can't behave for subs...  But, he kept working, kept reading, and even completed his first diorama!  They had to pick something Arkansas related to research and create a diorama/write a paper about, and he chose Bill Clinton.  

We were all kind of processing the fact that as the school year ended, so did our time at Elm Tree.  We loved the school and really LOVED the calendar, but with our town growing so rapidly, the school board felt the need to get all elementary schools on the same calendar, and thus rezoned everyone.  That meant no more year-round school and no more Elm Tree.    I received this key chain from the PTO for volunteering, and I love it.  The kids recited a student creed every single day, and this is how it started.  It's a good reminder that you get a fresh start with every sunrise.  We all need that reminder sometimes...

On a scorching hot day, Riley and I headed to ETE to help out with the 2nd grade end-of-the-year party, which was a sports/Olympics themed event.  It was HOT, but we still had fun.

And the class was SO excited to Ms. Behnke come back for a visit.  They had missed their teacher, you could tell.

And, of course, mama had to get her traditional last day pictures before we left 2nd grade in the dust....

Thankfully, he obliged.  It's not often I get good pics of this one these days...

Riley helped me hang the end of the year decorations to celebrate the start of summer, and instead of baking something, they asked if we could do ice cream this year, so we headed to Yum Yos after our last Elm Tree carline.

Elm Tree was good to us.  The three years we were Wildcats helped shape Gavin.  He matured, and slowly worked on becoming more confident, more outgoing, and more social.  I remember dropping him off at kindergarten like it was yesterday...  We are so thankful for our two years with Mrs. Ruffner and our last year with Ms. Behnke.  He had wonderful teachers that helped him grow, continued to nurture his love of learning, and inspired him to keep going.  He made amazing friends, and I know that the true friends will hang around even though we're leaving for a new school.  He tried out Cub Scouts, and learned that he loves Running Club and soccer.  He learned to read, and left 2nd grade reading on a 5th grade level.  He is growing into an amazing young man.  And we love him.

Goodbye, 2nd Grade.  Goodbye, Elm Tree.  We'll miss you both, but we have bigger things ahead, and new adventures to be had.  <3 font="">

First Days of School

Another school year is {well} underway {slacker mom...} so it's time to finally share first day of school memories.  The night before 2nd grade started for this guy, I had to prove to him that mama could still carry him around, so a piggyback ride in to brush teeth was in order! 

He picked out his first day outfit and it was very fitting for him - Gavin practically lives in athletic shorts, t-shirts, and knee high socks.  Isn't he handsome?

I love that Jarrod goes into work late on the first day and can head to school with us.  We didn't get our traditional first day of school pics with mom and dad, but that's ok...I'm sure that tradition wouldn't have lasted much longer anyway considering how little he even acknowledged we were there.  I can see him telling us to just use the carline next year. :(

Just like old times....he settled right in with friends while waiting to be dismissed to the classrooms.  I love seeing him with his friends.  

We're excited to have Ms. Behnke this year.  We've heard so many wonderful things about her and I know it's going to be a great year.  {First quarter is quickly coming to an end and Gavin's in the process of being evaluated for the Gifted and Talented program, so that's a good sign of a great year!}

After dropping him off, Little Miss and I got started on his back to school chocolate chip cookies!  And thankfully, his books I ordered for his first day gift arrived just in time...they were on the porch when I got home from picking him up. 

The back-of-the-school car line is new to us this year since he's a big second grader now!  And I'm not enjoying it....it's so much more congested.  Boo.  

He had a great first day, and of course, picked lettuce wraps for dinner that night {which he technically eats in a tortilla...but still.}

Fast forward a month later, and finally it was time for Little Sister to go to school.  We had quite the meltdown a few days before school started.  Riley was READY to go back to school and she wasn't happy that it wasn't her first day yet.  Ironically, her first day happened to fall on the Friday before Labor Day {which was strange} and that meant that Gavin had the day off and Jarrod actually took the day off, too!  We had a fun family day.

Riley's been working on growing her bangs out since June, and we're finally making some progress.  She was really excited to wear this new outfit Mimi sent her. 

Mommy braided her hair to match Riley...hard to tell in the picture though.  She loved showing Daddy where she would have Jitterbugs before we headed to her classroom.

She was very quick to find something to do in her classroom.  I thought I finally convinced her to take a picture with her teacher, Miss Cindy, but now I can't seem to find it on my computer.  I'll keep looking...  She's enjoying her school year, but really misses her teacher from last year.

The three of us came back home and I got her cookies ready while Daddy and Gavin took Phoebe out for a walk.  We ran a couple errands, and then picked Riles up and headed out to a special family lunch of her choice - pizza!

When we got home, she was excited to find her cookies and new books.  We love Doc McStuffins these days. :)  She also showed me the self-portrait she made so that I could look at it while she's at school if I start to miss her.  Sweet girl.

I love that these kiddos love school so much....just like their mama!

Goodbye, First Grade

Just like that, first grade came to an end a few weeks ago.  We were so lucky to have another fabulous year with Mrs. R.  It was just luck of the draw that we ended up with her two years in a row, and I'm so thankful it worked out that way.  Gavin had such an amazing start to his schooling career with her.

They celebrated the end of the year with a special "P"arty.  Pajamas, pillows, playing outside, eating pizza and popcorn, watching Parent Trap, taking silly pictures...the whole shebang.  He was pumped up for his fun day!

Riley and I joined him for a little while.  Unlike kindergarten, we didn't spend the whole day with him this time.  In fact, he barely paid us any attention during the outside play time.  He was much too busy goofing off with his friends. :)  But, I still enjoyed being part of the fun, seeing him laugh and play with the other boys in his class.  Watching him come out of his shell is pretty special.  The older he gets, the more outgoing I see him become.

We snapped a few class photos before lunch, and it just cracks me up because it was so dreary that day....not a hint of sun in the sky, yet Gavin couldn't keep his eyes open without his sunglasses.  We made a trip to the store and stocked up on more sunglasses for the summer after school that day.  He somehow lost every pair in his collection over the course of the school year.  

We headed in and the kids got all settled in to watch their movie and relax for the rest of the day and that's when Riley and I headed out and let him enjoy his afternoon sans Little Sister.  I think he appreciated that. ;)

Before we left, we presented Mrs. R with a gift the class all contributed towards.  It was such a pleasure to put this together for her.  Made me have flashbacks of the wonderful class gifts I once received.

Gavin, Daddy and I are so proud of your accomplishments in first grade!  Great report cards and test scores indication you're already reading at almost a 5th grade level and doing match like a pro....that's all fabulous.  But, more so than that, we just love the young man you're becoming.  You are trying more things - Cub Scouts and soccer were on the list this year.  You're finally tackling things that once gave you so much hesitation and fear - swimming and riding your bike, for example.  Thank you for making our days light up and for always giving us hugs when you know we really need one.  We love your loving heart.