School's Out Party!

Today we had a School's Out Party with the kids from the neighborhood! There are a ton of kids on our street and around the corner and we even had a couple friends who are moving soon join us. The plan was to have water balloons, dancing and lots of snacks to go along.


The weather didn't go as planned (imagine that!) and so we couldn't do the water balloon part (notice all the long sleeves? oh I guess not....us adults were wearing the long sleeves!) Well, it was chilly!

And the dancing part, well....all my dancers got a little shy with all the other kids around (what's up with that!) so....they just played!

That's right....they just played!

And you know what?! They seemed to be fine with that!

Just letting kids play without all the fancy dancy planning and games....it actually worked! They figured it out on their own! They actually have imaginations! Holy Cow...it might just be a really great summer!

So here they are....the entire crew! (minus some who were busy today!)

A GREAT group of kids!

a great group shot.....

then two seconds later....ciaos!

And of course, we always have to have a silly shot!

Oh, and we had the snack part down....there was no problem there! Maggie made everyone popcorn with our popcorn machine and we had some yummy ranch pretzels and some punch to make you pucker! It was Perfect!

So on that note....let summer begin!

We're ready whenever you are!

First and Last

Maggie's first day of second grade.....back in August!

(she looks a little nervous!)

And this is Mags on her last full day of second grade, with her wonderful teacher, Mrs. Denner! We're keeping our fingers crossed and hoping to get Mrs. Denner again next year, she is moving up to third grade too! And....we might get to see her over the summer as she is officially now a new neighbor of ours! Yippee!

This is my Mr. Max on his first day of Kindergarten. Oh, so handsome!

And here he is on his last day! Sniff, Sniff! Next year they will both be in school all day! Oh what will I do! (more on that later!)

It was a fabulous year and we were so blessed with wonderful teachers, staff and friends!

So long for now Lincoln School, we'll be back in August!

Summer Rules

Tomorrow is the last full day of school. I know, it's hard to believe, but summer is here and I'm using the next few days to get my "summer rules" in order.

It seems like the first week or two of summer vacation is spent yelling at the kids because they are trying to relearn how to get along with each other for the entire day. My hope is that my list of "summer rules" will help in this process. I'm going to really try to NOT yell.

So here is my list. I'd love for you to share your experiences with me as well. Any "rules" I should add or revamp?

• Morning tv off at 8:30 am
• Morning chores must be done before we do anything or go anywhere (Make bed, get dressed, brush teeth and hair)
• 1 school worksheet per day
• Read for at least 15/20 minutes per day
• Quiet Time everyday (in own rooms for 30-45 mins.)
• Make sure your stuff is picked up and put back where it belongs!

The rest of the day is where the fun comes in.....we don't have a ton of activities planned so that we can just decide what each day brings! I'm really looking forward to having a great summer with my kiddos. Making lots of great memories and just having a great time together!

Okay, I'm really for you to share your "Summer Rules" with me.