Theater Program

So the school district we live in is well known for their sports program.  Every year we have some team ranked in state competitions.  Many district decisions are made with the athletic programs in mind.  Some people complain that it is all that is ever considered.  They worry about the lack of arts or other such nonsense. 

For me I don't always know what they are complaining about.  Because I see that our elementary school's PTO sponsors the "theater program" every other year, by sending every student to see a show in the local theaters from Lancaster to Harrisburg to Reading.  Then our first grade teachers put on a little musical for the first graders every year.  It used to be a play by a fourth grade teacher but when she retired they took over with this.  Last our community has a volunteer led theater program called iStage for students from 4th-12th grade. 

These programs show me that people care about the arts and that since the school lets all of these programs use their buildings for practices and performances I'd say they're doing okay.  And all of this doesn't even speak to the actual musicals and plays that the high school puts on.

Here are the pictures of my little kiddos in their performances.  I love watching them!

End of School Year Craze

So the end of the school year is always super packed.  I lose my mind with running the kids back and forth.  Sadly the summer has been much the same.  All in a good way of course, but I wonder if I could even remember what my days consist of if I didn't record it here. 

This year Issac was in an after school basketball camp.  He loved it and got really good.  They had a tournament for families to watch the last week of school.  He killed it!

 Of course there are the end-of-year parties.  They have relays, play games, and eat popsicles.

 Issac with his teacher.

Wyatt participated in circus club where they learn to juggle, walk on stilts, hula hoop, unicycle, and jump rope while doing crazy things as well as tumbling.  They then do an assembly for the school as well as one for the parents.  Love our little school!

I Love To See the Temple

It just never gets old or less beautiful.

So happy I got married here!

Karaoke Krazy

A friend had her 30th birthday this past month. 

Another friend threw her a little get together.  We ended up eating, laughing, and doing karaoke. 

My friends are the best and this was quite comical. 

Nothing more so, than when in the midst of Bohemian Rhapsody, we started head banging. 

Another friend in her enthusiasm lost her balance and fell backwards onto the glass coffee table. 

I was on the other side and saw it in slow mo. 

I thought for sure we were going to the ER with a huge glass shard through her stomach,

but alas I half caught her and all was fine and funny then. 

Thanks girls for a fun evening!

 

Miscellaneous Monday

 I can't believe that my sweet boy loves to bring me flowers.

 Sometimes I wonder if I am even pretty if I am not smiling.  I feel weird.

Kody's teacher was the best.  After a baby shower from the class and some difficulty, she had to be on bed rest and missed the last week and a half of school.  Talk about sad little kids and equally sad teacher.  She was just perfect for Kody!

 No matter how many I see, there is something magical about a double rainbow.

Found this gem at the elementary school.  Does Issac even know who his dad and heritage is?  This is the same boy who went deer hunting this past Thanksgiving.  Hmmm.

It's so funny to me, how getting older makes your kids more cool.  Walking to Bella's symphony concert...she says I'm like the Beetles Abbey Road Cover when I ask for a picture.

 

Love these kids.

Selfies

Yeah, I exist.  Usually behind the camera. 

But I'm not afraid of a little "selfie" action. 

Especially if it helps me preserve these memories with my family and loved ones.

Race For Education

Our elementary school does one fundraiser every 18 months.  It's called Race for Education.  They run for money basically.  Thank you to all of our family and friends who donated.  The boys did amazing.  They raced to see how much mileage they could do in 30 minutes, 3 laps equaled one mile.  I ran with the kids off and on throughout the day while helping and taking pictures.  I put in just over 5 miles.  The boys accumulated total was a little over 8 miles.

Wyatt was a reluctant runner.  He thought it was too hard to run the whole time, but found out it was all in his head when I showed him my jogging pace, that I set for him, was the same speed as his run/walk pace. 

Issac was my most enthusiastic runner and because of that I don't have pictures of him actually running.  Boo.  He did almost 3 miles in 30 minutes. 

Kody was very excited.  His friends and him had been trash talking and you can see him on the start line.  But he got plowed by the kids behind him and then refused to run for the first 15 minutes.  Eventually he got in a better mood, with the help of Ethan, and they ran together. 

They did 1.5 miles. 

Middle School Field Day

Have I told you how much I love our school?  Well I do.  Our middle school has a field day that is steeped in tradition.  This isn't your garden variety waste time near the end of school, but an event that focuses on athleticism, good sportsmanship, and learning about global events.  And we've been doing it for some 40 odd years.

Every home room class in 5th and 6th grade creates a team, with their own matching colored t-shirts.  They create a flag/banner and then they compete in track and field events.  Discuss, shot put, sprints, long distance running and jumping as well as a Special Olympics sub category (want to see adults get emotional, watch this part of the day) are all a part of this competition.  They then compete against themselves, their classmates, and of course the other teams.  All of this is done only after the opening ceremony, where they do the parade, carrying the torch and national anthem.  It's amazing.

Thanks to all the administrators, staff and parent volunteers who recognize how cool this event is, because I love it!!!

Only in PA can a day start as misty and foggy as above and end up in beautiful and sunny perfection.

Bella's events were the 100M, 4x100M, long jump and discus.  She medaled in discus and 4x100.

Seriously the best!!!

Dutch Apple Day

Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre is a local live theater.  Our elementary school, being awesome, sends our kids on theater experiences.  This year Kody's class went.  I have missed feelings about this.  They are as follows: the play was Sleeping Beauty.  Safe right, well not so much.  Not only did they drastically change the plot of the play, but they made Trollerina, the evil fairy sister, as part of the changes.  Not only that, but then they cast a male to play the role.  So we have a cross dressing actor.  Not the first time this has occurred, but either the actor was very poor or their intention was not to really disguise him as a girl.

Because as we left the show there were lots of kids confused.  They wanted to know why they would dress a boy like a girl.  And as a parent, I was struggling to answer these questions that parents should have the right to answer for their kids.  I highly suspect the parents knew to expect this.  When did we take a children's theater show and purposefully and intentionally start trying to distort it to confuse kids or push a controversial social issue.  Sad day.

Pair that with the absolutely appalling food, geared to kids - pizza, nuggets, spaghetti, French fries, etc... and I left thinking, I don't ever need to go back there.  That aside, I still loved my little group of boys and as long as I'm with my kids I'm usually having fun!

(Matthew, Gus, Me, Kody)

Gretna Glen Again

I've done this field trip a time or two.  It's fun.  And they changed it up some this year.  But it was raining pretty much all day and a chilly day after many warm ones.  Lots of kids and even I were not dressed as we should have been.  So it was cold, but fun.

Stop Growing Up Already

Sometimes when I am reviewing my pictures, I'll see a picture of the kids where they look especially grown up.  Bella, since she is my oldest, comes off looking far too mature for my liking.  It isn't that she looks prematurely older, but that this time thing continually sneaks up on me and kicks my trash. 

I love my kids, I love this stage.  I don't want them to ever grow up and leave my house.  This has been the best stage of my life.  My kids are old enough to take care of themselves, but young enough to constantly circle back around to me, both in public and at home, for hugs, kisses and tender whisperings of their undying love for me and their belief that I am the best mom ever.

I don't know what I ever did good or right to earn their undying devotion, but I can't help but think that Heavenly Father blessed me with some of his favorites.  ;)