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6.12.2020

social distancing {week thirteen ~ wrapping up the school year}

 June 6 - 12

Saturday evening we were going to surprise the kids and make our first venture Goodberry's.  But fireflies...


The shed was pretty much finished last week, but this weekend Ian made a trip to Lowe's to find door handles.  Now it is officially complete!


We finally broke the news to Nicholas that one of his favorite people on the planet is moving to another continent.  His much loved teacher is going home, back to Britain and while initially Nicholas was quite sad, he realized that with technology we will be able to keep up with him from time to time.  One of the teachers that worked with Mr S was putting together a video for him.  Nicholas decided the slack line swing would be a good location so we recorded a message and then a joke.  (What is a snake's favorite subject in school?  World HISS-tory!)


Sunday afternoon called for a family outing.  As the temperatures have been getting warmer we've found that hikes are better received when a cool treat is involved.  Sweet Goodberry's, it's been waaaayyyy to long!

Even if they grumble a bit about bugs and heat, there's no place I'd rather be than in the woods with my peeps.  Okay, maybe in Utah in the red rocks under the big sky with my peeps, but in NC the woods will do!


The older four seem to think there is a prize involved in getting to the end of the hike first.  They often disappear just around the next bend in front of us, thankfully they are good at recognizing trail markers and it can't be said that they are particularly quiet...  Unlike the trailblazers, these two often need a bit of encouragement to keep moving.  They have us to prod them along, but they also have each other.  They can be just the sweetest. 



At the end of our hike we stopped in the big field for our little pilots to fly their planes.




We all really, REALLY enjoyed our frozen custard, but Ian and I realized perhaps we would have been better off hiking first AND THEN cooling off with our Goodberry's.  Live and learn...  The littles decided to beat the heat another way when we got home.  $7 kiddie pool for the win again another weekend!


Monday passed rather uneventfully save the surprise visit for Kylie from her principal (which deserved a post of its own).  Tuesday we continued our socially distant visits, Nicholas's turn to host his two BFFs.  These guys and their chats, so funny!


As mentioned before, Nicholas was quite fond of his teacher this year.  And the news of Mr S moving back to England was hard news to swallow.  So of course when it was announced that a socially distanced farewell parade was going to happened in the neighborhood for kids to say "until next time," we had to make an appearance.


There were SO MANY others there, to say he was a popular teacher would be an understatement.  In the end Nicholas clammed up because he was overwhelmed by the number of people there.  But we're glad we went...though perhaps it would have been best if we had gone later in the two hour time period instead of right when it began.


The hair?  Sigh.  Yeah.  All three boys are sporting a "man pony" or in Daniel and Nicholas's case, a "man sprig" because of the length of their hair these days.  I'm trying to get brave enough to cut it...

Daniel has soaked in all the office hours with his teacher this week as possible before the year ends and he loses access to one of his all time favorite people.  Mr G was a great sport this week and spent quite some time having Oregon Trail parties with Daniel and some of the other students.  So funny to hear Daniel and his friends talking smack to their teacher about things happening in the game.  "Hey Mr G, you got lost again!" or "hahahaha, you have dysentery!"  Also worth noting, Nicholas introduced Mr S to OT, and apparently the Brits have a little competition going on in their OT performance.  Last I heard, Mr G is 2 for 2 and Mr S is 2 for 4 in their survival rates.  

Oregon Trail has been quite the obsession in the house. it relates to the 5th grade social studies curriculum and the kids were assigned to play it. then my kids started playing all the time on their own.  i've been lost or had more broken bones than i can count.  but at least i don't keep getting cholera, it's been so funny to hear the kids yelling about various disasters their team faces across the house to each other.  

This has been a most unusual finish to a school year.  Nat and Nicholas are mostly at the point of just attending office hours and virtual "end of year parties."  Kylie has officially wrapped up her schoolwork for middle school and is already on to working on summer assignments for her AP World History class for the fall.  She is the exact opposite of a procrastinator...how can she be mine?


Some time ago Ky started watching Madam Secretary and currently one of her thoughts for the future involves political science.  But if that doesn't work out, she could have a career in cosmetology.  She enjoys styling hair and this week I was one of the only ones willing to sit still long enough to get a fancy do.

And while the last day of school got its own post, I can't wrap up the week without a little confetti.  


Happy summer!


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