Last Day of 1st Grade!

Addy had her last day of school today (I know!) They had to add on 3 extra days because of snow days (yes, you read that right). So now it's onto summer and making the most of every day, but first I have to recognize what an amazing year our first grader had. Here is her top 10 list of first grade.

10. Dancing in Music
 9. Field Trips
 8. Library Checkout
 7. Indoor Recess
 6. Art
 5. Assemblies
 4. Friends
 3. Reading
 2. Corner bookmarks
 1. My teacher!

And her teacher recorded such a sweet message about Addy that it made me a little teary.

Hi Adelyn, I just wanted to take a moment to tell you how proud I am of all the things you accomplished this year in 1st grade. You are a leader of giving it your very best everyday, whether it was something we were learning or doing in the classroom or whether it was talking to a friend or being helpful to someone else. 
You were there to do your very best every single day and it shines through in all the things you do. You are a model example to other students and I truly appreciate all of your dedication this year. 
Thank you so much for letting me be your 1st grade teacher. I hope you have a fantastic summer. 

We are so proud of you Addy, congrats on finishing 1st grade and watch out 2nd grade, here she comes!

The Opposite of Bliss

Every story has two sides, so it only makes sense that after a perfectly enjoyable day on Saturday, it would be too much to ask to have it followed by another perfectly enjoyable day on Sunday. We had bought tickets to the Mariner's game on Sunday and were excited to take the kids since we had so much fun last year. We took the train down to the stadium and while I'm sure this isn't true, it felt like someone was whining about something from the time we left until the time we got home. My two "favorite" complaints were a) Addy was complaining as we were leaving this stadium that she never got to eat a hotdog even though I offered to buy her one no less than 10 times and she kept saying she wasn't hungry. b) Cameron was bored around the 4th inning and said he wanted to go play so I took both kids to the play area where they threw and hit balls, got free bats and backpacks and got ice cream. When we came back to our seats and it was the 7th inning Cameron complained that we missed too much of the game.
And of course the Mariners lost, it was fitting for the theme of the day.

Bliss

Last weekend there was another free state park day, so we decided to take the kids on their first "real" hike. It wasn't steep and we agreed we wouldn't push it or get overly ambitious. We talked it up a lot with the kids and made sure every cool slug, bird, tree, berry was a big deal. We also stopped for a lot of snacks. Apparently we knew what we were doing because the kids were ABSOLUTELY AWESOME! They were enthusiastic, they didn't complain, and more than half of the time they were leading the way and setting the pace of the hike. I think we did about 5 miles total and they hardly complained once. It was truly a wonderful day and I was so grateful for such a fun and enjoyable day. Total Bliss.

Carnival Fun

Last week Addy's school had their annual carnival and this year Brian and I each worked the "football toss" booth. The kids worked their way through all of the games and got to ride the ponies, get their face painted and go in the bouncy slides. They were so excited to count up their tickets and pick out their prizes. It is such a great event for her school and it was fun to be able to help out. 

Alley Cats, Rally Cats

Addy's softball season has come to an end. It was incredible to see how much she and her team improved from the beginning of the season. The girls really began to understand the fundamentals of the game and were such an enthusiastic group. On their last game, Addy got to play catcher and the girls scored 14 runs! (not sure how many the other team had). After the game the team celebrated with popcorn, ice cream and got their medals. Addy said her favorite thing was having her Dad as one of the coaches. Now our summer will be filled with backyard games.

Eyes on Me

Addy had a play date the other week and her friend left her glasses and the kids tried them on. They looked so cute and I just couldn't help but take a couple pics. They look so serious but they were laughing hysterically the whole time.

Good Game Bats!

Cameron's t-ball season has come to an end and it was a great season for the bats! The games were always entertaining to watch and the boys really improved. In the last game Cameron crushed the ball every time he was up to bat and he did a great job on defense. The coach from the other team commented on Cameron's "rocket arm" and joked he was too old for the league. Here is the team picture from the year.