Kindergarten graduation and the last day of school

School has been out now for almost a month and I'm just now getting around to posting about it, but I gotta keep the grandparents happy, so here it is, even if it's a little late.

Tyler "graduated" from kindergarten, and while I don't think there needs to be a big celebration for every milestone (seriously, some people go over the top with this stuff), I still thought it was a fun, little program. Plus, I was happy to celebrate his first successful year of school, as well as to celebrate the efforts of his wonderful first teacher.

I'll admit, I did get a little teary during the songs (I always cry when kids sing, especially when one of those kids is mine) and I got very teary when it came time to honor the team of teachers. This has really been a growing year for Tyler. I always knew he was bright, but I was always a bit nervous about how he'd actually perform in school- sitting quietly, following directions, and listening are not exactly his strong suits. But you know what? He did amazingly! Looking back, I can say that I have seen more growth in him this year than any other time in his life. He has matured and grown so much in every aspect- physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially. His teacher pushed him harder than I would have and set an achievable, yet high expectation when it came to academics. I was so impressed. And I have to say...the standards and expected learning outcomes in our schools here are way higher than they were at the schools in which I taught (sorry Utah). Tyler was learning things in kindergarten that I was expected to teach in first grade.

Here he is getting his diploma thingy.

And here he is with his super, fantastic teacher. About a week before school let out, I asked Tyler what he thought was the best part about kindergarten. Without batting an eye, he responded: "My teacher."

Could a mother ask for anything better than that?!?

Here is Ty with his best pal, Ava. Even though they weren't in the same class this year, they still are drawn to one another every time they're together.

The little gold medal they are wearing was given to all the students who successfully learned all their sight words. Tyler tackled those words and completed 17 lists of sight words (5 lists was the minimum requirement). He actually really surprised me with his strong desire to work so hard on this accomplishment.

The last day of school was a few days after graduation. Here he is heading out with his teacher present. It's a "summer survival kit" filled with a towel, flip flops, water bottles, and a mini fan- all coordinating in green and pink. When I showed it to Ty, his eyes lit up and he said, "She's gonna LOVE it!" Sooo cute. He was genuinely excited about the gift.

...And here he is at the end of his last day of kindergarten.

And it has been so wonderful having him home!!!

Memorial Day

Last weekend for Memorial Day, we decided to keep it low key. Tyler wasn't feeling well, but we at least wanted to take advantage of the time off. Monday morning when we woke up to overcast skies, I thought it would be a great opportunity to check out the nature trails out at Eagle Mountain Lake, given that it wouldn't be too hot with the cloud coverage.

It was the perfect activity. We chose a quick trail that we knew both of the boys could complete and off we went. As we left the trail head, Tyler noticed some large signs indicating some of the natural wildlife in the area. He told us that he really wanted to see a snake, a coyote, and a bat. As we walked, he searched and searched, but did not find the animals. When we reminded him that bats are nocturnal and coyotes mostly come out at dusk or dawn, he concentrated his efforts on searching for a snake. As he'd search, John and I would just look at each other and hope that he'd eventually forget about his quest, knowing that the chances were slim that we'd actually see a snake.

Well, wouldn't you know it, as we stopped to rest at this bench, John spotted a snake draped in the trees. Tyler was thrilled. As he approached to get a good look, the snake started to slither away, and Tyler was very excited to see it move and slither.

It was definitely a fun way to spend the morning. I loved being outside with my boys and watching them explore the world around them. Every bug, flower, rock, and leaf presented something new to be discovered.

Spring has sprung (and then it left all too soon)

Summer is undoubtedly here- school is out and it's sunny and hot. But before the hot weather arrived, we were blessed with a lovely spring and we tried to enjoy it to it's fullest.

Spring brought with it lots of outside play time (which also means more vacuuming time for me).

The boys discovered bubble tennis. I blow bubbles and they try to pop them with tennis rackets. It is amazing that no one (Robby) ended up with stitches from getting whacked by his brother.

Tyler also enjoyed field day at school. I was glad I popped over before the activities got rained out. I'm pretty sure they still had a great time, even if it was a little soggy.

...and of course, no Texas spring would be complete without a few tornadoes and some golf ball size hail. Ty thought it was awesome- I hated it. This particular storm sent us under the stairs in our "shelter" for a few minutes (which always feels like eternity), and once the storm had passed, we joined our entire neighborhood out on the street watching two funnel clouds form a little north of us. I was grateful that the storm had passed, but I was still a litter nervous by watching such a luminous sight.