Flashback Friday

Never again.

Man it was hot that summer.

The Cat

That she stopped to let me take a picture without darting under a bed, is progress.  She seems to be allowing herself to accept that she lives with us.

 

Which is a good thing.

Because the girls bought her a sweatshirt that says she is the real boss.

 

And she has a great disgusted face.

She fits right in, from my point of view.

It's Relative

Having long legs for your body, doesn't mean they are always long enough.

 



Flashback Friday

June 2010

This kept us happy

We were missing daddy, but

we had our moments when we forgot our cares.

 

Well, they did.  I pretty much wondered what I had done.

Elaine's Art Portfolio Fifth Grade

Not a deer.

Chi Wawa. Ears, oddly, stayed put.

 

Self Portrait

And a tree house in the sky

Alida's Fifth Grade Art Portfolio

This is a deer.

We had to fix the ears when it arrived home.

 

A tree house in the sky.

 

Self portrait.

Ben's Sixth Grade Art Portfolio

Ben's representation of his way home.

 

3-D representation of Dr. Butter's Home.

 

Dr. Butter's

He is funny and experimental and smart.  He is also weird and speaks with a British accent.

 

Pre clay sculpture drawing.

Nick's Sixth Grade Art Portfolio

He calls it Monstrosity.

He says this is Alex, not Nick, although there is a resemblance...

 

This is Alex's room where the thing that looks like a Pez Dispenser, actually is supposed to be his candy machine. It is not unintentional I'm sure that all of the electronic equipment is so large it can't be confiscated from the room at bedtime.

 

Nick's representation of his walk home.

The Dresses

They told me the evening before.  After heaving a heavy sigh, I reminded myself that these girls of mine usually prefer clothes shopping at Walmart to Target.  So we headed to the mall.  After several dresses came out, Elaine walked out of the dressing room in this one, looking beautiful and confident.  And it was a good opportunity to teach her that choosing the clothes that feel great on, are the ones that will look great on.

And she wore it well with amazing posture.

 

And, Alida.  She chose to wear Elaine's second choice to graduation, and she looked amazing.  Here at the "Clap Out," where we all stood and clapped for the children leaving their last day of school (eyes rolling just a touch), Alida didn't quite notice us there.

 

And then she did notice us.

And then we kind of wandered about wondering if it was all over until we took off for lunch with the crew.

And Now the Actual Videos.

 

 

 

The Great 50 States Song

I was nearly beside myself when I heard the girls practicing this for their 5th grade show.  I remember performing this as a kid too.  Next I need someone to teach them to backward alphabet song.

Fifth Grade Culmination

Welcome to Monroe Elementary in August 2017, your 4th and final elementary school.

 

And, good-bye Monroe Elementary June 2018!

(I found out the evening before that dresses were in order...)

Good-bye attempting to make school lunches!

I have already ensured their lunch accounts are all solid with money for next year...

 

And there was a ceremony, and so many events that I am very scared for what high-school graduation looks like these days....

Comments written by their classmates.

 

All good things.

And the boys?

They were glad to come to lunch with us and begin to let the girls know what kind of world they would now be entering in middle school--lockers, locks, changing classrooms.  It turns out the boys did incredibly wonderfully in 6th grade. We have no doubt the 4 will do equally well next year in the school where there are three grade levels and three slots for the registration... argh.  I learned to work around these things long, long ago.

 

Unlikely Friends

The cat shows up in his room sometimes, at 3 in the morning to bat his face and ask for food.  And he says he hates it, but we kind of know that he loves it.

 

And in the new house, there is a little more room for the cat to move about between within the West Wing of the house.  The dog waits patiently for his turn to make friends.  The cat is not ready for that.

 

Hair

Braided together with a friend.

 

somewhat covered for washing.

 

Alida has informed us she just wants to shave hers all off, or dye it all blue.  Either way, mom.