First day of Sumner

Summer is here!! Last Friday I buttoned up my classroom and though I’m ready for a break, I’m excited at what the fall holds. I will be spending the summer writing curriculum for 2 new classes that I am teaching in the fall (one psych class and one business class) and also revamping my curriculum for my Spanish classes since we are moving to block scheduling. Lots of big changes in the fall, but I am excited for new opportunities and challenges.

Summer won’t be all curriculum though…we’re ready to enjoy! We started our first day of summer swimming with friends in their pool! Since the local pools haven’t opened yet, it was a fun preview to the water fun that awaits this summer. We’re finding our summer routine and we’re enjoying our slower mornings. Emma has her gardens all planted (squash, carrots, tomatoes, peppers, and strawberries) and though it’s a lot of work, we’re enjoying the beautiful gardens at our new house. It’s hard to believe we’re coming up on a year being in the new place. Fingers crossed we have a yummy harvest filling our tummies soon (and not our deer friends). 

Emma's end-of-year presentation

Emma presented her end-of-the year project on Thursday, so I got the chance to see her teach her class about dogs. Of course, she needed a volunteer to help her with her presentation, and Hazel seemed more than happy to oblige. She did a great job with her power point and visuals and enjoyed getting to be the expert in class for a little bit. 

Though Hazel would have stayed in class all day, Emma still had 30 minutes left of school after she presented so Hazel and I hung out for a bit waiting for the girls to get out of school. 

It was so funny seeing how confused Hazel seemed leaving school without Emma. She parked herself on the front lawn, watching the kids play at recess as if counting down the minutes until her little humans got out of school. :)

Emma's 10th birthday!

Emma woke up to a streamer filled birthday! She was excited to have a fun day planned for her birthday since Jump Rope for Heart was taking place that day. She headed off to school with a special drink, snack, and a change of clothes since her afternoon didn't require dress code. What a great way to celebrate!

Gooood Morning!

She was a jumping machine raising money for a great cause!

Then home to dunk on her new hoop from her friend, Rory!

Followed up by her favorite foods for dinner including a Zookie from Zoey's!

Our girl is growing up so fast. Her hobbies haven't changed much over the course of the last year and I am so happy that she knows how to stay true to herself and follows what makes her happy. Her infectious smile warms my heart everyday and there is no doubt she is the reason that my stomach hurts from laughing so hard each day. Her quick-witted humor never ceases to amaze us. 

Favorite food: Pizza

Favorite book: Harry Potter series

Favorite toy: Legos

Favorite subject: Science

Favorite color: Teal

Favorite movie: The Greatest Showman

Favorite sport: Basketball

Favorite activity: Crafting

Favorite friends: Rory, Delaney

Favorite singer: Pentatonix

Favorite superhero: Myself

Favorite hobby: Reading and crafting

Favorite animal: Dog

Favorite show: Full House

Favorite game: Harry Potter Trivial Pursuit

Favorite snack: Popcorn

Favorite place to travel: Waterparks

Favorite thing daddy does: Reads the Hobbit to me

Favorite thing mommy does: She loves me

Favorite job at school: Singing in the choir

What makes you happy?: Smiling

What do you want to be when you grow up?: POTUS

Emma BB

Emma has finished her basketball season [and Coach Mark hung up his whistle]. She has improved SO much this year. It is crazy how she has developed a pretty good view of the court and has started really understanding how to make good passes and plays. [Oh how I loved to hear her yell plays...unicorn, bumblebee, not your typical calls, huh...love you, Coach Mark!] 

She is working on getting her head up as she dribbles, but the amount of progress she has made this year is incredible. She is a really fun player to watch now that her hustle is as quick as her smile. She rarely misses an opportunity to celebrate a shot, but I'm pleased that she celebrates as much for her friends as she does for herself. 

Daddy/daughter dance

Friday night the girls were spoiled at the annual daddy/daughter dance. After an inclement weather postponement, they were so excited to see this night come to fruition. With a yummy dinner, dancing, pictures, tiaras... it was an incredible night out. Grace officially "aged out" this year, which was a bummer for her, but I was over the moon getting to have her for an entire night just the two of us. It felt so crazy going to dinner and a movie with my 'pre-teen' and I laughed at how much our conversations have changed this past year. I think the moment that she asked if we could see 'Pitch Perfect 3' I realized my baby isn't a baby anymore. Yikes!

All fancy and ready to dance. 

A corsage for his date.

And my parting advice...never date anyone less kind than daddy. 

*I hope they all 3 take this advice to heart.*

Trivia Night

No doubt, our middle kid is a Harry Potter fan. She has read the entire series 6 times over and has now also watched all of the movies. After receiving the HP version of Trivial Pursuit for Christmas we were quite certain there were few Potter aficionados her age that could rival her knowledge. That was, until we did Trivia Night down at the Quarter Barrel. 

A few months ago, when I saw there was a trivia night, open to the first 20 teams to sign up, I couldn't resist. We signed up to participate as "The team who must not be named" and Emma was confident she could carry us, because though we have all [except Norah] read the books, none of us store quite the knowledge or love of HP that Emma does. 

There was a hodgepodge of teams...some families, some friends, all HP fans. Many were sporting HP costumes, t-shirts or the infamous wire-rimmed glasses. Emma was in her element. I sat back sipping my Butterbeer and taking it all in. When the trivia started, it was clear that these people weren't messing around. They started with the easiest questions and I quickly realized reading the books does not make you a knowledgeable fan. You guys, it was RIDICULOUSLY hard. 

However, we had a SUPER fun night, we ended up in the top 10, and it was such incredibly cheap family entertainment that I can't help to think we won't be back for more. Can we get a "Friends" Trivia Night?  Maybe then I could actually contribute to my team. :)

Entering Platform 9 3/4.

When in Rome London... Of course we all had to get Butterbeer. 

Preparing for a little trivia. 

Name these characters...a little hard when your knowledge is more from the books than the movies!

Double Digits

Saturday we celebrated Emma's 10th birthday! I can't believe she is hitting double digits already. She continues to love to read, imagine, build and draw. Her infatuation with Harry Potter has spilled into an interest in all things magical...and unicorns seem to have her heart right now. She continues to crack us up each day with her quick wit and perfectly timed one-liners and I love the joy that radiates out of her smiles. It has been a hard year for her at school, but she continues to love learning and is navigating her relationships with maturity beyond her years. Her heart remains on her sleeve and though her emotions are often times hard to parent, she spoils us with her resiliency, kindness and forgiveness. She is equal parts bows and curls to scraped knees and belches...and I can't imagine her any other way. 

Celebrating all the magic that this girl holds.

Matching unicorn horns. [Her shirt does read, "part unicorn"]

Not bad getting clothes for your birthday when they are magical!

These two could have played catch for hours. 

Goodbye Lily

It has been a sad week. Emma had to say goodbye to "Lily" this week, her crayfish. She gave us a solid 2 years after Grace brought her home from school after her 4th grade science project. Emma has been her adoptive mama ever since. Something tells me that during the "crayfish unit" at school Emma will find another crustacean companion.

The King and Me

Emma was so excited for her Christmas program, "The King and Me" this year. She and her friend, Josie, got to sing a duet [basically one line] this year (which meant giving up recess time to practice, so it was a BIG deal). The concert was cute and she loves to sing, but she really can't wait until next year when she gets to have all the lines. This one has no fear of the stage! :)

Looking lovely in her Christmas best. 

These 2 with a microphone and captive audience are trouble!

Braces

And so it begins...

Thankfully since I didn't get invited back for the placement of these beauties, Emma made a good choice and chose blue instead of the Halloween colors she was considering.

Lego mania

Emma's obsession with Legos continues. She loves to build them, play with them, take them a part, re-build them...I love that her imagination is endless when it comes to construction. Of course, when Lego Mania is offered at the local mall, you have to make a trip. 

She was in awe of how many hours it would take to build this giraffe and get the spots just right. 

No children were harmed in the photographing of these Legos. [She finally figured out how to put the sword under her arm so it looked like she was truly impaled, it made her day.]

Proud to stand with our firefighters! 

I could completely see Emma get a job as a master Lego builder some day. Do you need a degree in architecture for that?! 

Emma Softball

Emma has had such a great time playing softball this year through Peg Pierce. If you are looking for a low-key recreational league to get started, look no further. We had an incredibly patient and loving coach, a playground nearby for Norah to pass the time and good friends on the team. I love how they started the games off with the National Anthem and I've heard about the incredible burgers they serve in the concessions [I can only attest to their yummy popcorn]. What more do you need in a ball game?

Emma has learned so much. Considering she had never before played softball we were impressed with how quickly she picked up on it. Her last game she had an out at first, an out at second and caught an infield fly. She also got on base each time she was up except for one. At the end of the season when we told her coach she was a newbie, he didn't believe us. He thought she played better than a lot of girls who have played for 2 or 3 years! Of course, this was just the confidence boost Emma needed to decide she maybe likes softball even more than basketball. We'll see what she says when basketball season rolls back around!

End of the season ice cream at the Freeze. We were so lucky to have such positive coaches and great girls on our team. It was a great introduction to softball for Emma and we are so happy that she enjoyed the season and is interested in playing again. 

Lined up and ready for the National Anthem. Never too early to learn good sportsmanship!

Hazel's friend

No worries, Hazel made friends too. The girls were lucky enough to dog sit sweet Luna while some neighbors were on vacation. They loved walking her and playing with her each day. Hazel accompanied Luna on all of her walks and these two quickly became best buds. 

Sweet Luna kisses.

And in true Emma fashion [as the most unfortunate events always happen to her] while we were walking under a tree a beetle fell out of the tree and landed in Emma's ear. Not knowing which way to turn in went right down her ear canal and merited a trip to the ER. We left Grace and Norah in charge of the dogs and Emma and I ran for home to get the car. Luckily, Mark was headed to Menards and happened to be at the corner and swooped her up and took her in. Since her screaming alerted most of the neighborhood I stopped to let them know everything was okay and the same thing had happened to one of them. He assured me he had never felt such pain in his life, so he assured me she was crying out in pain more than fear. Since Mark had Emma under control I headed back up to check on the other girls and make sure they had Luna and Hazel under control. Luckily, en route to the ER, [and a long 10 minutes later] the beetle was able to back out of her ear and was relocated to a tree far from our house! After hearing Emma's description of what it was like I can't imagine the pain she must have felt and once again am in awe of the crazy things that happen to her and how well she always handles them. 

These two calmly had everything under control when I returned. Phew!

Go SCP!

Emma started playing softball this year and though its only her first year, she keeps up with everyone very well. She loves playing catcher and first base and has had some really great hits this year. She plays for Peg Pierce so that she can play with one of her friends. 

It's so fun to watch her play catcher!

She quickly caught on to where she needs to be and what her job is at each position. 

Her favorite spot is first base. 

Love watching this girl play!

All city Music Contest

The girls once again participated in All-City Music Contest. They were both a bit nervous and took until the last minute to get their music memorized, but they did a great job. Both scored 1's and played incredibly well. It was fun to sit in and hear them perform.

Nervous smiles before the contest. 

Emma playing "Marching Band" for the judge. 

Grace playing "Terantella" (a super fast dance, if that helps you imagine how it sounds.)

Grace also got to play a duet with her friend Elizabeth on her clarinet. They sounded great and also got a 1 rating. 

Titanic Day

We went back in time with Mrs. Madeline Astor and boarded the Titanic for a day. Emma had such a great time at Titanic day after spending so much time learning, researching and preparing for her big event. She was super excited to get to portray the richest woman on the ship!

All dressed up and ready to dance! Emma didn't want me to post pictures of the boy she danced with (Cutie patoot, Mac) so here is her BFF instead. 

Deciphering morse code so they could communicate their SOS. 

Titanic bingo with their vocabulary words. Yours truly got to call the definitions so it was a fun afternoon spent in Em's classroom helping out. 

Yeah...they all survived! (At least these kiddos did)

Go Jaguars!

Emma's basketball season is over and we are all just a little bit sad. Emma has found a love of basketball and has really improved over the course of the season. She loves playing on a team with all of her classmates and we love being able to watch her as the smile never leaves her face. She decided that she is finished with soccer (thank goodness!) and that she would like to spend more time focusing on basketball. 

Emma loved this game as the Jaguars played...the Jaguars! Her team has gotten so big that they split into two teams half-way through the season. It was a really fun game to watch since we knew all of the girls and Emma had a really fun time playing! Check out that tip-off. Go #3!

Mark has had a blast coaching these girls. They are learning, growing, and having fun each practice!

Em was so nervous to have all eyes on her, but she soon figured out it's pretty fun to get fouled and get to shoot free throws!

Emma bday

We celebrated Emma's 9th birthday on Saturday with friends and family. She loved having a sleepover with friends and then having all her family over for cake and presents. Her interests haven't changed much in the past year. Our most common phrase to her is, "bookmark it" as she always has her nose in book. She is a high-energy, comedic genius with sass for days, but she was also gifted one of the biggest hearts and she is quick to help anyone in need. Her party theme this year...Paint party. Her friends came over and decorated art smocks and painted canvases and she was pretty sure she wanted a paint palette birthday cake. Can do, sweet girl. 

Painting canvases with her friends. 

Celebrating with the cousins!

Blowing out all -nine- candles. 

A paint palette of yumminess.

Interview with the birthday girl: 

Favorite food: Pizza

Favorite book: Harry Potter series

Favorite toy: Legos

Favorite subject: Science

Favorite color: Teal

Favorite movie: Harry Potter

Favorite sport: Basketball

Favorite activity: Reading

Favorite friends: Rory, Josie, Winnie, Lucy, Delaney

Favorite singer: Taylor Swift

Favorite superhero: ?

Favorite hobby: Drawing

Favorite animal: Dog

Favorite show: Full House

Favorite game: Uno

Favorite snack: Popcorn

Favorite place to travel: Home

Favorite thing daddy does: Watch TV with me

Favorite thing mommy does: She loves me

Favorite job at school: Library helper

What makes you happy?: Friends

What do you want to be when you grow up?: President