That's a wrap!

Today was the last day of school.  Woo Hoo!!  I think I was more excited than the kids.  This week we worked hard (and secretly) to make their teacher's a print with all their classmates little thumbprints on.  They turned out so cute!  Under the tree it reads:  Teacher's plant the seeds of knowledge that last a lifetime.  Made Sadi's teacher cry...that's a win in my book. 

We also got them a little something to enjoy over the summer.  We gave them each a gift card from In N Out which read:  Teacher's come in n out of our lives, but always remain in our hearts.

Today was the final assembly for honor roll.  Drum roll please........Straight A's again for these two!

If you received straight A's all year you also earned the golden hawk award, and get your picture in the hall of fame next year.  So proud of these two kids!

Sadi's teacher made the cutest speech before they left, made me teary eyed.  They had their last circle time as second graders and said their final goodbye's.  She sent each kid home with a compliment book they had been working on as a class with strict instructions to not peek until they were home.

The final bell rang, and it was time to say goodbye to our teacher's for the summer.  Goodbye Mrs. Elliott and goodbye second grade....

Goodbye Miss Bailey, and goodbye 4th grade.  It was pretty cute Chase told her she was his favorite teacher ever and I think he truly meant it.  He had a great year!

We came home with some friends in tow and had a barbecue lunch to celebrate.  Sadi had fun reading her compliments from the students in her class.  It's nice to read what someone thinks about you...even in second grade.

I was really surprised at the thought some of these kids put into these.  What a perfect keepsake.

I am excited to sleep in and have no schedule, but I have already heard "I'm bored".  It's official summer is here!

Coming to an end

The last week of school was packed full of fun.  Immediately after returning from the 4th grade field trip we went straight to the school talent show.  Chase once again auditioned and he and one of his best friends put on a "magical" performance, including pulling bunnies from a hat.  Sadly their mics weren't working so it was hard to hear.

 Chase was rockin' to the 80's music at their 80's themed dance the leadership put on. 

 He and his friend were tearing up the dance floor.

Wednesday was fun in the sun day.  Boosters was in charge of the bounce houses so I was in charge of a new class every 20 minutes, so that is all I got to see of my kids fun in the sun time.

 Besides the two bounce houses we also had a double slide.  The kids LOVED this one.  Even some of the teacher's hopped in for a bounce.

Another fun filled last week of school!

Field Trips

The last couple weeks of school both Sadi and Chase had field trips for school that I was able to go on with each of them.  Sadi's class went to the Nevada State museum.  What are the odds that we had never been there in all the years we lived here, we go over spring break and then the VERY NEXT DAY we get a field trip permission slip to go there?  It actually worked in my favor since I was able to navigate around quickly without getting lost with my little group of kids. 

I had one of the best group of girls, and had a great time.  I didn't take as many pictures as I usually do, I guess because we had literally just been there.  I didn't even get a picture with my little peanut.  She had fun "driving" around with her friends.  After the museum it was lunch at the park and then back to school.

Chase has been learning about Nevada this year and his field trip was a walking field trip of old downtown Dayton.  To be honest I thought this sounded pretty lame, but I actually had a lot of fun, and enjoyed learning a little more about the beginning of Dayton.  We started walking at the old Mill in Dayton State park.

Our guide stopped at 11 different stops on the way to tell a historical story about Dayton.  We hiked up through the mill ruins, down the old Lincoln Highway (which stretched from San Francisco to New York), and passed by some of the original houses from the 1800's.  What is now the Dayton Museum was the first school house in Dayton.

The kids were given a scavenger hunt inside the museum to find a whole list of items.  Chase found one of the biggest gold nuggets found in gold canyon.

They toured the old firehouse and got an inside look of the old jail.  We could have left a few of those 4th graders in there.

We continued our walk up the hill to eat lunch and tour the Dayton cemetery. 

It was a beautiful day for a hike with my favorite 4th grader.

Memorial day at the Museum

Matt and Kelsey both had to work Memorial day so I thought it might be a good day to check off one of those summer bucket list ideas.  I decided to take Chase and Sadi to  check out the discovery museum in Reno.  I had never been, and had heard mixed reviews on it so I wasn't sure what to expect.  We got there right as it was opening for the day and I let the kids map out where to start. 

The museum is a hands on museum that is mainly Science and Engineer focused.  This particular day they were having Owl pellet dissection which is where we started.  Not sure Sadi enjoyed this as much as Chase.

I love Museums that are more hands on for the kids rather than everything is a no touch zone.  They enjoyed just being able to touch and play on everything.

Chase spent a LONG time at this bridge building area where you literally came up with your own engineering plan and tested it out....bolt, by bolt, by bolt.  That bench in the back became my new companion for quite awhile.

It was nice that there were so many "thinking" things to do but also with a great balance of things to keep them moving.

Sadi really enjoyed the wood working room where they were given free reign of all the tools, even power tools...pretty scary.  I was sure someone in that room was going to loose a body part.  The craft for the day was wood scrap animals.  Sadi constructed a penguin.

She also tested her survival skills by packing all the essentials she thought she would need to survive in the wild.  Guess who forgot to pack water?  I won't be following this girl on a hike.

I think one of their favorite areas was the Truckee river exhibit where they raced boats down all kinds of channels of water.

 Or maybe it was just the playing in the water that was fun.

There were so many areas to play and explore but I think they would both agree that their favorite was the cloud climber which took them up to the ceiling from the bottom level.  I enjoyed watching all the parents who attempted this and got stuck.

We spent the entire day there, and left right before they closed.  These two played ALL day and didn't even stop to eat.  It was a great day for building minds!

Strike Two....

Last week was Kelsey's second scheduled wisdom teeth removal.  The day before the appointment she was pumping the fluids like a maniac in an effort to not repeat the previous weeks nightmare.  I made her a delicious breakfast...

The day of her appointment she had two Valiums in her system and we were ready to get this day done.  The scene was a little deja vu....

Failed attempts at getting an IV her right arm, sent the Dr. to the other arm while the nurse cleaned up the first arm.

After several needle attempts to the second arm he decided it wasn't going to happen.  Apparently she has worse veins than a heroin addict (he has worked on many addicts from the prison and has had better luck with them).   His plan B was to give her a local, BUT with her heart rate so fast and erratic he said he couldn't safely proceed or she would surely go into cardiac arrest. 

After multiple apologies we were sent home with the hopes of a successful Plan C coming together.  We stopped at In N Out for some lunch for this pin pricked girl covered in band aids.

Whoever said having your wisdom teeth out isn't that bad?  Kelsey begs to differ.

Finding a loop hole

The day after Kelsey got home from college she had an appointment to get her wisdom teeth removed.  This is the day she has been dreading for weeks.  Once there she was escorted back into the surgery room to be put under.

The nurse had trouble finding her veins...the Dr. would have better luck right?

Ever heard third times a charm?  Yeah...she didn't.  Maybe the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh?  Nope.  The Dr. tried several times high and low in both arms to get the needle in her vein.  At one point there were 3 nurses and the Dr. in there.  It was painful just to watch. 

One last resort he tried going in through the wrist...still no luck.  He said this is so rare he has only had this happen to him one other time in his career.  He finally said he didn't want to put her in any more pain and we would have to reschedule for the following week.  So in a week we will be back seriously doped up on Valium.  Because Kelsey really didn't want to have her teeth removed I teased her she found the one loop hole in the system.  Not sure it was a fun one...ouch.

She's Baaack....

This week Kelsey finished up her final exams and first year of college....say what?!  Last night we headed up to Reno to move her home.  I completely embarrassed her by taking pictures of her turning in her key.  She was the last of her roommates to move out, and it was pretty weird to see that place so empty...and clean.

Then it was multiple trips to the truck with all of her stuff...which I'm pretty sure multiplied by about 3 times as much stuff as we took in the fall.  How many can you cram in a tiny dorm elevator?  Answer 5...5 people.

We decided since it was past dinner time to let her enjoy just one more meal in the cafeteria....actually the food is pretty good and all you can eat so Chase and Sadi were totally on board with that idea.

Now that she's home it's time to enjoy her summer....WORKING.  Ahhh the life of a college student!

Mother's Day Weekend

My Mother's Day celebration began on Friday at school with the kids.  They had a Mother's day lunch for all the Mom's and so I got to enjoy a delicious(*cough) cafeteria lunch with Chase and Sadi.  The school also gave all the kids a flower for their Mom.  It was fun to sit with them and hear about their day. 

Mother's day was a nice relaxing day.  I got woken up to all the smoke detectors going off....my breakfast was being prepared.  I did enjoy my breakfast in bed once the smoke cleared the room.  Waffles, bacon (hence the smoke alarm), and chocolate covered strawberries.  The kids showered me with gifts of flowers, chocolates, and lots of handmade treasures.

Chase admitted his teacher forgot about Mother's day and so they only had 30 minutes to create a gift.  He wrote me a letter and made me this picture frame.

Sadi had made me a bookmark, a hand woven art piece, and a book all about me.  Some of my favorite excerpts from the book:  My mom is as pretty as a "very cute and awsome angle"(gotta sound it out...I'm an angel).

And My mom is super smart!  She knows "divition and mutlyplycation".

We spent the day just relaxing outside and barbecued in the evening.  Kelsey was at school, she had finals on Monday and so we decided it would be best if she focused on school and studying rather than come home.  It was weird to not have her here, it is the first Mother's day I have had without her.  Luckily these two made sure there was plenty of noise so that I wasn't sad.  Without all of them, I don't know where I'd be, I am the lucky one.

Bikes

A couple of weekends ago we FINALLY bought our kids bikes.  Believe it or not our kids didn't know how to ride bikes...I know we are terrible parents.  It was something we talked about all the time and just never did.  Don't get me wrong they are not completely sheltered.  They ride scooters all the time and do spend time outside.  Chase did have a bike when he was 3 but the tires were ALWAYS getting flat and I hated it....so our love of the bikes(or rather mine) died.  Our weather has been so nice and we have been going on nightly walks and so we decided it was time(or rather past time).  We took the kids out one Friday night and let them pick out new bikes and gear.  They were pretty excited.

It took Chase only a few minutes to get it down, and was off and riding...lifting the guilt of our terrible parenting.

We weren't too sure about Sadi riding and were questioning ourselves that first day whether or not we should have gotten her training wheels.  But she practiced from sun up to sun down and by Sunday afternoon was riding on her own....probably better than Chase if we're honest.

We have been spending as much time outside on our bikes as possible and really been enjoying our evening bike rides...well for 2 days until we had flat tires (so many thorns out here).  But we ordered new tubes and a pack of 54 bike patches to keep our wheels running all summer long!