1st grade is in the bag

These last couple of posts are out of order.

Dominic had his last day of 1st grade a couple of weeks ago.

We always give his teacher a gift at the end of the year.

This year we gave her home made cookies in a Starbucks cup with a gift certificate.

It didn't turn out like the picture on Pinterst, so I didn't take a picture. =)

Dominic has had a really great year and is looking forward to the changes that 2nd grade will bring.

I'm still trying to process the fact that I'll have a 2nd grader next year.

So blessed to have Ms. Beth-Anne for a teacher!!!

Princess slippers

The kids were out riding bikes with Jon this morning.

Jon sent Caitlin in to get some different shoes.

When I saw why, I told her I was throwing them away.

She was so distressed. 

Apparently she thinks they are just fine and 

wants to keep them because they make her feel like a princess.

So I took some pictures, promised her some new shoes and ditched them.

Piano Recital

Dominic had his piano recital this past weekend. 

We've talked with his piano teacher about him taking a year off. He hates to practice and it was becoming a fight. Since he loves his lessons, I didn't want to have him ending up hating piano.

But at his last lesson his piano teacher told us she is pregnant and due in January. So she plans to teach until December and then we could either find another teacher or take a break.

Dominic had initially talked about going ahead and quitting after the recital.

But then he totally surprised me. When we got home after the recital he told me that since he loved doing recitals so much that he wanted to do the last semester with his teacher as long as she had a recital in December before she quit.

Is this my child?!

 

 Getting an award from his teacher.

So we shall see what happens after I talk to her and she lets me know if a recital is planned in December. Crazy child did NOT get his love of performance from his mom!

Field Trip

Found this in the drafts. More behind than I thought. This happened the week school got out.

Two days ago we headed out early in the morning to Amazin' Acres for one of the best field trips of the year. 

The strawberries are probably what had it ranking so high. =)

Caitlin can always charm someone into holding her.

 Picking strawberries!

 Dominic with his strawberries waiting to enjoy a hayride on the way back to the farm.

 Caitlin adores that big brother of hers.

 Enjoying the barrel ride.
The ride is pulled by a four-wheeler. And let me tell you, the driver was one crazy lady. But the kids loved it.

 The tire swing.

Aren't these two precious?!

 They were selling rabbits. Can you imagine the response when the kids heard that.
But I was able to resist that precious face, so we came home rabbit free.

 Enjoying the days "work".

A wonderful field trip that I hope we can repeat again next year.

Should I be worried or proud?!

It really isn't a question. I'm immensely proud of my son. He's read all of the children's books that we have in our library (keep in mind that I have over 4000 books, one entire wall is children's books). In fact, he's read them multiple times. So today when he asked if he could pick a book out of one of the grown up sections, I said yes. I wasn't anticpating what he might encounter when I let him go pick a book out by himself.

His first choice was a Repairman Jack novel by F. Paul Wilson. This is one of my favorite authors, but NOT a book I want him reading quite yet.

His next choice was W.E.B. Griffin. This is one of Jon's favorite authors. Again, not a book for a six year old.

He finally came out with another favorite of mine, A Walk in the Woods. 

So now he is curled up on the couch reading and laughing. 

What am I going to do with this boy? At this rate he'll be finished with all of the books in the library by the time he graduates from grade school. Guess I'll have to go buy more books. (insert delighted glee). =)

Thankful for angels

I've had many moments in my life that I've seen God's hand or that of an angel in my life. But once, when Dominic was little, stands out first in my mind. I've tried to find the story in the blog and I think I wrote about it on my previous blog. But God used a toy and Dominic to make me stop the car right before several cars and a semi had a mishap. We would have died or been horribly injured if not for an angel.

Today will now forever stand out in my mind as one of those times too.

We have been slowly, but surely renovating our bathroom. Our vanity cabinet was in great shape, but just not the right color (pink is not my thing). So Jon and I hoisted it up onto some saw horses and he sanded it down. Last night he sprayed the first coat of paint on it. Jon told the kids to stay completely away just in case the cabinet came off the saw horses. It would crush them.

The weather forecast said storms today, but it was hot and sunny all morning. Apparently while I was vacuuming Jon tried to call at least 4x to get me to move the vanity down onto the concrete because some major wind was on its way. But the vacuum was too loud and I kept on cleaning.

A couple of minutes later the wind hit while Caitlin was standing beside the cabinet. I know exactly where she was because when it toppled to the ground she froze and started screaming. I could hear her through the closed door and over the vacuum. It was a terrifying scream and I left the vacuum running as I ran to see what was wrong. She was frozen in fear two inches from the fallen vanity. If she'd been only a couple of inches further over it would have been a completely different story. My heart still pounds just thinking about it.

So today I'm thankful for two guardian angels who are kept very busy at our house!

Secret Weapons

There are four wild and blood thirsty boys in my back yard. The weapons and ammunition they've accumulated is astounding.* The shrieks and blood curdling screams are enough to scare the enemy way before they could see the massive amounts of weapons. 

Caitlin is a VERY slow eater and finished long after the battle had started. So when she went out to join the boys at their game she was a bit intimidated and overwhelmed with the sheer volume and energy. She ran screaming back into the house - "I'm not playing that. I don't want to die."

But moments later she returned with her secret weapon.

"Here I come guys! I have my magic wand that makes bats. They are boy eating bats. They are going to eat you, so you'd better run!"

That's my girl!

*Don't freak out. They have some plastic silver wear that is doubling as knives and assortment of water guns, sticks, chop sticks, and gumballs.

Time Gone By

Dominic was telling me about how he'd slammed into another kid at school and both of them skid across the ground. He was laughing as he told me so I made the comment that it must have been pretty funny.

"No, it wasn't. It was kind of horrible."

"Then why are you laughing?"

"Because it's past tense. Ms. Beth-Anne said sometimes you laugh about stuff when enough time has gone by. So that's why I'm laughing now."
I guess several hours is enough time!

Budding photographer

The weather is beautiful after several days of rain and clouds. So I ignored the mountains of housework and Caitlin and I headed outside to take a walk. I'm participating in the Photo A Day Challenge so I took my camera with me. Caitlin wanted to take pictures too.

We had so much fun. I told her, after the first time she asked if she had to take a picture of the same thing I did, that an artist always goes with what speaks to him. So she needed to take pictures of whatever she wanted, not whatever I was taking.

I was shocked to find some really great pictures when I downloaded them to the computer after our walk. So other than the first picture of our little photographer all the pictures on this post are Caitlin's.

 All of these are pictures taken by Caitlin. She was able to focus the camera pretty well for a 4 yr old. And I loved the view from so low. Gives life a different perspective.

A self portrait