Another school year behind us. So crazy. We have an 18 year old that is finished with school, unless she decides to go to college. We have a 15 year old headed into his Sophomore year of high school, a 13 year old headed into her Freshman year of high school. Then, we have two left in elementary school: our 10 year old entering 5th grade and our 7 year old baby, who is going into 2nd grade. And me? I am left with a lump in my throat. Time is passing too quickly.

We won’t get the older two kids’ report cards for a little while, though I have an idea of their grades already. McKenzie and Bailey brought theirs home today. Both are doing very well, and just for the fact that they even brought their cards home, says that they had no lost library books at the end of the school year. This is no small feat for my kids. I’m serious! LOL.

Bailey at the beginning of the school year:

Bailey at the end of the school year:

She has grown SO much this school year.

McKenzie at the beginning of the school year:

McKenzie at the end of the school year:

The page the yearbook is flipped open to is the first page in the book. She’s pictured with her group of friends, the one in yellow

As we start our break, I have all different kinds of thoughts running through my head. It seems like with the change of season, I always have these big ideas of what I need or want to do with the kids. What we should do with our Summer. What type of system we should come up with for fair computer turns. What types of rewards I can give the kids for keeping up with their responsibilities and being kind to each other. What new games I can teach them and make a daily routine out of. The list goes on….I tend to make a plan for a plan for a plan and then end up with nothing accomplished. I think this summer, I’m not going to plan anything new and exciting. Take things as they come. Enjoy the season. Enjoy our time off, our late evenings and late mornings. Encourage reading. Make time for quiet moments and some wild and crazy ones. Just be on Summer Break. Not everything needs a system. I don’t need 20 new ideas or systems to implement. I can stick with what I know… because what I know does seem to work. I’m excited! Bring on Summer — whatever it may bring

Miss Kenzie is 10 years old.. holy moly does time fly! Take a peek at pics from her Amazing Race birthday party we held in our town… with 12 of her friends from school and softball

My two little girls think they WANT glasses. They think they are so CUTE… and don’t really listen to me when I tell them how much they’d hate them! I’ve worn glasses since 5th grade and the 3 older kids all have my impaired vision also. Ashlyn is the only one that wears contacts (great for her! Wish I could!) I can’t even fathom what it would be like to wake up and be able to see everything perfectly without a cloud of fuzziness surrounding everything.

Anyway, without rambling on too much more… this is what two silly girls do while their big brother is getting an eye exam. They look pretty cute and all, but I am SO thankful for their beautifully perfect eyeballs!

McKenzie loves helping out in the kitchen and has been doing it more and more. She made meatballs on Super Bowl Sunday at Grandma Lisa’s… and also made bacon wrapped smokies all on her own. She’s going to be a better cook than her mama!

Maybe one of these days we’ll have video to post also…. but here are pictures for now. This was McKenzie’s first time doin Cheer Camp. Bailey has done many. They both had a blast and it was really fun watching them practice together.

Geez.. I guess getting geared up to go swimming wipes McKenzie right out. Uncle Joel and Aunt Carrie took the two little girl swimming today. This is Kenzie in the car on the way there.

This is Kenzie several months ago, camping at Cascade Peaks… waiting to go swimming there.

What a goof!

McKenzie finally got an Easy Bake Oven for Christmas. It’s topped her list for several years in a row now. I think she likes the idea of being able to make a treat, at any given time, without my help. I personally thought the Easy Bake Oven took more supervision and time from me, than say… a batch of chocolate chip cookies! Hopefully, now that we know how to work the thing, the process will go much quicker/smoother next time around. It was fun though! Both the girls made little ‘Smore cookies that smelled good! They both said they tasted great, so thumbs up all the way around.

CHECK! Another Christmas gift PLAYED WITH and put away. Woohoo!

Check out Kenzie’s eyes in this one…
The green sweatshirt totally makes her eyes look green!

Question: Why do they charge extra for an “adult lunch” if they give you the same size portion as a “child”? LOL.

David and I went to the Thanksgiving Feast at the two little girls’ school today. Small perk of David working a later shift… normally he’d have been working. And, I just took a couple of hours off. To see how excited McKenzie was that I surprised her by being there, was TOTALLY worth it. She was so excited. Made my heart smile.

Bailey’s lunch was at 11am. We were waiting for her class to come down from the classroom and David spied Miss Bailey a mile away…. I don’t think he saw her before she left for school, so he didn’t know what she was wearing, but he could tell it was her…. she was dancing her way to the cafeteria along the yellow line. When I say this girl doesn’t walk, she dances…. I am not kidding! Okay, there are times where she’s not dancing, but in that instance, she’s pretending to be a cat or a dog and on all fours. LOL. What a goofball!

Lunch was good, just like I remember from when I was in 1st grade! I gave my pie to Bailey… just ‘cuz I’m just a nice mommy, that’s why. Maybe because I knew I was going to get another one when we ate with Kenzie. LOL.

We then headed for the book fair where Bailey picked up and put down every book there I think… she finally settled on one and we headed back out to wait for McKenzie. She had an exciting day today, because she also got to go on a field trip to see the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory play.

David and I decided to eat again. LOL. We figured we could have just taken turns eating, but oh well. Really when all was said and done we’d felt like we’d gotten a full meal after we’d eaten 2. LOL. And I ate his pie… ‘cuz he’s a just a good hubby, that’s why.

McKenzie bought a couple of books and picked out one for her class to donate.