End O' Year Festivities and Whatnot

 Imagine our great relief when the month of May did not race by at breakneck speed...May is always ridiculously over-scheduled with year-end festivities. Not that we were bored. Just not ridiculously over-scheduled with year-end festivities, just moderately over-scheduled with year-end festivities. Witness: Grace's third Kidstage production of the year, 'The Infamous Shoe Gang,' wherein she starred ast Rachel, a member of the aforementioned shoe gang who steals shoes from Imelda Marcos/Kardashian-caliber shoe hoarders in order to give the homeless the gift of footwear. A Robin Hood-type role, if you will. A feelgood take on theft.

 The spring piano recital. For which we always manage to be wildly unprepared until about a week prior, when we cram for it - perhaps not our best strategy. But then, our goal is not so much musical excellence, as, well, I'm not sure what to call our laissez-faire approach to practice, other than, perhaps, open-minded optimism that whatever we can devote to it will be all to the good. Shane, in particular, as a great musical ear, and tends to run on the perfectionistic side, which allows for a lot of alternation between blowing it off because it's too easy to shutting down because it's too hard. In process. And aren't we all.

 Eve rises to the occasion as only the oldest girl in the room can - she can sense, from a mile away, when littles will be looking to her to set the tone and the example for how 'the big kids' act, and she pulls it off without breaking a sweat, every time. She's a wonder, that darling girl of mine.

 Field Day. Grace's date was mercifully overcast, so much fun...this was our best shot of over-the-top exuberance, and kudos to me: hula-hoop shots are notoriously difficult. Mrs. Sweeney's 1st grade class boasts some serious personalities, but I'll tell ya what: they genuinely love each other: there's no drama when it comes time to choose a partner, they cheer for each other's teams in relays, they're just good, supportive little classmates. Hate to see that group break ranks for the next year. The boys' scheduled field day conflicted with...

 Eve's end-of-year-luau-themed bash, so I had to take a pass on following both of them around Bison Park's field, because, really, if you're having a co-ed party for 12- and 13-year-olds, you just can't leave them alone for 2 hours. I mean, you CAN, I suppose, but I can't. Just a bit cold and drizzly on that last day of 7th grade, which was unfortunate for many reasons, not least of which because the rest of the spring was abnormally warm, and who would even think that we couldn't use our slip'n slide and eat our weight in Otter Pops because of the temperatures?

 Just a guest sampling: I forget her name, Desi, and Phoebe. There were even cute boys.

 Parties have become somewhat cast aside this year, I have found. Which all works. The 1st graders gave us a lovely concert of patriotic music they've been rehearsing, followed by a breakfast. Here, Grace stands with Phoebe and Kaylin, two dear, sweet friends with whom she also spent the year in the Brownie troop. Happy memories with great girls. A mom can't ask for much more than that.

 Shane's parting shot for me to witness was his 'Business Builders' unit presentation. Mrs. Mann, who is, sadly, leaving Clear Sky this year, was such a tour de force teacher for this 3/4 combo split - I hate to call it 'advanced', but, for lack of a better term...I prefer to tell Shane it's for the kiddos whose brains work differently than can best be accommodated by a standard classroom. That seems to work. Anyhoo...their groups worked with a Castle Rock small business to create for them a product and business plan, and Shane's group was assigned to 'They Just Keep Growing', our favorite local consignment store. They always create a media presentation along with their projects throughout the year, and here, in the upper right, you can see S hane functioned as the supplier for this little operation.  

 The Annual Clap-Out to honor the students for sticking out another year - this was mere seconds before Grace completely lost her composure over leaving her peers and classroom...many, many teary-eyed kids and teachers filed out of those front doors that day, a testament, I think, to what goes on in an inspired classroom environment, despite the criticisms of education these days. What these people manage to do with limited resources and unlimited children to inspire and discipline and instruct has always been an awe-inspiring thing, bordering on sacred.

 And he's off to 4th grade, folks. It hardly seems possible. And Ty's about to be big man on campus: 6th grade. Oh, you wait your whole life for that, don't'cha?