We did it! We finished the 36th week of our homeschool curriculum! It’s crazy to finish so early when I’m used to preschool wrapping up at the end of May and elementary school in the middle of June. We only two weeks off of school for Christmas break, so it really made the school year fly by. In January, Graham started a kindergarten program that he’ll complete over the summer. We could have had his preschool graduation in January, but that felt weird, so we celebrated with an end of the school year and preschool graduation party. Owen will start summer school on Monday and Graham will continue his kindergarten program. The summer slide is a real thing. To avoid learning loss, we’ll do about 30 minutes of summer school a few days a week. My kids (and I) enjoy the Summer Brain Quest books. Graham did his summer between Pre-K and K book in December (haha!), but Owen is ready to kick off his Summer Brain Quest on Monday.
Thursday night was our end of the school year celebration and preschool graduation. I was looking forward to this party as much as the kids. I’m a big fan of celebrating – big things, small things, all things. If I can get themed partyware and put up decorations, I’m a happy camper. After we wrapped up school, we created a table to display the boys’ work. The grandparents got to “ooo” and “ahh” at what the kids have accomplished. We did dinner and dessert. The boys’ favorite food is Papa Murphy’s pizza. Owen picked chocolate cake for dessert and Graham selected cinnamon rolls. We got mini bottles of sparkling cider to add a festive flare. Jeremy helped me create a slideshow with pictures from our school adventures. We created a balloon garland and had some fun props for photos. Graham donned his cap and gown and we took pictures with Pomp and Circumstance playing in the background. We had a blast! It was the perfect way to wrap up the school year.
The good times kept coming on Friday morning when we went to a newly opened park in our city. The old park had been torn down and a new play structure replaced it. The park has been completed for over an year, but was fenced off due to COVID. Last week the fence came down and it’s been a happening place ever since. We figured Friday morning was a good time to go since most kiddos would be in school. The timing worked out well and we got to enjoy the park before it got too busy. The new playground is so cool. I have a feeling we will spend a lot of time there this summer!
I know I’ve said it a lot in the last few posts, but we are so excited for summer! Memorial Day weekend is sort of the unofficial start of summer. Once all the party goodies are eaten up, I plan on making some special cookies to munch on over the holiday weekend. I’m all for adding festive vibes with sweet treats. Jeremy and I continue to daydream about our backyard and how we plan on making it the place to be this summer. I get my second COVID vaccine this week, so it really does feel like change is right around the corner. I can’t wait to be fully vaccinated. I never thought I could be so excited about getting a shot. I’m ready to have this process behind me. I’m ready to move on. I’m ready for some summer fun!
Amy Scott's Thoughts 