Sixth Grade Promotion

There has to be perks for working at the school where your son is promoting on from, right?  And I am all about abusing a privilege if possible.  This morning I delivered a coffee for our custodian Barb because she had roped off seats for our family and Lynn's family, in the front row of all the action. I had absolutely no problem taking the heat from all of our friends when we walked up and sat down in the front row.  Perks people.  Use them.  However, I can't say Matthew was pleased with our seat assignments.  As he walked out, he was like....YOU ARE IN THE FRONT ROW??  

Yep, we are those kind of people, get used to it.  

I have to say I have been quite emotional this last month.  Just the thought of him not being on campus anymore is like someone coming and ripping a security blanket out from under him.  I am super thankful that at his new school he will have one of my good friends as a teacher and she can keep her eyes on him and report back to me.  I told him he can run, but he can't hide.

He unfortunately looks like he is now ready for middle school.  Somehow he looks older here and it is not appreciated.

Here he is walking in...right when he realized where are seats are.  I also need to confess that I held it together right up until the flag salute (which happened approximately two minutes after they walked out), and then I started crying,  Like teetering on the ugly cry, but I was able to hold on to the lump that kept creeping up my throat. 

One of four athletic awards handed out.

Promotion certificate.

This was also that moment when I kind of lost it, again.  Out of 90 kids, only ten of them received the Presidential Award.  It is an award that celebrates excellence in academics and citizenship for intermediate grades.  This kid has worked so hard since the first day of kindergarten and we could not be more proud of him.  I don't want to speak for Rich, but I can 100% guarantee that I was never this dedicated as a student.  Whatever had to get done, got done at the last possible moment.  He has been the most responsible kid from day one.  We have never had to tell him to do his homework, or work on a project, or plan out a timeline for big reports.  He always just does it without our nagging and never complains.  

Proud boy! 

The boy with his Nana Sharon and Nana Bobbie.

Family pic.

The boy and Papa.

Ms. Leach.  Pretty epic sixth grade teacher! He adores her.

The kids who have been friends since birth.

MMC

I just feel this could be a future prom picture....and I would LOVE IT!!!!

The moms and the kids.  These ladies are amazing! 

Such a special day!  

Mother's Day

First of all, let me apologize for my complete lack of attention to this blog.  The last quarter of school is a killer and has sucked the life out of me.  This week is the last week of school, which also means it is Matthew's promotion from sixth grade, so I am sure there will be a sob filled post from me at some point next week. 

On Mother's Day Rich had asked what I wanted to do and I told him I wanted to go to lunch.  As he started to throw out some ideas, I said..."Oh, I'm sorry.  I meant I want to go to lunch somewhere that any time I look up, from any angle, I see the ocean."  He got the hint.

We headed to Half Moon Bay for day.  Our departure time was 5:00am.  I'm guessing lunch with a view AND sleeping in was too much to ask for.  It turns out that it was for the best because there really is only one way into HMB and with traffic, an hour an a half drive can turn into a three hour drive very quickly.  We had no traffic going (shocking) and when we left after lunch, had no traffic going back.  We were home by 3:00pm and it was a perfect day.

An overcast day at the beach is my ideal day.  We all had sweatshirts on and flip flops.  Perfection.

Mine.  All mine.

  
This picture makes me laugh because Rich looks like he's posing for a prom picture.  Not that he went to prom....but maybe this would have been how he smiled if he had.

A little walk downtown...

We took a wrong turn and found this bed and breakfast.  This is where I want to stay next time we come.

Lunch!!

I promise, I had more than just this for lunch.  The lady sitting at the next table ordered this at the same time and when the waitress brought them to us, we toasted each other to a happy Mother's Day.

Yeah, they don't serve this in Lodi. 

Great day with all my boys.

Spring Break 2015

We had two weeks off for our break.  The first week was spent down at the park every day playing tennis.  My boys think it's fun to invite me down to play so they can beat me by an embarrassing amount.  I've set a summer goal to take both of them down and rub their faces in it as much as possible. You know, because I am the mom and the adult in the relationship.

 

 

MMC Tennis Tournament

 

 

This is what Spring Break looks like!  Don't worry that it was only 75 degrees.  Don't worry that the temperature of the pool was in the 60's.  Don't worry about anything...this kid is just nuts.  Period.

Ryan is still the ONLY family member that has gotten in my mom's pool.  We are waiting until the time when the threat of hypothermia will not set in.

Our second week of break was spent down n San Diego.  I hope this is the first of MANY.  What a lifestyle they have going down there!  My sister and her family moved to a city called Vista, which is about 35 minutes north of San Diego.  It is an ideal little place to live and my sister's neighborhood is perfect!!  I just loved everything about it!

Cousin love!

And speaking of cousin love!!!  We met our cousin Danny for breakfast the first morning we were there.  We don't see each other very often anymore, but I certainly hope that this opens up many more visits in the future!

After breakfast we headed down to the beach to get Natalie familiar with it because she has never been and we were going that night to take pictures with the kids. 

 And I want it known that before we left for breakfast and the beach, I said to the boys (mostly Ryan), "Do you want to take your suits?  Because you are going to get in the water and it will be easier with your bathing suits on instead of your clothes."  Ryan said, "No, I'm not going in, I don't need it."
I told him countless times that he will go in and he should just take it.  But, nope...he refused.

 

The next day we headed to Sea World. 

Nana and the boys on a water ride that Ryan described as...part California Screamin', part Splash Mountain.  Nana was NOT impressed.

 



 

 

 

YOOOOOHOOOOOO!!!!!!  (When Auntie Noelle called the flamingos over)

"I am a nice shark.  Not a mindless eating machine.  If I am to change this image, I must first change myself.  Fish are friends, not food."

Word for word, from Find Nemo, because I have seen it over a thousand times. (five years ago)

Gross.

 

The last night we were there, Noelle and I went to the brewery where my cousin works.  We had cocktails and ice cream sandwiches.  Perfect!

And finally.  The night we got lucky with timing, sunsets, and kids smiling!

 

And here are some others...