End of the Year

The end of the school year is always a busy time.  There are lots of fun things happening.  Kylie is a 5th grader, which means it is her last year in elementary school.  She has loved every year at Promenade Elementary and has so many great experiences and opportunities.  We had one last award ceremony at school and the All Stars performed one last time.  The kids were really excited. 

 

 

 Hanging out waiting for the awards assembly to start.

 

 Chad receiving his awards from Mrs. Copeland.

 

Kylie's turn... 

 

 

Kylie and her most favorite teacher of all, Mrs. McCullough.

I think 5th grade has been her best year so far.

 

 

 

Each year, the 5th graders perform a play and have a graduation/cast party immediately following their evening performance.  They did such a great job and were so prepared.

 

 

 

Kylie's roll in the play was so fun.  She played a ditzy girl competing in a game show about American history.  She always gave the same answer, and was always wrong.  She played this role really well and I was actually surprised with how much she let herself go and was able to act like such an airhead without being embarrassed. She threw in some silly dancing and faces and the audience was very entertained.  I think a lot of people were surprised to see her acting like that.  :)



 

Somehow she ended up acting right along next to her little crush, Brandon, who

was playing the game show host.  It was very cute.



 

 

 

 

Being silly after they took their bows.

 

 

Cameron was so proud.



 

 

I was in charge of decorating for their after/graduation party.  It was bittersweet

knowing that this is Kylie's last year at Promenade.



 

 

Kylie and her best friend this year, Cierra.

 

 

  On the last day of school, third grade had a field day.  Lots of fun and water

involved makes for some very happy kids!

 

Cameron was with me while I was there helping and got to join in on the fun.

 

 

 

It was fun to be there on the last day and catch some pictures on

Kylie's last day of elementary school.

 

 

On Cameron's last day of school, the kids had a sprinkler party at one of the kids' homes.

It is so fun to watch preschoolers play together.

 



First United Methodist Preschool has been a big part of our lives ever since Kylie was three.  Cameron's last day of preschool was actually a little depressing.  It was so hard to say goodbye to all of the teachers and staff that we love so much.  It was weird to think that it was my last day driving there after doing that for the last eight years.  It was another bittersweet day.

We love the director of FUMPS, Mrs. Salmon.

 

One of Chad and Cameron's former teachers, Ms. Erdman.

Cameron walked around and gave everyone a long stemmed rose and

we left them this note in the office.



 

Fun with friends on the last day of preschool -

Kian, Cameron and Christian

 

Ice cream party

Cameron and Sawyer

 

A few more pictures of FUMPS at our (Cameron's) last Open House.

 

 

Kylie's 2nd Piano Recital

Kylie has been playing the piano for almost a year and a half and was excited for her spring recital.  She has improved so much and is already finishing up level two.  Her teacher Loretta Pearce has told me that she has a gift and that she reminds her of one other girl that learned from her years ago.  She picks up things very quickly and can play new pieces of music with little effort.  She has developed a love for playing the piano and is always beaming when she walks out to the car after a lesson.  At this recital she played two pieces of music and memorized one of them.  She never looks nervous and I love to watch her play.  I'm so thankful she is having the opportunity to learn how to play.  We are so grateful to grandma for paying for her lessons. 

 

Jensen Alvarado Ranch

Chad's 3rd grade class got to go on a field trip to Jensen Alvarado Ranch in Jurupa Valley.  They learned about the earliest settlers in the valley and how they lived back in the early 1800's.  They were the first class to actually be able to go inside of the ranch house that the family lived in.  It was amazing to see the inside of the rooms and the amazing architecture and old furniture.  Everything was left in its original form.  They saw the old farm tools they used to use, and talked about how everything they had was because of their planning and hard work.  If the people didn't work, they didn't eat.

 

They got to feed the animals on the farm

 

Donkeys aren't something you see every day

They had to wash clothes using a wash board 

 

They rolled out hand made tortillas and cooked them on a wood burning cast iron stove. 

They were so delicious!!

 They even got to make homemade ice cream

 

It was a great day and I was so glad I was able to go along and be there to experience it with Chad.

Talent Show

Our school had its first Talent Show this year.  We had no idea what to expect when we held auditions, but we ended up watching children perform for about five hours.  We had so many kids want to participate, and a lot of great talent.  It was a great night of performances and I was so proud when our kiddos got up on a stage.

Kylie choreographed a hip hop routine for her and her friends Cierra and Ryan.  Chad loves to breakdance and him and his friend Travis joined in too.  At the last minute, Cameron decided he wanted to show off his skills too.  It turned out awesome.  They danced to a song called "Bubble Gum Boy" and threw out bubble gum to the crowd at the end of their dance.  They had so much fun and it was great to see their faces light up on the stage.

Mother's Day Tea

On Mother's Day, Cameron's preschool class put on a Mother's Day Tea.  It was so sweet.  We had orange juice, fruit and muffins and lots of yummy treats.  The kids each made a busy bee vase with their fingerprints and filled it with beautiful carnations.  It was nice to be with just Cameron and have some time to sit down and talk to him.  He was so excited to serve me my breakfast and could hardly sit still while we were eating.  (What's new?)   I was a little bit disappointed when I read one of the questions he had answered about me.  What does your mom do best?  Cameron's answer:  Yell at Chad, and then he added, no really.  Not one of my proudest moments.  :)  He did have some really cute answers to his other questions, so at least he made up for it in the long run.  

 

My actual Mother's Day morning was pretty nice too.  David and the kids made me breakfast in bed and brought up some flowers and wrapped up a few of my favorite things.  It was nice to spend the day together as a family.  I wish I had more pictures, but Daddy is not one to remember to get out the camera.  :)

Sleepover Please?!

One Sunday night, David and I were making dinner and the kids were really quiet upstairs.  I get a little worried sometimes when it's really quiet.  Our house is not that big - I can usually hear everything that is going on.  A few minutes later, they were calling us upstairs.  We found all three kids sitting on our bed in the begging position, with a note written on the mirror (in Crayola window marker).  The note says, "Dear Mom and Dad, we just cleaned the house upstairs for you and we really want to sleep on the couches and blankets downstairs tonight.  Will you please let us with a cherry on top?  Love, Kylie, Chad, and Cameron" 

 

 

It was really cute and made me laugh.  They have lots of sleepovers together, but never on a school night.  I think they really thought that I would say no....but I didn't.  I'm so glad when they enjoy hanging out together and I know they will always remember that night.