Been a while.....

I have been stretched so thin lately.

Pulled in so many different directions.

I a lot of catching up to do because a lot of things have come and gone...

The end of the school year, for me, brings SO many things that need to get done. So many projects for each of the kids...end of the year gifts...commitments at the schools...a certain persons birthday--which then means PARTY...our anniversary...plannning and getting a grip on the reality of having the kiddos home for summer....

I could go on.

But I won't.

Anyway....like I said....

I have a lot of catching up to do. :)

I will start with the fact that school ended yesterday.

It was quite emotional for me.

More then I thought it would be.

I am just not a person that does well with a change in routine. I like things to be the same. I like my people, and my day-to-day...and it is hard when what I know comes to a close.

Especially when it menas so many changes at one time...

Number one, I now have a senior in high school.

I have a senior who is SO not ready to be a senior.

Sometimes I wish we could decide where our kids should be...because although she is very smart, and has had a good year this year...mentally, emotionally...she is not ready to be where she is. She had a hard year freshman year, and then tried to come out of it Sophomore year, but went to the other extreme...so essentially...I feel like she just skipped those two years. Like she should REALLY be going into her sophomore year this coming year.

She is just now starting to learn accountability, and responsibility...and unfortunately, in the world...she is certainly expected to already know those skills.

I am super proud of the strides she has made this year, don't get me wrong...but I fear for what is to come too.

Number two, I have a second grader. HOW DID THAT HAPPEN? How did my first born finish first grade.

I am kind of in love with our little "family" at our elementary school.

It makes me sad to have it come to an end.

We had an incredible year this year (again) with an incredible teacher (again)...well, group of teachers, really and I am so honored to be a part of it!

Funny though...that school- life becomes your normal day-to-day. The friendships, the interaction, the volunteering. It is hard to have it come to a close. I kind ofdon't quite know what to do now.

Number three, I have a friend at school who is leaving...moving away. Of course, that makes me sad too.

Anyway....all of that, coupled with the fact that I stayed up VERY VERY VERY late for 4 nights before yesterday to finish everything for Ty's birthday party (post to come) and end of the year gifts...made me kind of a wreck yesterday.

This was one of the teacher gifts....

This is another...

This is the book that I compiled from all of the kids. They did a thank you letter, a drawing and there is a portrait of each one of them.

Today, I am back to normal...kind of. :)

There is still a lot on my mind. We are having a garage sale this weekend, coupled with our 10 year anniversary...and dropping the oldest of my kids off at camp this weekend, then a little ocean trip at the same time. Finally my sister comes into town on the 3rd.

Seems like there is just always something!

Time

I swear...it was JUST December 1st!

Seriously!

This season went SO fast!

At the beginning of the month, Kevin had year end close at work...so that is a LONG week for him, and we barely saw him (which also makes it a LONG week for me too)....then AS soon as he was done, he was home for ONE DAY, and left for almost a week on a business trip (Yeah, business.....a cruise to.......ARUBA--you do feel sorry for him, right.)

Anyway.....

BLAH

BLAH

BLAH

So we have baked some, and shopped some, and played some and spent lots of time together. Two of the kids had Christmas concerts, and the third played Santa at a fund raiser.

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Tyler's Concert was great! I love that they can still sing Christmas music in our district, and that they haven't yet taken that away.

Tyler was picked to play the "gong"! He was SO excited about his responsibility!

He is right there, to the right of the Music teachers head.

They sang 5 songs, combining, singing, and music, speaking parts, and even solos. They sang Christmas songs, one about Hanukkah, and one about Kwanzaa...They ended with one about Peace. Oh it was so good!

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Makylie, had her very first concert with her preschool class. It was so cute having them all perform for the first time. They had a celebration during class, celebrating Jesus' birthday, and then a concert for the parents...

Here she is walking in. She was pretty shy at first!

They all memorized 3 songs, and then two more, which were sung to a recorded voice. (Those must have been songs they sing in class.) There were a lot of body movements with them!

It was so darling to watch them each slowly come out of their shells.

Until we finally got to this last picture where even the shy little ladies were doing all of the movements!

It really was fun to watch her in her environment...we never have had the opportunity to see her there.

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Karman went and did a fund raiser for her TATU club, which stands for Teens Against Tobacco Use.

They were to have a Football player acts as Santa in front of the grocery store where they would then offer to take pictures for a dollar. Proceeds going to their club of course.

The boys all backed out at the VERY last minute!

So guess who stepped up.

She doesn't make too bad a 17 year old Santa's helper. :)

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I organized the class Christmas party for Ty's class, and it was really fun.

We really have another great group of kids. I am really happy that Tyler, being such a loving and NICE little man, is surrounded with kids that act very similar to him.

I love being in the classroom...I miss it from my past, and it makes me happy to be there.

So school got out yesterday and I am really excited to have 16 whole days to spend with my kiddos!

Tyler is SOOOOOOO fun this year! He is so into the whole holiday....it makes me smile, and he just brings that "childhood" to the season that we all miss so much!

I am loving this year...not that I don't love every year...

but this year the magic is present again,

and,

knowing it won't be that way forever,

I am reveling in it!