Summer T-shirts

We have had so much fun "designing" and "making" some of Mikayla's t-shirts this summer.  We try to do a few each year and this year was no exception.  It was SO fun on the first go around, we had to go buy more blank shirts (for the very expensive price of $2.49) so that we could make some more. 

 

I had a bunch of iron on critters in my stash so we cut some out, moved them around, placed them exactly where she wanted them.

 

Then much to my dismay, she wanted to do it!  UGH what is going on around here (just kidding) she loved doing it. I was there too teaching iron safety (granted she's ironed her uniforms and stuff before but this was a bit different because it goes against everything I said before about not leaving the iron in one spot too long). 

 

 

  

 

 

 

The Hoot below.... we ironed it on then used fabric markers to color in some of it.

 

 

The two below, I bought some cricut vinyl and oh my gosh, it is the MOST amazing product EVER!!!  I won't ever cheat on that brand again (well for iron on anyway), the quality of it is second to none!!!  So I cut these out on cricut and we ironed them on.

 

 

 

Only one shirt left to do..... hummmm what shall it be?

The Big Dance Recital

Mikayla had her big dance recital on Saturday. Let me tell you it was a LONG day, we were at the auditorium at 8:45 am, left around 12:30, back at 6:15 and left around 10:00 pm.... long day!  It was fun though.

 

Here are a few pre recital pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seriously fun costumes!  :) 

 

Here is a little back stage waiting.

 

 

 

First rehearsal on the big stage. 

 

 

 

They said to apply her make up and if it looks good in the mirror, it's not on thick enough!  I think I came through.  Seriously - she does NOT look 9 to me when she's all made up like this.

 

 

 

 

 

Show time!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And lastly the grand finale!

 

 

 

I do have to say this was the most smoothly executed recital ever!!  There were 42 classes performing and backstage there was no stress, rushing, pushing.... nothing!  They had it all very well in control and everyone was exactly where they were supposed to be!  It was an amazing experience being handled like that! The kiddos all did a great job too!

 

Whew!  Another thing finished for this year.

The final bulletin board this year

This one really ranked up there as one of my absolute favorites - the colors, the textures....ahhhhhmazing!  I wish I had done the title a bit lower but I know better for next year.  I am sad this is it.... (well for now).... I was feeling a bit lost without a project to be thinking about.... but don't worry, I'm on it.... new stuff coming down the pike!  ha!

I cut all of the buckets/shovels out on my cricut, the crabs to.  I got the trees and parrot from the dollar store. The "sand" was the back side of some wrapping paper crumpled up to look like sand.

They are a tremendous amount of work but I LOVE it!  (just the cutting part on this one took about 4 hours).. 

Last day of 3rd Grade

Wow, third grade….. it has come and gone already!  We worked hard this year.

I feel like we have been so busy and just sidewacked by this year.  I wasn’t prepared for it.  I know we were busy with school in the past but this year was exceptional.  We learned all of our new school systems.  Switching from paper to electronic schooling/homework really was a huge transition.  HUGE! 

We had so many fun projects to work on.  Some of Mikayla’s (and mine, I’m not going to lie) favorites were:

• Learning the new laptop and programs

• Spanish family tree

• Field trips

• Mass with Cardinal DeNardo

• Choir

• Guatemalan study and report complete with authentic Guatemalan coconut cookies that we made

• Bulletin boards

• Science fair

• Penguin project (she said this one was by far her favorite)

• Wax museum

• Making a city out of paper with shells as the people (the whole class got involved).  There is a city the size of ½ pizza box in the back seat of my car right now. 

• The list goes on and on!

What an amazing 3^rd grade we/she has had. She can type pretty well, she can do power point presentations and slides, she can create and edit videos, she knows how to find information (safely) on the internet,  she loves speaking in front of the class and presenting something, her teacher has allowed them the freedom to explore and take projects where she never thought or imagined they could and would go.  These children were learning and had NO idea they were learning – isn’t that something!!!  Of course they had their regular studies too some were more fun for her than others but that’s perfectly normal.  She has grown intellectually by leaps and bounds.  I’m simply amazed at the growth this year.  Michael says she can do more on the computer now than he can!

Physically – where has my baby gone she is gone from me and has left in her place the most amazing young lady. She is smart, she is funny, very witty.  She is a GREAT companion, her compassion knows no ends.  She is incredibly loving and kind and even when it’s hard – she does the right thing (for example, giving up her recess time with her friends to help a boy in her class that needed help).  She’ll tell you, “I’m trying to help him so he can get a career someday.”   Of course there’s a bit of drama but I soak it all in….

She still loves “teaching” and we have her classroom (play room) in full order upstairs. She’s really good! 

So on to summer now.  I am looking forward to the easier routine, no commute……well 5 minutes each way.  Swim time, time with friends, keeping in touch with her friends at school, making new friends in the neighborhood.  Just having time to rest and gear up for next year.  I feel like she’s going into high school because I’m afraid I’ll blink and it will be true.

Here are her last day pictures (she's holding a picture of her on her first day).  Look how much she's grown!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Her end of year morning was AMAZING!!!  It started out as usual with morning announcements and off to class they went.

 

Then for morning church service Fr. Sean was asking the kiddos what they learned this year.  The answers were HILARIOUS!  One kid said "alligator mouth"..... (translated to mean greater then and less than).  Another kid said he learned HAGS......  (translated to mean Have a Great Summer)...and so on.  It was a great service.

 

Then it was on to the awards part of the day.  Mikayla won a perfect attendance award!  Whew - a whole school year with no sickness that required staying home!!!  Whew!!!!

 

 

I do have to say though that as her teacher was calling out "her" kids names...she got very emotional.  She is moving into the VP role next year and is very sad about not teaching her kids.  So by the time she got to Mikayla's name.... she was openly crying.... she set off all the moms in there to crying with her!  It was very emotional but does show the love she has for her kiddos.

 

She is like their little mother hen.... I've loved having her for our teacher this year.  Here are her little chickens surrounding her and loving on her.

 

 

Final class picture.

 

 

Next stop.... 4th Grade!!!!!  How did THAT happen?

 

Oh a side note on this very lengthy post.... the school is already set up for 307 students for next year (currently we have 175ish) and it's just the beginning of summer...they're expecting another full house....can you imagine- it's going to be double what we are now!!!!

 

WOW.

 

Last week of school!

Wow it has been busy for sure! 

They had field day on Monday and the grand finale was for the local firemen to come and do a presentation and then SOAK the kiddos with their fire hoses!!  What fun - huh!!!! My field days weren't like that at all!!

 

We also had our final 3rd grade party-get together and presented the class gifts to our beloved teacher.  She was crying and had the mom's all ready to cry too!

 

 

 

Now we just need to pray they make it through the rest of the week.  There seem to be a ton of accidents since Monday alone.

Mikayla fell and got a HUGE bruise and goose egg on her leg just below her knee, up her leg, all the up to her stomach where she's got more bruises too... what in the world.
another girl got butt bumped and fell and sprained three of her fingers
A boy fell and split his knee open - required stitches
Another boy fell off a bridge that is about 6 inches off the ground, fell just right, hit his head on a rock, split it open and they had to call 911 to take him in, as the dramatic Mikayla would say "he was drenched in his own blood"...... yikes!

So it's been an accidental last week at school!  Just today and 1/2 of tomorrow to go... they can do it!!!