4th Grade Wax Musuem

Pres as Andrew Jackson - serious on purpose

As if the end of the school year isn't busy enough, Shades Cahaba decided to hold the 4th grade wax museum the week before school lets out (insert eye roll).  Thankfully Preston didn't get a very difficult person that he had to dress up like, Andrew Jackson.  We did our best with the costume, and Preston stayed in character when I came to walk through, even though he wasn't supposed to break character and talk or move.

Miss Lyon's class all dressed up!

Walker is Kindergarten Bound

August 2018 - 1st Day of Yellow Door

In some ways time flies by, and in other ways....time crawls.  There is no doubt that our time with Walker over the past five and a half years has gone by in a blink of an eye.  He was our easiest and happiest baby by far.  He was the one that we could pass around at dinner parties, the one that slept through the night at 8 weeks and the one that began walking at 10 months old.  It was at that time though that things shifted, when our easy, happy baby became a busy, wild toddler.  Then he became a needing-to-be heard, loud and crazy bigger toddler.

Going to preschool five days a week was exactly what this mom needed!  He thrived, started talking, started dancing and loved every minute of it.  Those 3.5 years at All Saints Preschool went by super quickly!  This past year in yellow door with Paula and Michele has been great.  He colored, created works of art, played outside with friends, did imaginary play, got read to often, sang songs, learned about Jesus and was kept safe!  Thank you for an end of an era!

Kindergarten Preview - May 2019

Class of 2032 - WHAT???

Before graduation

Receiving his diploma

Recession after graduation, smirking

So proud of our boss baby

Brothers (Bennett couldn't miss school)

Last day of 4K Preschool at All Saints

Now Walker is kindergarten bound!  He attended kindergarten preview last week at SCE, and is excited about starting a new chapter.  One that includes making new friends, going to school all day and learning how to read!  I am so excited to watch this one grow, and become a big boy!  Here he comes Shades Cahaba.....watch out!!

6th Grade was a Success!

When Bennett started at Homewood Middle School, we really didn't know what to expect.  We had heard it was better than elementary school, but wasn't sure if that would truly be the case.  It started off great when we learned who Bennett received for her teacher team (Adams, Bates and Tanner).  She did very well the first semester of the year, with all A's and only one B.  In addition, she made new friends, and kept many of her sweet ones from SCE.

It starts to get more real the second semester, when the 6th graders begin trying out for extra curricular activities that they can do in the 7th grade.  They limit what the kids can do their first year so they can really focus on their academics, making new friends and just adapting to the new environment.  Bennett had set her eyes on cheer, peer helpers and show choir.  All three are super competitive, like all of the sports at this level.

Sadly, Bennett did not make cheer.  It broke her heart, and ours too seeing her so sad.  However, after it settled in, she began texting and calling her friends that did and congratulating them.  THAT is what I admire most in this girl.  She is such a kind friend.

About a week before cheer tryouts, she submitted her application to become a 7th grade peer helper.  She was thrilled when she was pulled out of class unexpectedly a couple of weeks later and interviewed based on her answers (which does not happen for all applicants, and is the second stage of the process).  When she came home from school after the interview, she was so excited!  She knew she answered their questions well, and felt good.  A couple of weeks later, we found out Bennett was selected as a peer helper!  This is a great honor!  Peer Helpers are in the middle school and high school, and are good representations of character.  They are expected to be role models for their peers, maintain good grades, and serve a minimum of 30 hours of community service.

As the year is coming to a close, Bennett shifted gears and started focusing on show choir.  I hired a voice coach to help her perfect the song that she needed to sing for the judges at tryouts.  Mr. Litten, the show choir instructor, provided about 6 songs for the girls to choose from (and a different 6 for the boys).  They needed to each sing a solo acapella in front of a panel of three judges, and then perform a dance with a group of 9 other kids (which they wouldn't learn until the week of tryouts).  Bennett chose to sing "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music.  The week of tryouts, the children stay after school on Monday to learn the dance (which they later post online).  Later that night, she practiced with another friend and a couple of high schoolers at the rec for two hours trying to get it memorized.  She practiced hard each day, with her final day - over 5 hours!

Bennett gave it her best shot on Thursday after school, and on Sunday night (mother's day), we heard that her hard work paid off, and she made it!!  We couldn't be more proud of her, and are so excited to watch her performances next year!  Several of her friends made it too, so I know she will have a lot of fun wearing make-up, singing and dancing!

To top it all off, she has maintained good grades!  If she finishes the last week where she is now, she will end the 6th grade with all A's and only 2 B's for the year!  Go Bennett Go!!!  Here's hoping that she has an awesome 7th grade year too!

Mother's Day

Walker drew and painted this all by himself (step by step)

May is always a terribly busy month for mothers.  It is ironic that Mother's Day is celebrated mid May, it is like they knew we would need at least one day for a break!  My Mother's Day was terrific this year.  It started on Friday with a short program at Walker's preschool where we were presented with art work that they did for us, along with strawberry shortcake (which is coincidentally a favorite dessert of mine).

The spoiling continued on Saturday, when Bennett and Steve came home that morning with my favorite flowers, lilies and hydrangeas, along with a gift card for a mani and pedi!  Bennett heard me complaining that I never had time to get it done during the week, so they gave it to me early so I could use it that afternoon (before Mother's Day and another busy week).  The next morning, Steve let me sleep in.  He got up with Beck, and then kept the kids quiet and in the front of the house so I wouldn't hear them.

When I finally rolled out of bed, they had coffee and a cut grapefruit ready for me.  Then the cards and homemade presents were presented, followed up by a great big breakfast that Steve lovingly cooked for me.

from Preston

It was a rainy dreary morning, so we stayed in and rented a movie.  We drank prosecco and just chilled until we went to Myra's later that afternoon.  Of course she cooked for all of us on her mother's day, but she wouldn't have it any other way.  I'm pretty lucky to have an awesome mother and mother-in-law too!  What a fantastic day!

Homewood Elementary School Track Meet

Every spring the Homewood elementary schools put on a track meet.  It is only for 4th and 5th graders, and the three schools compete against each other.  The one that gets the most points wins a banner and bragging rights for the next year.  Bennett never wanted to run, so this was our first year participating. 

The children were allowed to do three individual events, and if chosen, could do a relay event.  Preston chose to do the 400, 800 and the long jump.  He was also chosen to do the 4x400 relay with a few of his fast friends.  He was so excited for the afternoon, and practiced in PE for a couple of weeks leading up to the event. 

Preston told me his PE Coach had him running 1600s to prep for his shorter distance events.  He had some tough competition for all events, but placed 1st in the 800 (3:02.27), 4th in the 400 (1:15.75) and 6th in the long jump (10 feet 9 inches) for 4th grade boys!  His relay blew away the competition too, and got an easy 1st place (5:25.35).  He was super pumped, and had so much fun competing!

Pres and Parks Murray

Pres getting handoff from Ty during relay - he was the anchor!

1st Place Relay Team: Grant Hartman, Jackson Martin, Ty Mayo and Preston

Pres in starting position next to Collier Hicks

Determination!

SCE swept the competition!

Pres has already set his sights on breaking the record on the 800 meter (which was set by another SCE boy a few years ago).  He wants to do iRun this summer, and has another sport that he now wants to compete in.