SCE Spirit Day

Leyton Waller and Preston

After spring break, everyone gets antsy and ready for school to end.  The longer days, the warmer weather and summer at our fingertips makes it hard for the kids to really focus on school.  So as the end of the school year gets within single digits, the kids get super excited for summer!  Spirit Day is always in the last week of school, and always a really fun day for the kids. Let's get this summer started!!

getting some air!

John Michael Graduates!

It is hard to believe that our little ring bearer, who was mad at us for the entire wedding reception because we didn't put the actual rings on his pillow for the wedding (I don't know why we didn't honestly), graduated college this weekend!  John Michael is all grown up!  Over the past 13 years, I have really enjoyed watching JM grow up (in height, maturity and age).

John Michael graduated from John Carroll Catholic High School, with his sights set on a IT degree from UAB.  He did great all through high school, so we didn't want to miss his big day.  Steve, Bennett and I attended the ceremony at Samford, and then we picked up the boys and met everyone at Cocina Superior for the celebratory dinner.

We are so proud of you John Michael!

4th Grade Wax Museum

The students of Shades Cahaba have something to look forward to every year....musicals (which are done by every other grade starting in Kindergarten), science fairs, special field trips, spirit day, winter festival and more.  This year for Bennett, she had wax museum.  This is where all of the 4th graders dress up and have to be VERY still while parents and other students come view them.

Each class took a different time period.  Bennett's class focused on the women's suffrage movement.... the decades long fight for women's equality and their ability to vote.  It is a great learning experience because the kids have to study their assigned time period, and then decide on who they want to dress up like.  Bennett and I went shopping and she found suitable clothes for her costume.

Walker and I came to the "museum" to see Bennett and her classmates.  They all looked great.  However, shortly after we left, one of her friends passed out.  She evidently locked her knees and stared into the lights for too long and just passed out.  Thankfully she was okay, but supposedly it happens to a child every year.

I look forward to Preston's year to see what time period he gets, and how he dresses up.

And the Littlest One Learns to Swim

tears from the first day

Last winter I enrolled Walker in swim lessons at the YMCA because I couldn't get him into the swim instructor that taught our other two children how to swim, Laura Canterbury.  Like I expected it would be, they were a complete waste.  Walker could hold onto a noodle and blow bubbles, but if an accident happened....he would sink like a rock.  I knew I needed to change that, so I called right after Christmas this year and got Walker signed up for swim lessons this spring.

Laura's two week class is brutal on the parents and the children for the first couple of days, but by the end of the first week, it improves.  Her tactic is to pry the child away from the parent, blow in their face and dunk them, and then let them go while instructing them to kick their legs.  She taps on their head and reminds them to breath, while grabbing their swim trunks and pulling up, so they don't sink.  It is amazing to watch them transform into little swimmers in just a few short days.  The lessons were after school, so Walker was already a little tired, but he was a trooper.  In fact, by the end of week one he was swimming several feet unassisted.

holding his head down and forcing him to look down (which keeps them horizontal in the pool)

Finally getting it and swimming!

The second week, he would jump in repeatedly off the side of the pool and swim to the steps all by himself over and over again while he waited for his turn to swim with Laura.  He took a breath a couple of times, but Laura thinks he needs to learn to kick stronger before he can adequately breath because he sort of sinks when he lifts his head.  However, this new found confidence it just what we all needed to kick off our summer!

Baseball is in Full Swing...Literally!

Back in late February, Preston had his draft for spring baseball (before basketball was even over).  He showed up and did his best, and was drafted to the Phillies baseball team.  Like the other teams, he has some good players and some okay players.  They started off the season losing, but have slowly been improving and are clamoring for 3rd place.

Preston has definitely improved his fielding techniques this season.  His reaction ability has improved, as well as his throwing.  He still needs to improve his hitting skills, but he is getting there.  We have really enjoyed his coach, and getting to know the boys on the team.  Pres has had a lot of visitors to cheer him and the Phillies on this season, and we thank every single one of them for taking the time out of their busy lives to do so! 

Like most children, Preston loves to look at the stands and see familiar faces...so this has been a good season for him.  Mimi and Papa have been regulars, but Uncle Brian, Uncle Dan, Nene and Poppy, his teacher - Miss Anderson, as well as the Jarmons have all come out to cheer him on too!

Mimi and Papa come to most games!

Uncle Brian came straight from work!

Uncle Dan always watching sports!

Nene and Poppy came to watch!

Miss Anderson and her baseball loving students!

Mary Ellis and Jack

So though spring baseball is coming to an end this weekend.  We are unfortunately sitting it out.  Sadly Preston and another player collided when both tried to catch a pop fly, and the ball hit Pres in the eye.  Thankfully Steve was there to comfort him, and his coach was trained to give him the concussion test....which he passed.  So he came home with a headache and blurriness in that eye, and went to bed.  The following day he went off to school, but I received a call midday from the school nurse because he was complaining of headache, blurriness, double vision and nausea.  So we checked him out and took him to the doctor. 

Pres was given a number of tests, which he did well on, except for the visual acuity test - which he flunked.  The pediatrician was concerned, but truly believed he just bruised his eye and he just needed to rest it for several days.  He asked us to come back the following morning, and unfortunately he flunked it again.  Since there was no improvement, he called in a referral to an ophthalmologist for further testing.  Within 30 minutes Preston received a diagnosis....he had sustained a blowout fracture (a hairline fracture to his orbit).  Since he hadn't vomited (just nausea), he elected to let it heal on its own (without surgery).  So now we wait.............

Soon All Star season will really start ramping up!  His All Star team has been practicing for the past several weeks, and will officially begin in early May!  Nothing like being scared to death, and spending 4-5 days a week at the ballfields.  Thank goodness Preston loves it!

Worst Concert Ever!

I love seeing my favorite artists live, so when they come to the area, I definitely try and get concert tickets.  Something about Faith Hill and Tim McGraw never floated my boat.  I love their love story, but I have only liked a couple of their songs in the past decade.  But when some friends had someone back out, they had an extra ticket (that they were willing to sell at half price), so I joined in on the fun.

Thankfully the group of girls are fun, so we had a blast together.  We met beforehand for dinner and drinks, and then headed to the concert.  Faith and Tim on the other hand....not so much fun.  They opened with a familiar hit, but watching Faith dance around in her frumpy dress and flats was such a let down.  She is so beautiful, so I hated to see her dressed so matronly.  Tim was easy on the eyes, as he is a very fit 50 something old, but all of his talent and good looks couldn't make up for Faith's shaky voice and weak moves.

Not a concert I would ever recommend, and not one I will ever purchase a ticket for again.