Garrett's Newest Accomplishment

Garrett and Gannon have this clock in their room and Garrett can now tell you what time it is!  Maybe this is normal for a 6 year old, but I was amazed.  Without even looking at a clock and me quizzing him, he can tell me what time it is by me simply telling him where the big hand and little hands are located.  He could do the counting by 5's easily and now even knows to estimate if the big hand it between to numbers.  Amazing in my book, I have high school students that can't do this!  With everything, he loves learning something new so he runs around reading clocks everywhere now!  Love our little learner!!!

 

Pee Wee Pair

Four more years until the boys could officially show their own animals so we'll continue to prepare them through Pee Wee Showmanship.  Ms. Natalie hooked us up with a couple goats, but Gannon had said he didn't want to show after all so one was put back.  Of course then he changes his mind!  Garrett was a trooper and let Gannon show as his partner!  They did great walking their goat around and answering the judges questions.  Gannon was even being silly giving him kisses.  They named "their" goat Henry, after Henry Hugglemonster Gannon's new favorite show. 

 

Carnival Rides

This year was the first year that we bought the boys an all you can ride wristband at the fair.  I'm pretty sure that will be a forever thing now!  We picked out a day ahead of time and told them that on Wednesday they would get to ride the rides.  Being at the fair a week before it officially opens and is still being set up creates quite the build up effect for them.  Gannon asked everyday if it was Wednesday yet.  We got into the fair before the rides opened and they were one of first to get their wristbands.  Running from ride to ride they had a blast.  Many of the rides they rode I swear 10 times, leaving a few they didn't ride.  Gannon is our little thrill seeker and he was very upset when we were calling it a night at 8, which is late for them!  He was crying saying he didn't ride all the rides.  I reminded him that many of them he rode LOTS of times and that we would return next year for more.  Really we'll be at the Stanislaus Fair so they don't have to wait but a month for more.  I was on the chase most of the night so I didn't take many pictures, but here are a few. 

 

 



Merced Fair Projects

Garrett and Gannon have been entering projects at the fair for years now and we decided it was time for Garrett to have a "bigger project"!  He was signed up for a garden plot and was excited to get it all set up.  The kids on the garden plots are according to the rules supposed to do the plot themselves.  No problem here we weren't allowed to help him!  He had a plan in his head how the flowers should go in and he had his "pattern" worked out in his mind.  Garrett loved creating this project and did let us help with a few of the final touches.  This years theme was "Thank You Veterans" so it was really simple to find material for this theme.  I painted little crosses to add to his plot and he was fine with us putting these where we wanted them to go.  He added little flags in front of each!  J

BLUE RIBBON FOR THIS ONE!

 

Wheel barrows are one of the projects that we have done for years.  Garrett is good about following directions to put lots of plants earning a blue ribbon.  Gannon on the other hand likes to do things his own way and will not take much direction to adding more plants were needed.  His wheel barrow is also much smaller, earning a red ribbon. 

 

Potted plants and succulents are our other "normal" entry.  Only one of these received a ribbon this year, I guess the judge forgot that these are kid projects and wanted more from them. 

 

Always fun to get their projects ready. 

 

 

Last Days of School

Garrett was more than excited to finish his final day of kindergarten.  He had a great year at Chenoweth with a great teacher.  He learned so much and his love for writing and math grew over this past year.  He loves to write in his journal and we will continue this over the summer.  He had perfect report cards throughout the year and was often chosen to be the helper in class.  Garrett spend the first 160 days of school counting up and the last 30 counting down!

 

Gannon will return to Montessori next year for his last year of preschool.  He took has learned so much and loved being in the big house.  His writing improved this year and he can count to 60 and can also count by 5's and 10's to at least 100!  He isn't a constant ball of learning like Garrett, but I do believe is equally as smart.  He started working on adding sheets by the end of the year and did very well on these too. 

 

I too loved every minute (well almost) of being at Yosemite High School.  I truly love working with kids that come from a challenging home environment and often low self esteem.  I love watching them become "math" students and totally love walking around my classroom hearing all the math chatter going on.  Yes, they have had struggles in school and at home, but they are amazing to me.  To come to school often without proper meals at home or even a bed to a 42 minute Algebra class, take notes, workout problems, and leave for the day without homework. To come back the next day and still retain what you learned the day before would be a challenge for any student and to do this with less than perfect home lives is amazing to me.  I got to know some great students and watched them become so confident by the end of the year.  People often look at me like I'm crazy when I tell them what school I work at, but I LOVE IT!!!

 

Not only do I love my job and students I of course love the time this school allows me to spend with our boys.  We are typically home by 3:30 doing homework and getting a hot dinner on the table.  Being able to be home with them is awesome.  I feel like I have the best of both worlds. 

 

First night of summer was spent watching a movie on the living room floor, one of our favorite past times! 

 

Gannon's Friends Birthday Party

Gannon's little friend Matthew from Montessori had his birthday party at Kiddie Land.  What a cool party location.  The kids had the entire kiddie land (5 rides!) to themselves and they were excited.  The volunteers ran from ride to ride with the kids loading them up and running the rides.  I don't think I've ever notice on previous visits that ALL the rides go around in circles!  I thought for sure when the boys had ridden the dragon coaster 5 times in a row (15-20 times around) someone was going to be sick!  They all did good and were very upset that we made them pick another ride for a bit before getting back on the dragon.  An hour of rides and then it was pizza and cake time.  Fun to see Gannon alone interacting with his little friends.

 

Swimming in the Hall's New Pool

Madison graduated from 8th grade, which I can't believe, and had a swimming party to celebrate.  Kevin and Mindy's pool was finished in April and this was our first pool party at their house.  I'm always nervous (I know surprise!) taking the boys swimming because we still haven't got them swimming without their life jackets.  And typically hanging onto me!  They both did amazing, yes still in life jackets, but both swimming around the pool, getting in and out by themselves.  I'll take that for a start of the summer and hopefully after our month of swim lessons they will both be more confident and jacketless!