Kindergarten Graduation

I figure if I do at least three posts a night, I might catch up in a month or so!!!

Xander had his kindergarten graduation a few weeks ago. I am so proud of how far he has come this year. For the whole first half of the year, he couldn't seem to get the concept of letters/sounds AT ALL. By the end of the year, he was reading simple words. GO XANDER!!! I am so grateful for his good teacher, who is patient and loving (he needs both!) and worked so hard on his behalf. I'm also so grateful to have him at such a great school. This year we have balanced having three kindergartners in three different schools-- yikes! Next year, Lexi will be moving to the same school as the other kiddos. Elli will remain at her school (for kids with special needs) and we are so grateful to have her there.

Congrats, X-man, on surviving kindergarten!! I think you are the most handsome guy of the bunch, and I still think you are going to be student body president someday with your awesome personality! (:





Xander with TA

Xander with principal

Xander with teacher

Princess Festival

Anyone that knows Graci and Jesi know that they LOVE LOVE LOVE princesses! So when we heard of "The Princess Festival" we knew that there was no question we would take them. (: Graci was so excited for a chance to wear her Make-a-Wish dress again!

The Princess Festival is one of the neatest organizations I've known. It's mission statement: To touch the hearts of young girls and communities to empower them in acts of service, kindness, and courage through the creative engagement of imaginative characters, stories, and events.

Every year, a new princess is introduced, complete with a book and everything. The goal is to have princesses that girls can both relate to and look up to. This year's princess was "Mila." I spoke to the founder of the festival and she said that Mila was invented because girls with short hair felt like they couldn't be princesses. Next year, they are looking to find a princess with down syndrome. Awesome. Wouldn't it be cool to have Lexi or Sophi as one of their princesses a few years down the road??? (:

As soon as they walked through the doors, they were sprinkled with pixie dust and given nametags, so that the characters could address them all as "Princess Jesi, Princess Graci," etc.

At the festival, there were princesses of all sorts. All of the classics, of course, but without the Disney twists. There were six different fifteen minute "adventures" including some fantastic plays. One of them was hearing the story of "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" told by the twelve princesses themselves, and learning a dance with them.

All of the princesses and other characters were volunteers. There were also little service projects that the girls could help with throughout the day, and all of the proceeds of the festival go toward different charitable projects. It is amazing to read about what has been accomplished with this festival!

Graci and Jesi ate the whole thing up. Jeremy and I had such fun watching the magic in their eyes. I sure love my sweet princesses. (:

#1 Brother

Summer is flying by!! With baseball, dance recitals, playdates, late nights, baseball, gardening, picnics at the splash park, deep cleaning, baseball, dates with Mom and Dad, fun times with grandparents, summer walks/drives, and more baseball, we have definitely been keeping busy around here!

A couple of weeks ago, we passed around the stomach flu. Graci was the only one that didn't get it, and boy is she lucky!! It was miserable, and I am very happy to be done with not only the flu itself, but the clean up from others having the flu!!! It took almost two weeks to pass through all of us. UGH!

The day that I had it the worst, Jesi had it as well. She ended up in my bed with me and we were there all day and night. I could tell she was getting dehydrated, and knew I was as well, so I would tell her, "I'll drink a sip of gatorade if you drink a sip." It was the only way I could make myself drink! At one point I realized she hadn't eaten anything since the night before, and told her she really needed to pick something to eat. I called Taylor in (the big kids were taking care of the littles while Jeremy was at work) and told him he needed to get something for Jesi. He asked her what she wanted, and her reply was, "spaghettios." Well, after a thorough search of the pantry and food storage room, Taylor found that we didn't have any. He suggested every other food imaginable, but her heart (or stomach) was set on spaghettios. He asked me if he should go to the store and get some, and I said, "Whatever..."

What was I thinking?

I'm not sure-- just know that I wasn't really coherent. In my normal state of mind, I would never have let an 11-year-old go to the store by himself. Especially when it meant crossing a busy street. But I was in and out of consciousness and so miserable that I didn't really think about what I was telling him.

So this sweet boy got his own money and jumped on his bike. He rode to the nearest store, Smith's, and bought Jesi her spaghettios. Over a three mile roundtrip by himself on a hot summer day, just to help his sister. He came home, warmed up the spaghettios, and brought them to my room-- expecting a happy sister, I would imagine. Jesi brought the spoon up to her mouth, then put it down without so much a nibble, saying, "I'm going to be sick!"

Poor Taylor. Poor Jesi. I still think he wins "brother of the year." (: