Last day of School!

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 Oh sweet last day of school. This has been a hard one to see coming. Parker is now a 3rd grader!! WHAT? WHAT? Yep, he is now the kid that would be coming to MY CLASSROOM! For some reason this has effected me. As a third grade teacher for 5 years... I know 3rd grade... and what their sweaty heads smell like after recess, their sweetness, their independence, the realization that girls.... maybe don't have cooties, and they still loved their teacher. NOW MY PARKER IS ONE! He had a great year. He learned much, grew a ton, and is becoming a young man. I just want to freeze time. He LOVES watermelon and blueberries. He is playing soccer, but is itching to take gymnastics- the boy has mastered the one handed round-off! No lie. His silly mommy has this rule about 1 activity at a time, so we will need to wait on the gymnastics thing a bit longer.



Now, this little cutie has almost lost all her teeth in 1 year! Like ALL! Before the top 2 broke through I couldn't even fathom how she ate an apple, but she always wanted one. This year has been not so easy. We had a rough time in the beginning. We had the bullying by a mommy and then a 5th grader. I thought I was being called to home school through these events, but I feel public school is still the way for us right now. Academically the girl rocked kinder! Her reading is fantastic and she even joined her brother in the GATES program. She loves soccer and anything athletic. I have caught her out on the trampoline doing push ups all by herself. She is a little stud and actually likes being referred to as a country girl. We don't have anything lined out for her during the summer, and she is okay with that. She doesn't like popcorn, or squash, or broccoli, but loves tomatoes!

 The last day of school we decided to ride our bikes. I would walk sometimes in the afternoon and pick them up with B in the stroller, but riding in the morning was a huge treat! Bowden and I rode the tandem bike. NOW, let me tell you.... I do not like riding bicycles, and I am NOT GOOD AT IT! Like, really NOT GOOD. So this idea sent me into a anxiety wreck. Let me just say, it was our carpool friend's idea, Kimberly and Camille. I couldn't let my kids down. I did a practice run the night before with the tandem with Parker on the back because Bowden had gone to sleep at about 5:30 and sleep through the night, not unusual. So, the practice run was good and a great work out on my thighs with Parker on the back! You put this fireball on the back of the tandem... and well.... Let's just say neither one of actually fell off but there was 1 time we almost went down when a kid passed us on his bicycle on the sidewalk!

One of the reasons it was so difficult... is balance. Remember, I am not a good rider, and I am actually riding one of Stacey's bikes. I don't have one, because, well, I DON'T LIKE IT! So, it isn't a good fit. You put Bowden on the back, and you have a very exciting ride. One of the times I felt uneasy, I asked Bowden what he was doing and he yelled out- NO HANDS! Like that is a good idea when Mommy is pedaling through the school zone! Another time when we had stopped at a cross walk I asked him WHY can't he sit still- His RESPONSE: Mom, I jus doin dis! (Insert a boy acting crazy and trying to trick ride- kind of stand up pedaling). Oh brother. We did make it to school and back without injury, so that is a plus. I let Kimberly do pick up by herself. I am sure the other parents missed our part of the circus after school. I did go look at bikes for me at Wal Mart, and am thinking if I had the right cute bike I might enjoy it a bit better... maybe?