My Own Rewind

Today I'm looking back at what's kept us busy lately. Like the 5th grade egg drop competition. Braylen's egg didn't crack after being dropped from the top of the school. He and his partner made a safe "nest" for it out of a Pringles can, bubble wrap, loads of duct tape, and a plastic bag parachute. I want to remember Braylen calling it a "cringles" can. :) Also, since he used almost all of Derek's duct tape, guess what he bought for his dad's birthday gift? :) You can't tell from this picture, but our school counselor wore a chicken hat while dropping the eggs. I hope middle school brings some silliness to the students. I'm still having a hard time believing Braylen's days at this school are down to 3.

Braylen with his nest named "Mr. Duck" on a very bright and sunny day!

Kaleb's class took a field trip to the movies to see "Soul Surfer." I pushed through my illness to get to the theater, since I really wanted to see the movie with him. Saltines aren't my usual movie snack, but on this day they tasted great. I'm thankful for the opportunity to see this faith-filled movie with my son on a public school field trip. One more reason to be thankful for our school and for Kaleb's third grade teacher!

Braylen and Kaleb competed in a track meet last Saturday. Kaleb got 3rd place in the 50 meter dash while Braylen placed first in the 200 and second in the 100. They run all over the house, so why not run all over the track? :) In June, Braylen will compete at the state level for his age group. Derek and I both have track in our histories--he's a distance runner and I was a sprinter. That makes it extra fun to watch our sons run track. :)

Mother's Day--a day to honor our moms and in my case, get a little pampering from my boys. Derek gave me a gift certificate for a massage (ahhh), while the boys gave me all kinds of little homemade gifts. My favorite part of Mother's Day is spending some one-on-one time with each son of mine. Aaron worked really hard to help me plant my flowers this year. We scrubbed and rinsed pots, planted, watered, and fertilized all my flowers together. Kaleb went with me to a flower store to pick up some yellow flowers I couldn't find anywhere else. He also convinced me to buy a red petunia plant, since he says petunias are my favorite flower and red is his favorite color! :) Braylen brought home my mother's day gift on Wednesday. Better late than never, right? He painted some handprints on a sign along with, "To Mom." Then he said, "Sorry, but I painted the message over my handprint." Good thing I don't measure his love for me by his gifts. :)

Kaleb wrote a sweet message to me on a piece of tile. He also filled out a little book about me. According to Kaleb: I like to cook, the petunia is my favorite flower, my favorite food is Chinese, my favorite hobby is walking the dog, I help him with his homework, he likes to walk the dog with me, I've taught him about God, and his favorite memory of me is, "she's pretty."

Aaron gave me this marigold and card.

I opened the card and this is what I saw.

I laughed out loud! Yes, I like sleeping. Good thing Kaleb mentioned that I teach him about God. Apparently I teach Aaron how to color and to be a good sleeper. :)

I consider mothering these boys an honor and a privilege. One day we bring them home from the hospital, and then all of the sudden we're preparing for middle school. At least, that's how it feels to me. In 7 years we'll have a high school graduate...

some of my pretty flowers

Kaleb had an open house in his classroom last week. On our way there, Derek asked, "What are we going to see at your open house?"  Kaleb said, "We're going to see some chicks!" :) hee hee. He was right--the first chick hatched that morning, with 17 more to follow. We also read the book he published in school this year, All About Kaleb. A musical slide show of his 3rd grade year played in the background. It was a fun time for him to show off his hard work.

Finally, the camper arrived on Thursday as planned. It won't be in our driveway forever, but we're having fun with it while it's here. The boys spend hours in there reading Calvin & Hobbes, drawing, resting, and playing nintendo. Last night we even spent the night in the camper. I learned the radio alarm was set to go off at midnight. It's not set anymore. :)

What's in store this week? School ends. But not before cramming in as many extras as possible. And not without some emotional moments from this emotional mama. Derek's been warned. :) Next post? More of Derek's birthday. And my nephew is due to arrive. He's past-due, actually. How exciting for us to say hello to middle school while my brother and sister-in-law say hello to parenting. Didn't I say something about "May Madness" in an earlier post?