Summer, younger kid

The younger one has squeezed in a lot already including a half-day art and science camp where everyone made spears.  They didn't use these to catch fish but did get to help the scientists at the Bernard Field Station dissect fish to learn what they had been eating (crayfish).

Next up was a part-day cello camp (same as described here).  It may not be a favorite activity, but it is fun to be part of a two-hundred plus group of cello players.  It was also exciting to hear the cello orchestra and Little Bridges organist playing the world premier of a piece written by a Harvey Mudd music professor.



A couple other half-day camps will fill some of the time along with earning some money (child care, dog care) and hanging out at the pool.  Big events include the same soccer camp as last year and a trip to visit grandparents in Ohio.  Toss in some reading, a lemonade stand, and probably some soccer games and the time will zip by.

Summer, older kid

Only sixty days until the first day of school!  But so much has happened already that it is hard to believe that the last day of school was only sixteen days ago.

The older one has summer assignments for school including writing an extended essay, which will be about eugenics (you can see topics covered other years here and here), and reading Anna Karenina.  The parental assignments include starting the college application process and learning to drive a standard transmission car.  I'll let you know how it goes.

On the fun side will be a day trip to visit UC San Diego and maybe a trip to see UC Santa Barbara and UC Berkeley.  The whole family will visit Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, I hope.  Maybe we'll get to the beach just for fun.  And don't forget about sleeping until noon, earning some money, and volunteer work.

The big trip has already started.  After a test, application, and interview R. was given a scholarship to travel to Germany for a few weeks!  The first stage of the trip was a little challenging

given the line just to get up to security (not shown are all the people standing behind us).  R. made the flight, changed planes without a problem, got the luggage in Newark, and got to the international terminal.

R. is now safely in Germany, staying with a family, going to school (some special classes and some regular classes).  We have skyped once and so far, so good.  Part of me wants to skype all the time so I know what is going on, but most of me is happy to know that R. is too busy to skype all the time.  Deutsche Post is on strike but I hope paper mail makes it there eventually.

Solstice

According to an internet search summer begins in seventeen minutes.  It seemed like a perfect time to visit the new sundial, although this solstice always makes me sad.  The days are getting shorter and even though I don't feel the sense of impending doom of winter, is it a little melancholy.

Reunion

With my yearbook task I got to see lots of cute pictures of the sixth graders at a younger age.  A picture of a kindergarten class sparked the memory that at the beginning of the school year we had talked about having a reunion.  We would hang out by the tree where six years ago we would watch the kids climb while waiting for the older siblings to be dismissed (or just hang out because it was a great thing to be able to do sometimes).


Now it was the end of the school year and it was time to act.  I sent an email to the class, including the teacher, and received a positive response.  No planning, no list of things to do, just show up and bring your lunch or share with someone who did.  What a true joy to see the kids climb the tree, run around, and enjoy each other's company (or maybe they were just happy to be ditching school for a little bit).

Next up, a ten-year reunion for R.'s second-grade class.

Front Yard

Happy Flag Day.

Another view of the yard, this with a blooming succulent.

Bee included.

Two signs, no elections.

I am guessing we have more jacaranda blossoms than usual because of the late spring rains,

which means more blossoms on the sidewalks and plants.

Another beautiful day.  Time to hang of the laundry.

The Very, Very End

When we bought our house we didn't think a lot about the different schools and were just glad that R. would be close enough to walk (A. was just twinkle in his father's eye, which is what my mom would say - or maybe she said mother's eye?).  We just got lucky because being part of the Sycamore Elementary family for twelve years has been fabulous!  Saying good-bye yesterday made me wish I had more kids, but I know that no matter how many I had it would have come to an end at some point.

First up yesterday was the kids-versus-adults softball game.  There were about fifty people on a side.

The tradition at Sycamore is to have a sendoff for the sixth graders.  Each upper-grade teacher has a mix of fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students so s/he may have been with the student for three years.  S/he chooses a method to share about each child's strengths (e.g, a poem or a story) in a way to produce the most tears for the parents (or so it seems).

Each child is holding a scroll with a copy of the poem the teacher read.

A.'s group had been together all three years, meaning no one in this class moved in after fourth grade.  They all get along and have made so many memories together.  I will miss all their parents!

After the ceremony we had a family lunch before A. met up with friends for frozen yogurt.  The sun broke out in time for a gathering at the pool.  We weren't sure how it work out, but seven of the classmates played together for over an hour.

Only three of the kids got together for pizza afterward, but that worked out fine, too.  They hung out a bit at our house before a final goodbye.

It was good to keep busy and not think too much about the changes ahead.  Of course I want my kids to grow up, but they do it so quickly!

More endings

Yesterday I picked up the yearbooks from the printer and delivered them to the school.  Today they were distributed to the students and teachers.  Even though it was a great feeling to see them poring over the pictures and signing each others books I will never do that project again!

A. was happy that artwork he created with a friend
was selected by his peers to be on the back cover.

In addition to finishing up my time as elementary school volunteer I also
finished up as an employed nanny.  I am hoping to be hired as a consultant!

Busy, busy

It was a busy weekend, but we were still able to find time to watch the first part of E.T. in honor of the music A. played as part of his concert last week.

This week included the teenager taking the SAT, the younger one playing a soccer scrimmage, some the family going to a Bat Mitzvah, and one person going to the League of Women Voters meetings, where she was elected to a one-year term on the board.  Then it was home before going to the annual meeting of the Friends of the Claremont Library.  The speaker at the library talked about book clubs and shared a list of what each club had read the last year.  There wasn't as much variety as the year before since everyone seems to be reading the popular books (e.g., Orphan Train, The Boys on the Boat).  It seemed like a great reward for attending the meeting.  Meeting the person who owned the current collection on display was something different, too.

Her kids have already told her they do not want her collection.  Maybe the children's literature collection in Mississippi would be interested.

Back home pull something together for a potluck in the park, just a block away.  Sunday was slightly slower, but still involved people here and there and a weekly ultimate frisbee game.  Today one kid is at a school pool party and one is home sick, but I hope we are all back to our regular pace when school ends.

The Beginning

Almost two years ago I wrote about D. moving into a temporary office.  Last week I was there to witness them packing it up.

before anything was moved in

It already looking like D. works here
We'll see what happens when they deliver the boxes that have been in storage for two years.

Some of the fun things in the building include the tiles by the main staircase, 

which look like our pattern blocks.

same theme in the bathroom

Speaking of the bathroom, it doesn't have my favorite Dyson hand drier, but I like this one, too. 

unusual light fixture

outside of the lecture hall
That white shelf looks like a place people will sit and wait, but rumor has it that it is for food.

Now D. has his lab, which moved yesterday without any major disasters, and office under one roof.  Here is to many years of productive teaching, research, and service.

The End

The school year is coming to end and our time is full.  It was a pleasure to have R. honored by the high school's World Language Department.  R. was also encouraged to consider taking a German literature class at the colleges.

Today the sixth graders in A.'s class gave their exit reflections.  This unusually close group of kids shared their strengths, weaknesses, memories, and hopes.  It seems that they each took the assignment seriously and I was grateful to have a chance to hear each person speak.

A. chose to use the vowels to represent each year at the school (including Y).   For example, A was for Afternoon because he was in the afternoon kindergarten, and then he talked a bit more about the year.  Good thing we were gone for one year or he would have had to have a different theme.

In the spring the principal asked if anyone would help with the yearbook and I offered to do a little task.  Guess how many others offered?  I recruited a couple people to help and will be eternally grateful that a new mom stepped up and did the layout.  I will be so happy when they are distributed next week!

D. has been the busiest and I promise to write another blog post and include pictures of his beautiful new building.

Oh no - his mailbox is full already!

surprise

My meeting was about an hour shorter than expected and I came home to cookies in the oven.  That was great but I was surprised when A. told me they were a little experimental since there wasn't enough flour.  I was so sure there I had enough.

Looking the recipe again I can see why he thought he needed 5.5 cups of flour.

They still tasted good enough to take the school's teacher appreciation lunch.