The end of the school year is just around the corner. You can feel it. The kids can feel it. We’re ready for a break. There’s the itch to stay outside just a little longer in the evening. The weather’s beautiful. It’s joyful! And we need that joy to carry us through these last few weeks of school.
Some fun things to round out the school year…
Thomas’s class, along with the other kindergarten classes at his school – along with several other schools- had a field trip to the science museum. We love taking the boys to the science museum every now and then on a slow Saturday. It’s fun! This day was fun but also chaotic. It was more like kids running in all directions not really stopping to look at any particular thing, just running and laughing and having a good time. Especially the trails outside. That’s always a favorite for our kids. This was the only field trip of the year that parents and siblings were invited to attend. I brought Arthur along. He had a few buddies who came as well. After the museum, each class had a picnic lunch. Tom came to meet us for this part since his work is close by. Unfortunately, he had to go back to work, but the rest of us got home and took long naps!
The following week, Arthur had a singing program at his school. At their mother’s morning out, the 2 and 3 year olds have a small singing program in the spring. So this was his first year to participate. In the weeks leading up to the program, I had been asking him what songs he was singing and if he’s been practicing at school. The answer was always, “I don’t know.” However, when it started he got up and sang every word to every song, complete with hand motions. Funny kid! He’s one that likes to keep things to himself. We were so very proud of him! In the days since the program, he keeps saying, “Mommy, I like programs.”
The following day all the kindergarten classes had a kinder “garden” day. Each class has a bed outside of their classroom. The week prior to the planting, they all worked getting weeds out and preparing the bed for plants. Thomas must have gotten into it because some days that week he came home and would ask if he could help pick the weeds from the flower beds! On Friday they all brought buckets, shovels, gloves, and their own six pack of plants to plant in the garden. Such a fun day.
The following week there were activities for teacher appreciation at Thomas’s school. This routine is new for us. We have had a great year and awesome teachers and sweet friends. He brought a variety of things to school from a star decorated for each of his teachers, a gift card, and a note to each of them. Sometime in the past I had saved this handy list of teacher thank you note prompts. I had saved it for the day he could write his teacher notes himself. It’s hard to believe that day has come. It was super helpful to this mama!
Then there was splash day. This was the last big event for the kindergarten. Tom and I had to trade off on this one. This was an all morning event that started with a program of a few songs. Luck would have it that the first rotation of the morning was his program and his class’s time was bright and early at 8:00 am. So Tom went ahead for that and stayed for the craft time in the classroom and then we traded off. I got there just in time for the outside fun. Each class rotated through different water activities and a trip to the snow cone truck.
The last week of school is just some low-key days. All the work is done. Everyone is ready for a break. In an effort to make it fun for these small kindergarteners, there’s been a day with favorite snacks and reading to their favorite stuffed animal, a bubble and chalk day, a favorite toy day, a favorite game day, a movie day. All this extra fun and little things to remember for a mama who chases less. Who has a love for minimal.
With that, we wrap up our first chapter of a year of real school and another special year of mother’s morning out with a lot of memories. It’s been amazing at times. It’s been a hard transition at times. So it is with anything new.
We’re ready for some time together. Time I’ve missed this year.
Here’s to a simple summer!
