Blog in a blog

This may be a faux pax but I am posting my vacation blog within my ongoing blog. What a great time we are having. Trips like this make the world seem a little smaller...

www.tinyurl.com/matejkacroatia

Short pants/trashed supplies - Bring on summer!

Two full days and two half days left.  At that point my Kindergartner and 4th grader will be promoted to 1st and 5th graders.  Weird that Brandon will no longer be the "little guy" at St. Pat's. Onward and upward - Kindergarten you've been a blast.

Yesterday was the last day they climbed on the bus for the year.  Given we share the bus with the public school and they got out yesterday, our remaining days are filled with "it's so unfair how we have to go to school longer" comments.  

I spaced on the end of the year bus driver gift but recalled that we gave her a nice Christmas gift so I'm ok with that.  While I appreciate very much that she safely transports my kids to and from school each day the gift giving to everyone who you come in contact with can get a little out of control.  I figure my gift to her is two well behaved boys who didn't cause any catastrophes on the bus.  You're welcome, Miss Laurie.  Hope to see you next year, although Cameron is still holding out for Mr. Joe to make his come back on our route.  We'll see.  

Two big signs it's the end of the school year:  

1.  The uniform pants have either shrunk or the boys have grown - thinking it's the latter.  One visual queue of the growing that's occurred in the last nine months.  

2.  I always get a kick out of the transformation from the bright, shiny school supplies to what returns back home in June.  Signs of the season for sure...The long sharp pencils are now little nubs, some with teeth marks.  The markers are dried up and purple is gone.  The crayon paper is dingy and the ends rounded.  The pencil sharpener and pencil box have a big crack in them and the last pieces of loose leaf paper are rounded at the corners.  Glue sticks are all dried up and the erasers are no longer pink but a dingy black.  The first day jitters have worn into an every day routine.  The teachers are no longer a mystery and at this point everything that is going to be learned this year has been learned.  The 3 ring binder Cameron used this year is on it's very last leg.  We replaced it a couple times throughout the year as it was probably my favorite thing about 4th grade.  Every class had a tab and the binder went with him everywhere.  It is a great tool to teach organization.  He will even admit he has a way to go but the binder has helped us have a little more organized year.  I think I need a life binder...

Here's to the final countdown.  Good luck to Brandon today at his Olympic day.  Go Team Blue!