End of School Crazy

First-my blog is totally wigging out.  Apparently it no longer lets anyone comment, including me.  Super annoying.  Working on that.  Stay tuned for a fix and a new look asap.  If I say something that strikes you, feel free to email me.  Unless I offend you.  Then...well, then just go eat some ice cream or something.  It will make you feel better.

In other, much more exciting news...
School is out!!
Hallelujah.

Seriously, I could not be happier.  I know I'm not the only mom who got to this point.  Or the only one who was even more excited than the kids that it's summer vacation.  In fact Aaron sent me to this gem as proof.  Amen.

But as anyone with school kids knows, we must not only find a way to trudge on through homework and projects and deadlines for the last few weeks of school, we also must have every performance possible.
It's not that I don't enjoy these.  I honestly do.  But with this many kids you can imagine what the schedule builds up to in the last couple of weeks of school.  Thankfully this year topped out at 3 events in one day and they all happened to be at the same school, so it was doable.  And none of them overlapped each other!  It was nice not to have to pick a favorite child for the day and leave another feeling neglected and unloved.

And now, a small sampling of the joys we were a part of at the end of this school year.

First up-the orchestra concert.
Both Malia and Taylor play the cello.  I love this.  Next year Alaina will join them in orchestra on the viola.  With any luck I will get my rear in gear and dust off the strings in my closet and start playing again and we'll have a nice little mini orchestra at home.
I didn't get any pictures of the actual concert, but couldn't let the evening go by without preserving this moment.  You know how toddlers and babies make for great series of pictures taken in rapid succession?  Turns out teenagers do too.

I am embracing Malia's fashion choices.  I don't watch Dr Who but apparently the bow tie was a big hit.

After that was the choir concert.  I don't have any photos.  I do have video.  I've already said more than enough about that event.

We had the middle school awards presentation.

I made Malia hold Emily while I wrangled Sam.  It was easier than wrangling him last year while I was timing contractions through this assembly.  But when Malia was accepting her awards I wrangled the 2yr old and the 1yr old and ended up with amazing pictures like these:

Stunning, aren't they?  Feel free to hire me to take blurry unedited non-pictures of your kids as well.

Next up was the 8th grade dinner dance.

Until this year the middle school has been 7th and 8th grade, moving over to the high school starting in 9th grade.  Because there were 1800 kids in 7th-8th grade and 9th grade didn't fit.  The new middle school opens this fall so Malia will actually be in jr high still, but the kids all felt pretty grown up to have a big end of year shin dig. 

But we shouldn't act too grown up for long. 

We had the second grade dance festival.
In my brilliance this was the only picture I managed to get of Dallin.  He's the one next to the girl all in pink in the middle of this picture-suit jacket with jeans and tennis shoes.  Awesome.

This event cracks me up.  Always a favorite of mine to watch a bunch of 7 and 8yr olds doing "traditional" fold dances.  This year included the Macarena.  Obviously.

Apparently this was a favorite of Sam's as well.

He really got into it.

While Charlotte just enjoyed her view.

And Emily was about done with being carted from one school event to another.

Sixth grade performed plays that they wrote.
Alaina's group was The Real Story of Red Riding Hood.

Fourth grade had reader's theater, Jacob narrated.

I bribed Emily through one more performance.

She may have ended up a little sticky, but she was happy and quiet.  Totally worth it.

Rounding out this week we had Kindergarten graduation and 6th grade promotion.
How could you not love Kindergarten graduation?  Dang cute little kids.

Except mine at nearly a head taller than the rest isn't so little.
He's the tallest head in the middle of the back row.

But still dang cute.  So into their songs.  I continue to take awesome pictures.  One big blur of enthusiasm.
And the cutest Kindergarten teacher ever.  Hoping we are lucky enough for Charlotte to land in her class next year.

I'm not sure why I feel the need to capitalize Kindergarten.  But I like it that way.  Even if it is incorrect.  Take that grammar police.

Alaina is moving on from elementary school.  This girl is beside herself with excitement to be moving on to middle school.

She received a couple of awards.

Um, overachiever?  No idea where she would get that from.

Before I go, two friend pictures I had to share.
Alaina and her friend Kayla.

Don't worry, Kayla is also taller than me.

And go HERE to check out Lincoln and his sweet little friend.  He walked her home a couple of times after school when her mom wasn't there yet (read the exact second the bell rang) and it kind of stuck.

At least someone in our family has some hope for height!