End of School May-nia

May is always a whirlwind of activity to close out the school year. It got underway with the finale of Read Deed Run (RDR) for Hadley. RDR is a program that the kids participate in all year. The goal is to read 2,600 pages (H did this within a couple of months), run 26.2 miles (the kids do the last 1.2 miles around two KISD stadiums at this finale), and do 26 good deeds (26 hours - some are done after school together, some are on their own at home) over 26 weeks. She had to keep a log of all of her accomplishments.

These are all the schools that participated this year, gathered on the field for the ceremony. I can't recall the full number of kids that were on the field, but I think it was close to 1000! Hopefully, these kids will keep up all of these great habits as they get older. 

May is also a double-whammy for the family with Mother's Day and my birthday usually hitting close together, if not on the same day. This year, we had a day in between, so I requested two separate, delicious meals out with these goobers, fake smiles and all.

For a little trip down memory lane, I made the hour drive to my old high school for their open house before they tear it down. Mostly I went because I ordered a couple of year books (lost mine in the ranch fire), and they weren't shipping them, but it's always interesting to visit your home town and see what's changed.

Some of the high school was familiar, but I have a terrible memory. Other parts definitely showed growing pains, like the band hall that had been tacked onto the end of the school at some point after I graduated and the cafeteria that had been relocated to the auditorium while they constructed the new school where the cafeteria used to be. With this high school goes the last of the campuses I actually went to school in. Elementary, middle, and now high schools have all been torn down and rebuilt in the same location. I guess they all had asbestos, mold, or cramped floor plans. Out with the old, as they say.

In mid-May, Oma and Papa came down for a visit and got to attend Owen's last orchestra concert. We didn't get the best seats, but I did get an okay video of part of "Sword Dance." The other songs are here; Owen played #1, 2, and 9.

Owen finished the year with all A's and even got a "Top Cat" award in Math! We are proud of him and his accomplishments this year as he adjusted to more independence and responsibility at the bigger school.

Hadley also finished out the year with top grades, and her teacher gave her the Determination Award, which sounded like she persisted, but maybe also was a little unyielding..? She also got Exemplary Performance and RDR certificates. Oma and Papa were able to go to her Celebration of Learning in her classroom.

Last Day of School shots: H on her bike and O about to walk to the bus stop. They both had a great year, but are definitely ready for summer break!

On the last day of school, a bunch of parents from our neighborhood meet the kids at the neighborhood entrance across from school and spray them with water guns to celebrate the end of school! Love this pic of H and her friend trying to duck through the jet sprays. H is not a fan! 😅

Finally, we were able to spend some good quality time with Oma and Papa, doing puzzles, playing games, and breaking bread. It's always nice to get the whole family together!

Garage Saga

Just had to document all of the work John has done in the garage. Let's look back at what we started with in 2020. Open studs, weather barrier, and siding only. We already documented insulating the walls in January 2021.

Winter 2021-22 was spent creating custom shelving, a full attic with access, insulating that floor, adding a ceiling, priming/painting, lighting, and insulating the garage door. He dedicated many an evening and weekend to this project, and I can say that the car is noticeably cooler parked in the garage now that the west-facing door has been insulated! Not to mention that it feels cleaner and less creepy.

What will next winter bring? Air conditioning? Man cave? Mini bar? Stay tuned...