FREEDOM! - Well, sorta'

The last day of school means freedom for the kids, but not for moms. If you are a mom looking for things to keep your kids busy this summer, here is a link to a Boredom Bottle that I got from a friend's blog. I also have inexpensive summer activities that I compiled for an Enrichment Activity a few years ago. I made a simple "advent calendar" (for lack of a better word) out of felt with pockets. Each day the kids could pull a slip of paper out and do the activity. In some pockets I had "Pick something from the Summer Fun box," where I had small toys or crafts that I had collected throughout the year.

Good-bye Windsor Elementary

I am now the mother of a junior high kid. Dallin officially "graduated" from elementary school and 6th grade. He and I are a little nervous about junior high, but since we have no choice in the matter, we'll have to buck up. Dallin has had some good years and some not-so-good years, but this year in 6th grade he has made the most improvement by far. He has had the BEST teacher who has really helped and encouraged Dallin to grow in many ways. I think I will be missing Mr. Shelton more than anything. Junior high - here we come - sob, sob.

Hope of America

Settle in for an interesting-to-only-parents-and-possibly-grandparents post. Consider yourself warned.
The words "Hope of America" cause mixed feelings of dread and anticipation for parents with elementary aged kids in Utah County. This night of musical tribute to America marks the end of after school chorus, making life and schedules a little easier. But, it also means 3 hours of sitting in the most uncomfortable chairs in the world in the too-hot Marriott Center, trying to entertain the rest of the family for an hour before the program actually starts, then sitting through the same program that you have seen a half a dozen times, and battling traffic afterward. I was hoping Dallin wouldn't want to do chorus and the impending "Hope of America" this year, but since the first grade in our elementary school does the "Go, My Son" song every year, and we have a 1st grader, I resigned to the fact that we'd be going. They pretty much do the same thing every year with a smattering of new performances in an effort to mix things up a bit. This year was no exception.

This was my 3rd year watching one of my boys perform "Go, My Son," but I still tear up EVERY time. Cameron is in the 3rd row, 4th from the back - hard to see, I know - but it's a cute performance anyway.

Dallin is part of the chorus making the "living American flag". He is actually one of the white stars - bottom row, 4th star in from the left, sitting next to a bigger kid with dark skin.

The other video is my favorite song that they do every year. Just imagine the Marriott Center, completely dark (with the exception of those few kids who refuse to follow the rules and keep their flashlight down), then be lit up by thousands of flashlights and the much anticipated Disco ball. The audience also participates by waving their lit cell phones. It's quite a spectacular sight that my lame digital camera cannot fully capture.

If you actually take the time to watch these videos, then you can say you endured a fraction of what the rest of us parents had to sit through.

Enjoy!?