May Recap

 Summer is here. I am typing this post in and its 80 degrees outside. We have spent the full day at home and are loving every minute of caring for our garden, weeding flower beds, running through sprinklers, and all the time outside we can get.

I'm in full blown summer mode now but May was all about wrapping up the school year and the start of summer. It was the craziest wild month. I am thankful for the promise of slowing down in the summer though at some point. Let's get through this month of May and all we did:

The first Friday in May meant the end of homeschool PE for Riley. We have loved this class and were also ready to see it come to an end. The last day was a field day for his group. Avery was so excited for the class to end she ran to him.:

                                           

                                         

                                         

On one of our last days of school I asked Avery what she wanted to do. All she wanted was for us to have a tea party outside dressed up in costumes. We of course did this and never regretted a minute of it. 

                                                

A picture the school sent me on the last week for Jayden. He got to have a science museum come to them for their field trip:

                                          

Payton and Jayden had their field days at school. This was the last one for Payton so was very bittersweet. We got a few pictures of her with her class:

                                

                                

Riley is doing baseball again and loving it! It's so many games though so, as I type this, we have about a week left and we are definitely ready to be done. Jayden has helped a ton with helping collect bats after the kids bat and so that has been fun to see him in the dugout a lot as well:

We finished up homeschool for the one child I worked with this year:

                                      

I treasure this picture and all the work that went into this. We also had a preschooler beside us and she worked on her own picture sometimes. Homeschool families do so much unseen work, but they know how much goes into it. No matter where life takes us next, I am so thankful for my bonus years with one of my babies.

                                                     

We also had one last field trip before the year ended. We worked with the extension office and learned all about science in careers in our area. Riley is holding a sleeve with seeds he took home and currently has growing in a tub in our backyard:

                                         

He also made a pizza at this field trip:

                                                   

He also got to make popcorn with the group:

                                        

The group that attended the last field trip:

                                

This was such a huge thing for me as I was one of 3 moms to start this group. It was brand new in January and our last event, in May, we had 24 kids (a few not pictured) in attendance. God really blessed me when he told me to move forward with this group of women and create the group.

Riley also wrote a book! And I published it. I am so proud of all the thought he put into his ant book, he is such a source of knowledge and is super creative.

                                         

I took this photo of all the curriculum we used for 4th grade for Riley:

                                                     

This picture doesn't even make a dent into all we did though! Tons of field trips and hands on experiences. I think we read about 50 books (will track next year) related to curriculum we were working on. He designed a drawing of a pollinator bed after researching native Nebraska plants and finding seeds. We planted said pollinator bed. We listened to podcasts, worked on learning guitar, put on Christmas concert, presented his ant book complete with activities for the group to do, and kept up a monthly newsletter. It's been a year of hard work!

Just like that, we ended up school and were done for the year.

                                             

                                              

We finished off school with a donut teacher gift. I like to put these on here in case I ever need an idea or two next time. I had done this before and saw on here and was glad it was here for me. It's hard to stay creative.

                                                      

Avery wanted to swim sometime during the last week of school. So, we did for the very last day of school. Our end of year party:

                                                     

We celebrated the last day of school for all the kids with a cake Riley made for us all:

                                                       

Softball! This was our first year to try softball for our daughter and she loved it. This may be her only year as we are not sure there will be a team next year. They won all of their games and placed first in their tournament to end their season non-defeated. What a feat!

A picture of Avery and Jayden, both siblings living at the ball fields. Jayden caught a few foul balls and Avery loved being at the fields, even when she was tired.

We even allow sitting in the vehicle just if it buys us some time to watch a little longer uniterrupted:

Almost always sporting this sports shirt that grandma made her:

Avery isn't old enough for the hot tub yet but loves sitting on the edge and talking with siblings. 

She also has done lots of art work in the mornings with mom and is loving reading a story and doing a craft. Here she made trees after reading about a squirrel who loves fall:

We have gone fishing so many times I have lost count! Lots of catches:

We found a bird nest in our playhouse and have watched it closely while giving so much distance for baby to grow:

As soon as school ended we left the very next day for Texas. We had a cousin graduate high school so spent some time in this state for a few days.

Avery loved walking the dirt roads at her cousin's house just as much as at our house:

We spent one day at a science museum:

We also played at a school playground close to where we were staying:

Our walk from the playground:

All dressed up for the graduation reception:

When we returned I found that my peonies had bloomed and caught this picture:

A selfie I found on my phone from these two:

A random picture of a toddler watching tv. A scene I will miss so much when she will no longer sit with me to watch tv.

We went to the library kick off party for summer reading and got to dig for dinosaurs:

We've made homemade donuts:

Swimming is a big part of summer! Pool, sprinkler, water guns, water balloons, hose... we do it all!

We also built an awning and then immediately lost a few pieces of the top from the wind. It is currently fixed and a great place for shade. 

Jayden got a marble kit and brought it home from the library. The kids spent a few weeks playing with before I had them take it back.

The kids playing in the hammock:

Avery watering our outdoor planters. This picture is looking so much like Payton. I am sure in a few years I won't know for sure which girl it is:

Another one from later that week:

Jayden asked for a picture with me:

Another picture of Avery on one of our dirt road walks:

And a picture of Avery and me. She asked and so I had to say yes!

Payton had her birthday party. We had the girls from her class and they played all sorts of minute to win it games and then they had dinner before getting into the hot tub.

The girls had a great time! I love seeing them all together!

We planted a pollinator bed as part of Riley's school for this year. We researched pollinator plants and he made the bed design (by drawing) back in December. We then tilled and planted right as school got out. 

Avery won a unicorn from the library and her face shows how she felt about that:

And that's a wrap for May. It was busy and it's been fun.