Preschool Graduate

The school year came to a close about a month ago.  It didn't come with the same end of the year activities and celebrations of course but the boys have completed preschool and first grade!

Corban said a couple weeks ago "It was nice to have a break from preschool, but I'm ready to go back now."  I still have a hard time with the fact that he didn't officially finish preschool.  I feel like I needed the closure after having Gabriel there for two years immediately followed by Corban attending for almost two years.  If you had asked me before I had kids how I felt about celebrating a preschool graduation I would have said that that's ridiculous, but in this case I needed something to mark the occasion.  I asked the preschool if we could borrow a graduation cap and gown that they usually use at their ceremony at the end of the year and we asked our friend Ginny to take some pictures.  So, here's to Corban's preschool graduation!

Corban.  What to say about Corban.  This boy is full of energy and imagination.  He can compose a ballad about anything from Ninjago to his toys to writing a new hymn of worship.  He can make up a pretend scenario for his toys and narrate it for very prolonged periods of time.  He loves to dance and has some pretty sharp moves.  He loves that he can now reach the rope swing in the backyard and could swing all day long.  He is a big fan of cuddling up under big fuzzy blankets.  He is a master at being a cat or dog and rubbing his head all over you while "meow"ing.  He loves Legos, Star Wars, dragons, reading, and kinetic sand.  Anything involving swinging or spinning in circles is great.  He likes to spray toys around the inflatable pool with a squirt gun.  He can be very wild and silly but also recognizes when he wants to sit and be still and quiet for a while.  He loves listening to Winnie the Pooh audio books and we just finished reading the original AA Milne books.  Corban has a sensitive heart and notices when people are bothered or sad.  He has encouraging words like "you're the best mommy in the world" when I seem to be having a harder day.

Sometimes you just need to crawl out of bed in the morning and get into another blanket.

 On the last day of school Gabriel had an online awards ceremony and we made cupcakes and gave the boys a new Lego set to share.  We got some Benny Marzano's pizza. It was good to be able to finish up the required work for the year, but Gabriel misses his daily ZOOM meeting with this class and his teacher.

Gabriel, Grant, Aela, Kira, and Callan talking with Mrs. Wilson

Goody bag that a senior at the school left for the first
graders to pick up when they dropped off their work.

This picture sums of their relationship

So, what have we been doing?  Thankfully over the past couple of weeks some things have started to open back up. Both boys went back to Ninja class.  Gabriel continues to do violin via Zoom meeting and had a virtual recital.  We continue to have home group over Zoom.  We've had a couple play dates with friends, spent time outside whenever the weather allows, worked on riding bikes, and enjoyed getting out our large inflatable pool again.  We started going back to church with a few other families of people that are helping with the live stream service.  The parks opened last week.  A couple weeks ago the library started allowing us to pick up holds and last week the doors opened again to go and pick out materials. Taylor can work at Mill Mountain again.  What we still are not able to do: go swimming.  Corban so badly wants to go and swim with Daddy, one of his favorite things to do.

Daddy built a tree house!

Drive by birthday party for our friend Addy

Gabriel made his sign

Finally got a haircut and then had an outdoor date to eat some Moes

We got a sewing kit and each of them made "monsters"

Gift from the Quintins

Gabriel's OT, Kelsey, who he loves and trusts moved away after her husband got a job transfer.  His last day with her was also the day that we went to the school and he walked into the building for the first time since things abruptly ended.  As we were cleaning out his desk he just stood in the middle of the room and cried.  We saw his kindergarten teacher as we were leaving and he said "am I allowed to give her a hug?"  This social distancing is so confusing for them and hard to express.

Playing in the mud with a friend at the duck pond

Playing in the creek at the Coal Miners Trail

Just a hobbit working on his memoirs

Feeding ducks at the duck pond

Getting a new bike helmet and checking out the Lego sets

Shirt from Gammer

Turtle at the duck pond

Date to Our Daily Bread

We now have so many library materials at our house.  I can't say "no" to more books.  Gabriel has been reading the "Alvin Ho" series and is currently reading "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory."

Cracker Barrel on Father's Day.  The first time we sat in a restaurant in months.  Corban was so excited.  He decided to put his corn on his biscuit.  He surprisingly ate the whole thing.

Sparklers.  Gabriel learned the hard lesson that when your parents tell you not to
touch something hot listening is best.  The blisters on his fingers were not fun

I am thankful that summer is here and that we can have less of a schedule.  We are still trying to do some writing, math, and reading every day but we can be slow and have some flexibility.  I have started to appreciate just being home and not accomplishing as much over the past few months.  It may not be as clean around here as it should be but that doesn't seem like a huge priority right now.  We are taking it one day at a time and learning how to love each other better in the strange phase :)