may day, may day

May was crazy. Isn't it always tho?

Our baby turned a year older. We celebrated by going to his favorite pizza joint, indulged in brownies made by KK and opened presents before heading to his big brother's double header. Life of the third child rocks!

As a tradition, my mom, sis and I celebrate Mother's day alone; and most often no where near the actual date. It's been in June and once in April.  We've worked it this way for years and it seems to work best for us. We've included KK the past two years because what teenager doesn't want to spend time with their family?  We went for dinner and saw "Annie" at Gammage.

B invited me to his Mother's Day tea at school. He was excited to give me the invitation and must have confirmed 1,476 times that I didn't have to work that day and that I'd be able to join him. He served me tea, cookies and gave me a hand massage as I read to him. He was so proud of the vase he made me and asked that I read every French word on it. He was mildly disappointed in me. He also filled out those classic forms solicited by teachers, ya know, the ones that either make you laugh or humiliate you. Last year, he said I smelled like "coffee and peppermint." This year, he said "she smells."  It's a good thing he and I celebrated at school because Mother's day actually found him like this...

He woke me at 5:30 with a throat that was "on fire." We spent the day cuddled on the couch so I could celebrate Mother's Day by, well, mothering. We watched "Fixer Upper" and ate applesauce. J and the kiddos spent the day at his parents. Upon their return, I was asked to go to dinner with C - and he not only let me choose where but he ordered for both of us and he paid. Somehow my salad tasted even better knowing it came compliments of his generous heart.

A group of our boys took a hip-hop class on Saturday afternoons. They certainly needed to be talked into doing this but in the end, they enjoyed it. J and I would smile as we'd catch them practicing moves and break dance stances.

Ohhhhhh, our oldest was promoted. So proud of her and the efforts she put into junior high. It's been no easy task - glory be - and she's happy to be done with that stage of her journey. Her junior high experience was so different that ours was - more challenging and she's growing up in a culture that is difficult to navigate. Both J and I are the oldest children and we know it's not easy yet she makes us so proud and thankful. Her grandparents are pretty proud, too.

The boys school had began a new system to help students embrace being college-minded. Each classroom/teacher took on the identity of a university of the teachers’ choosing. To help the students embrace what college is all about, each quarter they could earn a degree (associates, bachelors, masters and doctorate) by fulfilling a list of requirements. As the year went on, each degree requirement became more challenging. As parents, we loved this concept but we wanted the boys to be driven and determined to earn these by themselves. A gentle reminder here or there was all it took for both of them to earn their doctorates. The school held a ceremony, run by the principal and teachers all wearing caps and gowns. It was very well done and the students enjoyed it. Although at one point I had to bite my lip to resist a tear from falling as I fast forward to the next 10 years and realized, graduation will be here before we know it.

We had the junior high sports banquet for KK...

and a band concert for C and...

wax museum with Ulysses S. Grant...

and because we certainly don't want a free evening in May, we had cottage fair. It was the final cottage for the boys this year and C's last cottage of elementary school.

 

While J went camping with friends one weekend, the kids and I went to see our two favorite baseball teams play each other. C made all the games in the series but altered jerseys between the Diamondbacks and the Giants.

Our gourmet club met on a Friday night, which always seems impossible as the day starts and produces obstacles every single time. Yet, we are determined and even if we're meeting after track meets, baseball practice or a long day at the office, we make it happen. Our menus may not be as elaborate as we once desired but the dishes are prepared, the drinks are poured and the memories are still made.

Anyone who knows me and knows me well, understands the anxiety I felt as I sat through the end of KK's tutoring session on a Saturday afternoon. Seriously, it was another language he was speaking. And I still hid in the back, fearful that I would get called on and not know the answer. Math. Bleep.

As always, we sat through double headers at the beginning of every week. Four hours or so of baseball, cheering on our #17. This season was fun and different due to the accommodations at the fields - all replicas of MLB fields. As a team, the boys seemed to struggle more than in the past but through that there are lessons to be learned and skills to be practiced.

Teacher appreciation week takes place in May. My school did a free book fair for us - all donations from parents. I was in heaven. I grabbed books for the summer. And winter. And spring. And fall. We also received 50 lbs of baked good and oodles of alcohol. There are smart parents out there that "get it."

The end of May means the end of yet another school year and the beginning of summer break. We all love summer break, who doesn't? However, this particular morning as I walked into the kitchen and caught this glimpse of my boys, I took a deep breath and told myself to "suck it up, sistah." You see, this was the last morning of them sharing breakfast and a ride to school. So much change on the horizon, as C joins his big sister at her campus. The relationship these two have will always be tight but different schools and soon two different bedrooms will change things. Moving on...

End of school grins...

and summer begins...