Reina's Highlights:
Reina was in her first play. She was Snoopy #4, which is the Snoopy that closes the show! She had a slam-bang song that fit her perfectly called "The Big Bow Wow!" She was great. Acting, singing, stage presence, lines: everything was pretty perfect. She's had a big year, finishing up elementary school. She got to visit Linus Pauling (her new Middle School), with friends and loved it! Ever since she's been talking about how excited she is to go to Middle School. I was pretty impressed with the school too! She's finding new friends, and trying to figure out what friends she wants to have next year. She went to a pretty fun birthday party with Naomi at the movie theater! Reina also ran her first race! She joined girls on the run in February and they've been running twice a week after school. Reina and I signed up to run the 5K on May 30th. We killed it! Reina got 28.5, averaging 9.15 minute miles. She is a natural runner and has a beautiful stride. At the end of the race she really kicked it into gear and sprinted. She heard several people cheering for her! Her good friend Ava, and her mom, ran with us most of the way. It was so fun to color our hair, cheer together, and urge each other on!
Vaughn's Adventures:
Vaughn has had a pretty awesome month. He's excelled in Little League baseball, learning the game and learning to hit so well. He ended the year with hitting two home runs, getting lots of outs, and catching two fly balls! Every home run gets you a Home Run pin. After the first one he was hungry for more, and just swung that bat so hard every game! His second home run was during the last play of the last game of the season. Bases loaded. His coach said, "Vaughn just hit this one center field, all the way. Home run, bud." He missed the first ball. But his second swing hit the ball perfectly in that sweet spot, high down center field. A home run! What a way to end their baseball year!
He's loving cub scouts and got to go to Scout-o-Rama sponsored by the city. He made a fire, whittled a walking stick, tried his balance on a ropes course, made a rope, tossed tennis balls with a huge "slingshot" and got free hot dogs, donuts and snow cones. He also got a big patch for wearing his scout uniform. When we got home he said, "This was the best day of my life. I can just go to bed happy now." It was only 1pm. His picture showed up in the Sunday morning local paper! He's making some new friends and keeping some old ones. Finn, of course, is his ever constant. Ryan is also one of his best buds. They were in baseball together with Ryan's dad as coach. Vaughn has a wonderful singing voice and is always singing songs at the top of his voice.
Carynn's news:
Carynn has had the best kindergarten year! She is beloved by her teacher, Mrs. Donne, who is retiring this year! Mrs. Donne had so many wonderful activities in her classroom including a weekly journal which I love! It captures the most important things in Carynn's life so perfectly. Carynn is reading well, she loves to read the scriptures. She is a wonderful artist! Her attention to detail is what makes her art great. Her teacher says that she is often the last one done because she spends so much time making her work look beautiful.
Carynn has enjoyed playing with Samantha, Olive, Tessa, and Madelyn this year. Her favorite thing to do after school is have a playdate with one of her many friends. She rides her bike like a champ to school every day with Reina and Vaughn. And she also keeps up just fine on her roller blades. She plays well with Claire, though Claire has begun to get a little harder to get along with. Carynn has enjoyed playing baseball with Ben. They go out in the backyard together to practice, and Carynn hits that ball as good as any of the 5 year-olds in Vaughn's Little League! She's such a natural at everything. I got to go to her classroom once this month, and it was delightful. She showed me her reading, her play stations, her friends, her desk. And all the kids recited the book "The Z was Zapped!" It was a fantastic rendition! The whole class had memorized every word! Carynn is also growing into her singing voice, and will sometimes ask me, "Mom, is this the right note?" Before she would just sing the words in any key she liked, switching at will, often mid-word.
Caire Bear: Claire has been a little rougher than usual this month. She is learning that she has things she wants to do and she wants to do it now! She will often get out the things she wants to play (even if mom says no), and fights tooth and nail (and hair pulling) if anyone tries to take away what she wants. She'll pull hair, hit, and bite. But anyone outside the family would never guess it! She has had to endure time-outs a bit more frequently. Once when Vaughn saw her sitting alone and he wanted to do something with her, she yelled, "No! I'm in time out!!! She's obedient, and will sit very still until she hears the timer. She is always talking to friends and strangers alike--half of the time they don't understand her. She will give those she loves hugs, kisses, and often says "I love you." Last night after saying goodbye to Mary Jackson she gave her a kiss on the lips and said "I love you, Mary." She has become the ward darling as she's accompanied me to many visits with ladies in the ward. Her curly hair and incredible vocabulary give her instant fame. She will sometimes skip Nursery and sit like a big girl in Relief Society, waiting patiently in her chair as I visit and welcome, and conduct. Then she'll sit on my lap or visit ladies she knows during the lessons. She tells the funniest stories with the most serious face, and then says "I'm just teasing you!" She told me the other day that "Sometimes my friends make me mad. Lily makes me stinky." Lily is her best friend...greatest foe? At this age it's hard to tell. They talk about each other all the time and love to get together, but may spend the whole time fighting over toys, princess dresses, the semantics of words...they are a hilarious duo. Claire has lots to say, especially at the dinner table when all the kids are trying to tell us about their day, and will often yell, "It's my turn to talk!" She likes to read scriptures about "it came to pass" and Lamanites and princesses. She still takes a nap! Fingers crossed to see how long that will last. I taught 5th Sunday on the 31st and Claire was in Nursery. They brought her to me minutes before I was to begin my lesson. She had thown up. I put my arms around her and held her close and asked her if she was sick, she hugged me tight, nodded her sad little head, and cried a little. Ben took her home. For the next day or so she kept saying, "Did it all come out?" Hoping she wouldn't throw up again. She is so patent. She makes me walk outside with her every day to check the blueberry and strawberry plants for ripe berries. I think she likes to watch them change color and change every day. We like to "get ready for our day!" in the mornings, where she does her own hair (climbing on the sink and splashing water on her head), and gets dressed on her own (usually in a princess dress).
10 years ago
