That's a wrap on 2nd Grade!

The school year has come to an end for Emmy and me. We both had our last days on Friday, the 23rd;  Emmy has officially completed the 2nd Grade, and I have completed Year 16. On Wednesday the 21st, Emmy's class had a special awards ceremony, followed by a beach-themed lunch with parents. The awards were voted on by the class, and Emmy received several recognitions: Math Magician, Magnificent Manners, Marvelous Musician, Honest Abe, Awesome Author, Aspiring Artist, Blue Ribbon Behavior, and Queen of Kindness. Emmy said her favorite award was Queen of Kindness, and I told her that I agreed: above all the academic accolades, it warmed my heart to know that she shows kindness to her classmates. I pray that she always keeps that sweet heart.   

Emmy and Mrs. Cranfill, the long-term sub during Mrs. Kilby's maternity leave

In the morning before the awards ceremony, Emmy and Eli had dentist appointments. Both kiddos got good reports and were cavity-free - yay! Eli still has all of his baby teeth, but I'm sure we will have a visit from the Tooth Fairy soon. After leaving the dentist, Emmy and I dropped Eli off at preschool (much to his dismay), and then we had enough time to go to the library to pick up a book I had on hold there. On the way to the library, Emmy expressed interest in getting a library card. Within a few minutes, she was all set with her own account. She is excited to check out books this summer and hopefully win a prize through the library's summer reading program. 

We are so proud of the way that Emmy has thrived this year in 2nd Grade. Her vocabulary has become more advanced, and she can read chapter books with minimal assistance. She can sound out even the trickiest of words. In the evenings before bed, we are currently reading an American Girl book called Blaire, and once we finish that one, we plan to read the third book in the Emily Windsnap series. In math, Emmy is learning multiplication, fractions, and even division. She is doing great with mental math, as well as more complicated equations on paper. Next year she is looking forward to having her little brother at school with her, and she has promised to show him around, even though she will move to the two-story building, which has the classrooms for the upper grades. On the last day, Aunt Megan took a picture of Emmy and Maddox in the breezeway, just as she did on the first day of school. Eli will join this duo in August, and we will be back to three cousins at Sedge Garden.

Over the Memorial Day Weekend, we enjoyed some time at the lake and also a visit to the Science Center. The temps have been a little cooler than usual, but it did not stop the kids from getting in the water. Emmy was especially brave to go tubing for the first time. (Eli got on the tube momentarily but decided to try it again another time.) At the Science Center today, because of the temps and also a persistent mist of rain, we stayed indoors. There was a new space-themed exhibit, and we enjoyed checking it out. When we got home, the kids played a life-sized CandyLand that Emmy made. I love her creativity!

Emmy and I will have the next four days together while Eli is still in preschool. His last day is this Friday, May 30th. We have tried to keep it quiet that the Kennedy girls are already on summer break. Soon enough, it will be the three of us together. Here's a look at our Summer 2025 To-Do List.