Emmy's Preschool Graduation

Friday marked the official end of the school year for Emmy and Eli. I finished my last teacher workday a few days beforehand on Tuesday, and I used the kid-free time to knock out several things on my to-do list: a Goodwill run, a thorough house cleaning, a trip to the Verizon store, and of course, grad school work. It felt good to conclude the school year and now turn my attention to being Mommy for the next two months. 

 

On Friday morning, the kids cooperated so that I could capture a last day of school picture. Check out the comparison from the beginning of the year!

It doesn't seem like they change too much when you see them everyday, but then a side-by-side comparison really shows how much they have grown. They both have had such wonderful school years, and we could not be more thankful for where they are and the people that have been caring for them. Not only was Friday the last day of school, but it was also Emmy's graduation day. Earlier in the week, her class had a graduation party, complete with Chick-fil-A for lunch and with each graduate getting to make a Build-A-Bear puppy dog. Emmy named hers Butterscotch.

The graduation was in the afternoon at 4PM. Grammy, Grandpa, Aunt Megan, Zander, and Maddox were able to come, along with Mommy and Daddy. Emmy was all smiles coming down the aisle. I wasn't quite sure how she would react in front of such a large crowd, but I was so happy to see her being the bubbly Emmy that we so often see at home. There were three graduating classes, and Emmy's class, the Penguins, did a few phonics songs, and Emmy even read from a book with two of her other classmates. During the slideshow presentation, the students exited and re-entered with their caps and gowns. Each graduates' name was called, and they were presented with a Bible. It was a very special ceremony. Emmy has grown so much this year academically, socially, and spiritually. She is very excited to be going to kindergarten. She loves school, and right now, she says that she would like to be a teacher when she grows up. Depending on the day, sometimes she also wants to be a cupcake maker. We are so proud of our Emmy girl!

Mrs. Cassi and Mrs. Melissa

After the graduation ceremony, the fun was not over yet. We joined our Sunday School class at the Dash game. The game had actually turned into a double header from a rain-out the night before, so when we got there around 7:30PM, the second game had not yet started. Emmy loved hanging out with her buddy "boy Emerson", who had also come from the graduation. As it got later, Boomer had his lap full with both kiddos wanting to be near him. We didn't quite make it to the end of the game or the fireworks. Emmy and Eli were still in good spirits when we decided to head home during the 6th inning. Even leaving early, it was quite a late night. With ice cream and late bedtimes, we broke all the rules on our first night of summer!

Here's a look at the Kennedy 2022 Summer To-Do List!

Memorial Day Weekend

With Memorial Day come and gone, we are officially on the cusp of summer! I have only one remaining workday tomorrow, and then it will be summertime! This summer is extra long since my school system is pushing back the start date to August 29th. That's almost three weeks later than this past year. It is also the date that Emmy will start kindergarten. I'm not thrilled about how this change will affect the high school students having exams after Christmas...but for now, I'm looking forward to the time off. We started our Memorial Day weekend with the Forbush Graduation. Originally the ceremony was supposed to be at the FHS football stadium, but with the threat of rainy weather, there was a last minute change to move it indoors to Wait Chapel. Boomer and I were excited about the change, since we both love any chance to be back on Wake's campus. It was our first graduation with both of us in regalia, so I was sure to make Boomer take lots of photos. After the ceremony, we had a date night to Sweet Potatoes, in Winston-Salem. I got the BBQ shrimp and grits, and Boomer got the fried chicken Lunchbox. The timing worked out that we were home in time to relieve Grammy while the kiddos were finishing up Friday movie night. 

On Saturday, Boomer had to attend Starmount's graduation in the morning, so while we waited for him, the kids and I headed to the YMCA. I met Megan for our weekly run (8 miles on a treadmill - brutal!) and Emmy and Eli went to the child watch room. We met Boomer back at home and hit the road to Star shortly after lunchtime. As soon as we got to Star, we changed into our bathing suits and hung out at the pool for the rest of the afternoon. Even though the water was pretty chilly, Emmy didn't hesitate to jump right in (with her swimmy). Thank goodness for Paw Paw - he was great to get in with the kiddos while Granny, Boomer, and I watched from the side. We spent the night Saturday evening, and then on Sunday we had a second pool day. Uncle Goosie and the cousins joined, which meant that Emmy and Eli had a lot of friends to play with. Emmy and Ellison were like two peas in a pod. After having hamburgers and hot dogs for dinner, we came back to Kernersville and right to bed. We were able to accomplish everything on Emmy's Star To-Do List. 

Today, we went to the Science Center. We did not set any alarms, and yet we got there about an hour earlier than we normally do, which worked well since it got hotter as the morning went on. Also we saw a lot of the animals moving around, like the peacock and the red panda. We always love the Science Center. It's a low-prep, spur-of-the-moment adventure that is fun for the whole family. 

Lately, Emmy and Eli have started to develop a bit of sibling banter. They often want the same toy, the same plate at dinner, or the same seat next to Mommy or Daddy. We are working on sharing and being kind - I definitely have my work cut out for me this summer. Even though the fighting seems to be more frequent, there are times that they are sweet to each other. I'm hoping that the summer has many more of these moments!

Strawberry Picking

This weekend was a fun prelude to summer! On Saturday, we went strawberry picking at R & M Farms in Belews Creek. Grammy came along for the second year in a row, so we officially have ourselves a new annual tradition. Both Emmy and Eli carried their own buckets and were pretty good at spotting big, ripe berries. When the temperatures started to rise and moods started to drop, Daddy was quick to purchase two 50-cent icy pops to keep the kiddos happy. After picking a gallon of strawberries, we continued our adventure with a trip to Priddy's General Store in Walnut Cove. We had pimento cheese and bologna sandwiches for lunch before heading back home.  

On Saturday evening, I went out to dinner with the girls to celebrate Coley's birthday. We went to a new restaurant downtown Winston-Salem called Mojito. Coley is the baby of our group, so now she joins the rest of us at 36. We are looking forward to our annual summer beach trip in July (with Casey and Kelly, too!) 

Boomer left from church today to go to an afternoon Dash baseball game with his dad. The kids and I tagged along with the Houston crew for lunch, and Uncle Zack was so helpful in turning around Eli's car seat. It was still rear-facing, and Eli is certainly big enough to face forward. I was dragging my feet in turning it around, because now it really seems like we are past the baby stage. It is bittersweet to reach another milestone. They seem to come so quickly and always before I'm quite ready. With our upcoming summer trips, I think Eli will enjoy the view facing forward. Sometimes Mommy just has to learn to let go. 

While Uncle Zack was re-installing the car seat, Eli tried on his cousin's baseball helmet. This boy is ready to play!

This evening, we used our freshly picked strawberries to make a homemade cobbler. Emmy was a big help in the kitchen. She liked pouring in the ingredients and stirring. Now it's off to bed before the last week of school. Summer is just around the corner!