End of the Year Craziness- The after school CELEBRATION!!!

So...if you scroll through the last 10 posts or so...you can see that we had a busy end of the school year!!!!! Talent Shows, Recitals, Dance Festivals, Graduation, Fieldtrips, etc! (****Please note that I finally figured out how to post video of Michaela and Andrea's talent shows and dance festival...I'd love for you to watch their talent shows since I worked so hard to figure out how to cut down the video in size so I could post!) All that craziness ended Friday and we had a little party to celebrate. I decided to have the party on Thursday and made a few calls. (I'm kind of last minute that way.) It was supposed to be for a couple of hours...but everyone was having so much fun it went well in to the afternoon. The kids had a blast!!!!! We'll have to do this again.

Here's a bunch of the girls in the jacuzzi.

The best part was this cool waterslide we borrowed from our neighbors. That is me going down the slide with Steen and Andrea. Way fun!

The boys hanging together....

Here is Steen and his buddy Luke going up the slide together

Cute Michaela!Friends eating popcicles.

Andrea in her cute new swimsuit with matching towel. Michaela has one too. (Lands End...shopping online...oh yeah!)

My friend Erika...

I ended up making homemade pizza...yum! Others brought chips and salad and stuff. All the moms came and hung out for at least part of it, so I got to celebrate with my friends as well. After all the end of the year craziness...this was a fun way to end. Summer laziness...here we come!

End of the Year Craziness - The Dance Festival

This was my first year attending the school's dance festival. The kids did a great job. Michaela performed a Singing in the Rain act with all the first graders. They were adorable! Click above if you want to watch a condensed version, she is in the back row with the red umbrella and a pink rain coat and boots.
Andrea's preschool class did going on a bear hunt! Of course, I forgot to download all the pics on my camera from all the crazy activities early in the week, so I didn't have enough memory left to record the whole skit. Here is a condensed, condensed version! (Andrea is in the pink shirt)

It was really fun seeing all the kids from the neighborhood and they all did really well.

End of the Year Craziness-Last day of playgroup for Steen

For the last day of playgroup we were supposed to all meet up and go on a picnic. With all the end of the year craziness, it got put off till the last minute and nobody had planned it, so I decided it would be fun if we went to Thanksgiving point farms. It was kind of last minute so several of the kids couldn't go and we invited some other friends as well that weren't in the playgroup...but technically it was to celebrate the last day of playgroup. Both Andrea and Steen had fun riding the ponies. There were lots of little baby animals that had recently been born...so cute! We'll have to go in the spring more often!

Look at that baby calf!

End of the Year Craziness- Andrea's Preschool Graduation

Andrea graduated from preschool...kindergarten here she comes. She has told me several times she does not want to go to kindergarten because she will miss her teacher Mrs. Chris.
Here is Andrea graduating! They were so cute in their little hats...and yes, if you listen to the video, that is the parents humming the graduation march....not always on key either ;-)

Andrea had 3 teachers in her afternoon class. Thanks Mrs. Chris, Ms. Diane and Mrs. Jennifer! They were all awesome!

Here is a short video of one of the many songs they sang. This one is called Days of the Week.

End of the Year Craziness- Andrea's preschool talent show

I figured out how to post video...check it out!!!! Andrea played both the violin and piano for her preschool talent show. She did a great job! Here is a video of her violin song called O Come Little Children. I had to cut the video down in size to post, so she is only playing one verse and then I split to the end where everyone is applauding and she is beaming. So cute!!!!

End of the Year Craziness- The Whole School Talent Show

****I figured out how to post the video...please watch it!
Michaela was 1 of 2 first graders selected from over 7 classrooms of first graders to play in the school talent show. Way to go Michaela!
Just before the talent show, I snuck up on Michaela and took her pic.

Here's the video of her playing! They actually had the 6th graders perform first and went in reverse order, so it was a little noisy by the time she got to play but she did a great job despite all the background noise!!!

At the school assembly, Michaela also received an Outstanding Citizenship Award for the year. She was one of two students from her classroom who received this award. Great job Michaela!!!! (Michaela is 2nd from left)

End of the Year Craziness - The Piano Recital

To add to all the end of the year craziness, Michaela and Andrea both played in a piano recital AND a violin recital although we forgot to capture the latter on film. If piano recitals aren't crazy enough, try rearranging your entire house and having 15-20 students come perform at your house...and getting them ready, etc. They all did great! Michaela is pictured above taking her bow.Andrea is announcing her piece.

Afterwards, all my students surprised me with individualized thank you notes, some beautiful flowers and a some necklace and earrings. It was very thoughtful of them. I took a picture holding my flowers with some of the moms, but all the kids were off running around and enjoying their refreshments, so no pics of them. One of the funniest thank you notes said, "Thank you for teaching me piano. I love coming to piano lessons but I Despise practicing!" LOL!

End of the Year Craziness- The Dance Recital

Michaela and Andrea were so cute in their last dance recital. It is fun to see how they are progressing with each one. The first dance Michaela did was snow white and the next one was a Mary Poppins medley where she was chimney sweep.

Andrea was thumbelina in the first number (see the pic above with wings) and then they did a flower song which I can't remember the name of.

I think Andrea is 3rd from the right.

Passing time back stage.


Mary Poppins Medley...Michaela is a chimney sweep in the far back...somewhere...not sure where.

The girls got roses from Mom and Dad (with the help of our friend Brooke). We forgot to buy some before the performance and normally they sell them at the door, but of course, not this year. Our friend shared some of the roses she had got for her girls. Thanks Brooke!
Their teacher gave all the kids crowns as they came back on stage...it was a fairy tale theme and they danced like princesses!

End of the Year Craziness-The Last Games of the Season

The last game of the season. The girls had fun playing soccer, but both decided to take a break from it for this next year. (Michaela is #5 in the pic.)

Michaela's team with Coach Aceves and Assistant coach Ryan...the blue lightening.

Steen and Luke are best buddies! They were cheering for their sisters playing soccer and wishing that they could play too!

Coach Ryan and Assistant Coach Dad with Andrea's team...Blue Stars!

Coach Ryan was an awesome coach and got trophies for all the kids on both teams! The kids love the trophies!!!!

I didn't get a picture of the girls with their trophies, but you can see a kid holding one in this pic. They have soccer balls on the top that twirl around. Way cool!