Summer Activated

 Summer is HERE! The kids made it to their last day on Friday!

We immediately started prepping for our annual Memorial Day weekend party on Saturday. I did not take nearly enough pictures, but we loved starting the summer off right with about 40 of our closest friends. Jay cooked a low country boil and made sure no one's drink was ever empty, and I held all the babies! The kids played baseball, swam, and smashed a pinata. After a week of rain, the sun was out and guaranteed a beautiful day for our guests!

Maggie added a new summer look to her hair when she convinced Raine to dye the ends with Kool-Aid. 

We did not stop there with summer fun. I packed Tuttle and Maggie this morning to head to Camp Glisson for a week!

Both Thorne kids barely noticed when we left. They were already meeting new friends and organizing their beds. I am 100% jealous of all the fun they are going to have over the next five days!

Jacob will get a lot of extra attention this week as an only child. He has requested a visit to the ice cream shop and a water balloon battle at the pool. Happy Summer!

Awards and Parties

 Both Jacob and Maggie celebrated the end of school with parties this week. Unfortunately Tuttle does not get to have parties now that he is in middle school. 

Jacob had his party and awards ceremony first on Monday. Jacob received the Social Butterfly Award as well as the Most Helpful Award. He spends a lot of time helping his buddies with their work. He is reading on an advanced 1st grade level, writing multiple page stories, and was accepted into the gifted program. Ms. Davis has been a god-send for our wild boy- she is able to control Jacob, and he loves learning!

I found Jacob's summer bucket list, and I think we can make all these activities happen!

Maggie's big celebration was today, and Ms. Pitkins went all out decorating her room with beach decor, and the games and food fit the theme! It has been an absolutely amazing year with Ms. Pitkins. She is truly one of the teachers Maggie will never forget. She is enthusiastic about everything from math to loving all her students. Plus Maggie and Ms. Pitkins are both a little extra and love Starbucks!

Maggie received the Leader of the Pack Award. Ms. Pitkins also referred to it as the "queen of the class," which fits Maggie perfectly. Especially when she beauty pageant waved to the class and parents as she returned to her seat with her award.

Maggie was also recognized as a member of Friends Club. She was able to help out with special needs students daily and learn about specific special needs at monthly after school meetings. I am so proud of her empathy and desire to make everyone feel included.

We played two team games with summer themes, and Maggie's competitive friends won both!

Maggie's favorite part of the party was food. I picked up Chick-fil-A breakfast that was provided by the parents, and Maggie and I made jello beach treats. Ms. Pitkins also brought cupcakes and cake pops, so the students were in sugar heaven!

The kids only have TWO days until summer vacation. I am not ready for this school year to come to an end. It has been such a wonderful experience for all three Thorne kids. 

Wrapping Up ALL THE THINGS

 It is that time of year when we are busier than December with all the activities, banquets, parties, and awards. Everyone is in hyper-drive for the next two weeks before the end of the school year!

Tuttle's 6th grade awards ceremony was Monday afternoon. We were expecting more individual awards, but the school only recognized grades. Tuttle received All A's (and one B last quarter in math) for his first year in middle school. It was a huge adjustment for Tuttle, but he accepted the challenge and succeeded in all advanced classes, including accelerated math. I feel like I kinda earned the award, too, with all the studying help and support I gave him all year! :)

Jacob participated in his first field day on Tuesday. I braved the heat to cheer him on for the last half of the event. I loved how his school incorporated water into almost all the games, so the students could tolerate the heat! Jacob left soaked, exhausted, and happy!

Jacob learned how to run a relay race in PE class, and he was selected to represent his class in the kindergarten competition. He ran his little heart out!

After school we only had time for a quick rest and change of clothes before Maggie's gymnastics banquet. It was so strange to see the girls in real clothes and styled hair instead of leos and buns. They are all so beautiful and the best of friends. Roswell Gymnastics continues to excel at all competitions, and we are looking forward to Level 6!

The banquets continued Wednesday night with dinner with Tuttle's baseball team. I failed to take any photos, and unfortunately the night took a turn when Tuttle tripped over a teammate in the parking lot and landed on his left knee with all his weight on concrete. After lots of tears and bandages to dress the wounds, Tuttle was adamant about staying with his team to celebrate. He did stay home from school today due to the pain, but the swelling seems to be going down and he can put weight on it. We decided to evaluate it the next few days to see if we need to get a doctor involved.

Maggie's turn for field day was today, and like any competition, she takes it VERY seriously. Ms. Pitkins, her teacher, is also very cutthroat when her class is challenged, so they make a great team.

Maggie qualified to represent her class in the relay race, as well. Her class took an early lead with Maggie FLYING around the track, but another class caught up at the end. I should be embarrased how loud I was cheering for a field day relay race, but at the last moment, Maggie's team pulled ahead and WON!

Maggie's sweet boyfriend agreed to a photo, so I am either saving this for their senior slide show or their wedding. :)

The kids only have FIVE more days of school until school is over, but we are gearing up for another busy week of more parties and award ceremonies. We are going to need that summer vacation!

Braves Country

 Our weekend was filled with BASEBALL!

While Tuttle's season is over, Jacob has a few more weeks of baseball with the Blue Jays. Jacob has been a solid batter all season, and at the game on Saturday he proved his fielding skills with a big play at third for an out! He was so happy to receive the game ball with his buddy, Bennett.

Jay and I were invited to a Braves game with Karey and Will on Saturday afternoon, so the kids had a sleepover at Gram and Grump's house. We had the best seats at Truist Field, and the Braves secured a win at the end of the game! We made sure to represent WR Mitchell Contracting. It was absolutely perfect weather and even better company. A huge thank you to our hosts for a memorable date night!

We proved to be Braves super fans when we picked up the kids early to attend the Roswell Rec Baseball Braves Day on Sunday. The families were able to walk the field, and the individual teams sat together for the game. It was Jacob's first professional baseball game, and he was surprisingly very focused on all the plays and pitch count. (Tuttle was also there, but he joined up with his team right away, so I did not grab a picture.)

We left a little early, and the Braves were ahead at that time. Unfortunately the game went into extra innings, and the Padres won 7-3. 

We could not miss the opportunity to visit with neighbors at the official pool opening day, so we ended the weekend swimming and grilling out. We are looking forward to many more summer days with our favorite people! Two weeks until school is out!

Regionals, Recital, and Runner Ups

 Piano, baseball, and gymnastics consumed our weekend. 

Maggie tagged along with her bestie, Alma to the Regional Championship in Foley, Alabama. I was so proud of her for cheering on her teammates when her state score did not qualify her to compete herself. (This only motivated her to work harder for next year in Level 6!) Alma's family was so gracious to take in Maggie for the meet and include a trip to the beach! The Roswell team continued to excel at Regionals, and the girls were very supportive of all their teammates!

We missed Maggie at the spring piano recital, but our boys worked hard to prepare for the event. Ms. Becky hosted the recital at a local church with special desserts and an evening of Broadway-inspired music. Jacob played "Step in Time" and "Oompa Loompa," and Tuttle impressed with "Hakuna Matata" and "Malaguena." Everyone at the recital played beautifully, and it was evident what an amazing teacher we have in Ms. Becky.

Tuttle's baseball team made it to the championship game against the Diamond Backs on Saturday. The boys fought hard, and it was a close game, but ultimately the undefeated D-Backs took the title. Tuttle's good friend, Cade, was on the winning team! We had a strong season with our coaches and look forward to another year with Roswell Rec in the fall.

My Mother's Day was absolutely perfect, and I remained in bed ALL DAY. Jay took the kids to play paintball, and I napped and read. It was heaven. :) 

I was able to enjoy a night out with my favorite mommas this past week. I could not imagine a better village!