Hello Summer

So here we are.  The end of the school year.
I feel a lot excited.  And a little nervous.
I love the freedom of summer - to go where we please, when we please. 
To spend long days outside....or in the air conditioning if it's 100 degrees. 
To visit the beach. 
To swim in the pool. 
To go on adventures.
But it also means that almost every single time I go to the grocery store (or Target or ANY kind of errand), I bring 3 children along with me.
Have you ever grocery shopped with 3 kids?  (I know, many of you have....)
But in case you're wondering it involves 3 kids talking at once (each louder than the other) and asking "can we buy Lucky Charms/sour patch kids/popsicles/etc?" and running in aisles and hiding behind displays and wanting to help bag groceries and generally making my head spin. :)
I also have 3 kids of different age groups and maturity levels.  Different genders.  Which means one kid is begging to go to the mall (guess who?) and one kid is hating the mall (guess who?), and one just needs to get home for a nap (and again, guess who?)! 
However, we all enjoy the pool, and friends, and Dunkin Donuts, so I think it'll all work out in the end. :)
And luckily, I love them all to death, so even their frustrating points are bearable for me.

So, this past week involved lots of transitions. 
First off, Carter finished kindergarten!  They had a program and sang some songs for us parents.

Then the teachers handed out "diplomas".  This was after 30 + minutes of standing up and singing and the room was very hot and so Carter looks absolutely less than thrilled to be marking this milestone. :)

A few days later was the actual last day of school.  In the morning we took Audrey to the bus stop one last time as a 3rd grader.

The "bus stop girlz"
(This is probably how they would spell it since they are all so "cool" and all.)

Carter's went to school a couple hours later.  He posed nicely for this one picture with his friend Rebecca and then completely refused to even look at the camera.  In fact, he was running away from me.  I guess he is not into the Mom paparazzi.

Here is his back side view with his friend Melwyn.  It's the best I could do. :(

See?  I even tried to trick him into a picture with me but he moved at the last second.  Grrr.

Carter coming off the bus.  He is now a 1st grader.  Hard to believe!

Audrey coming off the bus.  She is now a 4th grader!  Equally hard to believe.

Every year we have a big picnic/play time with our neighbors on the last day of school.  

One mom set up a volleyball net.  Why do they all look like junior highers all of a sudden??

Another mom set up the water slide!  Always a big hit. This was Chloe's first time to try it!

 

 

The kids also decided to make a towel fort in the swingset.

At one point, I was talking and turned around and saw Chloe swinging all by herself.  I guess someone gave her a push, and she kept pumping.  Yay!  Now I don't have to stand there and push her the whole time!

 

Of course popsicles made an appearance.

So, after this last day of school, the temperatures have been in the high 70's and today it is raining cats & dogs.  Good thing we have this list to keep us occupied!

 

So far today it has been so yucky out that all we've managed to do is visit Target, play computer games, watch a movie, and play legos.....ugh.  Sure hope it gets nicer out soon!