Lost In Holland: Summer Vacation Is Finally Here: A June Mash-Up

Last week we wrapped up the school year and are officially enjoying our first full week of Summer Vacation. It's been a bit nuts with swim season in full gear and a destructive storm-slash-unconfirmed-but-totally-happened tornado touch down yesterday evening in our area.

Our power is restored making us in the very fortunate minority. Roads are a mess, stores are out of meat and freezer items, and gas lines are long. But everyone seems to be safe and unharmed, which is the most important thing.

So, what's been going on the past week or so? June is chock full of all kinds of big events. There is the last day of school, Dr. Fabulous's B-day, and then Father's Day and then our anniversary... all of which have been overtaken by the kids' activities which means his 'big days' have been second fiddle. Of course, he takes it all with good humor. Thank goodness he's a low maintenance kind of guy.

*****

Here is my obligatory (though totally overdue) Last Day of School post. Because, hey, I took the pictures. So, let's roll.

Tink finished third grade, which means next year she goes to a whole different school of 4th through 6th graders. She's transitioning to the next level... leaving the elementary school life and getting hallway lockers, bunsen burners in the science classroom, and even switches classes. This year her big teeth came in and changed her whole face. She was honored for the second year in a row with the Hawk Award for excellent citizenship and Student of the Month. As she told me, "Mom, I'm on FIRE this year." Yes you were, Tink. Yes you were.

Pink finished up 5th grade and will be a "senior" next year at her school - the last year before heading over to the Middle School (gulp). She's grown up so much this year and in a few weeks she will officially be a 'pre-teen.' How is this happening? She was honored with the Panther Award for excellence in citizenship and was named Student of the Month. She also made the honor role every marking period. But what I'm most proud of is that she took some risks this year, like trying out for the travel soccer team and participating in a running program where most of the kids were much older and more experienced than her. I'm really proud of her for trying new things and not letting her insecurities get in her way.

CB will be a graduating senior next year. What the?!?! It's nearly incomprehensible to think that this girl will be done with school in exactly a year. She's been going to school since she was three, through the summers too, so this is going to be a HUGE change. Huge.

I've loved her new teacher this year and seen some remarkable changes. All around, she is much more social around others this year and we're loving it!

And then there is Rella Cakes. My goodness. She has finished the first grade with bells and whistles. The kid has been a reading fiend and takes her school work very seriously. She was selected as one of the Students of the Month too. Teeth have been falling out of her face and new ones growing in all over the place... she is transitioning from a little kid into a young girl and sometimes I just want it to slow down. She's been a little ball of energy this year and all the soccer, swimming and running has not slowed her down one bit!

I mean, seriously. This is what these doo-das looked like when I started blogging...

Oh, and that photo was pre-Rella.

Here she is, that wild lil thang....

And here we are now... graduates of the 5th, 3rd, 1st and 20th grades!

And here is Dr. Fabulous's forty... (mumble-mumble)....th birthday.

He doesn't look a day over 25. He took the girls to swim time trials at 7:15 in the morning on his birthday because that's just how you roll when you're all old and fatherly and stuff.

The best part of the day was when CB suddenly stood up all excited and smiley when the family was singing happy birthday....