Bye bye Summer!

My children wait with great anticipation for the letters that come about a week before schools starts (Tuesday usually), informing them of who their teachers will be.  Then we make our posters for the back to school parade which happens on Thursday morning.  Each of the teachers pile into grade level appropriate cars, the office staff in a school bus, and the parade is lead by Principal Johnna Walker in a police car.  It lasts about 5 minutes but it is SO FUN for our children, they LOVE it!

This year at school Kaitlyn will have Clint Gebhardt as her 5th grade teacher, Sam will have Dianne Tran as his 3rd grade teacher, Lindsey will have Monica Serrano as her first grade teacher, and Matthew will officially attend preschool.  His sign appropriately reads, "Hey Marion, I'll catch you next year, this year I'm in preschool!"

We rode our bikes to Bradford Trace Park in our neighborhood to meet up with lots of our friends and eat a potluck breakfast before the parade gets to us.  This year was just as fun as always.

Then that evening is the official "Meet the Teacher" which is quite the ordeal with 3 children, I can't even imagine what it will be next year!

Another "end of year" event was pedicures for me and the girls.  This has significance.  On Kaitlyn's birthday back in April, Grandma Lewis came and got her and took her to our local shop for a pedicure.  It made her feel so special.  When mom died, she still had the polish on her toes and she didn't want to take it off.  So she kept it on all summer.  But the last little bit was about to get trimmed off her big toe.

So on August 23rd, as a 3 month anniversary of mom's passing, AND to celebrate the end of summer and hopes for a good school year, the 3 of us girls went and got our toes done.  I'm sure mom was so happy we did this!