Winding Down

The school year is coming to an end, and the last week has been JAM-PACKED. We've had field trips, class parties, field days, science fair, and wax museum. And I've been subbing full time, but the perk of subbing at the boys' school is being able to attend all of their activities. Enjoy some of these highlights. 

Ethan did an amazing science fair project comparing the magnetism of different metals. 

Jackson won first place for the hockey puck race at the 1st grade Field Day. 

And he threw like a beast for the bean bag toss. Look at that form!

Jack and his best pals. 

Ethan got 4th place in the basketball dribble race for 4th grade Field Day. 

He even had time to snap a picture with his proud mom!

Ethan gave a memorized presentation as William Clark from the Lewis and Clark Expedition. 

Ethan was named the Sensational Scientist for his class.

Jackson has his class party tomorrow, and then Summer Break officially begins at 11:15 on the 21st! Woo hoo!

Jackson is Seven!!

Our little baby is SEVEN! Seven??? 

Jackson remains one of the coolest, sweetest, smartest, and most stubborn ball of energy. He is 110% BOY! He loves soccer, football, racing, wrestling, basketball...the boy always has a ball in his hand. He is freakishly well-behaved in school, but manages to push every one of his parents' buttons at home. 

He invited a couple friends, and we spent the day at Dollywood! We had the best day. Love you Jackers!

The birthday boy made time for his momma (and McDonald's) during a birthday lunch date at school. 

Seven fantastic years!

Being goofy at Dollywood. 

Chocolate chip cake for this chocolate chip-loving seven-year-old. 

So Long, Scouts!

We finished up our first year of Scouts. Ethan earned his Webelos patch, and Jackson earned his Tiger patch and was promoted to Bear (or maybe Wolf? I get the animals mixed up).  Ethan has loved his Scout experience and is very motivated to earn more awards. Jackson is still on the fence about continuing Scouts, but I'll keep you posted!

If only there was a patch for cuteness!

Spring Break Staycation

My parents came to visit during Spring Break, and we had the best time! We hiked in the Smokies, scoped out future campsites, spent time in Pigeon Forge, and visited the Sunsphere. We can't wait for them to come back again...especially because next time, we will be in our new house!

Photo op during our hike at Ijams Nature Center. 

Momo and Papa with their tall grand boys. 

Ethan holding up the Sunsphere. 

Mini golfing was hilarious!

Snow Day(s)

Yes...snow dayssssss. We are on our second full week of no school thanks to three snow storms in two weeks. Don't forget we spent a week at Disney, so Ethan and Jackson are on their third week of having no school. Luckily (not according to them), Mom has been filling time with worksheets, reading, and piano. 

Don't worry, it hasn't been all work and no play....

Swinging at the park during brother's soccer practice. 

Ice skating! They are becoming really good at ice skating. 

And since we rock at ice skating, why not try roller skating? They figured it out pretty quickly. 

Keep on rollin.

And we took advantage of all the darn snow and built a snow fort!

School is closed again tomorrow so we'll see what kind of trouble we can get into. 

AquaScouts

The boys were superstar popcorn salesmen, which earned them the opportunity to attend the Cub Scout lodge trip. We went to Gatlinburg, TN with a fun group of scouts. We learned lots of neat facts at the aquarium, ate delicious food, and swam with our friends. All in all, a fun weekend!

There's a shark behind you!

Ethan was brave enough to hold the crabs. 

Jackson was content with just petting them. 

What a handsome diver. 

Hanging out with their new penguin friends. 

Use the Force, Padawans

Probably the coolest part of our vacation was watching the boys turn into Padawans and enroll in the Jedi Academy at Hollywood Studios. 

Enrolling into the Academy is no easy task. We arrived at the park 45 minutes before opening. Once the gates were opened, we sprinted to the registration line. Despite our well-thought out efforts, there were several candidates already in line. There are a limited number of spots for the Academy, and fortunately, we made the cut!!

The boys were given Jedi robes and light sabers. They were trained by a Jedi master, and then both boys had to battle Darth Vader!

Jackson was a little nervous being in front of a big crowd. Ethan made it very clear that his dad was a Star Wars nerd, and the two of them had practiced for this very battle!

Sorry I couldn't figure out how to upload the videos. 

What a handsome Padawan. 

A very cute (and very nervous) Padawan. 

Jackson's battle with Darth Vader. 

Ethan showing off. 

So much fun!