Summer is right around the corner and we can't wait! We are ready and looking forward to a great summer. Our pool will be done and the Ozecks are coming (shhhh...the kids don't know yet and it is going to be the best surprise ever!!) We did have about 2 weeks of school to finish up at the beginning of June but thankfully it was just wrapping things up (although a part of me felt like they could have worked until the very end since really the last trimester was obviously not as rigorous as the normal school year would have been.). I have liked having the schoolwork to do in the mornings and then basically having our afternoons free and am a little nervous about having absolutely nothing on our calendars for the next three months but I know once the Ozecks come we'll get into a great groove and I won't be missing the school routine at all.
Ella and I created this rainbow on the girls' window. This is actually the second one we created-the first one was a full rainbow covering both windows but I never got a picture of, but thankfully I remembered to get one of this one. This window looks out to the street so our hope was that it would brighten people's days as they walk or drive by.
These kids continue to amaze me every day. They get along so well together and really just enjoy being with one another-honestly!!! Literally they haven't complained once during all of this (well except for Ella when it comes to reading with me-ha!) but really they have just totally gone with it all and are making the best out of it. We are so thankful they have each other and are at the ages that they are at and that they are happy to be with one another and with us.
We're still waiting on the pool to be finished so in the meantime...
A little love from Charlotte...
Painting with the girls one morning. The big kids had to submit something for the Westwood art show so everyone got involved in creating something.
The finished product!
Rich picked up a make your own pizza kit from a restaurant by his work one night which was fun!
We are in LOVE!! We got to meet baby Nora for the first time in June and we are head over heels! She is absolutely perfect and we can not wait to watch her grow and just love on her!
And these two were reunited!!! Yay!!! We haven't seen the Zicklers since March and it was so great to see them again. It seemed as if no time had passed and everyone picked up right where they left off three months ago but it is so strange to think that we hadn't seen them since March (well except for two quick visits). So thankful that Nora is here and healthy and that we can all look forward to a fun summer together!
We received the game "Watch your Mouth" for Christmas and recently Charlotte, especially, has a newfound interest in it. She likes to play it but also just likes to wear the mouthguards around the house saying phrases and having whomever is close to her guess what she is saying. The other kids have joined in on the fun, too!
Charlotte is always performing and wanting to do shows. I found her a ballet class online that she has taken a few times and she loves dancing to GoNoodle (especially the poop song!) Ha!
Summer is in the air at the beach! The beaches are starting to get more crowded (but still plenty of room to social distance) and I have a feeling we'll be here a lot this summer. The kids are at awesome ages this year for the beach and I feel comfortable bringing them all (and even Finn!) Joseph, Ella and Julia are all about boogey boarding, especially Joseph. They spend basically the entire time in the water and are so fun to watch! And I just LOVE beach days so I'm always ready to go, even if it means having to vacuum the car every time after since we always seem to bring half the beach home with us-totally worth it though!
Rich had class one Saturday morning so I decided to take the kids to Temecula to go blueberry picking. We went last year and they loved it. I had heard that they were open and figured with it being outside it was safe enough so we loaded up and had a great morning. I wish that I had packed lunches and made the trip longer by finding a park to eat at but I'll keep that in mind for next year and for now we are just enjoying blueberries for days!!
The last official day of this crazy school year was on June 14th! What a year! I am still in shock that this is how the year ended (I truly thought that this would blow over and we'd be back in school after Easter) but these kids did amazing and we are ready for summer!
It made me laugh that Julia's sign was upside down-definitely a sign on the times! Ha!
Geez, he needs a haircut!
Last day of school selfies!
Rich brought home flowers and a balloon for the best teacher but I gave Charlotte the balloon because she was the best through all of this, too. I know that she loved having the kids home all of the time but this must have been a tough transition on her as well since she went from having my full attention every weekday from 8-12 to having to share me with everyone and to deal with not only sharing me but having me occupied now with schoolwork. She seriously did awesome through all of this and was a trooper. We made it work the past 3 months and I am so thankful that I wasn't juggling work as well but we sure are ready for a fun summer ahead! Also, please note that Charlotte is in pajamas. She has pretty much been in pajamas since March!
Ella and Joseph's class both had drive by parades to see their teachers on the last few days. It was great for the kids to see their teachers and to have some closure and a fun way to kick off summer. We're pretty sure that Ella's teacher had the most fun out of everyone during the parade but we'll save that story for a later day ;).
\We celebrated the first day of summer with strawberry picking in Carlsbad! We had so much fun last weekend picking blueberries that we figured we might as well get our fruit's worth and do strawberries, too! I'm trying to help Linz and Paul out with Finn, too, so it was perfect because we picked him up for a few hours to join us. After filling up cartons of strawberries we went to the park and had such a fun few hours just kicking the ball, playing tag and enjoying the first day of summer! It was seriously the best day and feeling!
Geez, he needs a haircut!
