One End is Another New Beginning

Another school year has come to a close. I always think it's funny how most people measure years from January to December, but my years start in August and end in June. This year was... fine. I didn't have any major behavior issues, which was nice, but I did have talkers. My LORD, the talking. While there weren't visits to the principal, or (too many) calls home, constantly being talked over and disrupted and interrupted proved to be very wearing, and I was ready to end the year last Friday. I also think that the call of my Boy wanting to play outside has made me more eager and less nostalgic when it comes to packing up Mrs. Wilson and transforming into Mama.

This year we said goodbye to my DEAR friend and colleague, Mrs. P. She has taught with me for eight of my nine years, and I consider her a mentor and a friend. She is retiring to spend more time with her grandbabies and children, and I will miss her terribly. Her sense of humor was like none other, and life will surely be more dull around our school this fall.

But now that summer is here, I couldn't be happier. We spent the weekend in Missoula celebrating Jenny's completion of grad school! She earned her Masters in Social Work from Walla Walla and is currently on the road to North Carolina for new adventures. I am so proud of Jenny. In college, she volunteered for the Student Assault Recovery Center where she helped survivors of rape and violence, she worked with troubled teens and children at New Day Ranch, she counseled recovering (and nonrecovering) addicts at a Methadone Clinic WHILE getting her Masters, and now she's putting Montana in her rearview mirror to travel the country and make new adventures in a new place. I'm so proud (and jealous) of her heart and bravery. 

Around here, we are doing all the same old summer things we loved to do last year. We went to the splash park with friends, have had a pool date with Cedar, and are planning on the Zoo tomorrow. I just love the wide openness of summer days. When Hamilton naps, I feel a tug and pull of trying hard to "relax", but wanting to "DO ALL THE THINGS!". My head goes back and forth, "Just lie down and read! You never get to read during the school year! Relax!" and "Hurry! Paint that room you've been wanting to paint! All those projects in the garage! Get them done! You won't have any time come September! Do it now! Do it ALL now!" If you know me, you can guess which one I usually side with :)

Hamilton is in one of his delightful stages (I tend to only blog during these stages, rather than the stages where I am asking the Universe what I ever did to deserve the demon screaming in his room because I wouldn't sit on the floor while he ate his cereal). He is quite the copy cat and repeats everything he hears, which can be hilarious and terrifying. He still loves cars and trucks, and is very into pretend play ("Hi Car! I a red car. You a blue car. Wet's go to the park!"). He also loves racing and "blasting off" which just involves more running. The park and the pool are his favorite places to be, and we are only two days into summer.