6.24.2008

miss libby

Libby grinding corn for homemade tortillas during La Purisima Mission Days.

My group at the La Purisima Concepcion Mission in Lompoc, CA.


Libby at the Millionaire's Club party for 4th grade [dinner portion of the evening]



Libby with her flute, also the same flute my sister & I played! We're getting our money's worth out of it.


You may have noticed that recently I had an almost two-month gap between blog entries. This gap was caused by many varied and sundry reasons: school field trips, school papers and projects, boy scout meetings and camp prep, PTA meetings, 7th grade parent meetings, school volunteer work, last week of school festivities, an extremely sick 7th grader who missed the entire last week of school, and, the bane of my summer, the assignment of PTA Fundraising Walkathon Committee Chair. ***Sigh*** It's been busy.


So, I have made it my mission to [slowly] fill in some of the gaps by updating you on some of the highlights. And this entry is devoted to my Libby!


Libby has had an extraordinary 4th grade year at her new school. She earned straight A's again, much to the delight of her family. She has worked so hard and we are all so proud of her efforts!


Libby also received a letter from her music teacher stating that she has been accepted into the school's Advanced Band class next year. This is quite an achievement, since not many 5th graders get into Advanced Band, so we are all very pleased. She will be learning the same music Bailey is playing [only for flute] and will also be marching in all band competitions next fall, including the band review in Pismo Beach. Go Libby! I'm still trying to figure out how those huge band uniforms are going to fit her.


This week she is attending a Summer Music Workshop in the morning for 5th - 8th graders and is enjoying the challenge. She is learning new notes and new music and will get to perform this Friday night in a concert for the families. We are looking forward to it! Meanwhile, she is still keeping up her piano studies and is advancing in this area as well.


Before school let out for the summer, Libby was invited to a very special "Millionaire's Club" activity put on by all of the fourth grade teachers. In order to be invited, you had to have read at least one million words over the course of the school year. Libby read somewhere between four and five million. It started after school with a Wii competition, then they repaired to a special Millionaire Clubhouse. While at the Clubhouse, they swam, played pool [or billiards, for all you other millionaires], and were served a very special dinner complete with Martinelli's sparkling cider. Just perfect for the junior millionaire set! Libby had lots of fun and played so hard that she was very tired when I picked her up that evening! I think all of the other kids were as well.


I should have some fun pictures of Libby after this weekend when we have her swimming birthday party. Her birthday is actually July 4th, so we're doing it a week early. And hopefully we'll have fun 4th of July pictures to share as well!

6.20.2008

the big "1-3"

As of yesterday, June 19th, two things have become official around our place.

What is the first, you query? Well, we now have a bona fide teenager in the house. Although he is not literally in the house at this moment, as the aforementioned teenager has been away at scout camp with his dad for the week.

And the second? I am now officially old. Huh. I had a feeling it would happen.

We celebrated Bailey's birthday before the guys left for scout camp last Saturday, and I think Bailey was pretty surprised. He had been asking for a particular Nintendo DS game, which he has been wanting for awhile.


Here's the birthday boy with his much-coveted Legend of Zelda game. He's all about the Zelda.


But wait, is there something else in the bag?


Seriously, people? Are you kidding me?



I don't have to borrow my sister's or my mom's DS anymore! Suh-weet!
And the birthday boy en route to give his camera-holding mom a heartfelt thank-you hug.

I so love surprising them! He's been wanting one forever, but I'd been reluctant to drop well over a C note for a handheld gaming system [Libby actually bought a used one with her own money several months ago, and mine was a gift]. I figured you only become a teenager once. And thank goodness for that.