School diddly school

Our fall has been full of school projects.....


The two papers that come home in backpacks that elicit a feeling of dread is the school fundraiser and 2nd the PTA reflections contest.  Cudos to our school for doing such a fantastic job motivating my kids to want to participate in both.     I refuse to be responsible for any fund raising so I've completely turned over fundraising to the kids and Aaron by himself ran around the neighborhood collecting orders for cookies.   As for the reflections I would see the paper occasionally, Jane and Aaron would halfheartedly bring it up but I had hopes that the due date would pass and I'd be off the hook.    Literally the night before Jane decides she has to complete something to turn in because she has to be invited to the root beef float party held for those who submit an entry.   She said she didn't even want to win she just wanted to enter something.    She had an idea but I wasn't seeing her vision and angry Jane was taking over so Bart the hero stepped forth and in his nurturing patient way sat next up at the counter with her for a couple of hours while she created this box after the theme look inside.

Aaron, getting a pocket knife for his birthday wanted to whittle a heart out of wood.   He started and then gave up with the complexity of the task.   Allyson tried to face time him helping him come up with is own song based on William being a year ahead of him in Lets Play Music where you learn to compose music but he didn't seem to be getting it and wormed his way out of the music room.  He seemed ok not doing the reflections so I stopped the battle and after dinner he settled in to his favorite spot (dining room table) with his favorite supplies, pencils, paper and scissors and busied himself writing.    Around bedtime Aaron asked me to read the story he wrote about himself.  I fell in love with it immediately and as I was tucking him in it dawned on me that his little self written story   fit in perfect with the theme "Look inside".  So I copied, filled out the entry form and shoved in all in an envelope and sent it off with him to be submitted.  Bart got a chuckle out of  the sentence is  "Aaron is rich."  I liked Aaron has school shoes but loved that he said Aaron is luveing. 

Both kids were beaming as they came off the bus raving that they both of the projects went to regionals. 

Sprucewood does a program called Nova for 5th graders helping them develop stronger emotional skills to resist harmful influences.    They were each assigned to make any sort of rocket.  Jane chose to make an avocado rocket with the phrase "It's an avocado" on it's wing.    We all thought her creation was hysterical and she placed 3rd amongst her classmates. 

In order to graduate from the Nova Program the students are given the challenge to completely unplug for a week.   Jane diligently denied all screens and in return found herself more productive than she's ever been.  She really got into her school project to disguise a turkey. 

After the week long screen fast a graduation ceremony was held.  Jane completed all the tasks and got all the certificates and pins.      At the end of the ceremony Officer     presented the highest honor called the "Supernova" and to no surprise to me they called Jane up on the stage.  She's such a rockstar that girl!!

Emily's AP English class had a "Make a difference" group project.   Despite being  put in a group with one annoying girl who didn't like anyone's ideas but wouldn't come up with any of her own, Emily managed to pull them together to come up with a plan to make weighted blankets for the special  needs preschool class I work in.   Nona graciously helped she and her friend Ava by supplying fabric and sewing machines and a little instructions.  The blankets and weighted hoodies turned out great and are used by students every day.

One of the funnest days for 5th Graders is the day they attend Biz town.  Biz town is basically a mini simulated city on top of the children's museum.  Each student prepares in advance to have a job for the day.   Jane was picked as the best job ever because she gets to be on TV as the KSL news reporter.   I volunteered that day and because they don't want parents hovering over their kids was placed in the Salt Lake City School District.   Mrs. Allan joked with me after Jane told her I work for the district that I'm really stepping out of my comfort zone.

It was fun taking pictures of Jane although she didn't want any pictures taken of her.   Nor did she want me on her breaks to follow her around and she learned to buy things with a real credit card and checks.  

My few from our store front.  Jane did an excellent job interviewing people to advertise their store products.    Such a fun day!

Halloween Time

 Spencer started celebrating Halloween when he found an old chicken costume that Emily wore one year.  He drug this around putting it on and off for the entire month. 

For the trunk or treat, Emily thought we should decorate as the ocean and then was gone all Sat afternoon working on a school project so Jane took the vision and made our trunk the reality.   

Introducing Grandpa "Henry" Richards  

😆  I could never get him to smile in any of the pictures.  I guess he took his roll seriously to be a grumpy old man

Pauline invited us up for dinner and asked the kids to come dressed up.   Sunday is a busy  day for me and I was too exhausted to make Spencer a grandpa so I utilized his passion for the chicken costume. 

Time for trick or treating.   

Jane met up with the gang and ran around the neighborhood and then she and her friend ran around the other part of our wards neighborhood and then convinced me to take her over to her teacher's neighborhood.  Her teacher was so happy to see her she gave her like 5 full size candy bars.    The Bart came out in her and she kept going like the energizer bunny and ended up with 14 lbs of candy.   Currently we are having discussions about possibly donating some of the candy. 

Aaron met up with his gang of boys and scoured the neighborhood and then scoured the other 1/2 of the wards neighborhood.  I didn't see his cute happy face all night but I'm assuming he had a blast.

Spencer and I set out together to pokey around the neighborhood while Bart handed out candy.  He was overjoyed when we ran into his besties Joseph and Lucy  and he happily ran around with them until he got cold and then suddenly he had enough candy and had enough trick or treating and just wanted to be home. 

Emily hooked up with friends and was all over our neighborhood and then all over her friends Alix's neighborhood as the chipmunks and ducktails.  

Halloween is now over but Spencer in denial as he has scoured our house for all black clothing and gloves to go with his newest pirate costume.  

Final Farewells

Rumor has it Papa after 40+ years is gearing up to retire.   Great for him but sad for my kids who have spent a lot of time with cousins and some friends having a "great time here at Lagoon"! 

Usually we make it out to Lagoon once for Frightmares but maybe we were feeling a little nostalgic that our time at Lagoon aka free season passes is ending we took a few trips out there this fall.    A couple of the times we met up with cousins while John was the exec on the park and had a great time with the cousins.   

Emily has a few friends with season passes and one of the days they caught a ride with us up there and stayed all day until one of the other girls mom's came to get them.   I think they took more pictures than rides.  

A nice family in our ward had season passes this year and took Emily with them a couple of times so we returned the favor and came up on a Friday after school one weekend.  

It's always sad to see an era end but we are so grateful for all the memories made throughout the years as being a family at Lagoon.    We may go back again but not for a couple of years.   Maybe we can have a Richards family reunion there again when the new ride comes out?