Caeden had his first game in the boys minor league tonight. These boys have only had about 5 practices together, due to all the rain we've had making the fields into mud pits. But, they were anxious to get out there!
In the first inning, Caeden was batting second. He swung on his first pitch, and hit a great pop fly that was caught by the pitcher. He was bummed to get out so quickly, but we told him to be glad he had a good hit.
chatting with the boys in the dugout
Caeden got to choose a number for his jersey this year! He chose 8, which has always been his favorite number. (His momma remembers it as the first number he learned when he was tiny and sticking foam numbers to the side of the bathtub. ;)
Caed was an outfielder tonight--first half of the game behind first base, second half behind third.
His second at-bat, Caed walked after 4 balls. His third time up, he walked because he was hit by the pitch. This is kid-pitch baseball, which is just amazing to me. The fact that any 2nd grader can ever pitch a hit-able baseball to another 2nd grader is incredible in my eyes.
Our boys lost their game, but they sure were revved up afterwards. I'm so glad they had fun!
Caeden has been working on a special end-of-the-year project recently. Jeremy helped him find articles on the internet about the jellyfish. Caeden then made a "web" like his teacher taught him, and wrote interesting facts in the web that he learned in his research. Then he wrote a paragraph from the web. I helped him reorder the sentences and typed them in order for him to write his report.
Then, he cut white and clear plastic shopping bags into strips, cutting out all the lettering and colors. Sylvia helped him with that part. He cut one side off a few bags and we layered them, stuffing them with other bags and pieces of bags to make the bell. We stapled the ends of each strip together to make the tentacles and attached them to the bell. He also made a baby jellyfish with kleenex and fiberfill.
Today, parents and grandparents were invited to the classroom "aquarium" to see all the students present their projects.
It was AMAZING!! The kids all had such unique and creative models and had learned so many interesting facts about their sea creatures! While I was there, nearly every other class and teacher in the building came to tour the aquarium and see the kids' work. Neat, neat.
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This evening, we girls went to the 8th grade promotion ceremony. I accompanied the choir on piano, and Annah played in the junior high band for the processional and recessional. Her friends Alexus and Audrey hug-attacked her as we were leaving.
Ahhh, one of my favorite days celebrating the end of the school year was today! The all-school Art Show!! The art teachers in our tiny little school are exceptional, teaching students about techniques and art history beginning in kindergarten!
This is the 7th time we've enjoyed the school art show, and we are still impressed!
Right inside the door was an impressive display of masks by the 6th graders.
Sylvia won 3rd place for her "guitar pick" in the style of Peter Max.
Caeden's cupcakes in the style of Wayne Thiebaud are the ones on top above his finger. The students were learning about mixed media, painting and collage using cast shadows in this project.
Sylvia also won 2nd place for her Keith Haring style painting, which I apparently didn't take a picture of. But, I love that all this art comes home to our house! I'm still thinking of a creative way to display it at home.
Sylvia's Van Gogh Starry Night craypa drawing is the one next to the labeling poster. This is one of my favorite projects that the kids do each year!
Sylvia won 1st place for her guitar in the style of Picasso's Blue Period. This was a combination project with music class, as the students learned the parts of the guitar while making them.
This was an absolutely adorable project--learning to draw facial features on famous portraits. Caeden's is the man in the center here.
Sylvia won 1st place for her Cuna Indian Mola. This year, Mrs. H. used this project to teach the students how to stitch by hand, too. Many of the projects were displayed "in progress," but Sylvia had brought hers home with special permission last Thursday. She stayed up late and got up early Friday and finished it. She really enjoyed working hard on this project, and as Mrs. H said, "See, hard work pays off, doesn't it?" Sylvia's project is to the left of the poster in the center.
Caeden's clay fortune cookie is on the bottom left. His teacher sent me a message when he was working on this. The kids had to come up with fortunes to write on paper to put inside the cookies, and she thought Caeden's was so sweet: "A person will come to you, whom you will love."
Annah received 2nd place for her stained glass tissue paper mandala. Hers is the one in the bottom left.
(Students' projects aren't judged until 3rd grade level. Caeden is very much looking forward to the push of competing for a prize next year.)
For her charcoal sphere, Annah received 1st place.
Annah also received 2nd place for her chalk marbled paper and calligraphy, which I didn't take a photo of, and her clay chocolates. Most of these looked real enough to eat!
Another 2nd place for Annah--her painted collage in the style of Wassily Kandinsky. (Hers is the puple-bordered one.) This project used wet on wet water color painting and creating clay pieces to enhance the design, with a focus on creating mood through music, color, and painting.
Sylvia was not happy with how her clay coil pot turned out. (Apparently, it got smashed before being fired in the kiln.) But, I think it looks really cool.
We passed Sylvia's locker on the way out, so I had her open it. She has a countdown to the end of the school year on her white board inside.
We always love the art show, and seeing all the students' work!
Caeden and I had a great time today on his 2nd grade field trip to Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site. (This is where Abraham Lincoln lived and worked during the 1830's!)
I even got to ride the bus with my buddy!
Miss J and Mrs. P were smart and brought a couple crates of books for the kids to read on the 2-hour trip there.
Some silliness on the bus...
Caeden and I got to hang out with Brianna all day.
The first building we decided to check out was the only original building to the site. It is the cooper's workshop. We learned that a cooper made barrels, buckets, and other wooden items.
There are folks who work at New Salem, dressed in clothing from the 1830's, but they don't pretend to be living there--not reenacting. They are very knowledgable though.
In one of the homes, this man taught us that the climbing bear toy was to teach children the motion of milking a cow.
The kids were fascinated by all of the old wells.
New salem is very beautiful, with lots of natural areas. Some of the buildings were closed today, but the teachers said they have had different ones open on other field trips they have brought.
This is the double carder machine inside the wool mill.
These are the gears underneath the huge platform that made the carder machine work.
This is the huge incline wheel that would have been operated by 2 oxen when in use.
This is one of the shops in the village.
Inside the home/shop of the leather worker. We laughed because the sign on the building said he was apparently not very talented at his work!
We learned that the tavern was more an inn and restaurant; alcohol wasn't really served there.
This lady was making a rhubarb cake, and showed the kids how she would use hot coals out of the fire to put in a little cast iron oven.
This big guy seemed pretty oblivious to all the people making a fuss over him. He wouldn't even turn his head for a photo.
The trails wind around through New Salem and at one end there is a long wooden staircase of over 100 stairs down to the dam and mill.
The kids loved climbing down and back up all those stairs!
Another of the shops in the village
As we walked back through the village to leave, a man was now inside this store we'd peeked in before. He showed us mink, raccoon, and badger skins, corn brooms, tobacco cigars, cakes of tea, explained what flints are and a wealth of other interesting things.
Classmates and friends
These sweet girls wanted Caeden in their picture. Nice shot, buddy.
We took this picture to show Daddy about Lincoln's famous wrestling match.
Caeden was "too cool" to sit with me on the way back I guess, but sat with his friend Briley.
Some singing broke out after a while...
What a great group of kids, what an awesome place to visit--both learning and fun!
