School Camping on the Summer Solstice

The annual school camping trip has come to be one of our favorite family traditions! We were so sad when rain ruined our plans last year, so we were extra eager for this year's trip.  I'm going to just let all these photos speak for themselves. It couldn't have been a more perfect weekend with this great community of families and friends.

(Bea set the record for the soundest campsite sleeper ever.
She slept almost 12 hours without a peep!)

In praise of Papas!

Father's Day this year was sweet all around. The girls and I snuck out of the house early to buy donuts and coffee for porch-breakfast surprise.

Josephine gifted her papa the best little haiku every written for a papa.

Then a dance party broke out!

Our gift to Lou was a pair of apple trees that we can watch grow along with the girls now that we're in our "forever home."

It was SUCH a beautiful day that the little darlings literally rolled around in the clover, singing June's praises.

Then we headed to an all-day pool-day...Lou's idea of the best way to spend any day, especially father's day! It was HOT and SUNNY!

Sizzle.

After some pizza at Dewey's, where we realized that everyone was dressed nice for father's day and we were rocking swim suits and trucker hats...we capped off the day with ever papa's favorite treat - Graeters!

A couple days later, I got to celebrate my papa! :)

And the next weekend, we got to celebrate Lou's papa!

Wordless Wednesday

Montessori Moments

School's only been out for a couple of weeks & I realized there were quite a few untold stories from the school year that deserved a little blog love.

We continue to be impressed by the diverse learning opportunities at Josephine's montessori school. I taught 2nd grade for five years in a traditional public school, so as she moved through 1st grade in a montessori classroom, I am repeatedly WOWED by what kids in montessori schools are empowered to accomplish.

Here are some of this year's experiences.

1. The South America unit culminated in a class play, musical performance, Peruvian dance and individual research projects and presentations.  We were all amazed by the high-quality reports and confidence with which these little people delivered their presentations to a hallway overflowing with adults.  Here are the highlights!

Josie's two animals to research and report on were the green iguana and the capybara.

Here's her little partner in green iguana expertise.

Josie is always so excited with Bea is at school - and leads her around by the hand showing her what will be her school too next year.

The big bow at the end of the song!

A South American feast!

Here's the video of the dance.




2. The other really exciting thing at school was Josie's first "three minute talk." The three minute talk is a time-honored tradition in montessori. The kids research and present a lesson to the whole class of 1st-2nd-3rd graders. Josie decided to do a sewing demonstration. The whole family was invited to her talk and we were so impressed and proud of her confidence and comfort talking to a room full of kids and adults - for all 12 minutes. She spent a week getting ready. This says "Work in Progress. Please do not disturb."

Here she is during her talk.

3. Josie had the very cool opportunity recently to follow in her mama's footsteps and be the first Student Blogger for the Smart Student contest our company is running. Check out the link to her post "I Show What I Know."

In other super exciting news...look who had their Montessori Interview recently...One little Beatrice Schneider. We are all SOOO excited that she will begin her montessori journey in the fall and even more thrilled that she'll have this very special woman as her teacher.

Wordless Wednesday