School's out, school's out, teacher let the monkeys out

Summer break has officially started here now that Liam finished school last Friday. While I have been on break for a month, it hasn't really felt like break when I've had to get up early to drive him to school or to be there to pick him up. Already, bedtimes are stretching way past the 8 o'clock he's used to, and we've all been sleeping in. That part has been lovely.

Last day of school they had a closing ceremony where the teacher invited all the parents to come in for the last 45 minutes of class. The children put on a performance where they sang and acted out each song and poem they'd learned during circle time over the course of the ENTIRE school year. As Liam said a few weeks ago, "it's so sweet it makes me want to cry." And cry I did.

After the songs were over, the teacher led each of the children who would be moving on to first grade over the rainbow bridge and gave them a bouquet of flowers. For those children who would be returning to her class next year, she'd made little felt heart pins for them to wear to help keep their friends in their hearts over the summer. I tried to take pictures, but Jonah was not interested in sitting through the ceremony. He was much more interested in playing and going over the rainbow bridge and having a seat to himself.

On the home front, we've started working in the garden again with hopes to have the plants we bought yesterday in the ground by tomorrow. Our robin babies are getting ready to think about leaving the nest. They fill it so completely on their own now that the parents can barely fit in with them. All three babies have their fledgling feathers and are a mottled brown and grey on their backs and a mottled orange and brown on their bellies. They aren't sure what to make of us. One of the babies is a bit bigger than the others and he is always the one who sees us coming first, because he's usually sitting on the side of the nest. All the babies hunker down in the nest when we get too close, but the big one still seems to be the bravest. He was flapping his wings in the box today, a sure sign that it will probably only be a matter of a day or so before they're off and flying. Mommy and daddy robin have been doing overtime bringing food for the babies. In the past few days, it has gotten quite raucous when the parents return to the nest with food, as the babies chirp excitedly for their meals. The parents are nearly as noisy. They don't like us hanging around, and profess this with squeaks and chirps. My boys have been fascinated with watching them, especially Jonah. He will stand atop the four bags of mulch stacked on the back patio with his binoculars and watch them. "Aren't they so cute?" he will repeat multiple times, until one of the parents comes back and I have to pull him down so they can get to the nest. Having the robins nesting has been fun, but Liam is ready for them to leave so we don't have to tiptoe around the nest anymore.

Here's a picture of the robins. Just like any family with three kids, inevitably, someone has their eyes closed when the shutter snaps.