Team No Wheat. No Cheat. For Ashlee!

* Missing Justin who had to go and pick Tyler up from basketball

Uh Oh

I think I've let my guard down.

When the Kindergarten teacher told me she had instructed Ashlee's new teacher about her food needs, I thought "awesome, less for me to do."

Until this text came today:

To be honest, I would have thought the same thing before Ashlee's diagnosis.

If it said gluten-free, it was gluten-free.
If it said wheat-free, it was wheat-free.
If it didn't list gluten on the ingredients, well, it must be gluten free.
Malt? Well, that's not gluten so that doesn't matter.

Wrong. Wrong Wrong. Wrong.

Looks like I need to make a special trip to school. Mama Celiac to the rescue!

2015-16 First vs Last

Friday Find

On the day AFTER the last day of Kindergarten, Ashlee and her buddies made the Principal's newsletter!

Kindergarten Graduate

I wish this page was full of "graduation" pictures, but sadly the principal canceled festivities this year ... for carpet.

Yes, carpet.

He says students are the most important thing, but when you cancel a long-time tradition for carpet, it makes a parent question those motives.

But what can you do???

Instead of fun last day of school activities, I was handed Ashlee's artwork in a plastic bag at Field Day.

There was no video of the year.
No pictures to make me cry.
No hard bound book of her artwork and journaling.

But I do have my own pictures taken with love inside and outside our house (although even with my good camera, the pictures always turn out so dark due to the large windows in our entryway and then the shadows on the front door in the afternoon).

First Day vs. Last Day

I cherish these memories. 

It's crazy how much they grow in a school year, other than losing their two front teeth!

Kindergartners get out a day earlier than the rest of the school, so Ashlee and I got some one-on-one time before Bubby comes home for his last day tomorrow. She was totally down with my photo shoot, even making her own last day of school sign!

She's already ready for first-grade.

I told her we need to at least get through summer before we start calling ourself a first grader! EEKS!

---

We did receive this sweet letter from her teacher, Mrs. Clark. I absolutely love her!

First grade parents,

Thank you for sharing your kiddos with me this year.  For those of you that know me, I don’t do good-byes well.  I can sit behind the computer screen and cry without you seeing me.  I truly love what I do and appreciate the time to be part of the kids story! Unfortunately most of them won’t remember kindergarten 10 years from now.  I hope you will save something to trigger a memory or two of events from the year.

Each and every one of your kids are special in their own way and have something to teach us to make us better people. While they might not all get along or enjoy being friends with someone else, it is those relationships that allow us to value good friends we make along the way. It is also those relationships that challenge our virtues of patience, compassion, cooperation and respect.

I have taken several photos this year.  I was not able to share as many of them as I would have hoped.  If you like to scrapbook or just want to have pictures for memories, email me back.  I will send you a link to the photos so you can select the ones you want to keep.

Have a wonderful summer!  Let them be little, play games, dance in the rain, snuggle to watch movies, be their cheerleader and enjoy every moment you have with them!  I look forward to seeing you in August!   

I’ve attached one picture from buddies yesterday.  It made me smile at the enjoyment they had together.

Minute to Win It {School Style}

Wackadoodle Zoo

Welcome to the Wackadoodle Zoo where all the animals make the wrong noises.

Did you know my adorable, pink pig doesn't oink?

Nope, she doesn't, but by the end of this lovely Kindergarten musical, she'll be able to oink, and all of her friends will be able to make their proper sounds too!

You just have to believe in yourself - and not make fun of others, if they're a little bit different, too.

'Cause it's another fun night of musical entertainment - with a teachable moment - at the elementary school musical!

Ashlee even had a solo in her first musical - a little musical instrument medley with Anna.

Way to go Kindergartners! It was very entertaining!

The Edge

The performance cheer girls were ready to rock another competition.

The same location; Liberty, Mo.
Different competition: The Edge.

The girls were to compete Saturday afternoon but were deferred to Sunday evening instead. We were there until super late, waiting for awards.

The girls took high gold and got a high gold/first plaque (ribbons) for "Shout it Out" - with several more dancers in the overall competition.

Way to go ladies *\0/*

Friday Find: April Fool's

Above is the "fake" April Fool's newsletter. 

Below is the the "real" April Fool's newsletter.

Good-bye Arizona

It's time to walk the tarmac and head back to Springfield...with the sunrise

Good-bye Arizona! We hope to be back soon!

Hole in the Rock

It only took us until the last day to figure out an important lesson: Ashlee seems to be scared of heights!

We had no idea, but after Justin carried her up the "Hole in the Rock," which is in the park next to the Phoenix Zoo, we knew.

Loud and clear! 

And this rock wasn't really that high.

We saw this rock from the Zoo earlier in the week and wondered how to get to it and if it was open to the public.

Our friends happened to be in Arizona for spring training, and they climbed it and posted it to Facebook, so I knew we could do it too (they have a 3 year old).

With some time to spare on our last day, we set out to give it a go - after all, it's hard to go to Arizona without a hike of some kind.

It took us about 10-15 minutes to climb to the top (behind the rock).

The opening was pretty big, and the rock was pretty steep but ground in enough for you to sit on it.

Tyler moved all around the hole. Ashlee sat and never moved (as you can see her excitement in the picture with Justin).

When we came down the hill, Ashlee and Justin rushed back to the car. Tyler and I headed to another hill to climb.

It's there that we ran into the biggest snake I have ever seen! I jumped and hopped around like a crazy person; Tyler ran right past it without even seeing it. We decided then that our climbing adventures were done as snakes are poisonous in Arizona!