Finishing Up

If you can believe it, Maycember had more in store for us this week. I guess that's what happens when you have 4 kids and 3 different schools that your kids are involved in. Before we get to the school activities, let me tell you about our soccer weekend. Every year here in Canton, Michigan, they hold a Canton Cup. It's a soccer tournament. Apparently, it's a pretty big deal. We had told Austin's coach that he wouldn't be able to participate, having heard that a lot of it was on Sunday. I thought I had told Erik's coach that, but he included Erik in the group fee anyhow, so we paid and told him he couldn't play in the Sunday games. As it turns out, most of the teams start on Friday and play Saturday as well. Some have games on Sunday, but not all, however you don't learn the days your team's games are until after you sign up and pay the fee. Erik's team played the earliest game Friday after school and the earliest game Saturday morning. There was a Sunday game scheduled as well, but we figured that two out of three isn't bad. 

I rushed Austin and Erik to the field right after school on Friday. His coach said it would be busy, so to get there 30 minutes early. Well, I had no idea how busy he meant! It was set up like a carnival, except the tents were registration tents for the many teams who played (teams come from all over the Midwest, including Canada). There were tons of food vendors, bouncy houses, and motor homes for all the teams and families who traveled to participate. They even had shuttle buses from various areas for those who had to park far away. Once I saw all this, I was glad Erik had the earliest game both days, even if I had to wake him up at 6:30 on Saturday morning! Austin was cool about not being in the tournament. His team played a little later on Friday and then had a Saturday and Sunday game as well, so he could have participated, but I would have been worn out by all the crowds and doubling the games in our family. Now we can be ready by next year, if they want to do it. (Bonus: we had time to see Endgame on Saturday!!)

The best thing about it was that Erik's team won the Canton Cup for his division! They beat the teams we played Friday and Saturday, easily. His team is comprised of boys who all have different talents that work well together as a team. We were nervous about the game Sunday morning because they were going to play the one team who beat us (Dad and Mary Lou, that was the game you were at) and those boys were big! Well, Erik's teammates slaughtered them at the Sunday game, which meant they got to play one more game on Sunday, leading to another victory and the Canton Cup! So, Erik ended up playing half his games, but he played some great defense that helped them out those first two games.

A great coaching session!

The winning team, before they knew it!

The day before the Canton Cup was Austin's 4th grade music concert. He didn't really want to go, but I'm so glad he did! His siblings went to his concert, which was nice. 

Austin and his nice smile! Unfortunately, Karissa recorded his concert, but I can't get them off her phone... What a nice sister, though!

This week, was Victoria's final choir concert on Tuesday and Karissa's on Thursday. Whew! Victoria's was music from different decades (40s-70s). She won't be in choir next year at the high school, but I'm so glad she participated in it in Middle School and stretched herself to try out for the Select Ensemble. She grew so much in her singing!

(A song from Select Ensemble)

(8th grade choir)

Karissa's was music from Broadway. She has really enjoyed choir this year and plans to continue next year as well. She has started to blossom as a singer as well. 

(A song from 6th grade choir. Karissa has an injured foot, so she sat for the concert...)

Oh, and I almost forgot, we squeezed in a race Memorial Day, since Karissa, Austin, and I didn't get to run in our club race (STRIDE and Heart and Sole). It was also because one of my running friends is moving and we wanted to do a 10k together before then. Victoria, Karissa, and Austin did the 5k,  Erik and Jason did the mile, and friends and I did the 10k. Rosie came in first for our age group and I came in 2nd. Kristin came in 2nd for her age group, so we were a success! I have to say that I loved the race. It was small and on Memorial Day, which is not really a busy day for us, thank goodness! What a way to start the summer!

All winners!!

We all finished about 30 seconds from each other!

Maycember

Maycember- that's what they call May now because it rivals December in busyness. We can attest to that! This month, we not only had tons of activities to end the school year off, but we had family to visit with as well! This year, Victoria was in 7 dance numbers at her recital, so she invited grandparents to see her. She had her usual ballet, tap, and lyrical numbers, had added the jazz class this year and tried out for Jazz Company (and made it), a special parts number (and got that), and was a demonstrator for a younger class, giving her an extra dance number in the recital with the other demonstrators. Dance has become her passion. In fact, she just tried out for the competition team for next year, and made it!

Here's a few of her numbers from the recital and some pictures with her costumes on. The theme was Disney.

Since the recital is always Mother's Day weekend, we enjoyed celebrating with my mom and Jason's mom. Jason's birthday was a few days after wards, so we had a quick celebration in between work and soccer games and an orchestra concert. His parents had their truck here, so they were able to pick up a Detroit style pizza for his birthday dinner. Also, at times during the week when they were here, picked up and dropped off various people, including Jason when the van had to be serviced for a few things.

Mother's Day

Celebrating with Mom.

Happy Birthday!!

Did I mention Victoria got her bottom braces off in the middle of everything?

Orchestra concert

After my mom left, the next day, Jason's parents picked up my dad and Mary Lou from the airport, before their drive back to Colorado. While here, we went to more soccer games, dropped off Victoria for more dance practices (to get ready for her cecchetti ballet exam), completed STRIDE and went to the Ward Talent Show.

Last day of STRIDE.

It was also Karissa's last day of Heart and Sole during this time.

Our spoiling time!

Karissa displayed her art at the talent show.

Victoria choreographed a dance, with some help from Grandma Pat, and Karissa played one of her favorite piano pieces, New World Symphony.

The highlight was that just two days ago, we found out Jason still has a job with Ford! We've known this whole school year that they were laying people off as part of the Smart Redesign, but discovered a couple of months ago that the end of May would be the final cut. They called employees in on Tuesday and gave them the final word. We're relieved to know we don't have to look for a new job. Way to go Jason!!

Something to be Proud Of

A couple of weeks ago was the Pinewood Derby. I guess it could be the last one we participate in, depending on what we decide to do with scouts for our boys when the Church separates from it. In the meantime, we made sure to make the most of it. We had an extra kit, so Erik made one with Jason too. He's been pretty busy at work, so there was probably even less time put into the cars than last year, even though Austin took first place last year, unexpectedly. Well, he wasn't quite as lucky this year, though he still did well. He came in 4th, just off the podium. Erik got to race at the end in the sibling races. The best part of the night was that Austin was awarded his Bear, which I hadn't expected yet because he won't be 10 for another month, but he had accomplished everything, so he moved up with his good friend, Owen. He's now a Webelo!

He was awarded Best Wedge Car. His car was Speedster 12.

Erik's wedge car, The Arrow.

Recently, I posted about STRIDE at Miller. They're also doing a mileage club during lunch recess. The kids who want to, can run around the field and earn "toe tokens" for every 5 miles they run. 4 times around the field is a mile, so basically, if they do a mile each day, they can earn a toe token by Friday, when they're usually handed out. I'm still at work during this time, so I don't get to see it in action, but apparently, Erik was a running machine! They started about 3 weeks ago. When I went to the office after school one day to pick up the water bottles for the STRIDE boys, the principal told me Erik was running so much that they couldn't keep up with him in giving him his tokens! He was the very first to earn the 13.1 token, declaring he had run a half marathon, with all of his running added up! Only two others have done so now in the past two weeks since Erik earned his, though in every one's defense, they couldn't hold it at all last week because the field was too wet from all the rain. In Austin's personal defense, he has Safety Duty during lunch a few times a week, so he can't run every time. The thing that make me laugh was that last summer, Erik couldn't even run around the block! He barley made the one block, gave up, and said he was done with our mile run. Just goes to show when someone wants something, they'll do it, but if not, you can't make them. That's very true for Erik!

The toe tokens are shaped like feet and the 13.1 is the number.

Austin made Puff Ball Shooters for the 4th grade Mini Society last week. I'm not sure of other states, but in our district here, this is in the 4th grade curriculum. They pass out "money" and the students provide goods and services that they had spent a few weeks working on at home. They created advertisements and had to figure out the most effective way to produce goods in an efficient, inexpensive way, that others would want to buy. I got to go to the parent shopping activity last week. It was great to see the work that had gone into these kids' goods.