Final week of the school year = last Activity Days for the school year (walking around the new botanical garden and playing at the newly renovated park near the church) + fort days in 2nd grade + all school field day at the elementary school (with no parents allowed but Michelle's class got to help Natalie's class) + baseball + softball practice/games. I'm so grateful the weather cooperated and for all the smiles I got to see that last week of school.
The last day of school the middle schoolers left and came back like normal but the elementary schoolers had lots of things going on. Thanks to perfect weather, the 5th grade continuation ceremony was held outdoors and parents got to come. Tears and cheers and all those feelings got to be shared together as a community. The traditional high fives around the building were moved to outdoors and I was happy to watch Natalie giving Michelle a high five. They are also the only ones who still have a teacher to take pictures with at the all school picnic. The PTO also rented a Kona Ice truck for two hours so that 5th grades could get free shaved ice (and they even let this little sister have one too even though I tried to pay).
When I asked my elementary schoolers what the last half day of school was like my second grader said, “We had a lot of fun!” and my graduate responded, “It was really long.” Indeed, I think Hubby felt the same because when we were through three of the five classes (due to LaunchEd students joining in) he was ready to get back to work, especially since he had a deadline the next day.
Due to that deadline, instead of plan A for the last day of school which was for all six of us to all use the pop up trailer to go camping at Rocky Mountain National Park, Hubby opted to work from home. He took Danny to a baseball game while Kate decided to stay with my parents (along with the dogs) so Michelle, Natalie and I borrowed my dad's tent to go camping at Glacier Basin Campground. When we reached our site we were so glad we didn't have the truck and trailer along because there wouldn't have been room! My dad's tent was brand new and he had packed everything you would need, including a small dust pan and broom. I think this was Natalie's first time camping in/putting up a tent like this and she wasn't a huge fan of sleeping like that. Her and my inflatable mattresses wouldn't inflate and she kept squirming out of her sleeping bag and getting really cold. We ended up sharing my sleeping bag in order for her to keep warm but it wasn't built for two people. All part of the adventure, right? Sometimes it's good to be reminded you really don't need much to have a good time. We roasted s'mores, hiked, played UNO Flip for the first time, and enjoyed seeing elk, moose, marmot, chipmunks, mallard ducks, little black birds, and listening to frogs. We timed the trip just right because when we came up there were almost no lines and we rode the hiker shutter bus on it's first day of operation for the season. By the time we left the line to get into the park was clear down and past the visitor's center that is actually outside RMNP. I'm sure it was crazy busy and I'm glad I wasn't there to see it. On the way home we spent some time in Estes Park at Fun City and shopping a tiny bit. We were ready for more treats!
I'm thankful we were all able to do the things we wanted and then come together again for the rest of the weekend. Although Hubby and I had planned on watching Midway again for Memorial Day weekend we were outnumbered and somehow ended up renting Jurassic World instead. A highlight of this time of year was the high school graduation parties celebrating friends from church like Meagan H., McKell D., Kat C., and Jasmine G. and our neighbors, Zoey S. and Mackenzie H. What a joy it is to see them doing wonderful things and heading towards their next adventure. Not only that, but their parties were the most normal things that have happened for over a year. It was wonderful to be around people doing traditional things again.
Even though it feels like the school year wasn't very long and summer has come too soon, the children are looking forward to all sorts of things and having more free time. Wish us luck! Summer vacation 2021, here we come!
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