Immigration Day

At Cole's school they are having an Immigration Day. The kids pretend that they are from another country and they are paired up with other kids to create a family. They are all trying to make it to Ellis Island, where all the kids will be processed through the system. It should be pretty cool, and the kids are excited to experience what their ancestors experienced coming to the United States.

Each child has to bring some luggage, and since he is from a poor family in Slovenia (according to the scenario they presented him with), he couldn't afford real luggage, so he has one of his handmade quilts (from his Aunt Dee) with string tied around it to keep his treasures safe. Inside he has a family picture, a book, marbles and a small stuffed toy.

Pictures of Lucas and Cole

Here are pictures of Cole and Lucas together. They sit still so well, don't they :) Trying to get 2 kids to smile at the camera at the same time is nearly impossible, but they are still cute. I think I took 800 pictures, just to get 3 good shots :)

Pictures of Lucas

Since I am such doting aunt, I thought I would show pictures of my nephew, Lucas and Cole. Isn't he adorable?

Cub Scouts astronomy lesson

I have this funny story I have to share!

At cub scouts this week we were working on our astronomy belt loop. Well, I borrowed the telescope from my parents and set it up for the boys to look at the stars. I turned around to help some other boys and by the time I turned back around they have moved the telescope. They are trying to see up their noses, mouths, and ears. They are trying to see every body part up close. I must say this is something I never would have thought of to do with the telescope, but as they say boys will be boys!

It was too dark to get a picture of the boys, but the picture of the telescope is a fun reminder of their creativity.

Cole Spring Parent Conference

This morning we went to Cole's spring parent conference at his school. Cole is doing so well in school. As we wrap up the 2nd grade and look towards next year, it is refreshing to see how much was accomplished this year. I am attaching the little write-ups that his teachers do for each conference.
Enjoy!

"Rivendell is a perfect fit for Cole. I cannot imagine how he was challenged in another classroom setting. He is a sponge for information and can handle just about any assignments that we give him. He is articulate when he does feel overwhelmed and is quickly relieved when we assure him that he is doing a good job. He can be a bit chatty with friends but a subtle reminder always refocuses him. We want to make sure we have a balance with pushing him and having him feel unnecessary stress. Cole is still young and has a wonderful imagination. He has embraced out new writing workshop and his stories are rich and creative. He uses inflection when he read his stories, and our kids’ eyes light up when he is in the author’s chair. At Rivendell, we evaluate each child and after talking to Inta and Kate, we feel that Cole could move up to the Older Kids (4th and 5th graders) next year. He has befriended many 3rd grade boys and would be with them next year. This would give Cole the challenge he could certainly handle. The pace is a bit faster and Jane and Ashley’s curriculum is rich, interesting, and exciting. He will be exposed to a more abstract level of thinking. The curriculum includes novel study, hands-on science activities, and opportunities for him to explore more sophisticated academics. We all agree that Cole will be ready for this. There will be other children his age moving up and with the loss of the 6th grade; the age span will not be too extreme. He can continue his math curriculum this summer if he is interested, and he can come in to test with Pat whenever it is convenient with you. Cole is a wonderful, bright child and I loved having him. Thank you for trusting us with him, I look forward to watching him grow at Rivendell. I can’t wait to see what wonderful things he will accomplish in this world."
~Michelle

"I’m so glad that Cole has been in our classroom. He is an intelligent, quick, and fun little boy. He adjusted well to our Rivendell ways and seems very content and happy to be at school. I love kids that are motivated and work hard and do well. Cole definitely fits this bill. He has done amazing in his studies, rising to levels above what is usually considered Middle Kids (2nd and 3rd graders) what a star he is at vocabulary! I am always so impressed with his ability in that 5th grade book. These are not easy questions to digest and Cole takes them in stride. Cole still struggle with his handwriting. I have seen improvement with his attempts at cursive. This might be a better choice for him. As we look to next year, we are considering moving some of our 3rd graders up to Older Kids one year early. I think Cole would be a good candidate for this move. He would be surrounded with kids closer to the levels that he is currently working on. He also would have the friendships of the current 3rd grade boys in our class and Bryce’s. We’d like to hear your thoughts on this. I have enjoyed getting to know Cole. He is a very polite, kind, and sweet boy. He is very smart and I enjoy seeing him use his potential here. "
~Inta

Hair cut for Locks of Love

Well I did it, I cut off 12 inches of my hair for locks of love. At the school I teach at we are all growing our hair out to donate, and we will get pledges for how many inches we cut off. Well, I got tired of waiting for some of the gentlemen to grow their hair out. In 18 months when their hair is long enough to cut I will have at least 10 more inches again. It is wonderful to have a cute new spring haircut!

Family Fun Day

Every Sunday is Family Fun Day! Yesterday we decided to go see the movie Monsters vs. Aliens. It was hilarious, we had a great time!