June: Andrew's End Of The Year Activities

Andrew's class went on a field trip to hike one of the Table Rock mountains. I went as a parent volunteer. I had never done this hike before and knew it was close by. I wondered if it was worth taking the family on.


Andrew enjoyed the ranger and the hike. She enjoyed stopping (litterally) every 100 yards to spew facts about the nature around us. This made even the slow kids able to make the trek without much complaint.


We arrived at the top of the plateau and were able to see the whole Rogue Valley. It is quite beautiful.



Andrew even acknowledged his mom was on the trip.


We had a nice time on top eating lunch and listening to Indian lore from ranger Bucky (her real name).

Andrew's 3rd grade class. So cute. On the way down from top, the ranger had each child spew a fact to the class as they passed by. Some kids said things like, "A plateau is flat." or "That is poison oak." As I passed by my own son, he spewed this fact out, that was not taught to him by ranger Bucky but by his teacher the week before. "The 4 plank communities on Table Rock in order are: 1. Oak Savannah, 2. Chapparal, 3. Mixed Woodlands, 4. Mounded Prairie and Vernal Pools." He's a freakin' genius.


At the last awards ceremony of the year Andrew received the prestigious "Classic Reader" award. This award was given to only 16 kids in the entire elementary this year. Andrew along with 3 of his closest buddies received it. It meant he read a certain amount of hard level books in a certain window of time.

I was a proud mom! It was a beautiful medallion that he has declared will be stored in his quart jar of valuables that also holds cool rocks, dead bugs, and some coins from a distant trip Brian and I took to Spain. Glad he is stayin' real.


Andrew's end of the year party was held at a local park. They had pizza and goodies for kids to eat, then they let them play on the playground, and last but not least, they had a water balloon fight of which I helped fill over 300 balloons (I get a pat on the back).


Some of us parents pocketed a few of these balloons. Little did I know how much trouble this would get me in. They started out with balloon toss and then the big war.

Just an FYI-never hit a dysfunctional, difficult, defiant, bully, who weighs more than you. He will cry like a baby and tell the principal.