Christopher Columbus was here!

The schmoo seriously brings joy to my heart!  When dh and I got up on Columbus day, we found the two things in the pictures above.  Schmoo was yelling "Christopher Columbus came!  Christopher Columbus came!" And he showed us what the explorer left for us, just like Santa or the Easter Bunny.  It was seriously the cutest thing ever, and he kept giggling ALL DAY LONG as he was just so pleased with himself with fooling us.  (Cute kid + chocolate + sleeping in = happy heart!)

Student of the Month!

My schmoo made student of the month!  (again!)  Here's a pick of him waving his certificates: 

(You know me, I didn't want the pic for the blog to actually show his name...)

He has been doing really well at school.  He loves his teachers and his behavior has been great.  He's never been really, truly naughty at school, despite the fact that he thinks it's social hour since no other kids live at our house.  My very favorite misdeed of his happened when he was 4 years old in pre-k.  At circle time, his teacher asked him to stop talking as it was "her turn to talk."  He looked at her and said, "Just let me finish what I'm telling Carter, and then it can be your turn."  HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!  The teacher didn't think it was that funny, but I thought it was HILARIOUS! He lives with adults, and that's what he heard us say all the time "Wait til I'm done, and then it can be your turn." 

My second favorite was at the end of last school year when he got off the bus and said, "Mommy, don't worry about reading any email that you may or may not be getting from my teacher."  :)

middle school

Teaching middle school is oh so funny!  I chaperoned a dance a couple of weeks ago and it the feelings of joy, awkwardness, energy, angst, excitement and drama were thick in the air.  I just had a smile on my face the whole time.  The thing that really, really shocked me is that the kids actually DANCED.  We're talking 2 hours of jumping around and 'line dances'.  They didn't play one single slow song and those kids seriously danced the whole time.  It was amazing and fun.

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My students recently had the assignment to write about something tough that happened in their life that changed them for the better or helped them to learn a life lesson that they were grateful for after it was all over.  Many of my kids wrote about their parents' divorce or the illness of a loved one.  And then I got an essay from a student whose trial was when s/he got lost (with a group of friends) while doing a scavenger hunt on a cruise ship.  The student was "totally bummed out" that they didn't win.  Oh, poor, poor student!  :)

and he says...

While checking schmoo's homework sentences the other morning before school, I saw that he wrote, "My mom is a weirdo."  Thanks, kid. 

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And the schmoo's most recent bedtime prayers include the following..."Please bless mommy and daddy that they will continue to be the good parents they are and that I will continue being the really good kid that I am..."   He is so full of himself :) 

First day of school, 2012

So it was the first day of school for Schmoo AND me today.  He liked his, the jury is still out for me.  We are both tired!  I think we will both be fine once we get everything in sync :)

And he says

Oh, the schmoo!

While in Texas, I was talking to my niece about her ap exams.  Schmoo had to chime in and talked about all the strenuous tests they had in kindergarten.  He went ON AND ON about how he did on the tests, and how smart he is, oh my gosh!  I looked at my niece and said, "he also tested highest on the humble exam"  to which an indignant schmoo answered, "I did not.  They don't even test for that in Kindergarten!" 

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Schmoo has just recently had his very first hamburger.  Since he is sooooooo anti bread, this is a VERY big deal.  Then when we were in Texas, we went to Fuddruckers.  He instructed me to put ketchup, tomatoes, onions, banana peppers and jalapenos on his burger.  He said, "I'm having a manly burger." 

On the way home he asked if I had put jalapenos on my burger.  I said I did, but would have preferred green chilis.  His response, "I'm a jalapeno man myself." 

New Job!

I went and got myself a job.  Ok, it has a lot more to do with divine intervention than my doing.  One event after another led me to being able to get this job and I feel really blessed considering how many teachers are looking for work in New Jersey. 

I'll be teaching Spanish for our district's middle school.  It's a good school with (mostly) good kids. I subbed for one of the spanish teachers there for two weeks during the last month of school and I think I have a good idea of what it's going to be like. 

I'm excited but also exceptionally nervous as I haven't worked full time since before schmoo was born.  My dear husband is above and beyond helpful so I know we'll be alright, but I'm still nervous nonetheless.

Pirate Ship

Our friend invited Schmoo and me to go on a really cool adventure with her and her two visiting grandkids.  There is a pirate ship that sails from Ocean City--it is set up for a whole adventure with the kids.  IT WAS AWESOME! The kids got a painted tatoo, the crew was in costume, Neptune sent them up a map, they found a message in a bottle in the bay that told them wear to find Pirate Pete, they battled pirate Pete with water cannons, they found the red X in the water and drug up a treasure chest--which was filled with prizes for the kids, they found a "bottle of grog" in the bay that they served to the kids.  There was music, limbo, bad pirate jokes and lots of fun. 

There were also tears!  Some kids got scared now and again--Schmoo was one of them. He was scared of Pirate Pete who pulled up in a boat next to ours.  The kids had to battle him with the on board water cannons and it scared the schmoo!  He also freaked out when they hauled the big bag on board that had the grog in it, he was scared to death of what they would find in there.  The pirate captain pulled him aside and told him a secret about what was in the bag and it calmed his fears. When all was said and done, it was so awesome, and I highly recommend this adventure!

Signing the pirate flag

Taking the pirate oath

Battling Pirate Pete

Using the water cannons

Showing one piece of the loot

I have way less hair than last week!

Concerned child listenting to one of the stories

Pretending to be dead to surprise the other pirate

Dolphin watching

We scored a great Groupon deal for a Dolphin watching cruise in Cape May--and since kids 6 and under are free, we only paid for one of us :)

We saw a big pod of dolphins with 2 babies.  They were fun to watch, but you can't tell anything because of our little, sad, out of date camera!

Another tooth  bites the dust

Dolphins, and a really cool building right on the beach

Feeling a little queasy

Proof that I am indeed alive

And a little Mario Bros parade later in the day with our friend, T.

Independence Day

This is Schmoo's interpretation of The Statue of Liberty.  I happen to think it looks more like Elton John.

Last Day of School

We LOVED kinder this year!  I can't believe how quickly it passed, and I also can't believe how sad Schmoo and I were when it was all over.  He had a fantastic teacher who did amazing activities with the kids and that made ALL the difference. 

Last Day of Tball

We loved Tball this year!  Schmoo liked it so much better than soccer because it is less there is less direct competition.  He ended up being sad at every soccer games because "they took the ball away from me!"  Despite explaining that the other players should be trying to take the ball away, he did not like it.  So Tball was a better fit :)

Here are pics from the last game:

And he says...

I've been so bad about posting the funny things that Schmoo says to FB, but not here.  MUST DO BETTER! 

From May 23rd:

Discussing poetry in Schmoo's class today, the teacher asked the kids what "white fluffy clouds" reminded them of. Schmoo's answer: My mom's underwear.


From June 1st:

Schmoo got off the school bus and said, "mommy don't worry about reading any emails you might get from my teacher today." Too bad kid, I already read about your misdeeds.


From June 6th:

Schmoo has a great bus driver. They play 20 questions every morning when the kids get to school but before the school doors open.  One kid stands in the front and says, "I'm thinking of..." and the kids have to ask yes/no questions to guess what it is. Bus driver was laughing as I picked Schmoo up this afternoon. She said no one could guess his word because he picked "abyss".  She said when he revealed the answer all the kids were staring like "huh? did you make that word up?"  The other kids' words had been "monkey" and "happy meal".   

First TBall Game

Last night was Schmoo's first TBall game.  It was fun and I think the coach must have more patience than a million of me.

He was crying for some reason or another before we left home but then started laughing after daddy and I kept laughing and saying, "There's no crying in baseball!" 



He is pointing to remind himself where 2nd base is.  

His frantic run for 3rd base.  Yeah, the player for the "Reds"  really looks worried. 

Interpretive Tball dance.

If only they played as serious as they look.

Homemade Angry Birds Cupcakes

Schmoo is in a MAJOR Angry Birds phase.  We don't let him play it 'on screen' that much, but he also plays it with his stuffed birds, with his fingers in the air, etc.  Angry Birds cupcakes were the only option for his birthday. 

I got the original ideas from  The crafting chicks, but since Granny was around, I had her make some changes with the things I didn't love. 

(eyes are mini marshmallows squished with mini chocolates chips inserted.  Under the bluebirds eyes are twizzler pull and peel, cut into triangle pieces and cut in half.  Beaks are from orange slice candies.  Snouts are big marshmallows cut in half and iced. Teeth are mini marshmallows in pieces.)

 (Black eyebrows are icing, red eyebrows are twizzler pull and peels.  Chests are white icing.)

The birthday celebrations

 The oh so many birthday celebrations...  Schmoo decided that instead of a party this year he wanted a "family fun day".  We ended up taking more than one family fun day because of unexpected days off for daddy.

On the way to the aquarium.







 

 

 His choice of restaurants:  Pei Wei.  Can't say I didn't love it, too :)

Then the next day we ended up at the boardwalk...just because we could.

Then Granny and Papa came for the birthday.  Schmoo taught Papa how to play all my Kindle games

Granny was the mastermind behind the angry birds cupcakes

 

At school, sharing the cupcakes :)

It is time to learn to ride a bike!  It was a present that we insisted he choose...

And then the other presents, 99% angry birds related :)

For the birthday dinner...Red Robin, two years running

Coolest card from Aunt Cathy and Uncle David!

His birthday marks the end of the holiday season...so there will be no more partying til Halloween!