School's Out for Summer!

This day is very bitter sweet for me. I am not at all dreading summer...I think we're going to have a FUN one...but I am so sad to be leaving our teachers and moving on. I know we'll have great teachers next year, but they have BIG shoes to fill. BIG.

Today was the boys' last day of school. They each had a party {that I missed!}. James' was a water party outside {on the coldest day in weeks!} and Will's class had a little bouncy house on their playground. I missed both of that, but still enjoyed visiting with their classes.

{James' party was a water party so he had to wear a swimsuit. Poor kids froze playing in the water, though!}

The next two pictures perfectly convey James and Will's personalities. Will is a free spirit, does what he wants, when he wants and James is Mr. Serious, a perfectionist, and my plays-by-the-rules child. See what he did when I told him to stand still?

Both boys have grown a TON this year, but Will definitely wins the award for biggest change! I threw in all of James 1st day/last day pictures just to show the progression.

In August, James weighed 38 pounds and was 40 inches tall. Now in May, he is 40 pounds and 41.5 inches tall.

In August, Will weighed 24 pounds and was 31.5 inches tall. Now in May, he is 30 pounds and 35.5 inches tall. I seriously cannot believe that. Those are school measurements, so I'm sure it could be off, but look at the picture. The chalkboard that was giant in August is now normal-sized for him. This boy! His personality has also changed a LOT. He's not all that shy anymore and he's gone from being the "kissing bandit" in his room to the "terrible twos!" Biting, hitting, and pulling hair are all things we've fought with this year that we'd never had trouble with before {or ever with James!}.

We got home and I sat the boys on the front porch to give them their "YAY! School's out and summer's here!" goodies and I walked inside. James began SCREAMING and banging on the door and said there was a snake in the bush. Sure enough, there it was. We watched him sit on that bush {from inside} for over an hour until a friend texted and said it looked like a juvenile rattlesnake {I'd posted it on Facebook} and would I like him to come kill it. Uhhh...yes, please. He came over, gun in hand, and pronounced it a gray rat snake. My feelings wouldn't have been hurt if he'd gone ahead and killed it, but he let the snake slither off to eat the mice and lizards around the house. Yick. It's safe to say James doesn't have a career in herpetology. He was PETRIFIED. I just hope he lives on the side of the house and not the front or back. Let's hope we don't see him again. The worst feeling was that I'd walked past it and plopped my kids right down next to it.

We opened our goodies inside instead. Terrible pictures, but no snake bites! Sand toys, silly string, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles {movie, tattoos, AND jammies}, water guns, superhero figures, etc.

We're excited that summer is here!