Party like a 5th grader...one last time

When the end of 5th grade arrives at the boys elementary school, they get a whole day of fun, just for them.  The day includes 5th grade tee shirts, a couple hours of field games and water play and then an afternoon of splashing good fun at our local community pool.  It is a day heavily anticipated by the kids, a day that signifies their reign as the big kids on the playground is pretty much over and the time has come to move on.  It's a day that is anticipated by parents as well.  It signifies that our babies have grown and elementary school has sailed right on by...and also that within a matter of hours the kids will be home for the summer....and we can't send them to school when they are driving us crazy.  I'm not sure which part of that is more depressing.....hmmm....

The boys were all excited because the attire for the day was pretty much swim wear!  After all, how often do I tell them it's fine to wear their swim trunks for the whole day and not to worry about doing their hair?  Pretty much never!

I asked the teachers if we could try to get a group picture and so we tried one!  I asked the swim staff if they had a ladder I could use......they showed me the one they had and the guy told me 'if anyone asks, tell them you got it yourself, I didn't give it to you' with a chuckle.....it was pretty rickety  old wood one, but with bracing from other parents, it was good enough to get the job done!  Thank you Costco...I was able to get a copy printed for all the kids and had them to hand out before the day was over!

Watching Gregory and Jacob play and interact with their friends on this day was so fun to see.  Year after year they have sought out different friends from one another and  have rarely chosen to hang out with each other at school.  When they were young I thought if they didn't play together and seek each other out it meant they wouldn't be friends.  They rarely, if ever, choose one another as a partner in paired activities.  Case in point...the balloon toss....they stood next to each other but picked their buddies.  Thankfully they have nice buddies!  And thankfully they are friends too.

I think for the longest time since they were in different classes, kids didn't know they were brothers!  They do now though.....

After running around for nearly 2 hours in the morning heat, the kids were all ready to pile into the pool.  When they got the all clear to enter the area it was fun seeing them scamper in and claim their grassy spots with their towels and stuff.  The girls laid their towels out nicely...the boys just threw the towels down and wherever they landed was good enough!  Then they lined the pool edge anticipating the whistle blow...

Jacob's teacher even got in!  We love Ms. O!

Eventually the hunger pangs got them out of the water and into the food line.  They had quite the spread awaiting them.  Our local pizza place always supplies our parties with the BEST pizzas!  Parents provided the rest....and the fruits and veggies did get eaten!

I wasn't able to stay the entire time but I am very thankful I was able to go at all.  Thanks mom and dad for watching the little people so I could enjoy this rite of passage with the boys!  It was good to be there for Catalena as well.......

Wow......they are now known as 6th graders.