No Longer A Kindergartner
Greetings to everyone.
Today was Xavier's "Continuance" ceremony, where pageantry celebrated his moving from kindergarten to the first grade.
The ceremony lasted about thirty minutes. There were three kindergarten classes. The students from each class passed one by one, stopping briefly in front of their teach, who then read the name of the student and a quote about what the student wanted to be when he grew up. We also learned what the student liked most about kindergarten.
After their introduction to the audience, each student received a certificate stating they survived their year of kindergarten.
The three now-no-longer-kindergartner classes then sang several songs, ending with A-B-C-Ya-Later. After that, it was off to the reception, cake, pictures and report cards.
What did Xavier like most about Kindergarten? Recess with his friends.
What did Xavier say he wanted to be when he grew up? While others wanted to be policemen or firemen or princesses or veterinarians, Xavier—consistent with answer he gave to the same question asked him at the end of preschool—wants to work in Daddy's office.
Xavier Turns Six!
Happy Birthday, Xavier!
Today, Xavier turns six!
I thought five was a big deal, but six is much bigger, both in Xavier's mind and mine.
Xavier grew impatient this past week, always asking how many days until his birthday. He wanted to open presents (he figured he knew what everyone was getting him. He guessed correctly twice, but had some surprises)
We celebrated as a family today, just we three. His party will be this coming Sunday. We've invited many of the boys from his Kindergarten class and one boy Xavier has known since his first year in preschool.
Rebecca did not have time to bake a cake today. Instead, she called Masterpiece Cakeshop just up the street. They were able to accommodate our need for a small cake with birds (Xavier is fascinated with birds this year; we have a nesting pair outside the kitchen window in one of Xavier's bird houses)
Xavier's first surprise was after school. Rebecca took Xavier to a fish store to get him a tank and fish. Rebecca fondly remembers her childhood with fish (goldfish from the local county fair she recalls the most common of the fish). She wanted to share that with Xavier.
The store did not have fish Rebecca wanted, but they had a nice tank. The fish will be acquired tomorrow after school.
They brought home the tank and set it up. The water will get conditioned to receive fish over night.
Xavier is quite excited about the fish; he can't wait until tomorrow!
Later, when Dad came home from work, we put a candle on the cake and sang happy birthday. We enjoyed our cake (it is really tasty, everything a chocolate butter-cream frosted cake with bluebirds should be)
After the cake, Xavier wanted to open Daddy'd present. He discovered where I had it when we got Rebecca's Mother's Day present to wrap last Saturday.
Based on the size of the package, and probably on a request for a birthday gift he made a few weeks back, he expected a large Lego set.
I do not think he was too disappointed when he found, instead, a SnapCircuits kit.
We enjoyed a family walk around a lake, then headed out for dinner. Xavier got to choose the food, and we chose the venue. The choice of food: pepperoni pizza (no surprise there)
Those Wascally Wabbits
Hello to all.
This weekend was a bachelor weekend for Xavier and me. Rebecca left for Cheyenne shortly after the Field Day picnic.
Saturday, Xavier and I plowed his garden and laid down the soaker hose. After that, Xavier tested the hose, then soaked a hole and played in the mud.
On Sunday, we ate lunch after church, then headed out to plant the garden.
This year, 100 pound pumpkins, nine foot sunflowers and 4 inch mini pumpkins.
As we planted, Xavier spotted a rabbit watching us plant. "I hate rabbits!" he declared. "They'll eat my seeds!"
So, after planting the seeds, he proceeded to solve the rabbit problem.
Except for having a stick that was too long, this contraption is his own design. He watched the rabbit stuffing her mouth with grass near this spot. Xavier figured the location and the bait would tempt the doe to return. (He tried chasing the rabbit around the yard with a butterfly net first).
He sat inside his tent for some time waiting for the rabbit to return. At last, he gave up and spent the rest of the evening running through the sprinklers.
Kinder Field Day
Greetings to everyone.
Today was Xavier's Field Day, a three hour excuse not to be at work, which also ended in a picnic.
Xavier's class all wore their class shirt: a shirt made with self-portraits. The blue in combination with the platinum hair color made Xavier easy to find, no matter what event he competed in.
Of course, "compete" is something of a stretch. Most of the events were just physical activities. It started with a bubble station, then moved to sidewalk chalk. These were just warm-up events.
A beanbag toss came next, followed by cup stacking. Imagine three to five boys stacking the same stack of cups, each with their own ideas about the end result.
They all did a bear race, running to a finish line on hands and feet. After that, a water balloon toss.
Xavier enjoyed the limbo. I do not remember the limbo being like this, but Xavier got low enough to crawl through on his stomach.
There was a fishing hole where you competed to fish out marbles with your toes.
Xavier even sat still long enough to get his face painted. He wanted a dog nose.
Though the teachers were all out to keep order, is was the first through fifth graders running the events and helping the preschool and kinders around the field. That is a nice touch we thought.