GRADUATION DAY!

Austin and Mrs. Mayer

Austin and Kennedy

Austin

Austin with his diploma

LeAnna and Austin

Isabelle and Austin

Austin and Ms. Flynn

Austin watching the slideshow

Austin

Austin with attitude

Austin signing Three Little Bears

Austin getting his reading award.

I am going to work my way backwards! So, the most recent thing to happen in our happy little family was Austin's Kindergarten graduation, on May 28th!!! It was a big deal, at least for me. I am not sure his dad would think so, maybe I am wrong. It certainly was not a big deal for Austin. I have always been the mother who is pretty laid back when it comes to things with Austin, I didn't cry the first time I left him at daycare (which was at 3mos old), I didn't cry his first day of preschool or Kindergarten... But for whatever reason 1st grade seems like a big deal to me, so to have him graduate Kindergarten was a big deal.

He had such attitude with his cap:) I can't wait to see what he does in 12 years at graduation:)
Here are some great pictures of that ceremony. Which by the way was great, there was a slide show at the beginning that showed pictures from class from all year, there were things I didn't even know they did....thanks for sharing Austin! Then the class did a prayer, pledge of allegiance. They signed America the Beautiful, did a cute song about whistling, played Twinkle Twinkle Little Star on the xylophone. The most impressive part of the whole ceremony was when the entire class had to say and sign the entire "Three Little Bears". The night before Austin say that practice for graduation was OK, but he that the three little bears was too long... I was curious as what he meant and when they signed the entire thing it was awesome.

They all were told that if they all did well in reading during the year they all would get a medal, and sure enough they all got a scholar medal with their name and the following engraved on the back - Excellence in Kindergarten reading, Phonics Phactory 2008. You all know how much I love his school, I could go on and on for days about how much I love that school, it is the best thing for Austin and all the kids, you can see the pride and the love they have for going to school, in all of them.. They are all held to very high standards and they all rise to meet that expectation. The staff is beyond great, they are like our 2ND family. One of the best decisions we have ever made as parents is to send Austin to that school....

If you didn't already know, his Kindergarten teacher is also the owner, she is amazing, that word does not even come close to how great of a teacher she is.... Austin told me the other day, he was sad to leave Kindergarten, because he doesn't want to leave Mrs. Mayer!!! That says a lot too.

She gave all of us (parents) great gifts at graduation, one was a book titled Kids Talk About God..... during the year, she asked the kids questions about God and Jesus and she had written down verbatim their answers.... their answers are priceless.... here are Austin's and some of the other great answers given!!!

-What kind of miracle would you like to see God do? - Austin - "Heal Sick People"
-Why do we sin sometimes? - Austin "Beacuse we don't listen"
- If God could make one new rule at your house, what would you want it to be? - Austin "No Lying" Carter - "Play Play Station for the rest of the year"
- If Jesus were to come to your house, what would you need to do to get ready for his company?
Austin - "Get ready and cook" Isabelle " Put on really nice looking clothes"
-When is the best time to talk to God? - Austin "When I go on a trip"
- How do you know God loves you? - Austin "Because we love him" Kennedy "He died on the cross"
- Do you think God has a favorite song? What do you think it is? - Austin "Jesus Loves the Little Children" Joshua " Slow Ride"
-Why did God make you? Is there something special he wants you to do on the earth? -Austin "He wants me to be good" Jennie "He wants me to help people gas up their cars"
-Why can't we see God? - Austin "Because we aren't in heaven" Carter "He's still dead"
-If God could come to your ouse for dinner, what would you want to make for him? - Austin "Pizza" Faith "Top Ramen"
-If you could take something to Heaven, what would it be? - Austin "My pinball game"
- What does God do all day? - Austin "Make the world nice" Trent " Sits around"
- Where does God get his clothes? - Austin " From camel hair" Abby - "Goodwill"
-What does God look like? - Austin "Blonde hair"
- If you were a wiseman, what gift would you bring to Jesus? - Austin "Cool Toy" Isabelle "Face Powder"

Another great gift she gave us all was a CD of the slide show that was shown at the beginning of the ceremony.

We also received a cookbook from her, this year they did a cooking section for 2 weeks and the kids loved it!! Austin already loves to cook (wonder why) at least I will know he can survive with out me one day...unlike his dad :) So Mrs. Mayer, asked all the kids for their favorite recipe, once again she wrote them down verbatim and put them in this great cookbook, here is Austin's great recipe and a few others.....


SPAGHETTI by Austin Pick

1 can sauce
5 spices

Put one can spaghetti in a pan. Cook it 15 minutes. Put white cheese on top--not very much.


PASTA by Karter Cook

Use one can pasta. Dump it in a pan. Put whole bottle of white stuff in it. Cook it 59 minutes.

NOODLES by Joshua Johnson

25 Sugars
15 flours

Mix it. Cook it for 10 minutes. put 1/2 of a ball of red sauce on it.


NOODLES by Trent Martin

The factory makes them and then we buy them. A bag holds 20 noodles. Put them in a pan in the oven. Cover the grown ups with sauce and leave mine plain.


The most precious gift she gave to us was a very grown up little boy, who can do so many things he couldn't do a year ago.... he can read anything and he does:) He has the new love for reading that I know doesn't come from me!!! He can count to a million if you let him, in Spanish also.. he can sign a lot more than he could a year ago, he can spell just about anything, do subtraction, addition and some basic multiplication, he knows about 10 bible versus by memory, he knows so much about animals, and the definition to words like fawn and xerox and enamel. His writing is incredible if he slows down:) He was the first one in class to be able to tie his shoes, he was oh so nice to the new kid in class, he has made a ton of new friends, and most of all he has grown with the respect for himself, his teachers, his classmates, his parents and new found interest and love of GOD.


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