The End of the School Year

He's soooo done.

Yesterday was our last day of the after school program. We now have about a week off, before starting our full-day summer day camp on June 13. We have been together as a family since mid-April, and we have settled in some more in our Allendale home. We will be in Greenville for a few days. Besides appointments, meetings, and being with friends and family, we will need to clear out our house so renters (so excited for the old friends who will be caring for our place!) can move in.

Joanna finished up school with the kids the Friday before Memorial Day. She worked hard for the past few months, even doing school on regular holidays, knowing that we would need some flexibility with the move. She has been awesome, of course, at the after school program -- doing everything from helping with homework, leading games, loving on kids, and doing major reorganization and inventory. I have a great Ezer in Joanna!

Hannah is enjoying the time here, at home and at the after school program. But she's also looking forward to seeing friends in Greenville next week, and for Grace Church's Elementary Camp in the end of June. And it looks like a girl from Allendale will be going to camp, too!

Elijah has become friends with a couple of boys in the program, and has done things like make them paper airplanes, do a good magic trick with cards, and do weird things with his double-jointed-self. All of these are great ways for boys to connect with each other. At one point, he mentioned that he wanted to get a tan so he wouldn't be the lightest kid there. But then I explained that it was good that he was the lightest; after all, if he wasn't then another kid would have to be! Understanding that he was providing "protection" for another child helped him be OK with it.

Sender is pretty much our "mascot." All the kids love him, and even the middle schoolers go along with whatever he tells them. We might be giving him a little too much freedom, but also we understand that with late nights and little to no afternoon nap, he's got a long, long day.

Looking forward to being together in the Upstate!


Related Link:

• What Surprised Me About Summer Camp