Brody's Last Days of Kindergarten

This one is an important milestones post for sure.  How have I survived two years of kindergarten?  Of course, I still have a couple more years to survive the learning to read and write drama.  Ha!  Kindergarten has really been such a good experience for Brody, and he even handled changing schools like a champ.  He has just been such a sweet, loving, and motivated little learner, and we are so proud of the little man he is becoming.  Of course, we are glad he reserves his less than stellar attitudes for home.  Ha!

His last months at his new school were fun and challenging for him.  He was really pushed more academically to master his reading and math skills, and he came so far.  He does seem to enjoy math a little more than reading although he and I started the Magic Treehouse series that Evan enjoyed at this age, and he has been very excited to "read big books like Evan."  I had purchased all of these for Evan for the kindle, but I will just say that with an early reader, it is a little more difficult to read on a device because you can't touch the screen to follow along with your finger or you mess up the page you are on.  Haha!  #firstworldproblems

Brody also got to go on another fun field trip (sans parents this time), participated in a special field day event at the local high school, and even went to several birthday parties with his new school friends.  He wrapped up his year with a little presentation for the parents in which they performed some sweet (think tearjerker) songs, told us what they wanted to be when they grow up (painter/artist for him), had a beach theme party with yummy treats, and got lots of treasures from his teachers to remember the year.

{I must give many thanks to his teachers for taking many of these pictures for us!}

Brody's class got to visit a small local aquarium and were able to see and touch many specimens of marine life. 

The kids watched some demonstrations, and one of them was dressed up like a crab (I think).  

Brody seemed to enjoy the touch tank. 

Oh my!  No fear here.  Probably why he was so excited about "catching" some hermit crabs a couple of weeks ago at the beach.  We visited an inlet on Hilton Head during low tide, and there were millions of hermit crabs in the riverbed. 

There was a loggerhead sea turtle and a horseshoe crab (I think) to touch. 

Watching some shows with his class. 

The kids were greeted with a little mess in their classroom for St. Patrick's Day.  A leprechaun had left his tracks everywhere. 

Brody enjoyed making lots of new friends.  He was excited one day that he won the school "lottery" where they get picked to go to the Principal's office for a special treat.  They get "tickets" to enter for good behavior. 

I failed most days of Dr. Seuss week to dress him up, but we did dress up for book character day.  He was the Mean Monster from "The Monster Who Lost His Mean." 

I hated that I forgot to dress him in orange for Lorax day.  He brought home his first "pottery" which went perfectly with the one Evan made at the same age.  Brody said his was rainbow colored. 

The boys both enjoyed "economics day" at school where they got to use money to buy things at stores set up all over the school.  Brody apparently wanted to spend his money at the hair and nail salon and came home with pink nails and red hair.  Ha!  Oh and a tattoo! 

At field day, Brody's class won their tug of war match.  I was happy another parent got a sweet picture with Brody in it because I failed to make it in time.  This was a "district field day" event that only a couple of classes in each grade level got to attend at the high school, and both Evan's and Brody's classes got to go.  I did get there in time to see Brody before he left to go back to school.  His class went early and finished up before Evan's class arrived.  

I found Brody in the gym after their lunch and awards presentation.  He didn't mind not getting a ribbon and just enjoyed the day.  He isn't a really competitive athlete, but he participated in the long jump and cornhole.  He really practiced his long jump with Evan's help so he knew how to do it. 

The end of year presentation was so sweet.  Brody was very energetic doing the motions, and I could hear him singing above the other kids. 

I think his big beautiful smiles say it all. 

Enjoying his beachy treats.  They had a brunch style feast with muffins, doughnuts and fruit. 

He received a bag full of memories and keepsakes from the year. 

One of the parents made them some cute beach buckets full of goodies too. 

My sweet little kindergarten "graduate." 

Brody gave his teachers their little gifts of a pretty flowering plant in a pot we painted.  Thank you, Mrs. Daniel and Mrs. Smith. 

They didn't wear caps and gowns for an official graduation, but his teachers had taken pictures of them and put them in their bags with their "diplomas."