Last Day of 3rd Grade

The last day of 3rd Grade has come and gone.  Another year has gone by.  It was a tough year, but we got through it, and now the summer begins!

Jocelyn said goodbye to Mrs. Jennifer Incavido her homeroom teacher, and Mrs. Sonia Hurd her math teacher, as well as Ms. Janice her favorite bus driver.

Last Day photos...

Last trip on the bus as a 3rd grader.  

When the kids got off the bus in the afternoon, they were greeted with a water balloon fight!  What a great way to end the year!

Day one of summer break...  the usual suspects!  These kids should look pretty familiar by now.  We'll be seeing a lot of them this summer between swimming, play dates and our history tour.  It's going to be another great summer with my side kick.  I admit my heart jumps for joy every time I look in the back seat of my car, and see her smiling back at me, ready for our next adventure.  I'm excited about summer break and I'm excited I get to spend it with my girl.  Summer here we come!

The Brownie Years

This past week was the final Girl Scouts event for this year.  Jocelyn is officially a Junior.  Considering the rough first year as a Daisy, the last couple of years in Brownies have made up for it.  We love the troop we're in.  And I say we, because, no surprise, I've been the co-leader this year.  Next year I will be the leader, with assistance from a couple parents.

Anyway, this post isn't about my experience in GSs.  :)

At the end of the year, Jocelyn's vest is full.  I could barely wedge in the last badge.  Thankfully bridging to Juniors, means a new vest!  I've seen girls wear vest extenders and layered badges.  That may be in her future!

This is her Brownie vest.  

Front...

Includes badges and the summit pin for completing all 3 Journeys (she was one of only 3 girls to finish all 3!), and 7 legacy badges.

Back...

Includes badges for field trips, events, cookie sales, and camping - at least her version of camping!  Every fun patch represents a memorable experience.

That is two years worth of accomplishments and stories we will treasure, and I've loved being able to be with her through it all.  Look out Juniors!  Here we come!

Time Flys

Somewhere along the line, I lost a few months...

It's hard to believe Jocelyn's year in 3rd grade will be over in a week from today.  It's been a tough year.  I always strive to get something accomplished during each school year.  In past years, I've painted our bathroom, made a huge quilt, and rearranged kids rooms.
This year...
My accomplishment was survival.

In the fall, I tore the meniscus in my knee and eventually had surgery to repair it.  In December Pat (not so willingly) changed jobs.  His car needed to be replaced in January.   And we've all had our share of medical issues since then.

Frankly, at this point, I'm a bit relieved that it's coming to an end and I have high hopes for a fun filled summer with my girl.

Third grade has been the most challenging of all for Jocelyn.  There was a strong emphasis on writing and spelling.   Writing mechanics and handwriting have not been her strengths.  But she's come a LONG way since August.  She has an incredible imagination and her stories are amazing, but we spent a lot of time this year focusing on the areas she needed the most help with, and she has improved a great deal.  This summer we will need to do some school work to keep up those skills, because who knows what 4th grade will bring.

And speaking of 4th grade... how did my baby girl become an almost 4th grader???  I think I blinked!  
As for the last few months, (other than surviving!) we've been our usual busy selves.  This has been a great year in Girl Scouts.  This is Jocelyn's second year as a Brownie.  This was my first year as co-leader.  Next year she becomes a Junior and I will become the leader.  She has had so many great experiences with GSs this year.  She's gone to lots of weekend events, earned a ton of patches, and she's one of only 3 girls that finished all 3 Brownie Journeys!  I'm so proud of her!

It's a good thing she's bridging to Juniors because there's no more room on her vest!















Among many fun events, the girls had a field trip to the Robinson Nature Center.  And Jocelyn and Daddy went to the Me and My Guy Dance with the Girl Scouts.

A few photos of other things we've enjoyed this spring...

We spent a day at the Catoctin Zoo with the usual suspects!  :)

And proudly walked the March of Dimes Walk-a-thon with them again this year.

Jocelyn and I did a Mommy Daughter Day at the National Aquarium including a Behind the Scenes Shark Tour.  In the photo below she is holding the tooth from a Megalodon Shark and a tooth from today's typical great white shark!  Big difference!

 And this tree should look familiar.  It's the Dogwood in our back yard that for some odd reason, only blooms every two years.  The first photo is Jocelyn age 1 and then this year age 9.  What a difference!

In one week, summer break will start.  It's been a long school year for all of us.  I'm so looking forward to days with my side kick.  We'll have the times for school practice, but there's also going to be so much fun to come!  We are doing the history tour again.  Jocelyn is signed up for some really fun camps.  There's always swimming, play dates, and visits to the library.  But most of all, I look forward to spending time with my girl.  I do miss her during the school year.  Come on summer!!