Ready. Set. Go!

It's that time of year, folks.  Time for the Northern Cache Valley Schools track meet.  Luke and his best bud Landon Myers made the top three runners of their grade-- again!  Only this year, they proved their running prowess by winning at a totally new school with different kids.  My friend Kelli said that she was subbing at their old school in Lewiston when she passed out the flyers for the 1 mile qualifying race.  The kids there said, "Hooray! We have a chance this year-- Luke and Landon aren't here!!"  Luke and Landon both did pretty good.  The competition is a little stiffer with all the schools, but they run fast!  Landon ran the mile because he got first place at the school race, and Luke and the other 5th grade boy were on a relay team with the other 2 fifth grade girls.  I'd say they represented their new school well.  They did not win, but they didn't lose either, and if I remembered what place they got, I'd tell you! 

Spencer watching his brother run...... 

Ahhh! Spring.  The apple blossoms have disappeared since this picture, but the lilacs are hanging on.  The town seems to have exploded in lilacs this year.  We didn't have very good lilacs last year at our house, but this year has made up for it.  The kids are enjoying their time outside.  We have six new baby rabbits.  One of the rabbits was born without one year-- so we call it "Earless".  Luke prefers to call it "Pete" and wants to keep it.  One of the neighborhood kids offered Luke $50 for it.  He told him it wasn't for sale.  It is a cute little guy.  They are starting to hop all over their cage with the mama.  When you open the cage door it is like opening a popcorn popper-- they hop and scatter everywhere!

 WEEEEEEEEE!!!!!   

And I just have to sneak this picture of Spencer's morning mood into the line-up.  The kid is a beast in the morning.  I cannnot wait until school is over!  I don't know if that will help, but he is not pleasant.  I love him to pieces, don't get me wrong.  He refuses to eat, do homework (we do it in the morning sometimes) or speak like a normal human being, for that matter.  He is MAAAAAAAD!!!!!  

 Like I said, the lilacs are stunning.  The smell is potent when you bring in a bouquet.  I brought one up to my office one morning to show one of my students, and I couldn't stop sneezing!  I showed the bouquet to one of my little students, Grace, who had barfed in class halfway through the lesson.  I told her it was her "get well" flower bouquet.  Earlier in the lesson, the poor thing had had an awful look on her face one moment, and the next moment she spewed.  One benefit of teaching over the computer is no olfactory transmission!!!  She looked like she didn't know what to do, so I said "It's okay-- call your Mom!"  She hollered for mom, and then we finished the lesson with mom scrubbing the floor in the background.  Grace's expression was one of relief-- I think hurling it all out made her fell much better for the second half of the lesson!!

We also attended the 5th grade awards ceremony.  Luke won the Great American Award.  I have to admit, the reward was much better than their old school Lewiston gave out to the girls when they received it.  He got his own trophy with his name engraved.  There were not very many students that actually earned it.  Only three from his class did.  They have to memorize the Gettysburg Address, the presidents, the states and capitols, pass the US citizenship tests, sing the Star Spangled Banner,write out with perfect punctuation the Pledge of Allegiance, and memorize the preamble to the US Constitution.  This week we will attend the wax museum history fair.  Luke will be presenting as General Dwight D. Eisenhower.  More to come on that....

Laura Lee had another violin recital for which she was grateful.  She was glad because that got her out of walking 17 miles to the temple with our YM/YW.  Sammy did the walk though, and she was very sore last night when she went to bed.  It was a beautiful Spring day for them to walk, and they actually made it in really good time.  They left at 6 am from our stake center in Amalga, then walked all the way to the temple.  They stopped a few places for a break, but they actually got there around 11:30.  Their parents met them there, then Rich talked to them for a few minutes.  I have to admit, I thought it was super-cheese to do a temple walk, but the kids had a great time.  Sammy got to know her YW leaders a little better and talked with them the whole way.  One of our sweet YW had her mom walk too-- and her mom isn't a member of the church.  However-- her mom is probably one of the best "dry Mormons" in town.  She even held a calling to help with the cub scouts at one time for over a year-- now that is service!  It's more than some of our "members" do.  :)   

On to the next week! I am excited and not so excited for school to end.  Summer is crazy.  I am not sure I love summer-- it makes me feel schizophrenic.  I love it. I don't. I love it. I don't. Bwaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!! I am teaching this week for VIPkid, then I am making myself take a week off.  I haven't had a full week off at all since I started this job.  I hope I get my regular students back.  It is a little hard to turn them down when they "priority book" me to tell them I will be gone for a week.  I don't know how much of it gets through in translation!