STAR testing week

Our state standardized test for the elementary grades is called the STAR test. Our school makes a huge deal of it, with themes, songs, a kick-off event (this year a magic show, last year a concert). The theme this year is "We're on the Drive to 925!" Our cute little mascot Rhodie (a cartoon diploma wearing a mortarboard) is driving a car. P has four days of testing and J has six. We have been all about the testing this week, hence the savory vegetable mini quiche I made them at 6 a.m. Tuesday morning.

May is probably the busiest month of the year for us. Baseball is still keeping us running to the field three days a week (playoff games begin tonight), school is amped up with staff appreciation week, testing, elections for next years parent leadership teams, and more. I have to swap kids with T tonight when he gets home from work and go run a new parent pep rally at school. I think they picked the wrong cheerleader to interact with new parents coming next year....I'm a little worn out by this time each year.

Little D "graduates" from Miss Martha's on 5/22. Five years ago, I attended P's preschool graduation, then drove up to the hospital to have D two hours later. Miss Martha is very emotional about D being our last child to attend her school. She has already cried several times when she talks about it. We love her. We will move D's kid birthday party to 5/20 after school (T's real birthday), then T and P will be in Sacramento ALL DAY on 5/22 for the fourth grade field trip (they have to be at school by 4:30 a.m. and may not get home until 1 a.m). I've convinced T (stomped my feet and pouted) that he needs to take that Friday off because they will be EXHAUSTED from the all day sprint through our state capitol the day before.

The new Indiana Jones move premieres 5/22 and I have big plans to get my tickets early for Friday afternoon. I've been thrift shop hunting and planning J's Indy costume. He loves to go in full character dress and has promised me that if we get his Indy costume for the movie debut, he WILL use it again for Literature Day at school in October. He has been reading the Indiana Jones trilogy and declares that he wants to be an archaeologist when he grows up! I just hope the hat I ordered arrives on time. He has no idea that I've been planning his costume. I just hope I can make the $1.50 braided leather belt I bought at the thrift store look something like a bullwhip to hang from his waist.

I've been bad about photography lately...sorry! I haven't printed photos since November and my old laptop died and took everything through February with it. So sad. I'll start snapping again soon.