We have ARRIVED ... and so has Austin

Wednesday night Austin graduated from Elementary School. Yes folks, he passed the sixth grade, and he was part of an elite group of students who are the first graduating class to have attended Eagle Valley Elementary School for all seven years. There were only eight kids in this group who have been here all that time. Austin thought that was pretty cool.

He's grown into quite the young man. He is just about my size (yes I have four-inch heels on in the picture ... so what?) and has such a big heart. It's fun to see him get older and want to learn and be interested in so many things. I love that he still thinks his parents are cool ... hopefully we've got a few more years of that. In fact, he just called me (just to check in) from his friend's house where a last day of school video game junk food extravaganza is going on, and before he hung up, he said, "Love you." WHAT?!! Love this kid.


Austin loved his teacher this year, and he had some great friends in his class. I was the room mother for his class this year, and we had some fun parties and field trips. It's been a really great year.

So as part of the graduation, they handed out a few awards, and you'll be happy to know that Paula, Melanie, and I were voted by the faculty as the Volunteers of the Year at Eagle Valley and we each received a lovely plaque.

So there's a funny story behind this. Our friend Aprill who got Paula and I started with volunteering at the school via the Book Fair many years ago is what you call a super-volunteer. She literally LIVED at the school volunteering here and there and everywhere and she is AWESOME. We loved doing Book Fair with her (and anything else) because she is so much FUN. And of course she was voted Volunteer of the Year. And we were jealous and we bowed to her greatness and we hoped and dreamed to aspire to her level of volunteerism. And it would appear (according to the plaque pictured below) that WE HAVE ARRIVED! And it turns out we didn't even need to literally LIVE at the school for two weeks a year like we did during those Book Fair years ... all we had to do was make the teachers dinner four times a year during SEP conferences and one super special lunch during teacher appreciation week.

We have been the SEP food committee for years (maybe five?) and we all really enjoy it. Melanie keeps us organized and on track with spreadsheets and tracking amounts (i.e., counting paper plates) as well as the shopping and Paula and I keep busy with our assignments for PTA coordination, food prep, and set up and serving of food. Honestly it's a lot of fun, and I LOVE that I get to know my kids' teachers. It makes a HUGE difference in our experience with their school. We really love Eagle Valley and I have enjoyed volunteering there for the past seven years. It's a great school with great teachers and staff, and if you don't know that, then spend some time over there. It will make a difference to you and your kids.