Firsts and Lasts 2015-16 Edition

We finished school a week ago, and it has been so nice to pack away the lunch boxes and be able to set the alarm for a little later!

At the start of the year, Trent was new to lower elementary {1st - 3rd grade in the same classroom} and Drew was still in the Casita program {15 months - 3 years}. Trent was usually grumpy about going to school, and Drew was hesitant to be back after a summer off AND with a new lead teacher in her classroom {Luckily, she had the same assistant who she loves! Her name is Yuriko, and Drew always called her My-koko. SO CUTE!}

August 2015

Now we have finished our first year in lower elementary, and Trent ended the year being mostly happy to go every day and made a good group of friends. He was the 'scene caller' for his class play {picture below} after not even participating in the Christmas program {he sang from the audience}. He has grown up so much! And Drew promoted to the Children's House {3 years - Kindergarten} and had a great time in her class as well. She ended the year very independent and also mostly happy to be at school every day!

May 2016

Love these 2 nuggets and can't wait to see how they grow even more next year!

Mr. Scene Caller for Robin Hood!

May 2016 Reads

It's one of my favorite posts of the month, but I think one that bores my readers the most. {grin}

It might not seem impressive that I only read 4 books this month, but one of them was 1,400 pages, so I was super stoked that I finished it and the other 3!

A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin - May could be called 'Allena's Game of Thrones month'. I caught up on season 5 of the show, started season 6, and read the 3rd book in the series. I am a huge GoT fan, and these 1,400 pages didn't disappoint! But I will probably take a break before starting the 4th - they are just so much work!

Bare Bones by Bobby Bones - I have been listening to Bobby Bones on the radio for over 12 years. When I found out he was writing a book, I was so excited. It was just stories from his life, and any fan of his show would enjoy it. After being a listener for so many years, I didn't find too many surprises and honestly wish he would have told more stories. But overall a fun read!

In the Unlikely Event by Judy Blume - This is an 'adult' book written by Judy Blume. I read so much of her stuff as a kid and loved it all. I felt the same way about this book which is based on a series of true events from her teenage years in Elizabeth, NJ - when 3 planes crashed in her hometown in a span of 2 months. The story follows intertwined characters who see, are connected to, and/or impacted by these crashes. Fascinating story! I wasn't totally crazy about the ending but it was a great read that sucked me in from page 1.

Natural Born Charmer by Susan Elizabeth Phillips - Susan Elizabeth Phillips is like Nora Roberts 2.0 for me. I've read a ton of her books and love them all. She write quirky stories with memorable characters and this story was no exception. I read it in about 2 days {of course reading over vacation always means I eat through books} and really enjoyed a fluffy read after some more serious reads this month.

I'm already starting June off with a bang with a book I've been on the waiting list for about 2 months as well as our book club book - can't wait to see how they turn out and share!