Lots of Visitors and Awards Ceremonies

MoM Cain, TiTi Dawn, Grandma, and Grandpa Holloway came to visit us two weekends ago! We had a great time with them, as always! We played lots of Greedy and relaxed. Derek took us on a tour of Galveston. We walked along the Seawall and drove around the Strand. I actually hadn't been down there since my senior year of high school. It's changed quite a bit! The weather was really nice during our visit. We actually had several huge rainstorms, one before and one after our tour. Such good timing:) Cooper LOVES TiTi Dawn almost as much as Grandma C! He thrives on attention (imagine that!) and loves to learn new things. We had a wonderful time with the Holloway side of the family and we can't wait for them to visit again!

Jessica and Robert also came to visit us to weekends ago. We had quite a houseful! I took them down to Kemah and we enjoyed a nice afternoon of shopping. Jessica and I found some cute ornaments at the Christmas store. We now have matching Candy Canes for our trees:) Derek and I are really blessed to have such great friends!

Last weekend the Vinson side of the family came to visit! They came straight up to my school, so Mom could talk to my kids. Holly Mae got to meet my kids too. She was very good! On Friday night Mom and I went to my kids' last band concert. They sounded very good and I'm glad we went. I will really miss them next year! My poor mom was embarrassed though. When I taught my kids about the urinary system, we talked about kidneys filtering the blood. To get them interested, I told them that my mom has three kidneys. Well every kid she met at the concert said, "Hey Mom! Mrs. Cain's mom has three kidneys...it's that so cool?!" So my mom is famous among 7th graders at Clear Lake;) Saturday and Sunday the boys did small house projects and the girls shopped. We decided which dress I'm going to wear in Courtney's wedding. Here it is: (It will be in Eggplant. )
http://www.billlevkoff.com/#/91/bill-levkoff-bridesmaid-dress-style-850/850/

We really like it! It's very elegant and different from the other girls' dresses. The Matron of Honor gets to be different, ya know;) (But the matron part makes me feel old.) Cooper and Abbey had a great time playing!! They don't have a constant Royal Rumble Fest, which is nice. Holly Mae pretty much stays out of the way. She actually doesn't mind Cooper much anymore. Grammy bought Cooper a Wubba toy for his birthday. It's waterproof and floats, so it would be fun to play with in the pool or at the lake. He carried it around while we ate dinner. When dinner was almost over, Derek looked under the table and Coopie had pulled the floaty inside out of the fabric! It didn't last an hour! So now he carries around the floaty inside. He still loves it though! Thanks for the fun toy Grammy! We were able to enjoy a full weekend with the fam because they didn't leave until this morning. They took Coopie on a nice walk before they left. He really enjoyed playing with them all weekend! Thanks for coming to visit! We look forward to seeing you again:)

School is quickly coming to an end! I have mixed emotions about it. I'm glad that the grading and planning will be over, but I have really bonded with my kids and will miss them very much! I think what's making it harder is the fact that I had it in my mind that I'd get to see them next year because they'd only be in 8th grade. Since I'm going to teach at the GT Magnet School, I won't see them anymore. The school is only across the highway, so it's not that far. I know I'll see them at their sporting events and concerts, but I'm not good with change:( I am looking forward to my new job though! The other teachers are really great and the program is amazing! I'll just miss my babies!

We've been having the usual end of the year awards ceremonies. The National Junior Honor Society induction was a few weeks ago. I was nominated by many of my students as a teacher who had influenced them. It was very nice to be honored at the ceremony! Last week we had our School Awards Ceremony. Each teacher got to choose one student as their Outstanding Student of the Year. It was so difficult to choose just one kid out of 140!! I chose this sweet guy:

This little guy is such a wonderful kiddo! He works very hard and makes good grades. He's a nice and caring person as well. Just an all around great kid. I've enjoyed teaching him and getting to know him this year. His mom is pretty fabulous as well! She helped with both of our field trips and is incredibly supportive. I look forward to going back to see this kiddo! I will probably miss him the most next year!