Michael's 8th Grade Graduation

Well, I just can't believe it, but I am officially the mother of a High Schooler! WHERE on earth has the time gone? I was always told HOW fast time flies (And I BELIEVED them!) but nobody prepared me just HOW fast!

Michael just graduated from a fabulous school and is heading to another fabulous school. We are so blessed to have such amazing teachers, principals and parents surrounding us. 

Billinghurst is "Home to Academic Teaming" where the kids are randomly grouped with kids for the two years they are there. Their science, social studies and English teachers head each of the four teams. They do everything with these 90-100 kids. Baseball games together, other field trips, weekly team building exercises as well as sitting together at pep ralleys etc. Kids you wouldn't necessarily have hung out with before become some of your best friends in the process. 

We started out the night with cake, conversation and an amazing video with pictures from the last two years with Michael's team, "EPIC", then off to awards and graduation. 

Great friends!

 These two have known each other since babies! (In Susanville!)

 

Handsome young man and proud mom!

 Great friends!

 

Getting his "diploma" 

 Getting ready for their final performance as students at Billinghurst. (Videos at the bottom)

 

Great job Michael!!!!!

 

 

 

Last two songs as Billinghurst students. (Youtube did something weird to the videos, so bear with me.)

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbObKBO-c60

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GNfH0_TPPs

Glasses!

Well within a week's time 3 kids (Michael and Jared one day and Cai Lynn a week later) we had three annual "well-child" visits to the Pediatrician. On Wednesday, failed his eye exam so off to the eye doctor we went before heading back to school. Yep! Glasses #1... (Jared scored better than perfect so back to school he went.) I thought for sure we were in the clear when I took Cai Lynn in for her exam the next week. She almost never complains about headaches, (I think I can count on one hand for total in her lifetime.) and she has never said anything about not being able to see anything. Apparently that doesn't matter! As the eye doctor said, "They both have little 'tricks' they use, I'm sure they don't even realize it."

Here is Michael sporting his new glasses. 

 I didn't even think of getting pictures of Michael in the optometrist's office, but I did with Cai Lynn... (I was a pro a week later! :-)  )

 

 3 days later... Here she is!

It was quite a nudge to my pocket-book, 2 sets of exams and 2 sets of glasses within 7 days, but of course, they're worth it!!!!!

It was so funny on the way home after each of them returning home with their new glasses, all of the things they were noticing that they had no idea they were missing. Each pebble, street signs were no longer fuzzy, the leaves on the trees each had their own shape, the list goes on. 

SO glad it only took 2 days to get Michael's in and 3 for Cai Lynn. (She has different vision in each eye so hers took longer.)

*Side note... thanks to a brother that has a powerful kick with a soccer ball on Memorial Day, Cai Lynn's glasses had to be replaced after two days! Yep! Two days! (Thank goodness they have a one-time replacement warranty attached!) Jared swears she was supposed to catch it! LOL