Well, it looks like we are slowly but surely getting to the end of the year.

Some activities are ending – the girls had their last Sunday School class this morning and their last Chug Ivrit class last Monday. Others are winding down – the Spring Performance at ballet is a week from today, and they don't have any more ballet classes this year.

I both love and dislike this time of year. I like when things calm down, especially after the manic spring when we have sports and ballet at the same time (whichi is only beaten by late fall, when we have sports and ballet AND Nutcracker at the same time). But then I miss the activity and structure, and I miss going to games and being able to participate in the girls' activities, even from the sidelines. And I am always tearful at the end of a school year, when the girls have gotten a year older and the year has passed by in what seems like a blur of projects and tests and reports.

School will be winding down, with Arts Night and Field Day in the next two weeks, plus a slew of field trips and assignments of questionable academic value.

Soccer and baseball go through the first week of June, but even that is right around the corner.

The girls are ending 4th grade on a high, academically and personally, which is great to see. A got a 109/110 on her State Fair project, losing a point for not citing her sources for the Coat of Arms, which who knew she had to do?

The final book report is a group project. M is doing Candymakers (of course) with Anton, Sammy, Zoe, and Robin, and A is doing A Wrinke in Time with Ellen, Ellie and Aicha. They are going to be making videos or skits or something without a written report. (Teachers are like, "we're outta here!").

We had our second-to-last M-D book club here at the house today. It was a small group and as it turned out, none of the moms had read the book (Where the Mountain Meets the Moon). I couldn't get into it. But M&A read the book over spring break and we came up with a list of questions last night with some help from the internet, and they did a great job leading the discussion. They were definitely well-prepared!

N is getting in on the end-of-year action too. He has an open house for TSNS this Thursday, and will be starting up in September. The little boy! Off to school!

More on him tomorrow. He has gotten short shrift of late. (Not for lack of doing cute things.)