End-of-year goings-on

May, as per usual, was a busy month full of all the good things that come with the end of school. We had concerts, launches, parties, field trips and the like. Here's a rundown of a few of them:

Every 5th grader looks forward to the district's bike ride at the end of the year. Miriam, of course, was no exception. The 2020 bike ride was canceled due to COVID. The 2019 bike ride was canceled due to rain. We were hoping the 2021 bike ride would go off without a hitch.

And it did. Mostly. Rather than busing to Ucon Elementary and riding from there to Iona Square, the Fairview kids had to bus to the Iona stake center and meet up with the Ucon kids there before hopping on their bikes and going all the way to Iona. Apparently there weren't any buses available early enough in the morning to get the Fairview kids to Ucon, so they had to settle with a shorter ride to the park. From there on it was business as usual with playing and eating in the park and riding back to Ucon. I got to accompany the group of brightly dressed kids on their bikes.

Miriam hides from the camera and Kaitlyn covers her while they eat their lunch at the park.

Starting mid-March, Miriam participated in elementary band. Normally they limit the participants to 6th graders, but due to COVID restrictions necessitating they start the program so late, the middle school band teacher opted to let any interested 5th and 6th graders participate. This was exciting news for Miriam who has wanted to learn/perform percussion since Bekah started band.

We rented a bell kit, snare sticks and a drum pad, and started making the after school drive to Rocky Mountain four days a week. The bus wasn't an option this year, so that meant I got to pick up the girls from the elementary school parent loop, take them home, drive Miriam to the middle school at 3 and pick her up at 4. It was a lot of back and forth, which was made easier by Bekah's 6th hour parent release. 

This deserves a paragraph explanation itself. Bekah was hoping to participate in Bonneville's pit orchestra 3rd trimester, but the orchestra didn't have a part for her to play. So she asked her trombone teacher (Hillcrest's band director) if his school could use her. He said they needed a French hornist, so Bekah told him if he supplied the horn, she'd play. Hence Bekah having a parent release 6th hour so she could drive to Hillcrest and participate with their pit orchestra. Their musical was finished by May 1, so after that date, Bekah would finish 5th hour at Bonneville, then head over to Rocky Mountain to help Ms. Schumacher with the elementary band. That meant I didn't have to bring Miriam home at 4; after I dropped her off at 3:15, I could head home for the day.

So back to elementary band. The kids had just a short time to learn their instruments and how to read music before having their final (and only) concert on Wednesday, May 19. Miriam played snare drum, bass drum and bell kit.

Ms. Schumacher and Miriam in the back.

Miriam playing in the concert. Having a percussion player means you can actually see her during the concert since she's standing in the back, but it also means you can't see what she's playing.

Footage of the concert.

Winnie participated in the high school's choir clinic. Usually it's held in February, but due to COVID restrictions, they waited until they were able to have a group that large meet together. So the clinic and concert were held on Monday, May 24. The elementary school kids have had every other Monday off, and this was one of their off Mondays, which meant Winnie was available to go to the clinic from 8-1. She learned about music and singing, then participated with the high school girls' choir in a concert held at the Hillcrest Performing Arts Center.

Winnie making sure we were watching her. ;-)

Winnie singing with the group.

Having fun singing "The Fox."

Footage of the concert.

Miriam got to finally launch a rocket on Tuesday, May 25. Fourth through sixth graders get to launch rockets, but due to the COVID shutdown last spring, Miriam and her classmates did not get to participate in their first launch. So this year as a fifth grader was her first time.

Miriam and her rocket.

Winnie and her 3rd grade classmates watching rockets launch.

Miriam's rocket taking off.

Lined up with her launchmates seeing the rockets take off.

Seth waiting for Miriam's second launch while on a work call.

Setting up her rocket for the second launch.

Rebekah also had an end-of-the-year concert; hers was on Wednesday, May 26 in the BHS gym. She played trombone with the jazz band (and KILLED her feature in "Tall Cotton") and euphonium, clarinet and bass clarinet with the symphonic band. They also had a lot of awards and recognitions that night for the graduating seniors and the band director who will be going to another school next fall. 

Playing her feature in "Tall Cotton" with a plunger mute and the jazz band.

With the jazz band and her director passing by in front.

Receiving an award handed out by the freshmen. They chose her to receive the variety of dollar store items they had picked out because she helped all the newbies.

Carrying her euphonium, clarinet and bass clarinet and setting up with the symphonic band.

Bekah sat in the back with the tuba/baritone, but part of the time she played with the clarinets.

A lightsaber duel between the old and new band directors (the new one dressed as The Mandalorian) during a combined concert/symphonic band performance of music from The Mandalorian.

Gathering up her instruments at the end of the concert. 

Bekah's concert video.

Then on Friday, May 28, Miriam had her last day of elementary band this year, and the director invited the parents back to the middle school auditorium to see them play 17 measures of one song and one other song they had worked on since the concert. This time Miriam played the triangle, crash symbols and drum set. 

Mini concert video.

On the last full day of school (Thursday June 3), the elementary school kids had their field day and Accelerated Reading assembly. Due to COVID restrictions, the school hadn't been able to hold an assembly all year long. But by dividing up the assembly into time slots and having only two grades (and the kids' parents) in the gym at a time, they were able to have their end-of-the-year assembly.

Winnie was in the 200 point club, and Miriam was in the 1300 point club. Winnie earned the most points in her class, so she received a certificate and a candy bar. Miriam did not earn the most points in her class (!), but she and another girl in her class earned WAY more points than anybody else in the entire school, so the librarians recognized both of them at the assembly.

Miriam's name and photo on the screen as part of the 1300 point club.

Miriam and Avalon, the top two highest earners in the school, getting their certificates and candy bars from the librarians.

Miriam sitting with her class with her teacher Mr. Tangren in the background.

Winnie's name and photo on the screen as a part of the 200 point club.

Running up to the front to get her certificate and candy bar from the librarians.

Cheering with her classmates and teacher Mrs. Campbell.

Miriam eating her Otter Pop during field day. I volunteered to help with field day and got to help at the Otter Pop table. Easiest. Field day. Job. Ever.

Miriam is 11

 Miriam actually turned 11 on our final day at the cabin. So she go to unwrap one present there in the morning:

Miriam checking out her art case at the cabin after unwrapping it.

Then she unwrapped another after we got home and retrieved the Amazon-delivered package from Grandma and Grandpa Scott who had kept it safe at their house.

Everyone watching her open the festive Amazon box.

Miriam's new ukulele.

Then we held two separate family birthday dinners: one for the Grover side and one for the Scott side. You can't be too careful with a worldwide pandemic still wreaking havoc. We had the Grovers (Grandma Susan, Grandpa Dennis, Grandma Hendricks, Aunt Rachel and her family) over on Sunday, March 28 and ate chicken enchiladas and chocolate turnovers. Then Miriam unwrapped a few more presents.

Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza, a fun card game from Aunt Rachel. She also got a bead art kit from them and a lapful of glitter thanks to the wrapping paper. 

Getting to the cash Grandpa Dennis had hid in a candle.

The next day (Monday, March 29) we had the Scotts (Grandma and Grandpa, Aunt Jessica, Uncle T and his family) over for muligatawny soup and banana pudding ice cream cake.

Detail of the cake Ana made for Miriam.

Miriam with her cake and candles. 

Miriam "blows" out the candles by waving paper bowls above them. See note about a worldwide pandemic above.

Sour Patch kids from Aunt McKall.

A card and 21 pennies from Bennet.

Sketch books and pencils from Grandma and Grandpa.

I didn't hear her complaining that we had to stretch her birthday out over three days. 

Spring break

Our week at Grandma's cabin was such a success last year for spring break that we decided to recreate it this year. We went to the cabin Monday, March 22 and came home Saturday, March 27; Seth joined us Thursday afternoon.

MONDAY

We left home a little after 11, stopped in Rigby for Subway, then drove the rest of the way up. It had snowed a bunch on Saturday and Sunday, so when we got to the driveway, I shifted into four-wheel drive and gunned it. We made it in; we wouldn't have made it out without me shoveling/blowing snow. Thankfully the cabin has both a shovel and a snow blower. We took it easy Monday, set up our space at the cabin and ate delicious baked mac and cheese that night, then watched Avengers 2.

Bekah took a little snooze on the way up. She woke up for Cadbury mini eggs, though.

TUESDAY

We had made a quick run to Aunt Rachel's cabin to borrow cross-country ski boots for Winnie the day before. On Tuesday morning, we had to run back to their cabin to borrow skis with the correct bindings for the boots. (D'oh!) Then we went to Harriman and learned that they had quit grooming the trails a week prior. 

Family selfie at the ranch. I was cold at first, but I warmed up toward the end. Some of these yahoos ended up in their shirt sleeves. 

Winnie heading out on the meadow loop in old tracks. Miriam busted a lot of the trail for us. Some of it was hard to see due to drifting.

Ana stopping for a Clif bar.

Grover girl picture at Hi-C Bridge.

Bekah doing the ol' arrow-through-the-head trick with an icicle.

Then we relaxed in the afternoon/evening with board games, video games and several episodes of "The Office." 

We had received "The Office: Downsizing" game for Christmas, but we hadn't played it yet. We tried it out for the first time Tuesday afternoon. Everyone assumes the role of a character. Miriam made an excellent Dwight.

WEDNESDAY

We dropped some serious dough at the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center in West Yellowstone. None of us had been before.  

Grizzly girls in the museum.

Winnie checking out the trout.

Close encounter with the wolves.

We stopped at a tourist shop in West for a few fun items (Ana now owns a lucky rabbit's foot), then went back to the cabin for more games, more reading and another movie (Guardians of the Galaxy). I brought my computer with me so I could work on yearbook spreads for the elementary school.

Winnie nailing the Kevin smile.

Ana, Bekah and Miriam playing Screen Cheat.

THURSDAY

We had all the best intentions of sledding down the hill northwest of the cabin. Since it had snowed nearly all day Wednesday, the ground cover was soft and slow. Bekah used a sled to carve out a track. We took advantage of it, but most of the time we halfheartedly threw chunks of snow at each other and generally had a low-key good time.

Miriam sledding.

Winnie attempting the hill while her sisters chat.

Bekah throwing snow at Ana who is using the saucer as a shield.

Winnie hiding behind a sled while Miriam throws snow.

Bekah after a "let's see how long you can stick your face in the snow" contest.

We went back for hot chocolate, then played, read, rested and worked more with Seth when he arrived. Because we were on a streak, we watched Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2 that night. 

FRIDAY

Back to Harriman for more cross-country skiing, this time with Seth and even more time passing since the trails had been groomed. Seth did most of the trail busting this time. The river had morning fog on it, and we saw a couple of trumpeter swans swimming on the river. 

Family selfie.

Bekah, Winnie and Seth skiing past the ranch buildings. We attempted the ranch and river trail loops, but with no clearly defined trail, we didn't end up at the lake when we should have.

More games, Office and fun times.

Bekah, Seth and Ana playing Hexes with the family. There were two extra mattresses upstairs, so we hauled one downstairs for Seth to sleep on. (The other mattresses hurt his back.) The mattress became our game table/movie watching locale.

Winnie covering her eyes and sitting on her right hand during Hexes. She wasn't allowed to look the person in the eye she had passed the hex to, and she wasn't allowed to touch her cards with her right hand.

Winnie, Bekah and Ana lying on the mattress and watching "The Office."

SATURDAY

We took it easy in the morning, playing more games and getting ready to leave in the afternoon. After lunch, we packed up the vehicles and headed home.