booked for summer

wrapping up another school year

I feel like we spent at least the last three weeks "wrapping up" school. Fifth grade camp and field day and class parties and sign up geniuses for so many juice boxes and dress shirts ironed for graduation ceremonies. 

And now it's suddenly time to pick strawberries and sell lemonade, to visit Buckeye Lake and attend block parties. Parade decorations crafted and swim team suits readied for early morning practice and baseball uniforms to be washed again. And again.

Summer break may have called time of death on any productive projects I dreamt of doing but it has opened the doors for all sorts of fun!

spring recital, Columbus Museum of Art

Hank, Fiesta de Seville

Tolliver, The Entertainer

Tucker, Scotch Poem

so much to behold

a dream is a wish

Recently, first graders were tasked with creating "little Grandview" - a tour of favorite places in miniature. Crafts are an ordinary part of Hank's life at our house, like we are seriously just one butter sculpture shy of the state fair over here. But Hank took this diorama assignment to the next level, and neighbor Deb was HERE FOR HIM. He knocked on her front door every day after school for weeks, and they used hair spray and spray paint, watercolors and hot glue, modeling clay and buttons... All of his crafting dreams came true and Wyman Woods has never looked so good.

Yesterday, we happened to be on campus during drum major auditions. Hank has been practicing bending back to touch an imaginary feathered hat to the ground, and is desperate for his own baton to twirl and toss. We watched video of the winner at least a dozen times this morning.

Hank spent this evening talking about the way of the future. Drawing what the world will be like if we don't take climate change seriously. Drafting posters to publicize a week to celebrate the earth, with ideas such as duct taping computers shut so we're forced to take a screen break to save energy. He underlined the important words, ten exclamation points around them like little rays of sun. Pondering aloud the possibility of *another* way of the future. Like he needs neither instruction nor permission to lead the charge.

This afternoon, at a CAPA performance of the El Dia de los Ninos bilingual Cinderella story, Hank raised his hand during the Q&A session to answer the actress' call to describe the show's theme. He said "I think it was about a girl's dreams coming true." 

Whether all of his ever do, it's a a real privilege to watch them take shape.

signs of life