Photo Recap 2018 - 19

Lola treks off to Camp Cedarledge for Cowgirl Camp, Summer 2018.  We didn't find an equestrian match-up this summer and she was SO BUMMED.  Maybe Summer 2020 will bring it back.

Samantha and Krystal took the Ethical Society platform stage in August 2018 to discuss how the book Becoming Ms. Burton related to our lives.  Here we're doing our best to calm our nerves before the talk.

I am the luckiest person to have Samantha as my sister.  She's incredibly brave and honest, and she pushes me to be a better person.  You can listen to our platform talk if you missed it before. Unfortunately you don't get to see the adorable childhood photos we displayed to go with the talk.

We forgot to take the first day of school photo; instead, we offer you the first Friday of the school year photo.  Yep, we own a lot of MICDS spirit wear.  :)

We've been in STL for ages but had never taken the girls up in the Arch.  Before a protest downtown, we remedied that error.  Lola's fact captures it perfectly:  we're in a tiny egg and strangely making our way up.  Is this even safe?  

Krystal's doing her best not to hyperventilate due to claustrophobia.  I remember one thing only about going up in the Arch when I was a kid: feeling trapped for seemingly forever in that tiny egg.  My memory was absolutely accurate about the experience.  Also, Lola's laugh is vibrant every single time.

She's a gorgeous human being, through and through.

Look, it's the Arch!  

We never tire of making the Arch when at the Science Center.  It's a mandatory fun activity every time!

Eric's friend Bob Saigh celebrated a milestone birthday by renting a concert venue, assembling a band, and putting on a show with multiple sets.  Eric had a blast as the lead vocalist.

We instituted "Family Fun Fridays," so that each person got to choose an activity for us to do together.  It's mandatory fun, y'all.  Lola has chosen roller skating a few times and we're doing our best to do it without permanent injury!  😄

Dressing up for the NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri Gala.  

Eyeing the desserts at the Gala.  

Raina did another cross country season and steadily improved in time and place.  She's gearing up for her first Upper School season which starts in a few weeks!

Family Fun at the Science Center.  

Trying to play ping pong with a cylinder court.  Hilarity ensued!

A bowling party as a political fundraising event!?  Yes please!

Her Girl Scout troop took her horseback riding.  Her face shows exactly how thrilled she was to be there.  Radiating joy every moment.

Lola dressed up as Fire from Kristin Cashore's book of the same name.  Fully confident no one had any idea what her costume was but that's okay.  She assembled the outfit on her own and she was very proud of it. 
This may have been the first Halloween where Raina did not go door-to-door for candy.

We tried and failed at an escape room.  Lola's sign of "sooo close!" is a blatant lie -- we were nowhere close!  Yet another Family Fun Friday.

Lola sang with her school choir and was selected for the Parkway All-District Choir as well. 

Living her best life at the City Museum!  

While in Nashville over Winter Break, we heard a horrible crash and rushed out of the bedroom to find this disaster.  The wall-size mirror on the wall detached and smashed into the ground.  Cleaning up that glass look a LONG time.

I don't remember what was so funny but it clearly was.  Mama Jo laughed until she cried!  

Emily and Papa Bill too.

Visiting the Parthenon at the "Athens of the South" so our classical scholar could regale us with ancient myths and architecture facts.  Raina is going to Greece in May 2020 to see the original Parthenon!  

The girls had one present request: Gloomhaven please!  

Eric, Raina, and Lola spent a whole evening popping out all the game elements and have spent the past eight months playing the game.  They still love it!

Struggling to improve with chopsticks while eating delicious Korean food.  Give us ALL the pickled veggies!

Both girls were on robotics teams this year.  Lola's team built an underwater robot through Sea Perch!

Lola's all girls robotics team

Lola focused her athletic efforts on one sport and she played a whole lot of it!  She played on the 4th, 5th, and 6th grade basketball teams for Parkway North AND on the 4th grade Eric coached during the winter season.  She dropped down to three teams for the spring and summer seasons.  It's exciting to see her work hard at the drills Eric and the other coaches give her, put those skills into execution in games, and play up (now 5th - 7th grade teams).  She's grown tremendously as a player.

The Finneys invited us out to cheer for the WashU basketball women's team.  We haven't made it a priority to support the non-MICDS women's basketball teams in the area but we absolutely should.

Raina joined the Upper School pep band for a few winter and spring performances.  She's not continuing with band in the Upper School but we're hoping she can keep pulling out her flute to play with the pep band.

Lola wanted s'mores bars for her birthday.  Who needs a cake when Samantha can make something so much better!

Eric coached this girls' team for multiple years and it was sad to see him retire the team.  He had a wonderfully positive approach with the team and he worked really hard to come up with silly games to keep the girls engaged while practicing essential skills.  He's now coaching 4th grade with the Parkway North team Purple Rain, but he won't be coaching Lola's team anymore.  

 

Lots of family turned out to support Raina for her Coming of Age ceremony.

Eric and Krystal were tasked with introducing Raina for her Coming of Age ceremony.  Instead we had the whole family up there and it was adorable to hear what Lola had to say about Raina.

Raina adapted her MICDS Personal Essay to become her Coming of Age speech and she bravely spoke her truth from the Ethical stage.  The speech is viewable here:  https://www.facebook.com/EthicalStL/videos/360532684571539/

Raina participated in the MICDS rite of passage of May Day.  She was confident that I would pressure her into doing it, so she signed up without talking with me.  She was highly irritated after finding out that I wouldn't pressure her to do it initially, but would and did pressure her after saying yes.  A commitment is a commitment, y'all.

Raina and some of her awesome friends.

Lola and her bestie from MICDS.  Had Lola remained at MICDS she would have participated in May Day this year too.  As it was, we delighted in supporting her class by attending the event.

Raina wanted us to promise not to take pictures.  Not a chance, kiddo.  

Raina and I have done Girl Scouts together since she was 5 years old.  We officially retired her troop after this 8th grade year.  This picture is from our last Girl Scout ceremony.
Not shown: my getting choked up and crying

Raina's teachers selected her to receive the department awards for three subjects: Math, Science, and Latin!  As an 8th grade teacher, I got to present her with the Math award, which was an absolute delight.  The highlight, though, was whooping it up when she and her bestie received the Latin award.    

She's been a part-time high schooler for two years now (math, science, band, robotics) and she'll be a full-time high schooler in Fall 2019.  It's so awesome to watch her chart her own path at MICDS.
As an 8th grade teacher and parent, I was asked to speak at her 8th grade graduation.  That speech will be a separate posting.

Lola's vocal group performed "God Bless America" at a Cardinals game again this year.  Doubly great, Ross night and MICDS night were the same, so she sang, both schools got to see it, and we only had to buy one set of tickets!