Anna outside her school on the last day before summer vacation

Summer vacation has officially started. Anna had her last day of school on Thursday and Jude on Friday. The whole family went to the school Rose Ceremony on Friday that marks the last day of the school year.

First grade has been a big year for Jude. For the most part he has loved his school and his teacher and he has made some fantastic progress this year. To mark the end of this big year the first grade play a major role in a Rose Ceremony that is attended by the entire school.

At the beginning of the school year every first grader is paired up with an eighth grader to help them navigate this new world. The eighth grader presents their first grade buddy with a rose. They have a sit down lunch together every week and form quite a bond over the course of the year. Then on the last day the first grader presents their eighth grader with a rose as a thank you for all they have done this past year, and to send the eighth grader off to high school. It was a cute but also a moving ceremony with lots of tears flowing.

Jude playing in the new kids area at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science

We have been going to the Museum of Nature & Science for over five years now. Both kids still love the place and they have just opened a new wing with a great new kids area. They had a member preview earlier this week so Marcy took both Jude and Anna along to check it out.

Anna getting some pink highlights in her hair

Anna had a haircut this week, going to Marcy’s regular hairdresser Shannon. She felt so grown up going there particularly with some pink highlights Shannon put in her hair. And then the next day Marcy reapplied the pink highlights for a birthday party Anna attended.

Speaking of being grown up Anna really wanted to get some regular shoes with laces. These are her new favorite shoes now, wearing them everywhere. She loves to tie her shoe laces now, she even showed Jude how to do it. Although he still shows little interest in such things.

This is the last week in our house before the builders come to do some major renovations. We are moving out on Saturday as the movers come to put all our furniture into storage. We will stay in a hotel in Denver for a couple of nights before heading up to Keystone.