Round and Round We Go

Third grade was a sleeping giant awakened. 

While we certainly traveled as much as we were able during the school year, Little Miss Sunshine mastered the art of snark, if you ever wondered if she would inherit my dry sense of humor. But beyond a quick wit and watching our not-so-little gamer grow more into her own independent identity, Caeli has grown by leaps and bounds - and is finding ways to remain my broke BFF. 

How did it go? 

AUGUST 

Thanks to how adult and swim schedules failed to align, there was no faraway summer vacation or science camp that would have doubled as a work trip for me. However, she got a new buddy: Rocky the chihuahua. 

The boy was everyone's spoiled little buddy

In unrelated news, practicing going to bed and waking up at a suitable time was akin to pulling teeth. Instead of trying to beat back academic atrophy so much, maybe I should have worked on Life Skills Summer a bit harder...but at least we finally got tying our shoes down.

SEPTEMBER 

One of the greatest things about dropping off and picking up Caeli is our routines of high-fives, daps, and hugs when she gets into the cars depending on which part of the fleet she rides in. Some mornings, she picks the vehicle to show up in (more in November), and some afternoons she gets ice cream after she gives me the highlights of her day. That Menchies special on Tuesdays started to wreak havoc on my wallet; therefore, the discovery of a rare Baskin Robbins inside Circle K made for a much tastier treat. Maybe I just admitted that I'm the weak link, but she is a daddy's girl. 

I just hope she doesn't outgrow this part of life and the pop-up elementary school lunches yet.

Give me skin. 🖐🏿

Give me dap. 👊🏿

Give me a hug. 🫂 

Go learn a lot - and have fun!

OCTOBER 

Our big girl gave volleyball a second crack, only with Mom as the head coach. Although the team fared a little worse than last year's runner-up squad losing in the first round of the league tournament, the Volley Queens looked good and played better as the weeks progressed. I got to reprise my role as ball man and fan.

Without getting my butt kicked for sharing the picture, each girl had her own pregame routine with both coaches. Volley Queens on 3!

Caeli and her teammate/friend from both volleyball and softball Paisli. Tell KC and Cami not to kill me

Back to school: The ever photogenic one did was expected in the classroom - we'll never be the parents to post our daughter's grades to social media. Picture Day is one of the rare days Caeli showed off her curls before she returned to the beads and braids, both of which call for way less maintenance than picking out her beautiful hair and avoiding what Erykah Badu sung about in an interlude back in the day.

"Pick your afro, daddy/Because it's flat on one side"

Man, her mama fine.

NOVEMBER 

Although volleyball didn't shake out the way we hoped for, the off-season was a welcomed relief. As we read nightly, learned cursive and the basics of multiplication, and played more Minecraft than a little bit, the gamer reminded me of myself at her age - and this included her fandom of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. [No one else comes close. Fight me]. 

Thanksgiving dinner at school: The one time of year when cafeteria food won't gag us. Seriously, the food is pretty good - and something the kid will reliably eat.

In further news, the new-to-us Dub Shack work truck 2.0 aka Big Grey entered our driveway just before Thanksgiving for work days, family adventures, and much, much, more 

Family is everything. Only missing Aunt Kricket and baby EJ

Caeli's Gigi, Big Mama, and most of her great-aunts and uncles

DECEMBER 

We were wrangled at the O.K. Corral. 

As par for the course, each grade level at Collegeville presents a musical play each year. Our cowgirl did not have a speaking part but she sang her little heart out. Thanks to Mrs. Hooper for rounding the third-graders up. 

Yee-Yee! (Oops, that should've been Yee-Haw!)

We made it to Christmas break without a hitch. 

JANUARY 

Happy New Year!

The start of 2024 marks the midpoint of our school year even if the report cards and attendance policies dictate otherwise. Thanks to the Bryant School District Board for having the foresight to build five snow days into the calendar - and that fall break, which our elementary school's retiring principal really appreciated. Another thing I am grateful for is how Ms. Kellam taught Black history - and honestly, the majority of subjects - to an affable group of third-graders. 

FEBRUARY 

Yippee, it's birthday month for Little Miss Sunshine!

Before the birthday party was the father-daughter dance. She wasn't much into the Taylor Swift marathon, and the one or two Michael Jackson songs played weren't quite enough to stay once the severe weather alert expired, so we got ice cream. 

Even Dad cleans up every now and again

Here are BFFs Caeli and Ja'Zelle

Because she had so much fun at Autosave Arcade at a classmate's birthday party, we decided to grant that wish to Caeli. A difference from past festivities is that this one was with mostly her class versus the ones with family and neighbors. Nothing against the latter groups, but kids' birthday parties are too expensive to plan and do only for parents (and other kids) to stiff the invitation. A rule of thumb that I've figured out regarding party time to prevent overspending and having to carry home a whole lot of pizzas, wings, drinks, and cake: Invite fifteen, expect twelve. By doing the 80% rule of satisfaction, it gives a realistic opportunity to either build upon success or improve some of the flops.

Guess who was Character Kid?

MARCH

Those nine weeks seemed like they dragged on and on, but spring break provided a welcome respite from the routine of morning car rides, sit for most of the day, roughly ninety minutes per afternoon of free play and additional help at the Boys and Girls Club (now Bryant Youth Association).

Speaking of spring break, the six days of Florida - five in Miami, and one very long drive to Destin - were the break we all deserved. Please believe leg day (or decades, for those who played basketball with me in the past thirty years can attest), finally paid off by pulling the three of us up and down hills throughout the Miami Zoo! 

I forgot to share the love letter to the Sunshine State from two months ago, so click on the link to read it. 

We scouted out Destin and Oskaloosa Co. for our next adventure. Depending on how many of you happy Arkansans go the week we decide to pop up, see you on the shoreline. That parking situation is all sorts of cusswords you've heard me say!

APRIL

Shout out to everyone who saw the eclipse. For what is supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, those few minutes of complete darkness during the middle of the afternoon confused pets and plants alike. 

With testing back on the horizon, it was time to buckle down and show off what we learned in third grade. 

MAY

We made it to the end! Not only are students, teachers, administrators, and staff tired but also they persevered in the Wildcat Way to the finish line! Whether is be promotion to the next grade or position, a much-needed break of about two or three weeks before returning to thoughtfully planning for the next academic year, a relief from the morning whirlwind of waking up and either getting to the bus stop or the carpool lanes, or an adios to a career in education, the 2023-24 school year has been one for the ages. 

The field trip to the Museum of Discovery, the kickball game between students vs teachers, and Field Day were the perfect ending to the year.

Building a butterfly feeder for Mother's Day

See y'all August 15!