Sixth Grade Graduate - Week of June 1st

"It is time to say goodbye, but I think goodbyes are sad and I will rather say hello. Hello to a new adventure."  ~Ernie Harwell

This week, as Cam's 6th grade school year came to an end, we talked about how the entire world had experienced more changes and adjustments in the past few months than most people experience in a lifetime.  The Forest Hills Northern Trails 5/6 school created a send off video for those heading into 7th grade this fall.
Class of 2026 - 6th Grade Sendoff Video
There is typically an all-school assembly to honor and recognize the sixth graders.  This year it was broadcast as a live Facebook event.
Instead of just one sixth grade boy and girl, by unanimous vote, the entire 6th grade "Class of 2026" has received the Mr. Craig Mears Award for demonstrating acceptance for one another, accepting personal responsibility for learning and putting forward their best efforts.  In the live event, the principal showed that there was a picture of every student taped to a chair so it felt like they were all there together.  One final official zoom call with Cam's small school group included a fun game of holding up the "person" in answer to different questions about the school year.  The pics of classmates on popsicle sticks were supplied by Cam's awesome teacher, Ms. Konkle.
With restrictions beginning to lift in the state of Michigan, we happily welcomed back Ms. Amanda to our daily routine! We are so thankful for her commitment and friendship.
Cam is super excited to be able to go on walks during the day, continue his homework and try out some new recipes while his parents endure their "boring" work days.

Over the weekend, it was work and then play.  Our family can get pretty creative when it comes to finding ways for Cam to help out.  Each and every Saturday after he has breakfast and completed his morning routine, Cam announces "It is time for helping! What is our first project?"
Cleaning the floors is an excellent job for someone with a good driving record.  We were excited to finish our chores because we had been invited to 'Aunt' Carol and 'Uncle' Jim's house.
Carol and Jim are Ms. Amanda's aunt and uncle and we've known them since before Cam was born.  Jim owns a building company and they have the only truly accessible home we have ever been in.  The doorways are incredibly wide without any thresholds.  Straight through the garage is the backyard area with the nicest fresh saltwater pool we have ever been in.  The abundance of different rafts to choose from and water squirt guns made for a very entertaining afternoon.  Uncle Jim even created a raft shield for Cam as the water wars ensued.  We thought we would only stay for a couple of hours.  Four hours later, we were headed home after a most relaxing time.  The water is one of the best therapies for Cam's muscles and because he is seemingly weightless in the pool, it is a huge advantage for his parents!

Camology Quotes:

Now that Cam is approaching his teen years, he has become very interested in what constitutes a "bad word" if he hears it on tv or from someone else.  He always asks what a word means so he can use it again in context.  We try to be cautious about what is appropriate as it relates to language.
Some phrases, though, we truly have no idea where he has heard them before.

"Mom, is 'dang tootin' a bad word?"
"Well, it is isn't the best phase to use unless you're in a western movie."