This Gentle Boy

This gentle kind boy

friend to all tender hearted

children and animals alike

 

I love the way Anders is with young children.  He is gentle, patient, adoring, loving, and truly smitten.  Here he is at a party helping this new friend apply some stickers to her dress.  She followed him all around and he treated her as if she were the most precious child at the party.   He is such a great kid, such a kind boy. 

All Dressed Up

Famale

 Came home in Kuba's kindergarten folder.  It's a keeper. 

Painting at Arts Field Day

 

This was just one station of 12 at school the other day.  The boys did cartooning, a costume relay, hip hop dancing, circus arts, drumming, story telling, marble painting and more.   This is an annual event at school and it's pretty cool.  Here they are painting pieces for the posts in the school yard - beautification of our gardens.    All 300 kids got a chance to paint these.  It's a mighty fine way to end the school year if you ask me.   

Honey Bee

Beekeepers. 
The boys had their first experience as a beekeeper's assistant this weekend.  They suited up in kid sized bee suits and helped  our neighbor smoke out and check his hives.  The boys were brave, very brave!  Kuba calmly watched and Anders took his job seriously, using the bee smoker to interrupt the bee's alarm system and help calm them down.  Our neighbor lifted each section out and checked them as about 30,000 bees crawled back into the comb, or flew around in a swarm.  NO one got stung, and Kuba stated "I know I am safe, but I don't know that I know it yet."  The neighbor was impressed with their steady focus and lack of fear.  How cool is that?  Neighborhood honey being made by our local bees right now. 

8 1/2 Days

It's almost the end of the school year.  I was in the playground at school last night after a concert, and I was talking to another parent about this school year.  We were both gushing about how truly amazing school was for our kids.  It's true, each of my boys had an amazing year.  WHY?  First of all, FANTASTIC teachers.  It starts there.   Both of my children's teachers are remarkable.  They also just happen to be first year teachers; they are enthusiastic, hard working, brilliant, fun, and excellent at planning lessons, integrating the arts, and managing the classroom.  The boys have loved coming to school each day, and honestly quite often wake up with something they are looking forward to about the day.  As a mom, I could not be happier.  I think about the education they are getting, the level of active learning they have received, the arts experiences and arts learning they have had, their school spirit in general and I could not ask for more.   I am so very, very grateful to their teachers for really understanding what good, truly good, education is all about.  I know just how lucky my boys are! 

Kuba and Ms. Emily

Kuba's kindergarten year was simply the best anyone could ever imagine a kindergarten year could be.  Full of love, joy, action, art, and of course the best teacher in the whole wide world.  Here Kuba is with his teacher, Ms. Emily.   They are standing in front of an exhibit of clay relief tiles the k kids made.   They were on display at our local and awesome art gallery right down town.   There was an opening reception the other night and even though his teacher snapped something in her knee, she was happy to hobble to the gallery and beam with pride.  Ms. Emily, you're the best ever!