Molly's gymnastics banquet

Molly had her first ever team gymnastics banquet the weekend before school let out for summer.  I have to say, it was a bit odd to see all of these girls DRESSED UP when they are usually in leotards, hair pulled back, legs covered in chalk.  I mean, I didn't even recognize a couple of them ;)

We had a lovely dinner at Traditions, the girls were recognized at each lever (Molly is a level 5), and then there was a terrific slide show put together by one of the fathers.  Lastly, the girls all got out on the dance floor.  Not only are they really excellent gymnasts, they can move to music!!!  Molly clearly wanted to be with them, she just didn't always want to dance.  I love the older girls for coming over and including her in all that they did.  This was a really big night for her and she and I both had a great time.

Group picture of all the team girls and coaches.  

Level 5 and Level 6 girls getting their awards.  It is a gymnast snow globe - Molly LOVES snow globes!!!

My girl!!

Molly went down the center aisle with her partner, but just walking, the total opposite of the other girl!

Wanting to be with them.....

Thank you, SiNing, for dancing with my daughter!!!

I think this is where she is doing the YMCA!!

Lovely girls!!

Hadley, Molly's head coach, requested the Macarena for her, she knew Molly really wanted that one.

She is so proud!!!

Molly's class goes to the Ithaca Science Center

Molly's entire 1st grade went to the Ithaca Science Center last week for an all day field trip.  I had never been there before, but I could see taking all three of our kids this summer, as there would be something for everyone.  There were four separate activities:  free play in the run of the science center (try keeping up with kids going in 426 directions!), a lab and experiment with making a windmill, lunch (maybe the most important to them?) and then free play on their ginormous playground, which was multi-leveled and packed full of science activities outside.  Truly worth the drive for anyone from our area, plan to stay for several hours and there is a huge room indoors for eating your lunch.  Gift shop too, although we didn't take the kids from school there.  

Molly making a huge dam with these really cool brick like metal blocks.  The water features at the Science Center were one of the biggest hits with the kids (and adults).

The second water feature included these two 15 foot long, side by side plexiglass water trenches.  The kids could use different plastic plates with different numbers of holes in them to try to slow or speed up the water.  Tons of rubber ducks were sent through, showing how fast or slow the current was going.  A huge tank at the end that then recycled the water through meant several of our kids were soaked!!

Molly and her friend Emma making a square wheel roll.

Fun with magnets in water

In infrared heat camera.  White is heat, black is cool.  Notice how my entire body (and hair!) is white.  I am always the hot box!!

Molly and her friend John are working on making their wind mill.  They had to construct the plates and then attach them on.  The idea was for wind to blow and make the windmill lift up a cup full of pennies.   They succeeded!!!

Testing it out!!

Making adjustments!!!

Body art

The kids got into some body art crayons last weekend.  Unmonitored.  Luckily, it all washes off pretty easily, even the red.  I was worried Molly would go to school still looking like Satan.

Mrs. Robin: update

Here are the babies of Mrs. Robin!!  This was taken almost a week ago; they are MUCH bigger now.  It is hard to tell in the pictures, but there are three hungry beaks that are always sticking up!!

Mrs. Robin on a rainy day this past week.  She pretty much collects worms non-stop.  And she really dislikes when we go in and out the front door.  There is a lot of squawking on her part, and she either sits on the power line and eyeballs us, or she comes in the grass, food hanging from her beak, to tell us to get lost.

Hard to get good pics without disturbing the nest, this is a beak shot.

Potter's spring orchestra concert

Potter did exceptionally well at his spring concert.  His teacher, Mrs. Hoffman, works miracles with these 6th grade students.  This time, I positioned myself in a better spot so as to get better pictures of Potter.  As the parent of a violinist, I imagine I'll always be sitting on the far left of the orchestra :)

Caleb's field trip to the B-Mets stadium

Last week, Caleb's class went on a tour of the BMets stadium.  Now mind you, we have been to many games there, but this time we were able to see part of the stadium that most people are not privy to.  The kids were totally excited and it was a fun tour, just about an hour.  And that equalled just about their attention span!!

Caleb with his friends Maddi, Delani, Myles and Jared, waiting to go into the stadium.

First stop, the gym and work out space

They keep the balls in rice for them to stay dry

Soothing tub for injured players

The locker room with all of the player's personal items

The space of a current BMets player who has been between the NY Mets and Binghamton this season

Official furniture!

Bat storage for each player

The huge underground batting cages.  Caleb was most impressed with this.  That and the fact they had a grocery cart full of baseballs.

Caleb and Delani in the BMets dugout

The BMets dugout and along first base

Caleb knows the answer to 'how many seats in the stadium'.   Think about YOUR answer and I'll put the right number at the end of the post.

Caleb on the warm up track

Hanging out near the BMets bullpen

We are right under the score board

From the outfield.  Keep thinking how many seats that looks like......

At the picnic area.  We've been there many times with Dave's department.

Caleb in front of the press box

Another shot.  He was very cooperative.

The total opposite shot of when I was in the outfield, but now looking out from under the press box

The kids got to go into one of the concession stands.  Caleb said that was his favorite part of the whole tour.  Go figure!

*****There are 6, 012 seats in the B-Mets stadium**********

Babies, babies everywhere........

........thankfully, none of them are mine!!  BUT, they are super cute to watch!!  After finding the robin next, we also discovered that we had a cardinal nest in another tree as well.  Soooooo, there is going to be a lot of chirping going on around here for the next few weeks I imagine.

One of the cardinal eggs has hatched, the other not yet.  The mama cardinal is VERY protective and I almost got pecked to death twice by her, while trying to get a picture.  

The next with the two robin babies.

Pink robin baby blobs.  But boy do they LOVE their worms.