Catching Up

I got caught up on May here on the neglected blog!  I skipped the 2nd half of February and all of March and April but I should get to those eventually this summer...I hope!

Happy 50th Anniversary!

My parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary!  Julia's graduation fell on the same day so we had a little cake for them the next day at the party.

I didn't plan ahead enough- should have rustled up a wedding photo.  Nuts.

Congrats Mom and Dad!

What's Next?

 

Week O Fun 3rd Edition: Sunday

Party Day!!

Loved having our party the day after graduation again.  All the moms scurried off after graduation to host their parties and I enjoyed party hopping!

Since everyone is older we didn't farm out the jobs quite like we did for the older boys.  Philip did not think making the slideshow sounded fun this time around so Julia and I did most of it with everyone else pitching in by doing a year or two.  (You could tell the pictures I did not pick.  Brothers choose less flattering pictures.  And somebody slipped in at least two Philip wrestling pics...) Nicholas did not make a list of kid activities but after many prompts he did gather up a few balls to bring over.  For the appetizers I not only "deployed the aunts" but also the brothers this year!  Everyone but Jeremy made an appetizer and he was busy with the adult drinks.  Julia wanted Shirly Temples and mocktail Pina Coladas too.  Charles also did Shirley Temples at his party the week before and non-alcoholic  Pina Coladas were Mrs. White's themed drink at the play pre-party so I had advice on how much of everything to get thankfully. Julia directed the decorations and we all worked on set up just barely managing not to kill each other two hours before the party.  😒

She displayed all the awards she'd raked in earlier in the week along with lots of other mementos.  Instead of a big poster like I did for the boys we did a banner (top right) which we thought was fun. And she used the bread box she made in Ag class for her cards which was a fun touch.

Just like in the past I took barely any pictures during the party but that's okay.  I was enjoying it instead of documenting.  It was a great party!  Thanks everyone for helping and coming!

And with that the Week O Fun 3rd Edition is over and now maybe we'll do a Week O Relaxing...except I do have to go clean up my classroom...

Week O Fun 3rd Edition: Sauturday

Graduation Day!  

Graduation was nice, and short- as Neumann likes it!  It helps when there are only 42 names to read.

Ready and waiting!

She made it!

The Julia shirt was a hit!

Lynn always thinks of flowers

Lots of the friends

and family

Congratulations Julia!  We're so proud of you!

Awards Mass

The underclassmen ended the year with their academic awards Mass.  Philip is in the 2nd row, left.  He won Academic Conference awards for band, wrestling and football and the NCAA Academic All State in Wrestling.  All of them are for having a high GPA while participating in sports.

 

First/Last Day Splits

Senior year!

They always change so much in 7th grade.

A little less difference from beginning to end of sophomore year.

Week O Fun 3rd Edition: Friday

 Friday was Philip and Nicholas's last day of school.  

Done with 7th grade!

Finished with sophomore year!

No crepe paper trails this year but Julia and I did pick up treats for the last day of school.

Julia and I kept prepping for her party and we went to one party that evening.  It was a pretty easy day!

Week O Fun 3rd Edition: Thursday

Thursday of graduation week is District Track but since Philip decided not to do track this year we had the day free!  It was also Ascension Thursday this year so not going to track made getting to Mass much easier.  I took Nicholas to an orthodontist appointment and then kept prepping for the party.  Julia floated down the Platte with some friends after making some cheesecake bites.

Week O Fun 3rd Edition: Wednesday

Wednesday was the baccalaureate Mass.  Julia won a few academic awards but she was most proud of top grade in Government class.  The running joke (at least in government class) is that it is actually harder than Advanced Government (which would not fit into Julia's schedule).  She put it in a frame for her party and added "advanced" on a sticky.  Only Maddie, who won the real Advanced Government top grade protested.  Julia graduated Cum Laude and had a NHS medal as well.

Here they all are.  They took the picture before the parents got out of Mass so I stole this off of Facebook and Julia with her eyes closed was the only option.

Side note:  There are 42 of them and 22 are 2nd generation!  They did not count 3rd generation but I know there are some of those too.

Again with her eyes closed with Steve and Raleen.  Oops.

And of course, we got Tator Tot bake for lunch afterwards.  Always a hit in my book.

That night was the Fine Arts Awards banquet.  Julia cleaned up there.  The dad sitting next to me was making fun of me for how many pictures I had to take and about 3/4 of the way through I got tired of standing up to take them so I just stayed sitting!

The weird little stand up people are smaller...and more proportional so they are less creepy than in years past.  But I'm still hoping to get them out of my house quickly.  Julia got two, a choir and a band.

Here's her stack of awards.  She won a big one in all four arts.

Speech: Cavalier Award 

Drama:  Shining Star Award

Choir:  Raymond Miller Choral Award

Band: John Philips Sousa Award

They are all for being an especially great senior.  Basically.

There's also various smaller awards in there from one act, district music and various speech things.  She lettered in all the things too.

She's very proud to have gotten the "Librarian" award for speech too.  She and Ben both got it for spending 76 hours in the library during speech practices.  It's a bookworm she named Christopher after the coach.  We have a picture but for some reason it won't cooperate.

Philip also got two band awards.

The Habanero group receive Outstanding Performance at District Music Contest (which gets Philip on the Music Wall of Fame).

He lettered in band and he got Outstanding Sophomore along with Aliza (not the cousin)! 

And of course, Julia with Jade, Maya and Trinity.

Great job in Fine Arts Julia- it really was your niche at Neumann.  And good job to Philip too!

Week O Fun 3rd Edition: Tuesday

Tuesday Julia did not have to go to school so we went shopping for the party supplies!  Party America came through again.  Julia picked spring colors for her party so that helped too.  Those colors weren't as picked over as the basic school colors.

We also got all the groceries we still needed.  You might notice the cream cheese.  32 sticks.  Did someone miscalculate becasue the cheese cake recipe was for cupcake size and she was making mini cupcake size?  Maybe.  Did she only use 15 of the sticks?  Perhaps.  Did Thomas use three for his dip and Sam use one for cream cheese noodles Friday night?  Quite possibly.  Did we give a couple sticks away as party favors?  Not as many as we should have.... Do we still have more cream cheese than anyone needs at once?  You can decide.

Lots of preparation happened throughout the week.  Appetizers worked so well for Samuel and Thomas's parties we did that again.  Greta graduated with her masters on Friday so  I was down a couple aunts helping but the brothers came through.  Samuel made pigs in a blanket and mac and cheese bites, Philip made pretzel bites, Thomas made cream cheese sausage Mexi dip, and Nicholas made taco cornbread bites.  Julia made Oreo, lemon, Funfetti and raspberry cheese cake bites and I did sausage pineapple skewers, pizza roll ups, Chex mix and a flop of a strawberry basil ricotta bruchetta.  That last one did not work as a make ahead recipe even though I only did it one day ahead.  The available aunts plus the grandmas also brought appetizers.  We had about the same amount of food as at Thomas's but I neglected to think about the fact that he was the only party because it was Mother's Day.  Julia was one of seven parties that day so we ended up with way more leftovers.  Noted for the 4th edition!

Week O Fun 3rd Edition: Monday

Monday was the senior field trip.  They went to Ruff House in Fremont, had lunch at Arby's and then went back to school for baccelaureate and graduation practice.  It was also Drive Something Fun to School Day.

That night was the band concert.

They sounded great as usual!

These seniors have never gotten anything other than a 1 as a band.  Mr. Kellett got out all the trophies they've been a part of winning.

Philip's small group played Habanera. They earned a Superior with it at District music contest.  Don't know the song?  Think of the Sesame Street orange that sang opera. That's the one.  

Nick the photo bomber

Nick and Caleb

Isabelle was home so she came to the concert!

With Trinity

And of course, with Sofia

Apparently I did not make Philip take a picture with any friends.
Great concert everyone!

Week O Fun 3rd Edition

Let the Week O Fun begin!  It's a little different without anyone at St. Wenceslaus and no one in track this year but there was still plenty of fun to be had!

Not listed- all the parties we went to!  I made 27 cards!  

We didn't go to all those parties and there were a few that the kids doubled up but I think we went to one each Friday, Saturday and Sunday the week before graduation, one the Friday before, six the day of, one after Julia's party on Sunday with three more coming up next Friday and two next Saturday.  That's 16 parties for 18 kids.  We missed one we would have gone to because of Sam's graduation and one because of Julia's party. 

Happy Mother's Day!

Everyone was home!

 

Choir Concert

The choir this year sounded great.  This is our director's second year and you could tell everyone has learned a lot.

Julia was in all the high school choirs.  Which I guess is just two.

Chorale choir

and show choir

But they also did a mixed choir for the finale and each senior had a solo.  

They did a really nice job!

Choir friends Trinity and Anna.

Great job Julia!

And Jeremy and I are done with choir concerts!