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Thunder

Allison finished her second season of basketball today with team Thunder. Her team played in the Colleyville league this summer, and they sort of ended up in the wrong division. Every team they played towered over them, and had all played Select. One of the teams was ranked 3rd in the state. So, it wasn't the most successful season in terms of wins, but we were so proud of the girls and how they continued to play so hard through the tough games. Today was the single elimination tournament, and we played the team ranked 3rd in state. There was no score during the first quarter, which was a huge accomplishment. It was hard to get motivated to go out and play each game, but we talked with Allison about the power of positive thinking. It may not have made them win a game, but it changed the attitude they had during the game. We were so proud of Allison and all the girls on the team because of the way they continued to practice and play hard during all the games. The team celebrated by going to get ice cream after the game. It's always exciting to get a new trophy!

Son Rock

One of our favorite weeks of the year is always Vacation Bible School. The theme for VBS this year was Son Rock Camp. It was a camping theme and the decorations were awesome. This was Will's first year to do the "real" VBS. In the past he has done the preschool program they have for the volunteer's kids. It was great to be able to have all three kids participating in the program. I was a counselor this year, which is my favorite job, for a group of 3rd graders. I have always had Kindergarten or 1st Grade, and I did find that the 3rd grader's were easier overall. My friend, Jenny Wilson, and I were co-leaders, and we had a great group of kids. My kids always love the stories, the missions, the crafts, the games, the skits, and the songs. This year was no different in that the songs we sang are stuck in my head and will be for several weeks. The week ended with a family picnic on the church grounds by the pond. After dinner, everyone gathered in the new amphitheater seating, and all the kids from VBS sang their songs from the week. This year, in addition to the VBS songs, they added two campfire songs that were familiar to everyone - Pass It On and Kumbaya. It was a fantastic week, and I know my kids are building memories there that will last a lifetime.

Pass It On

It only takes a spark to get a fire going.

And soon all those around can warm up in its glowing.

That's how it is with God's Love.

Once you've experienced it.

You spread his love to everyone

You want to pass it on.

I wish for you my friend

This happiness that I've found.

You can depend on Him

It mattters not where you're bound.

I'll shout it from the mountain top - PRAISE GOD!

I want the world to know.

The Lord of love has come to me

I want to pass it on.

Summer Fun!

Father's Day 2009

A few years ago, I bought a book to record Father's Day memories. There are two pages for each year. One page is for a picture of Ray with the kids, and the other side records what we did that Father's Day. Here is the picture and write-up for Father's Day 2009. As much as we loved celebrating Ray and my father, Ray's father, Pietro Semadeni, was remembered, too. He is greatly missed every single day.

Father’s Day – June 21, 2009

Ray requested to start the day with an early morning bike ride. When he got home, the kids wanted him to get back into bed so they could serve him breakfast. After a quick jump in the pool, he did this, and we served him biscuits and fruit. The kids each made him a card, and Allison made a really cool decorated clothes hanger at school for him. The highlight was it said Miami Redhawks on the back! Mom gave him a few new shirts and shorts. Then we got ready and met Gram and Grandpa for church at White’s Chapel United Methodist Church. After Church, we had lunch/brunch with Gram, Grandpa, Bill, Kristen, Katherine, and Libby at Brio’s Italian Restaurant in the Southlake Town Center. Everyone came back to our house after lunch and went swimming. The girls each had an indoor soccer game at Stampede, and we took turns going up there for that. We ended up ordering pizza for dinner, and the kids had a great time, as usual, playing with their cousins. It was a mostly relaxing day, and we had fun just hanging out with family. We hope we made Daddy feel really special this Father’s Day!

Eleven Years

On Saturday Ray and I celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary. We had an absolutely wonderful day. My parents graciously offered to keep the kids ALL day long. Ray and I started by playing tennis at Lifetime in the morning. I have to admit I was a little nervous about the tennis idea. Although it had been a few years since we have played together, in the past it has not always gone so well. I will admit that I am the one with the problem. I don't like to lose, and let's just say that he ALWAYS beats me. That gets me really frustrated, so then he holds back on his play, and then I feel like he is patronizing me. He's really in a no-win situation with me, and I do feel badly for him. I just can't seem to control myself. So, I went into our first activity a little cautiously. For quite awhile we just hit back and forth, and I felt good and like things were going well. We were having fun. After about 45 minutes, Ray tentatively asks me if we should play a game. I said sure, but I was really not so sure. We did play a couple of games, and although I found that the "fun" was diminishing, we did okay and managed to leave there smiling and happy. Maybe we will try it again sometime soon! Then I got to do one of my favorite workout classes followed by lunch together. After that we spent about 2 hours swimming, reading, and sleeping by the pool. There were lots of kids around, but they weren't mine, and I wasn't in charge of anyone! We came home and relaxed before getting ready to go out to dinner in Dallas. Ray told me we needed to leave a little early to go by a store and get my present. To make a long story short, he got me an iphone for our anniversary. I felt a little guilty about getting one since the phone I had worked perfectly well. That guilt went away about 5 minutes into playing with the phone. I LOVE it, and told him the next night that I think it is going to change my life! The funny part of the story is that last Thursday Ray went to buy the phone at the Apple store, and there was a sign on the door that said they were closed for remodeling for awhile. He was super frustrated and couldn't get over to Dallas the next day, so we had to do it together before our dinner. Ray got a new handle bar rest for his road bike for his gift! For dinner we tried a new place called Bolsa. The food was fabulous, and I tried real hard to not play with the phone during dinner and just concentrate on Ray. We came home and my parents had the kids all in bed and asleep. We appreciate them so much for spending their entire day with the kids so we could enjoy some quality time together.

Ray is such a wonderful husband. He is helpful, thoughtful, romantic, and very fun to be around. We always have a great time together, and he is my best friend. Thank for 11 wonderful years of marriage. I thank God everyday that I get to spend my life with you! I want to end with the poem that he gave to me on the day we got engaged. While we both know that God controls our lives and our future, the poem was a expression of our earthly certainty that we have in each other.

I am not sure that the earth is round

Nor that the sky is really blue.

The tale of why the apples fall

May or may not be true.

I do not know what makes the tides

Nor what tomorrow's world may do.

But I have certainty enough

For I am sure of you.

Get In The Game

The girls attended a theater camp this week at The Master's Touch in Grapevine. They worked all week to prepare for the musical Get In The Game. The performance was tonight, and we had such a fun time watching them in action. Both girls had several speaking lines, and Allison sang part of a solo. The story of the show was about a group of kids trying to enjoy PE Class and finding a sport they could enjoy. It really all boiled down to just getting in the game! They were supposed to come dressed in their favorite sporting attire. Allison has always enjoyed "putting on a show", so we were not surprised at her speaking abilities, but Caroline honestly shocked me with how well she "performed". She was so animated and comfortable on stage. It was fun to do something different this week, and we will definitely have to try more theater again!

Soccer Camp

All three of the kids went to a soccer camp at the high school in the mornings this week. They were so hot when I picked them up and were definitely ready to jump in the pool, but they seemed to have a great time. There is nothing that makes this mom happier than seeing all three of her kids in Carroll SOCCER shirts!

Shoppin'

Shopping was the theme of the girl's dance recital at Lifesong this spring. Allison and Caroline each performed 3 dances - tap, ballet, and jazz. There was a different costume for each dance, and they did the whole show for a dress rehearsal one day and the recital the next day. That was 12 costume changes and dances in two days. I did notice that it is getting easier to get them changed as they are getting older and more self sufficient. It's just hard to keep track of all the accessories and shoes when everyone's looks the same! Allison danced to the songs Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile, Start the Party, and Shop Around. Caroline danced to If You Can Dream, Black Knee Socks, and Baby's Got Her Blue Jeans On. All of them were so fun to watch and full of personality. They worked so hard this year and really improved their dancing skills. This was their first year at this studio, and we loved the fact that they incorporated character words of the month into their dancing. These words are painted all over the studio walls where they dance, and they are constantly reminded that their character and the way they represent themselves is a lot more important than how they dance.

Camp Thurman

For the first time the kids are going to Camp Thurman in Arlington later this summer. It is a Christian Sports Day Camp, and we have heard wonderful things about it. Both girls have friends going at the same time they will be there. Last Saturday we went to the Open House for Camp Thurman and got to see the camp and try out all the activities. They have a lot of different levels of zip lines, and Allison was ready to tackle any of them. Caroline was not interested and said they were too high, which was fine with me. So, Allison and Ray did a couple of them and had a great time. Caroline and Will liked the smaller versions. They also tried archery and explored the many different cabins, tree houses, and swings. I know they will love their time there in July.

Magical

After Caroline's Kindergarten Graduation last Thursday, we all went back to her classroom for some more awards and presentations. Her teacher, Mrs. Small, was giving out gifts to the room moms in the class, and she was telling the story of how she asked the mom in charge of party decorations to make the room look magical when the kids entered the room. The room did look magical before each party, and the moms came up with amazing decorations. I was thinking, though, that the word magical really describes Caroline's whole Kindergarten experience. Every day that she went to school, her room took on a magical feel. This was largely due to her awesome teacher, but it was also because of a wonderful group of kids, a special friend in her class, and so many great learning experiences and fun events. We just couldn't have asked for anything more for Caroline's first real year of school. I know that she will always remember this special year, and it's something our whole family will treasure.

In the classroom after the ceremony, Caroline was presented the award for the character trait of Conviction - Doing what is right even when others don't. We are so proud of this award for her, and we know this character quality will take her far in life! During this time we were also able to present out child with the scrapbook that we made of their Kindergarten year. There were so many hours put into the book, and I couldn't wait for her to see it. She loved it, but I do think it is something she will appreciate a even more as time goes by.

The actual ceremony was so cute, and Caroline loved singing the songs and doing the hand motions. They entered and exited the room to Pomp and Circumstance and sang Watch Me As I Graduate, We Appreciate You, and Good Bye. One of the Kindergarten teachers also did a beautiful reading entitled I Give You Back Your Child. So as Caroline received her diploma from the principal, Ms. Wagnon took Caroline's empty hand and twirled her around symbolizing Caroline looking back once more at her teacher and then turning toward 1st Grade. It's hard to watch your child grow up sometimes, but I know she is ready!

Caroline's Published Pieces

This year at CES after a team of teachers attended a Writer's Workshop in New York, and a writing program was implemented across the school, even down to the Kindergarten Level. The last week of school, the parents were presented with their children's published pieces. They did many writings throughout the year, but there were 6 officical stories that they published. Each corresponded with a different unit, and they had a celebration with comment cards at the end of each unit. I love the fact that Caroline was encouraged throughout the year to tell the stories of her life. The children were told that their stories are "gifts" to the world and no one would get to hear them if they didn't tell then. Caroline's stories ranged from birthday parties, to soccer, to special trips to Cici's Pizza. Here is the unedited and then edited version of her final piece. She illustrated these stories as well. I am so happy that I will now be able to encourage Caroline to always tell the stories of her life!

I wit to CC pesu I sede ya! my sistr rnd it becus my sistr wit to a detist uputmit.

We at a lot of pese intil we wr fl. And we at dsrt. It wus deelisis.

After we aut pesu we wit in to the game room. a toy namd pesi bug cam awt. It wus the speshl fish.

We had so much fun. intil it wus time to go. I cutit wat to go ugen.

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I went to Cici's Pizza. I said Ya! My sister earned it because my sister went to a dentist appointment. We ate a lot of pizza until we were full. And we ate dessert. It was delicious. After we ate pizza we went into the game room. A toy named pencil bug came out. It was the special fish. We had so much fun until it was time to go. I couldn't wait to go again.

Soaring into 3rd Grade

On Thursday we hosted Allison's 2nd grade class at our house for her end of the year party. All 22 kids came and a few siblings, too, so we had a full house. They had a lot of energy and seemed to have a very good time together. There was definitely some adrenaline flowing with school so near being over. We set up a bounce house that we have by the edge of the pool, and the kids used it as a slide! Between that and kids jumping off the ledge behind the pool, we had kids entering the pool from all different directions. One of the moms also dropped off mini sized foam noodles for them to use, and I guess they didn't really hurt because everyone got pelted with them.

Their teacher, Miss Yruegas, came to the party, and the class was able to give her the end of the year teacher gift. The room mom painted a container with all the kids' names on it, and inside the class filled it with pictures of them with Miss Yruegas and drawings and writings of special times together. We also celebrated with a cake that said Soaring Into 3rd Grade! 3rd Grade - how did that happen? It sounds so old to me. We were happy to be able to celebrate together one more time as a class, and we know we will be seeing many of Allison's friends over the summer.

Super Dragons

The girls were very excited to get their yearbooks. They contain so many fun pictures and wonderful memories of their activities, teachers, and classes. They had a lot of fun going around the last couple of days of school getting their yearbooks signed. The big news in our house is that Allison's artwork was chosen for the front cover of the yearbook. The top half belongs to another artist, but the bottom half is all Allison. It even has her signature on it. Allison loves drawing and art, and we were so happy for her that this piece got chosen for the cover. Way to go, Allison. You are a super drawer!

Jump Into the Life of Allison Semadeni

After the Awards Ceremony today, we were invited to the Author's Tea. Allison has been working on writing a book for several weeks now, and today was the unveiling. The title of her book is Jump Into the Life of Allison Semadeni and she dedicated her book to her teacher, Miss Yruegas. She wrote multiple chapters including All About Me, Families are Fantastic, My Best Friends, When I Grow Up, The Person Whom I Most Admire, My Favorites, What's Popular, Metaphors of Me, A Place I Love, As I Say Goodbye to Second Grade, the Children Loved It, and About the Author. The book was outstanding and so much fun to read. On the most admired chapter, she wrote about her school nurse, Nurse Tobie. It is a wonderful tribute to someone who has helped our family out so much this year.

Here is the unedited piece she wrote called As I Say Goodbye to 2nd Grade -

I hope I'll always remember the good friends that I had

I hope I see my room agian

I am not afraid of reading and writing

As I say goodbye to 2nd grade

I know I improved on my mathmadic scilles

I expect to learn the whole day through

I'll really miss my teacher's smile

As I move on to 3rd grade

I'm looking back at my work

I am ready for a challenge

If I ever get the chanche

I'll stay a minnet or two to stay with my awome teacher Miss Yruegas.

Hope

Today was the 2nd Grade Awards Assembly. Each child is given an award for the character quality that they have most consistently exhibited throughout the year. This year, Allison was given the award for Hope for her ongoing optimism on life. She also received a trophy for completing multiple Dragon Pride projects throughout the year. We are super proud of all her accomplishments this year, and we know she will be just as successful as a 3rd grader!

But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more. Psalm 71:14

Going Bonkers

All of the 4 year old classes from Chapel Hill Children's School celebrated with an end of the year party at a fun zone in Lewisville called Going Bonkers. Each child was given 20 tokens to play games in the kid arcade center. Will was more about winning tickets from each game than anything else. He quickly used up his "money" and gathered his tickets to purchase a tattoo, a piece of candy, and a flip-flop key ring. There was a lot of deliberation as to exactly how to spend his tickets. There was a huge climbing and crawl area where all the kids could play freely. It was so big that it could take awhile just to locate your child once they were in there. I had a meeting at the school, so he rode to the party with his friend Ellie, and I joined them for the rest of game time and lunch. It was a very fun morning and we are thankful for all our friendships from CHCS.

The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow

Allison's Spring Piano Recital was Saturday, and she played Tomorrow. It was definitely the toughest piece she had ever played, and she did a wonderful job. As I sat and listened, I was amazed that she has been taking piano a little less than a year. She has really enjoyed learning and playing, and her teacher thinks she is a quick learner with a lot of talent. Unfortunately, her teacher, Ms. Cheryl, is moving to Colorado this summer, so we will be finding a new teacher for Allison. We have a few lessons set up for this summer with 2 other piano teachers at the studio. Hopefully one of them will become her teacher going forward in the fall. We are so proud of Allison and how well she is doing with piano. She is also a good performer. Mom was nervous, but Allison was not!

Cheer Camp

The girls are going to both try Dragon Cheerleading in the fall, and Caroline attended the first cheer camp last Saturday. Allison had her piano recital right during the middle of it, so she had to miss. Caroline went with her two friends Lauren and Bella and had a great time. They learned some cheers and dances and had pizza for lunch. The last 30 minutes the parents got to come and watch a small performance of what the kids had learned. We are all looking forward to having fun with this new activity!

Field Day

Field Day was so much fun this year. At least for one child it was! Caroline got a little competitive at the non competitive field day! Actually they were awarded a certain number of points at each station depending on how they did, and it was marked on a card. If Caroline didn't get the full 15 points on each event, she buried her head in my stomach and cried! It was cute at first, but then it got a little ridiculous. Even though I love a little competition, I wanted her to have fun. She kept asking me to count her points over and over again. I guess it paid off because both girls got the top girl in their class for points. Everyone gets a ribbon, but there is another award for top girl and top boy. I had some happy girls at the house that night! For the PE events there were 45 different games to chose from, and they did things like arm wrestling, ball and cup, tennis racket race, soccer dribble, hoop toss, Frisbee target, giant croquet,tire pull, and jump rope. In addition to PE events, each grade/group had a turn on the water slides/bounce houses. It was great after a hot morning of PE events. I was fortunate enough to get to take Caroline and 3 other girls around to their events. Gram and Grandpa even came out and watched Allison during the water slides and Caroline on the PE events. Field Day is different than when I was in Elementary School, but it was fun day and a very well planned event. Enjoy the pictures!