rollin' outta third grade

ah, the last week of school. isn't it always the best time of the year? all the hard work is done, grades have been turned in, and the final days are spent just unwinding, having fun, signing yearbooks. i always loved it.

as does the bean. this was her final week of third grade, and even she thought it flew by. every day was a half day, with lots of fun stuff planned. 

monday was cleanup day. the kids brought extra bags to class to pack up all of their supplies, artwork, projects, etc. and when that was all done they got to have an ice cream party to celebrate their accomplishments during "multiplication madness." over the last couple of months they worked on mastering their times tables and some basic 1- and 2-digit multiplication and basic division, and with each test passed they earned a topping for their ice cream sundae. the bean got all the way through the tables 0-12, multiplying 2 digits times 1 digit and then times 2 digits, plus dividing 3 digits by 1. it was a long, hard road for the entire class and they were thrilled to enjoy the fruits of their labor. 

after school that day we decided to truck out to the mall for lunch and a celebratory squishy from the sanrio store.

strawberry pocket pies from the hello kitty cafe seemed appropriate, too. 

and because her new cheer schedule conflicts with her hula class, this was her last one for awhile. we're hoping the schedule changes for fall, so our fingers are crossed that she can go back. 

tuesday was board game day. they got to bring a game to school to share with their friends, and spent some time signing each other's yearbooks. 

wednesday was extra fun. i'd made shirts for the whole third grade class to wear to their bowling party and i was pretty stoked to see them all wearing them. they got to grab sharpies and sign the backs of the shirts before grabbing a little breakfast. it was pretty funny watching them form little trains as they signed away. 

breakfast was provided potluck-style by the parents, plus some delicious donuts that my co-room mom brought in. 

the bowling party was a blast. 

and what's a party without cake?

the bean's teacher surprised me with a cute little pedicure basket and a little book of notes from the entire class that thanked me for being their room mom. it was all so dang sweet, and i had to wait till i got home to read it all. because you know, i didn't want to cry in front of the kids. 

yesterday was the very last day of the year. the only thing on the agenda was the final awards assembly, and we started the day with our traditional last day of school photo:

we were super proud of her as she accepted her awards. as hard as the third grade had been, she managed to pull down straight As all year long and kept her spot on the principal's list the whole way through. not only that, but she had perfect attendance for the first time ever. pretty awesome. 

we love all of her friends!

i was really amused to watch her with some of the girls as they headed back to the classroom to get their report cards. like, i KNOW she had to be feeling quite regal as her buddy carried the back of her maxi skirt to keep it from getting dirty. 

one final moment with her teacher and friends:

and then it was off to a pool party:

and later that evening, the movies. the new pirates flick is fantastic, by the way. a must-see if you were a fan of the first three. and be sure to stay to the end of the credits for a bonus scene!

whew! what a week. what a YEAR!  and now, time for a much-needed break with a summer of freedom. no summer school means no morning routines, and with all of her extracurricular activities being later in the day, it's gonna be grand. i can't wait to see what summer brings for us. 

and then come august- fourth grade, here we come!