School’s Out for Summer!

My precious kiddos have thrived in their school schedule this year. We all have! I know everyone always says kids need routine and regularity in their lives, and it turns out they’re not lying! Amazing! A few weeks ago I lost my voice. Chris was flying late. The kids wanted their bedtime stories of course. I hoarsed my way through one book, then asked in a raspy whisper if Isaac could help me out with the Curious George book he wanted to read. HE READ THE WHOLE THING. “Wow! I am so proud of myself! I can’t believe I’m reading! Right?” He was so excited. He read the first page and I kind of slow motion turned to stare at him, our bright boy who flat out refuses to read for Chris or me. He giggled and read the entire book, sounding words out and remembering new words as we went.

I’m so stinking proud of him. Reading is pretty much my favorite, so I knew he would pick it up and love it eventually, but he was so resistant to it, and I didn’t want to push him. So I know it’s nothing that I did. I was already a big fan of Isaac’s kindergarten teacher, but wow! HUGE FAN.

Eloise LOVED preschool. No surprise. She adores her teacher, who completely understands Eloise’s precarious inner balance between good and evil.

The last day of school, Chris told the teacher, “We think Eloise may conquer Europe someday.”

“But will it be for good or for evil?” I added.

Her teacher nodded, straighfaced: “We’re working on it.”

Not only did Isaac go from not reading to totally reading this year, he also is just one shoe size away from wearing the same size slippahs as me. What the what?! HE IS SIX. The thing here (everywhere?) is to wear two different slippahs. Isaac has embraced this casually and relentlessly. I’m a big fan of this, too—who can ever find both kid shoes when you need them?!

All the kindergartners learned a hula to “Pearly Shells” for the school’s May Day performance, which also featured music from Japan, Samoa, Tahiti and the mainland West Coast. The Hawaiian Royal Court was represented pageant style, like in local parades, and of course we all sang together in Hawaiian and the ceremony was sprinkled with conch shell horn sounds.

Chris and Isaac saw a rainbow over his school on the very last day. That’s exactly how I feel.

Eloise learned an adorable hula with her Opihi class to “Hawaiian Roller Coaster.” The song is about surfing, from the movie Lilo and Stitch, and an opihi is a type of sea mollusk. This girl was made to dance. Unlike the Christmas performance, where she saw all the parents and froze for the entirety of Mele Kalikimaka, she nailed every move with a big smile! She was SO CUTE. Then she threw a tantrum because all her “graduating” preschool friends who will go to kindergarten next year were loading each other up with leis: shells, flowers, yarn, toys, crayons, CANDY—OH MAN. Graduation leis are a big deal, and you’re supposed to bring them for each friend graduating. Eloise brought beads for her friends, but was throwing too big of a tantrum to actually pass any out. That was a bummer. But anyway, she had a great year, learned her letters, can count super high, loves to color, and is left-handed.

I’m very thankful for my kids’ kind, reliable teachers who stepped into the gaps with Chris’ in-and-out deployment schedule with year. They have been such a blessing to us this school year. Their whole schools, really. But especially their teachers. ALOHA, ALOHA, ALOHA.