Harper's Elementary Graduation Week

Our baby, Harper, graduated from elementary school this past week!  It certainly started off anything but normal with kindergarten by Zoom due to Covid.  It is impossible to actually learn or make friends on a screen as a kindergartener, but what she missed out on the first year she made up for with the rest of her time at Irwin Academy.  Harper is off to Piedmont Middle School next year and is very excited for what comes next!

      

The kids wanted to have a tea party after our Tea with Dorothy last weekend.

   

Last Sunday night was Kate's first night at Novant.  She left her job in Rock Hill and has now joined a practice in Charlotte.  I was also on call so we spent it together.  I assisted Kate with her first surgery at Novant.  We hadn't operated together since residency.

   

We had dinner outside facing Uptown.

     
Kate brought cupcakes!

    

Little Lu in her apartment! 

    

Graduation day!

    

   

   

         

Her preschool graduation was also interrupted by Covid.  Note she is the only child following CDC guidelines.

      

First day of Kindergarten!  She actually went in person the first two days, but was then transitioned to Zoom only with the rest of her class.  We weren't allowed in the building back then due to Covid so we just dropped her off in the circle and drove away as she went into the building alone!  She is a very brave girlie!

     

       

First Grade

    

Second Grade

     

Third Grade with Ethan in Kindergarten! 

    

Forth Grade

     

Fifth Grade

    

Irwin had their graduation ceremony at a community college in Charlotte.  It was a great location!

    

    

     

Ethan saw many friends while we were waiting to go in.

    

    

Harper walking in!

    

     

Harper's chorus sang one last song. 

   

   

   

      

We had to submit a picture of Harper doing something from when she was little.

      

The kids surprised us with notes for parents.

    

Harper was one of the students who earned the President's Gold Award for Educational Excellence. 

      

            

    

     

    

     

    

    

   

    

   

    

The day after graduation, Alex and the kids headed to Michigan for a Scheer family trip.  I am holding down the fort with this furry goose.

     

I finally used a spa gift card that was given to me eight years ago when I was pregnant with Ethan!

   

   

   

There's No Place Like Home - Or Is There?

This week, we went to the travel clinic in Charlotte to get our vaccines and prescriptions for Kenya.  We all got the Yellow Fever and Typhoid vaccines.  We also got prescriptions for malaria prophylaxis.  Our trip is getting closer and we are getting excited!

      

Ethan was brave and volunteered to get his vaccines first.

     

Ethan's class had an awards ceremony Friday afternoon.  It was very cute!

     

       

Ethan got most improved on his state testing!

   

          

Ethan received a Leadership Award too!

    

     

And the perfect attendance award for the first three quarters of school!

    

    

            

We took a few pictures with Ethan's favorite friends. 

       

     

      
Alex and Harper went to Carowinds with the fifth graders on Friday.  They had a great time!

       

      

   

   

   

       

On Saturday, we had tickets for Tea with Dorothy in Beech Mountain.  The Land of Oz was closed last year while it was still recovering from Hurricane Helene.  This was the first time it has been open in two years and this tea event was a new offering for the park.  We met for tea first and the characters interacted with the guests and performed a few songs.  After tea, we went up to Land of Oz on shuttle buses and had a behind the scenes tour!  I do much prefer the acting throughout Land of Oz that they do in Autumn at Oz, but this was pretty neat too!  We saw a baby deer before the tea.

      

Tea with Dorothy

   

   

    

   

   

   

    

        
It was very different being in Land of Oz without hundreds of people!

      

   

   

   

   

   

    

   

     

    

    

      

I wasn't expecting to see any actors in the Land of Oz, but we were surprised with a couple!

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

     

    

   

      

Don't walk through the poppies! 

   

        

After Land of Oz, we went to a local alpine coaster.  I have always wanted to do this!  It was amazing!!  We were able to ride it three times.  Ethan was very brave!

      

Harper and I rode together.

   

   

     

    

     

I spy Alex and Ethan!

   

   

   

    

We grabbed coffee after our rides.

   

   

   

   

     

     

We went to downtown Banner Elk next for the kids to run around.

       

    

We had dinner in town and ran into an old friend!  It was such a fun day trip!