Go Phillies!

Baseball season came and went with Coach Jeff and Coach Taki voted the very best coaches in the league.  I mean, I'm the only one that voted, but decision stands.

Jeff and Taki wanted to coach together, basically forcing the whole first grade to skip an entire level of NOLL/SOLL baseball in their wake.  The decision turned out to be a great one for the players and a fun one for the parents.

These boys had an excellent season with 10 of the 14 kids on the team from their school. They tackled their first kid pitch and kid catch games with gusto and a robust cheering squad looking on.   

This may be their last year playing together for awhile, but Niko and Marco (and ahem, Coach Jeff and Coach Taki) will enjoy this season's memories for awhile.

And here's the proof:

May Crowning

Marco's class celebrated the May Crowning of Mary and mothers everywhere with a very special ceremony and "fancy and frilly" attire.  Grandma Cecchin attended to see this adorable little outfit, leading the prayer and bouquet presentation.

Mom

Measuring project...

Those three circles are my shoulders and my sidebun.  I swear I was wearing a shirt.

Flat Stanley

First 1st grade project, Flat Stanley, seems to be slightly leaning towards project work for your selected victim, err, loyal friend.

If you don't know, Flat Stanley is a book about a boy who gets flattened by a billboard.  He's not hurt, just flat.  His mom realize she can MAIL him to travel anywhere in the world.  (At least I think that's the story, it was relayed to me by Marco.)

In first grade, you create Flat Stanley and send him to a friend or family member who lives somewhere else for an adventure.

Our Stanley popped in the mail, and here's his tale:

Flat Stanley came all the way to Ventura, California.  He went on a dinghy ride with Grandma and Papa.

 He saw a tall ship...

And went aboard...

 He went out in the ocean to see sea lions...

 ... and visited the National Park Service tidepool...

 where he saw a halibut and a garibaldi just like Marco sees when he goes to Catalina.

 He rode on the Carousel at the Arcade.

Flat Stanley said he "loved visiting Ventura and wish Marco had come with me."

Once Upon a Time...

Spirit day was "Once Upon a Time" themed.  Sigh.  We tried to talk Marco into a king, a prince or Hansel (lederhosen, come on, adorable!) but he wasn't having it.

He opted for the big, bad wolf. Nothing a little eyeliner and fur couldn't create.  Well... I must admit he did slightly resemble a cat.  I reminded him to occasionally meanly growl to take the edge off of being so adorable.