First Chess Tournament

This year, I finally convinced Mr. Hernandez to bring back chess tournaments to our school.  So we kept it small with about 50 players.  It was just the perfect size for our school.  The students played five games a piece.  Zachary won 2 of his games.  I was so proud of him because he showed really good sportsmanship when after the other three games.  

The coveted trophies

Having fun playing an opponent

So no trophy this time, but maybe next time.  He is enjoying playing again, so he will attend chess camp this summer and maybe that will lead to a trophy next time. 

Good Friday, April 6, 2012

Well I'm hugely delayed in this post and am most excited about it.  Some pictures were taken by others, and when I finally received them, they were not what I expected, nor very clear.  And I didn't get any family photos or folks that attended.  I think I was too excited to think straight.

Zachary decided he wanted to be baptized.  He said he has believed Jesus was his savior "since he was about 5 or 6."  And yes, he was baptized as a baby, but I like to think of that as a baby dedication.  As I have studied more, I have come to see the importance of each person coming know Jesus independently.  And not that you have to go through the whole process again, but he wanted too. 

And there you have it.  We are super proud of his decision.  He had a big crowd present, including both sets of grandparents, Patrice and Lauren, and Cindy and Chianti from BSF, as well as Belinda Skoog from my Mom-in-Prayer group.  At our church you holler if you know the person getting baptized.  I had several friends come up afterwards and ask if we heard them.  I just love our church!

Field Day Fun

Field day was a big success this year.  It was a bit different then in the past, but super fun!  They had snow cones, played miniature golf, concession stand, and many other fun things to do.  Here are a few pictures.



We started with the rock wall.  With Zachary being all to fond of heights, I wasn't sure he would go.  But he made it to the top!

We hit face painting and they did spin art. 

His age friends did a blow-up obstacle course, and he won against another boy when they raced.  

 

 This is our principal at the dunking booth.  The pitcher is a senior, and he missed 2 of the 3 times.

 And at the end the day, a little prank on a teacher's car. That's bubble wrap taped on the front window.

Fun was had by all, so I guess that is a good indication it was a success.   Oh, yes, it was super sunny, and no one thought about sun screen, so we got our first red cheeks for the season.  Good bye Spring, hello Summer

"I'm not ready"

Zachary's English teacher has had the students working on a research paper for a few weeks. She really has made it very easy for them. Needless to say, he was asked to finish working on his introduction and conclusion paragraphs in class on Friday because they were due that day. He proceeded to tell the teacher "He wasn't ready to do it." She later explained the situation to me, and fortunately was not too bothered by his remark.

When I asked him about it, he said, "you tell me the dog and fish are not ready to eat when I give them their food. I wasn't ready to do my paper." (sigh)

Then I received this paper from his Reading teacher. (sigh)


Can you read that! STUPID QUESTIONS, and no less, he highlighted it. And then proceeded to write '(answer unknown)' on all the other ones. I'm sighing a lot these days. I do have to admit, I did laugh at first.

Science Kit

The other weekend, Zachary was messing around the house, and he discovered a science kit he had received nearly three Christmas' ago. You never know what will spark his interest. Anyway, he wanted to make a "volcano". And somehow, he managed to get his dad to help him. So, here are the pics of a "volcano."

The set-up in progress. Not what I expected for a volcano, but what do I know.

Squirting the reactor, aaaaannnnndddd.....

BOOM!!!! Yep, that was it.

Surprisingly, he thought it was pretty cool. His Aunt Jo got him another kit for Christmas this year. He does enjoy science, so we may have something fun to do this summer on a dull day.

PS Yes, I know Zachary is often without a shirt in these posts. Much happens in our home at night after his shower. He does not think he needs to wear a shirt. I'm not fighting that battle. At least he has bottoms on. ;-)

Cupcakes for dinner

Don't they look delicious! Zachary was so excited when I told him we were having cupcakes for dinner on Sunday, April 1st. I served them with broccoli. He ate the broccoli first because he said he should save his sweets for the end.

His face was funny as he pealed his cupcake. You could tell he thought something seemed a little strange about these cupcakes. He took a bite and I asked how they tasted and he said, "not to good." I said "April Fools!" and told him they were meatloaf cupcakes with mashed potato icing. He said, "I don't like them." He actually very sweet about it. And I thought the meatloaf and potatoes were just as tasty as usual.

Now before you go thinking I am the meanest mom in the world, I did go ahead and make him some real cupcakes for dessert. I tried a recipe from Dr. Oz...one box of cake mix and 12 ounces of Club Soda. It was so moist, and can't even tell you how good it was. A little flatter than normal, but low-fat, and delicious. You can't beat that, and Zachary said they were good!

Band concert

Last year, the school band went to its first band competition among other private schools. They planned to go again this year, but I did not expect Zachary to get to go. I figured Mr. H was just being kind by letting him play at the pep-rallies, games, and 7th period. Low and behold, he did get to go, and they band got ones, a superior rating, on the pieces they played. I got to drive and be part of the event, so it was fun day for both of us.

Can you see my xylophonist?

Here are the winners!