Big day today. Not only is it Cinco de Mayo, it's First Communion day for our latest second-grader. This means we've got the suit laid out on a chair, and the ingredients for margaritas awaiting us for tonight.
In the meantime, here are some photos I took this week.
I picked up the living room thoroughly yesterday morning, planning on vacuuming when everyone was awake. Then the children that were awake decided to play "Tunnels" and . . .
That's a raincheck on the vacuuming, then.
Our wretched state education department* required us to add more instructional hours this year. Mostly that meant an extra fifteen minutes per day, but we did have to add a couple of Fridays to our usual four-day weeks. One of those Fridays was this week.
In an effort to make Friday school slightly less unpleasant, we spent about an hour in the village park across the street planting shrubs and flowers in the newly-renovated veteran's memorial area.
Trying to organize 30 children to plant about 15 shrubs with only two shovels was complete chaos, but it was fun, and we got it done.
Some of the newly-planted shrubs. I stayed behind to water them in, because I was not about to hand a hose over to that group of children.
I stayed so that the children and their teachers could go eat ice cream sandwiches in the cafeteria. This was very popular, though I'm not sure it entirely made up for being at school on a Friday.
One thing you can always count on here is a good wind to blow the flags out picturesquely.
Stars and Stripes, and the Zia symbol of perfect friendship among united cultures. Or at least, that's what the New Mexico state flag pledge says. This is the only place I've lived where we say a state pledge along with the national Pledge of Allegiance every day at school.
The sun spotlighted the alliums and apricot leaves in the middle of the table very nicely as it was setting last night.
Lit.
There you have it! My life, snapshotted.
*They are trying to force all schools to go to a five-day week. This overreach is so unpopular that more than half the school districts in the state--even the ones that don't have four-day weeks--have sued them. So we'll see what happens there.
Lovely use of a forced day! You'd think they'd weigh the costs of gas (busing students ) , utilities (water, heat, a/c, electricity), and environmental factors before saying butts in seats more days. I hope the push back against this works!
ReplyDeleteAnd may your First Communicant have a Blessed day!
With the distances you have to travel there 4 days a week school seems like a good idea.
ReplyDeleteI kid you not, every time I have to say the Pledge at a school event or community fund meeting, my mind autopilots with the Salute and it's sometimes nearly a thing to not say it aloud. I salute the flag of the State of New Mexico, the Zia symbol of perfect friendship among united cultures.
ReplyDeleteIt will not leave.
It is OK though.
Congratulations, first communicant!
ReplyDeleteLove the tunnels which really was a great excuse not to vacuum. After our visit, can’t really get into the whole flying flags in the wind thing. We probably saved a bit of money on gas when the wind gusts were to our back, all the way until we reached Tucson. However, y’all always win for the strongest and most sustained wind. Always a plus when we visit.
ReplyDelete