Dear Old Golden Rule Days

Have you ever heard the song that goes School days, school days. Dear old golden rule days. Reading and writing and arithmetic. Some kids are about to start school. Tri-County, the public school that I would have gone to and where I went to preschool, start on the 9th. That means they only got two full months of summer vacation. Not the kids that go to Cornerstone Private School! We start on September 5th, the day after Labor Day. But thinking about starting school makes me think about last year. It was the first year Mr. Drayer came to teach and I was in his 6-8th grade class. Miss Young was my math teacher. What a year that was! I went to McDonald's two times for lunch while school was going on. The first time was because Mr. Drayer wanted to take all of us out to lunch with only our grade. Then we all went with Hannah, Naomi, and Stacy Drayer and did a flash-mob... we started singing Mary Rock without workers or other people knowing. Only our class and the Drayer family went to Parkview Haven to sing on Valentine's Day. After we sang, we got to eat lunch their. Then, after getting helium balloons, just us school kids went out and threw snowballs and jumped through the deep snow to the playground. There, we went on the merry-go-round. Sometimes, someone would through a snowball and one of us would get hit unexpectedly. We also built a snowman during the last period of school one day. We also picked up litter on Earth Day and ate pie, cake, fudge, and other sweets on special days of the month. Oh yeah, and we got a piece of candy every single day. Some other highlights were field trips. The first one, we sixth graders went with the elementary and pre-k, then the whole school went to see windmills and got to tour Freedom Foods. I was able to take pictures with my phone, but hadn't got them downloaded onto the computer until now. So, I decided to share pictures and memories from that trip.

Our first stop was the windmill farm. We went to a field and stayed on the path to see how big a windmill really is. When you are standing underneath it, it feels as if the blades are about to drop on you! It was a really neat experience and it's amazing how much a windmill weighs!

This might have a filter... but it is still a very pretty sight!

How you get into the windmill.

A very funny sign on the door entering the windmill.

My BFFs and I.

We then did a work project at the Harvest Call building in Wolcott. We were partnered with another student and did work together. When we later went to Freedom Foods, we stayed with our partner and explored together. I was partnered with Mandy Cook, who was in 2nd grade. Freedom Foods was my favorite stop, partly because I know the owners, Ryan and Kim Schleman, but partly they let us do so much and we got to interact and help plant food. I got a lot of pictures there. We split into two groups and one group went into one greenhouse and the others went into another. Then we all went together, jumped off their playset and then planted some things in the field with a cool planter thing of theirs. 

My partner, Mandy Cook. 

The other group waiting for us and jumping off of the playset. 

Entering the greenhouse with our group.

I took this picture right inside the door. So much green!

Ryan telling us how to make a tomato plant with an electric toothbrush.

Camille and Tabitha Drayer making baby tomatoes. 

It was so neat how a pretty yellow flower turns into a beautiful red tomato.

I have no idea what this plant is, but I think it's a cool picture.

Darling Amy Drayer loved to turn the toothbrush on and off over and over again.

Mr. Drayer helping his daughter pollinate.

Oh, the joys of bare feet! (Isaiah Drayer) 

MMMMM! Cucumbers! 

Oh, God, you are amazing!

Kim answering questions.

 Then we all headed out to the field. Some people got to "drive" the tractor. Two others got to sit on lower seats and plant something. Two younger kids sat on their laps and helped them. Everyone was sad to leave. It was very fun!

Ryan and Mike standing up by the wheel. 

Danny and Josie Leman planting together. Elijah Waibel and Vivienne Getz sat on the other seat.

Eli Getz and Tate Leman on the tractor.

I got the pleasure of eating a fresh cucumber! It was delish! 

 Now that I'm done with my post about the field trip, I thought I'd share a picture of my darling niece from January.