Jeopardy!

Airing tonight. Here are the official photos:

Abby's (early) 14th Birthday Party

Abby wanted to have a little get-together before her friends scattered for the summer. She invited her 4 closest friends from Buford out for pizza and an escape room:

Elisabeth, Pray, Abby, Lucy, and Eve at Christian's Pizza

Ben and Jerry's cake

They escaped! (with a little help from the staff)

In the glass elevator on the way out (with Elisabeth's sister Katherine)

Smithsonian Spark Lab

Abby finished up her time with the Buford Engineering Academy on Friday, with a trip to the Smithsonian Museum of American History. The Academy kids are the only 3rd party group to ever present in the museum, so it was really exciting for them to be able to set up there and show off what they have been working on. It was a bigger group, because the next year's corps is already on board. Abby's group (Abby, Elisabeth, Harry) were tasked with making an airplane launcher using electromagnets:

At their table

the launcher

First groups of kids stopping by

School group

After lunch crowd

All the kids and chaperones in front of the museum

Booster Free!

We're now officially out of booster seats, as Benji is finally heavy enough to go without. Here was his first official trip:

Father's Day 2018

New York Weekend (Hamilton!)

Right after school ended, we started our trek up to New York for a celebratory weekend. It was a lot packed into 2 and a half days:

Hanging out with Harper on Friday afternoon

Colin's pool party on Saturday

In the Eagle's Nest at West Nyack Swim Club

All the Paquette cousins Saturday afternoon

The main attraction

We were soooo close to the stage!

Last Day of School 2018

Pulling off the last link

Last day of school pics

While I was waiting for Benji at the driveway, I snapped this photo of Abby at the bus stop

Up the path, one last time

And he's done with Greenbrier!

With Tabitha

Graduation Day, 2018 edition

Both kids graduated on the second to last day of school. We started out at Abby's ceremony at Buford:

Principal Eric Johnson addressing the class

Abby, going up to accept her DAR Citizenship award (it was the second award given and I did not have my camera ready with correct settings for the dark auditorium!)

Abby coming up to accept her academic awards. Each teacher was allowed to give out 2, and Abby received the awards for Civics and Engineering

The 4 amigos: Eve, Elisabeth, Lucy and Abby after the ceremony

After lunch, we moved on to Benji's graduation from Greenbrier. This one was definitely bittersweet, as we've been at Greenbrier since 2009:

Walking in

One last look at the mural

Principal Pat Cuomo addressing the class

Getting his graduation certificate

Shaking Mr. Beale's hand (his teacher)

With both kids's kindergarten teacher, Ms. Anderson

With Joseph

Wearing his gold medal for academic achievement

onward to Walker and CHS!

After all the excitement of the day, we decided to go out to dinner to celebrate. Benji begged for fried ice cream after dinner (he'd never had it before), so we obliged: