The second half of the school year often drags on and on and on, but this year it seemed to just fly by! January was a long month....mostly because I was recovering from a nasty case of Shingles. I couldn't wait to be on the other side of that mess and couldn't believe how quickly time started passing once I was on the mend. We stayed quite busy throughout the winter and spring months with sports and other activities.
We spent a super cold January day off at a museum that the kids had never visited...the Art Institute!
We discovered an awesome indoor virtual gaming place in Mokena and had a blast going there with friends on a cold winter's night.
Joel participated in his first band competition and his percussion group did great!
Leah survived her incoming Freshman open house at LWC. It's hard to believe she's going to high school!
Caleb wrapped up another season of wrestling. It was an especially tough year being at the low end of the heavyweight class, but he stuck it out and we were so proud!
Leah had another great experience starring in the Martino musical. This year they did Willy Wonka and it was awesome!
Joel got picked to be in the Lincolnway area art show. All of our kids have had such awesome experiences with art thanks to their phenomenal art teacher at Tyler and Bentley!
Band competitions and performances kept us busy throughout the second half of the year. One of Joel's favorite things about band is the fact that several of his running buddies also do band. They spent just about every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday together after band. The five of them would head out for runs all around Martino....rain, snow, and cold didn't stop them!
(the band runners)
(the graduating 8th graders...they began their band career on Zoom!)
Leah's dream came true in March when she got to go see Olivia Rodrigo in concert. She and Alexa had a blast! Jacalyn and I enjoyed seeing them have so much fun, but definitely would've enjoyed a more peaceful night out!
Some of us were lucky enough to see one of Caleb's best buds perform in the LWC musical, Mama Mia. The show was great!
Caleb had another fun season of volleyball. He didn't get a ton of playing time, but his enthusiasm and energy were unmatched!
Joel and his running pals started up a running club at school for their 6th grade passion project. They did such a great job!
Leah tried something new this spring...track. It turns out she's actually pretty good at throwing the shotput!
Leah's dance career ended on a high note! She had a new teacher this year, who also happens to be one of my closest friends and my running buddy. She had a great year and the final show was awesome!
The last half of 8th grade is filled with plenty of special moments and memories. One of the biggest highlights was the 8th grade dance. Nana Pam treated Leah to a manicure and grandma bought her a beautiful dress. Leah was asked by her close friend Mitch to go to the dance. He was sweet enough to match his tie to her dress and brought her flowers! Along with Mitch, she had a great group of gal pals to hang with. They ended the night with dinner and everyone had such a great time!
