taking a moment to recognize

I have hesitated to create this post.... I simply wasn't sure just how to convey my pride in Sam's achievements without sounding either too partial or too boastful.

But really, I just have to say that Sam had a pretty excellent Spring and is often overshadowed by Hamp's sporting seasons or first-child events... so here's a moment of recognition for the success that Sam has so subtly amassed lately!

1) Spelling Bee
Sam tried to get me to quiz him regularly on his list of spelling words for the Meeker Elementary School Bee... but it would always turn into vocabulary lessons for large, strange words (piece de resistance!) and then we would inevitably fall asleep talking about the French Revolution... regardless, he did quite well and made it to the finals! Nerves eventually caught up to him and he misspelled a simple word to be eliminated... but really I was incredibly proud of how excited he was to participate and the whole event was way more interesting and exciting than I ever would have imagined.


2) Marimba
Only 4th & 5th graders are able to try out for this music group that opts to skip recess so they can practice together throughout the school year. They did not have many opportunities to showcase their excellent new skills and songs, but that was no problem for Sam who usually shuns the spotlight. He loved learning and practicing and was completely into the experience of making music. While he will be sad to leave this fun exercise, he is now primed and ready for middle school band next year!

3) Night at the Museum
One of my favorite school events all year, this is the 5th grade research project presentation. Sam was so excited to expand his learning about space exploration and the planet Mars... he posed as a NASA astronaut for his presentation and wrote an excellent report of his findings about the planet's environment!

4) Elementary School Graduation
All of those academic endeavors (Spelling Bee, Marimba, Night at the Museum) culminated at the end of the year to round out a truly wonderful elementary school experience for Sam. He loves learning and was thrilled the last week of school to celebrate some of his successes - including perfect attendance for his 5th grade year! He was selected to co-host the 5th grade variety show and he was fun to watch on stage, either as emcee or participating in a cute skit with all his friends.

perfect attendance!!!

the performers!

5) everything else...
While Sam enjoys all of his academic pursuits, it begs mention how he translates all that learning into playing at home. Well I can assure you his mind is always working out the next creation and our living room plays host to many projects and ideas! The photos below provide a sample of what he has designed so far this year:

January - I had to actually argue with him about this one because we have a huge bin of plastic marble run pieces at the ready for building all sorts of cool designs. But Sam insisted on making his own marble run from scratch - out of popsicle sticks and hot glue. His creation did not disappoint and this ended up being quite a brilliant design.

February - For his birthday, he received a book of word searches from his Yaya. Not to settle for simply solving the puzzles, Sam spent the better part of a week working diligently at creating a whole book of his OWN word search puzzles, complete with themes and difficulty levels!

Also this month, for Valentine's Day he chose to create his class box not only out of all recycled materials (an old popcorn tin with a styrofoam nose and paper roll limbs... and hot glue!) but stuck with the theme (Hogs & Kisses!) for handing out treats to his classmates. I swear that the only part I helped with was using the box cutter for the the mouth (for safety reasons) - otherwise I am usually specifically asked NOT to help with Sam's projects!

March - After noticing that I had not seen or heard from Sam all afternoon, I eventually went to his room to check on him and found that he had decided to make a Leprechaun trap (popsicle sticks and hot glue!). Other than the approaching St. Patrick's holiday, I have no idea what inspired this creation but I thought it was pretty clever none-the-less!

April - Another project with dubious origins, I came home one afternoon to find a fully functioning roulette board made from cardboard, a fidget spinner, popsicle sticks, and paint (held together with hot glue!!!) It only lasted a few days before the gambling got out of control...


May - Sometimes, there isn't enough cardboard and the hot glue gun just doesn't appeal. That's when the old toys find new life and I end up with this in my living room. The train track here is truly global - encompassing the LEGO airport (with a couple Star Wars ships, of course!), the LEGO Architecture cities of New York, Dubai and Paris, and a zoo that I believe is rumored to have been in San Diego?


June - Perhaps now is a good time to add the disclaimer that not all of Sam's project ideas are totally original. When he is not creating, he is getting inspiration from YouTube. Here's an example of a YouTube project that Sam copied, though slightly individualized. It is a working cotton candy maker - made out of (you guessed it!) all recycled materials!


July - Sam's latest creation (also YouTube inspired!) is a working extendable grabber (also out of popsicle sticks and hot glue!) 

And as I type, Sam is currently at Mojo's house - most likely using a hot glue gun for something.

There is no doubt this child is creative and clever and curious, but the attributes I most genuinely love about Sam are his perseverance and depth. Paired with his ingenuity, Sam's humanity will be the internal drive that will take him far. In the past month he has told me he wants to be an astronaut, an engineer, an architect, or a history teacher when he grows up. I just hope he stays a life-long learner. I know I am so very proud of him!

Sam on the steps of Harvard's Widener Library... he says if he studies here one day we can take another picture!