Kanigan Family: End of Another School Year!

It's the last day of school for the boys today, a day they have been looking forward to with anticipation for quite a while now, and one where I am excited/nervous to have everyone home at the same time for a full six weeks. I am going to have to work really hard to find activities for them to do, so we don't all go stir crazy!
I remember the summers from my childhood and they were very different from the ones my kids have. I spent hours outside, with friends, exploring and playing. My kids don't have that option. They can barely step foot outside our apartment door without danger lurking close by. Rio is a beautiful city, and together we can find plenty of fun things to do, but it isn't a place that allows my kids freedom to run an play alone, and I will be honest...I miss that.

Another signifacant point of this school year ending, is that it is the last school year where I will have a child at home with me. Ellie starts kindergarten in the fall, and Logan will be starting middle school. I am excited/terrified about all the free time I will be enjoying soon. How am I going to fill that time in the most productive way? Do I look for a part time, regular pay check, do I explore some of my other interests, do I spend time seriously writing (something I've wanted to do for years...I am about to finish my first novel, actually)? OR should I look into online masters programs? I have my bachelor's degree in Speech Pathology, but to practice, I will need the master's degree. I just don't know. It seems I have spent the larger part of my life so far, trying to decide what I want to be when I grow up. I still haven't figured it out. No matter what I decide, I am looking forward to the time I will have to figure it out...although it will be very strange to be alone. I haven't had that experience in going on twelve years!

Everyone here is doing really well I think. Linc and Dan have suffered some with their allergies, but we are hoping we can get a handle on that. The rest of us are just working and playing hard. The kids have had so many different "end of school" activities going on, they've been very busy! They've celebrated Festa Juninia, had their music concerts, after school clubs and Logan's elementary graduation. I think all of us are ready to sit back and relax!

The world cup is here and in full swing. The city is full of yellow and green, and lots of traffic too. I love the energy that shows up with soccer here. It's a lot of fun.
I guess that's about it for today. I'll post a few (or maybe like, thirty) pics from this month and be on my way!

These first shots are pretty pics I took of my kids. I love them.

Logan's Music Concert

Owen was sick on his concert day. He had laryngitis and was too embarrassed to sing! "Mom, I used to have a great voice, but now I just sound terrible!"

Here's Linc though...he looked pretty happy!

Owen and his best little buddy who just moved away! Owen told me he had a dream that B moved back. :( This is the hardest part about living in the foreign service!

Festa Junina!