Goodbye Elementary School, Hello Middle School - Five Rules for a Sixth Grader

I can't believe Felicia has officially graduated Elementary School! It seems like just yesterday I was dropping her off for her first day of kindergarten and now in a little over two months I will be dropping her off for her first day of Middle School. Felicia's fifth grade graduation was very bittersweet for me. While I am very proud of the beautiful, smart and headstrong young lady Felicia is growing into, I am sad that she is transitioning into adulthood and leaving childhood behind a little more each day. I know that once she starts Middle School it will  happen even faster. I wanted to give Felicia some "motherly advice" for starting Sixth Grade so I sat down and thought about it.  Here are five rules that I hope she will remember and use as often as possible.

1. Meet and keep the right friends. Don't just choose friends because they are cool, choose friends who are good people, who have goals for their lives, who do their best in school and who you can trust and make sure that they choose you for the same reason.

2. Be nice to everyone, always, even when it is not the cool thing to do. Always put yourself in someone else's shoes. 

3. Always take the high road. There will be several roads to choose from along the road of life and there will always be a "right" road. Choose that one, no matter how hard it is sometimes. The choices you make now will determine the type of person you are becoming.

4. Be a trendsetter. Don't always follow the crowd. Be your own person and like what you like. Don't be afraid of what people will think of you. Remember that no matter how it may seem, everyone is concerned about what other people think about them, it is normal to care but don't let it control your freedom to be who you are. Don't do the cool thing just to fit in. 

5. Always put your studies first. That is the reason you are in school. While it is easy to get wrapped up in what everyone is wearing, who likes who and who doesn't like who, you are in school for one reason and that is to learn as much as you can so that you have a successful life. Always keep your eye on the goal to be as successful as you can be in all that you do.  

I can't believe how grown up she looks in this picture!

All ready for the graduation ceremony and dance!

Felicia reading her "A Reflection" essay

"I graduated!"

Felicia with some of her classmates

Felicia with her teacher and classmates

I'm such a proud mama!

SoFla Saturday! Batten's Farmer's Market in Davie

Today we went to Batten's Farmer's Market in Davie and it was so much fun! My husband and I had not been since we were little. Batten's is known for their strawberry milkshakes and also for their U-Pick Strawberry fields. Unfortunately, strawberry season is over so we could not pick our own berries. We did enjoy the milkshakes though and we were able to pick up some organic apples and bananas. Audrey seemed to enjoy the market but she loves any outdoor activity!

These are jumbo carrots. The picture probably isn't doing them justice but they were huge!

Here is where the milkshakes are made. Their strawberry milkshakes are the best I've ever had and Sam agrees!

They have a cute little petting zoo right behind the market. There is also a play area inside of the market for toddlers with small haystacks and games.

Audrey wasn't sure if she liked the strawberry milkshake after her first taste...

She was sold about five seconds later. We only let her taste a little bit though. 

"Are you going to give me some more of that shake, Dad?"

Moo!

In addition to a milkshake/smoothie stand, they also have an area where they sell homemade BBQ and some other food items.

Dining area

That was a fun adventure!