Well, Christy and I officially feel old. All of our kids are now in High School. Mark and David just graduated 8th Grade and Steven is now a freaking Senior. Wow… where did the time go?
Archive for June, 2009
As parents, we dedicate our lives to our kids- to ensure that they have everything they need to succeed and to be happy. It is a difficult proposition, and sometimes we feel like we fail, and sometimes we feel like we are on the right track. This last week was one of those times that made both Christy and I feel like parental geniuses. Move over Dr. Spock, the Merino’s are taking the spotlight now.
It first started on Sunday, June 7th when Mark and David were both presented with the prestigious Fuchs Award by the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center. This award is presented to students who show exemplary dedication to their Bar Mitzvah studies, the Temple community, and the larger community. Along with a generous monetary award, Mark and David both received framed certificates and were honored in front of the congregation and Congressman Adam Schiff .
The very next day, Christy and I attended an assembly at Marshall Fundamental where David was honored as one of the 9 valedictorians for his 8th grade graduating class of 289 students. Throughout his middle school years, David maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA. Not only that, but David was also active in the Intermediate Orchestra, acting as Concert Master throughout the year, and participated in Music Man, Annie, and Peter Pan performances.
As proud as we are of David for achieving Valedictorian, we cannot ignore Mark’s accomplishments. Although not recognized by the school, we certainly realize that Mark only missed valedictorian by one class. He had all A’s throughout his middle school, but received a B+ last year in his Geometry class. The irony of the situation is that Mark is actually in High School level math and science classes, one year ahead of schedule in both subjects. It’s a shame that the school did not take that into consideration. Mark also played on the Junior High soccer team, AYSO soccer, and learned how to play guitar.
Combine all of this with their incredible Bar Mitzvah, and you have a very busy, yet successful year for Mark and David.
We cannot express how proud we are of them and how excited and anxious we are about their adventure into High School come September when Mark and David will be separated for the first time in their lives.
This weekend, we celebrated Annalia’s 8th and Mia’s 4th birthdays. It’s hard to believe how quickly they are growing. Needless to say, there was plenty of pink decor to satisfy a Disney Princess Parade. The girls were adorable and very well behaved.
Here’s a brief slideshow of the festivities: