the very beautiful quilt

When Henry moved up to a twin bed, he had to part with his beloved Sesame Street quilt, which is sized for a toddler bed, so my mom offered to make him a bigger quilt, just like she did for Liam and Max. And she really outdid herself this time. Look at this beauty! It is possibly my favorite quilt I have ever seen her make, which is saying a lot because my mom's work is creative and fun and engaging and just ... superlative. Henry is totally in love with his Very Hungry Caterpillar quilt, and with very good reason.

school daze

I remember--back in the dim past before I had kids--having a conversation with my aunt about how she and my uncle knew that once their boys started school, they would want to have one parent stay at home. I remember thinking she had it backward; surely babies and preschoolers need a stay-at-home parent more? But now I understand. And then some. The endless piles of paper, the homework that doesn't just do itself, the sports and the school concerts and invitations to chaperone field trips--keeping up with it is a full-time job. And sadly, since both of us already have full-time jobs, keeping up with everything is not something we do very well. A lot of stuff falls through the cracks. Like, oh, I don't know. Blogging, for example.

The past few months have been a whirlwind of soccer, baseball, and 4-H. Appointments at the doctor, the dentist, the orthodontist. (Oh yes, have I mentioned that starting next month we will have TWO boys in braces?) Yesterday was the last day of school, and today Liam and Max are just chilling out, helping Mike in the garden, playing video games, riding bikes. But tomorrow is opening day for baseball, and Monday they start tennis lessons. And then swimming lessons. And basketball camp. It's all very exciting for them, and nerve-wracking for a planner like me. Or at least a planner like I used to be, in that dim past. 

But before we get all caught up in the summer whirlwind, here is a selection of photos from the past week or two. Wheeeee!