Art History

 We had an incredibly full weekend. It was such a fun birthday celebration.

And today I have been running non-stop.

So instead of actually writing about these fun adventures (since my brain is totally wiped out), I will share this picture of Sophie as The Girl With the Pearl Earring.

Enjoy.

Nearing the Top of the Hill

Today is my 45th birthday. It's been a full, fun day. I'm so tired from all that fun that I can barely keep my eyes open. 

There's something about this birthday that feels bigger than some of the others. Somehow 45 feels a lot older than 44. I mean, I'm now officially halfway to 90.

Maybe that's why I'm so tired.

Happy birthday to me!

Love Notes

I helped the boys deep clean their room yesterday. We found these love notes from Topher to Cooper. Topher is such an affectionate little guy. He loves writing notes and giving gifts.

Fortified

I came home from an errand this morning and found both boys hanging out in this blanket fort.

Topher is easy to find, can you locate Cooper's feet?

Campy

Phoebe and Sophie went to girls' camp last week! I drove them, plus a friend, up, and the friend's mom picked them up at the end of the week. I have a few before picture, a few during pictures that Sophie's leader sent me, and no after pictures because they were both so exhausted and dirty, they just wanted to shower and sleep. They had lots of fun, but they were ready to be home.

The before (shopping for camp is not for the faint of heart, but I only took a couple pictures of the process):

The drop-off:

During:

You Would Not Believe Your Eyes*

You're never too old to catch fireflies.

*Finish the lyric.

You Oughta Be In Pictures

The summer reading program at the library started this week. Their theme for this summer is art. On Tuesday night we signed the kids up and the boys took advantage of this awesome photo op.

Not Another Step

Topher and I went on a walk yesterday. He came mostly prepared. His backpack contained an empty water bottle, a full box of tissues, a large Pokemon book, his watch, and a stuffed animal. 

Carrying all of that for a mile around our neighborhood wore him out. By the time we got back to our driveway, Topher was done.

This triggered a memory of two-year-old Topher doing something similar during the summer of 2020.

I guess he's good at letting us know when he needs a rest.

Divide and Conquer

On Saturday we had to divide and conquer. Cooper was scheduled to take the ACT about an hour away from home. We found out the Sunday before that the youth in our ward had a temple trip planned for the same time as Cooper's test. Bryan and Topher shuttled Cooper while I took the girls to the temple.

The Philadelphia Temple is just a few blocks from the Free Library of Philadelphia, so when we finished at the temple the girls and I walked over to the library. The building is nearly 100 years old and beautiful. We found the teen section in the basement and enjoyed perusing the titles. We even found my friend's book!

Any resident of Pennsylvania can have a Philadelphia library card, mine gets lots of use. The girls signed up for their own while we were there. Then the librarians asked if they wanted to do the summer reading program. I explained that we live far enough away that we might not be back during the summer. They said that was fine and that if they signed up they could each have a tote bag and pick out two new books.

The girls immediately said yes.

Bryan and Topher had fun at a park with cool statues.

Cooper is glad the test is over.

Summer Reading

The Dad

Well, we celebrated Bryan on Father's Day, but the only pictures I took were kind of weirdly zoomed in and don't really show his face.

See?

Hopefully he felt loved and appreciated, because we think he's pretty great.

The Correct Gear

Day two of soccer camp was a success. Will Sophie play soccer again in the future? I don't know. But if she does, now she has the right shoes.

Kick It

Sophie attended the first of a two-day soccer camp this morning. Her only soccer experience prior to this was in her PE classes. She was nervous being a novice, but was all smiles when I picked her up.

Down on the Corner

To celebrate the end of the school year, last night we went to a local ice cream shop for dinner. The dinner was inexpensive and tasted okay. The ice cream was great, even the sugar-free variety. The atmosphere was wonderful and the company was the best.

School's Out for the Summer!

Just There to Cheer Them On

After a rainy morning and afternoon, the skies cleared enough on Saturday for our high school to hold graduation. We don't have anyone from our family graduating this year, but Cooper, Phoebe, and I went to support the kids from our ward.

The skies looked ominous towards the end of the night, but we made it through before the skies burst.

One Hundred and Four Days of Summer Vacation

Ten years after the show originally ended, a new season of Phineas and Feb came out today! This is one of our favorite shows. We have most of the songs from the first run memorized. Cooper suggested we watch a few episodes for family movie night and that's just what we did. It felt very nostalgic.

All the Choir Music

Cooper and Phoebe both auditioned for select choirs at the high school for next year.

And they both got in!

Cooper is in a combined SSAATTBB choir  as a Bass 1 and Phoebe is in an SSAA choir as an Alto 2. She's one of three incoming freshman that made it in. They're both excited to have additional musical learning opportunities next year. I'm thrilled that they both had the courage to tryout.

Bubbly

I unlocked a new girl mom achievement: I can now do "bubble braids." Sophie asked me to watch some videos and learn how so she could have them for her ropes course field trip this week. She was pleased with the results, so it was a success.

Why We Sing

Sophie performed at our last concert of the season. She played her violin with the orchestra and sang with the chorus. Both groups did a great job. The orchestra was surprisingly good, considering that most of the kids are still fairly new players.

Sophie was one of two featured soloists with chorus. She sounded beautiful!

Yes, this is a zoomed-in screenshot from a video, but it's the best we've got of her solo.

This has been the busiest year for musical performances in our family. Though it's sometimes been chaotic, I love that the kids have gotten several chances to grow as musicians and performers.

It Is a Truth Universally Acknowledged

I introduced Cooper, Phoebe, and Sophie to Pride and Prejudice on film this weekend. We watched the 2005 Kiera Knightley version. They all LOVED it. They enjoyed the banter, the humor, the family dynamics, the gorgeous cinematography, the longing looks from Mr. Darcy, and the happy resolution.

Not all movies are hits with everyone, but this one was a winner.

Cooper was there, he just wasn't in the picture.