Sleep Is Contagious

Sometimes Cooper puts more than Topher to sleep at bedtime.

Peter: Week 7 in Pictures

 

This is the only picture he shared from last week. Well, there was one other, but it was of street names, so I'm not going to post that here.

And with that we're caught up!

Crazy Days of Summer

I took this picture of Sophie after church on Sunday, she fell asleep while drawing. 

School starts on Monday. This summer has been so busy, going back to school might feel more like a rest than work.

Based on the picture, I think a rest is needed.

Lost in a Book

Bump, Set, Spike

Sophie spent Monday and Tuesday evening trying out for the middle school volleyball team. Tuesday night the coaches made the first round of cuts and Sophie was invited back to continue trying out on Wednesday night.

On that final evening, the coaches sent all the girls home with a letter in an envelope telling whether they made the team or not and told them not to open the letters until they were in their cars.

This is what Sophie's said:

She is thrilled! When she read the letter she cried happy tears. Each night she came out of the tryout and said that playing volleyball brought her so much joy. I'm so happy that she gets to play this season!

She had her first practice yesterday and this is the selfie she took afterward, the happiness is pouring out of her.

After her practice we attended a volleyball family booster dinner. Her coach came over and introduced himself. He enthusiastically praised Sophie's tryout and told us that for every four girls that tried out, only one got in.

Well done, Sophie!

Making Faces

I subbed for our ward choir director yesterday after church. While Cooper and I were in choir, Bryan counted tithing in the clerk's office and the girls were in a leadership meeting. Where, you may ask, was Topher?

He was entertaining himself in the nursery with the playdoh.

All the Books

We spent all day back to school shopping yesterday. It was tiring, but productive.

We did have one big distraction though: we walked by the books.

Phoebe snapped this picture of Topher reaching for his favorite book series. When he turned and saw all those books he gasped and ran to them, then asked if he could please spend his school clothes budget on books instead.

It made my reading mom heart happy.

Making Music With My Friends*

Sophie and I had a ukulele gig on Saturday. We played in a room with really amazing acoustics.

It's such a blessing to sing and play with this group and I'm so glad we're both in it.

It fills my soul.

*This is a line from one of the songs in our concert set, does anyone know the song without Googling it?

When In Rome

I had a great time tonight with friends watching a Shakespeare production I'd never seen or read. Coriolanus was very well done. For me, a mark of good Shakespeare is how easy it is to understand. The actors did a great job making the meaning of their words clear. I was also pleased with how quickly my brain switched into Shakespeare mode. It's good to know that knowledge still exists in my brain!

Rain, Rain

We've been in a drought this summer. A Pennsylvania drought looks different than a California drought or a Utah drought. The grass is still mostly green, but it's not the vibrant green it usually is. We've had a few storms, but not as many as usual.

The storm we're having today feels like it's trying to make up for all the rain we've missed.

The youth activity for tonight was cancelled because roads are flooded.

I had to drive through the storm multiple times.

It felt biblical.

This picture doesn't do it justice.

Library Day

Photographic Evidence

"Topher, what's on your neck? Is that chocolate? How did you get chocolate on your neck?!"

Sometimes when you sneak chocolate chips out of the pantry, there's evidence.

Balancing Act

"Mom! Mom! Look! Quick! Look at the broom! Dad said it couldn't do this, but it can! Take a picture, quick!" -Topher, adamant that I document the balancing broom. I want to record this moment because it happened while he was doing his chores, without complaint. Now, that is something to remember.

Austenland

Tonight my friend and I saw The Complete Works of Jane Austen abridged at the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival and had a grand time. Once again, it's great being "the theatre friend." 

Bros

I looked over the other day to see all three boys standing in my bedroom doorway, hugging. So, of course, I took a picture.

It's Too Darn Hot*

Today is a stay-inside-with-the-curtains-closed-to-keep-the-heat-out-and-the-cool-in kind of day.

*Can you name the musical?

Nature in Action

"Mom! Mom! I know a perfect picture I can take, can I use your phone?" -Topher, moments before he captured this picture of a bee visiting the lavender in our backyard.

Ahoy Matey!

Today while grocery shopping my eyes misread this sign. For a moment I thought it said Dreaded Chicken Cutlets, which to me sounds like a band of cartoon pirates.

Jump Around

While the girls were at camp and Cooper was out with friends, Topher and I spent an afternoon at a trampoline park. It was an hour well spent.

Dandelion Days

I was looking back through post drafts that I'd started but never finished. I found this picture with this title from back when we lived in the Chicago area, about ten years ago. I remember exactly what it was about, even though I had never added text beyond the title.

Phoebe and Sophie were still young enough that they weren't in school yet. They spent a lot of time playing pretend and running around in the backyard. On this day Phoebe had brought me this bouquet of dandelions and they'd ended up on the counter, next to the toy hair dryer.

It struck me then how fleeting this stage would be, the time of gathering dandelions and bringing them to mom with love and wonder. I'm glad that, even in the midst of the overwhelm and tired, I was aware that I should pay attention and notice the importance of these tiny moments.

And it's true, we are past the dandelion days. Topher will still occasionally bring me one of the yellow flowers, but we've mostly moved on to other stages. I love watching my kids learn and grow and become who they have the potential to be. But there's a sweet melancholy thinking about the exhaustion and happiness of the days when they were little.