Today was the end-of-the-year party for Willow, Art’s preschool. His last day of preschool (of his ENTIRE LIFE!) was yesterday, a sad and exciting milestone for sure. Art’s teacher Ms. Jen has given him a wholesome start into the world of schooling.

And of course Evva never misses a chance to hold a baby…

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And some photos from yesterday, the last day of school. Lewis came, too.

Arthur’s friendship with Silas has been the defining relationship of his preschool years. Here they are having a passionate discussion about something. I love how they hardly even look each other in the eye but instead just talking into space right next to your friend.

These photos are from the other day during the HEAT WAVE. We went to Minnehaha Park planning to play disc golf but were immediately distracted by this fun pool. No swimsuits? Swim underwear!

I thought I’d use it for some more shameless self congratulations. And my family will be interested in this I’m sure! Here’s a post on the MNSPJ blog about the award I mentioned earlier:

http://www.mnspj.org/2011/06/08/twin-cities-photographer-foi-champion-are-among-the-top-honorees-at-2011-page-one-awards-from-minnesota-spj/

Last night Jessica and I went to the Minnesota Society of Professional Journalists annual awards dinner thing. (Governor Dayton spoke for 45 minutes about education and how we as journalists oughta cover it more and better, etc etc. Which is probably true. Jessica really digged him and how he answered questions about the potential gov’t shutdown and how the freshman republicans were all a bunch of immature ideologues. Which is also probably true.)

Anyway, I won a couple awards, including ‘journalist of the year’. Here’s what Jessica wrote on Facebook today:

“Hey! I’m married to the Minnesota Society of Professional Journalists JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR. And I got a free dinner last night, to boot. Awards dinners can be fun for a trophy wife.”

Trophy wife, indeed!

And how, do you ask, is it possible we can escape for a night out. My mother!

Bomma, my wife’s late grandmother and matriarch of the family, had some impressive curls. Award-winning curls in fact. Dick Parker, Jessica’s uncle and Bomma’s oldest son, found this lovely photo of her taken for the 1924 Pioneer Press curl contest when she was 10 years old. She won.

Here’s a transcription of the hand written note from the editor written on the back of the picture.
     You tell Daddy not to let ’em cut those pretty curls, Honey! –You keep them they are very beautiful. Come up to room 406 at the Distpatch Bldg. some time and see us. We would all like to look at those curls.
     Your check for $5 will come soon.
–A.L. Wilhelm, Pioneer Press.
 

“Too scary with all those noodles flying around.”

(Strega Nona)

So I teach Music Together, a family music class, and often take one of
tthe girls with me to lighten the load for Ben and also because it's
fun. Well, this week I brought Bailey. We start out with the Hello
song, singing hello to each child and parent by name, and then we sang
another song about wiggling. Before we started our third song a mom
said, "I don't know why I keep thinking her name is Netta," and I
realized we had our first twin mistaken identity! I told her
Netta is her twin sister and she laughed and said, "Oh! I couldn't
figure it out because she had a totally different name but looked like
the same baby!" So funny. Now don't get any ideas, girls…

This what happens when two boys are left on their own with a hose and a pile of dirt. Art and our neighbor friend Junior.