Jessica and her Uncle Dick at Uncle Bob’s new restaurant

The other night Jess and I had a date night at Ward 6, her uncle Bob’s amazing new restaurant. We found this friendly old man eating there, her uncle Dick. So many uncles.

Leave two 5-year-olds alone long enough and this happens.

They start shooting each others butt with a Nerf gun.

Sitting spot

Here Jessica sits with the girls on a lovely little bench from her mom. At left is our honeycrisp apple tree which we are hoping against hope that we actually get more than one apple this year!

hehehe

Really good friends Lewis and Oscar.

Welcome, Abigail.

Abigail Parker Nawrocki was born Saturday morning to Jessica’s sister Emily and her husband Mike. 8 pounds 12 ounces. 20 inches. Our new niece, our childrens’ new cousin. Here’s some photos from our visit Sunday when she was a whopping 1 day old.

Charlotte gets a good look at her sister.

An expressive child.

Mama’s backyard in Arkansas

Mama just sent me this, a little glimpse of her peaceful and green backyard in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Makes me homesick!

Swimming skills

Arthur and Lewis have been taking weekly swim classes for the past couple months and have made some real strides. Neither were comfortable going under water much before lessons, now they both prefer it. Both can swim on their own and, as seen here, jump off the diving board. They’ve gained a real comfort and ease in the water that I’ve long hoped for. It’ll make their time at the lake lake and our July trip to the ocean a little easier. I’m happy for them and cheesily proud.

Nature day.

So, nature day has returned now that nice weather has returned. This was Sunday (w/ Art’s friend Archer) at the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden. Or rather, near it, as the actual garden was closed. We walked in all sorts of fun trails nearby.

Some photo from a field trip

Arthur’s class at Barton and three others piled into a couple buses for a field trip at a big fancy suburban park. I came to help, sort of, and mostly to just observe the controlled chaos. As I wrote on Facebook, I somehow forgot how loud and chaotic an elementary school bus can be. Teachers really are amazing, able to stay calm and deal only with stuff that truly needs dealing with. In some ways, chaos = learning experience. At the park they had a ‘talent show’. Art pogo-ed…and pogo-ed and pogo-ed until they brought out the figurative hook. His good friend Archer did some AWESOME KUNG FU! When I’m able I plan on going on these things to be with and love on my Art as long as he lets me. I’m anticipating we’ll be filed into the “I don’t want to be seen with my parents’ column any day. But not yet!