End of Summer

School has begun.  The kids will miss their lazy summer days spent swinging on our neighbor's tree.

Biking to the park will decrease in frequency.

And once it cools down, I may have to pay more than fifteen cents a kid to have my car washed.

School All Around

Silas has got company at Meadow Heights this year.

Someone in stripes is a kindergartner!

We told Silas to look out for his sister at school and he replied, "We have different recess schedules."

Rosemary entered the classroom like she was inheriting her birthright.  She's ready to go.

Tess was simply thrilled to be included, finally, in this whole school business.

Monday and Tuesday mornings, Tess is attending the Lakeshore "Friends and Me" program, which is run by the City of San Mateo.

Tess danced on her way in, but once Meredith and I dropped her off, Tess said, "You're going to leave me with those kids?"

She was fine -- she began playing and didn't have any trouble when we left.

But when I got home that night, Tess walked up to me and the first thing she said was:  "You left me with those kids!"

50th Anniversary

My parents' fiftieth anniversary was this August, and we celebrated with Blair's family in Olympia.

We once asked Dad for advice on a long relationship and he joked, "Hey, I'm just taking this marriage one day at a time." 

It's worked out all right.

 We also caught the Thurston County Fair (that's Silas and Aden)...

Swam a bit...

And visited the "beach."  More photos will be posted as soon as I figure out Flickr.  (Picasa, where my albums used to be stored, has been closed down.)