Fourth grade looks like: mental math that’s better than my own and lots of convincing that writing out work is important even if he can solve the problem in his head, playing Minecraft for the first time in big cousin huddles, soccer practice and cub scouts and the adored Chess club, reading Harry Potter together…

After a delightfully cool end of August/beginning of September, we got hit with another wave of heat. There’s something especially aggravating about dealing with 80 and 90 degree days when you’ve gone to the bother of unpacking sweaters and jeans and tucking away most of your summer clothes. Since this girl refuses to wear anything…

She’s a total natural at building Legos and I’m not sure why it’s so surprising to me, given that her brothers have been playing with Legos endlessly her entire life. She got this little 3-in-1 unicorn set and I’ve found her building and rebuilding it, following directions with the same care and effort she puts…

Signing the girls up for ballet and tap feels like a rite of passage: something every girl should try at least once. N runs upstairs to prepare every week: carefully selecting a leotard (we have way too many thanks to generous cousins) and accessorizing with all the bows and tutus. E dresses resentfully, wails at…

One of those rare moments where they’re all giggling uncontrollably at each other’s silliness, nobody is crying or offended or hurt; they’re completely absorbed by each other and not needing me. I get a sudden flash of what it’ll be like when they’re 18, 17, 15, and 14 (phew, is that exhausting to type).

S’more chocolate, please?

This kids spent every minute they could in this little grove.

Pleased with their fish in a bucket.

September is such a crapshoot month for camping. It didn’t really get cold enough to have that crisp air you really crave at that time of year, but it was warm enough for the kids to swim (nonstop shivers abounded, but that didn’t stop them).

Five seconds before Finley decided to full-body slam the poor, little, neighbor boy.