First day of school, 2014 (the unabridged edition)

Kindergarten, fourth grade, 10th & 11th grade. New uniform, new bookbag, and a new commute for everyone.

Better get in that last summer post!

...Before autumn swallows us up. So all out of chronological order:

One of our few pictures from Sunset Beach with Mor-mor and Grandpa this summer--we were too busy relaxing to take photos!

 Our cabin at Family Camp

 Because why not sleep together when you have 14 bunks for your family of four?

Alice's rendition of Silent Meeting at Family Camp

Pre-meal circle and cook's announcement at Family Camp 

Prematurely celebrating Pop-pop's December 70th birthday at a Phillies game

With Rebecca Bailey and baby-to-be in Boston

Ice cream with Toby and Gabe (also Boston, or Bedford)

Historical quilt exhibit on color theory at Boston Fine Arts Museum

Meeting new second cousin, Audrey

 A gift to Edith from the sleep-away camp nurse, whose aunt is named guess what?

A July weekend visit from Maggie and Santiago! Room for a sleepover at our house!

A day trip to see costumes from Downton Abbey (a.k.a. visiting Sybil's pants)

And then there was a visit to Grounds for Sculpture:

Snapshots of summer

The weather has been stunningly beauitful, reportedly matching average temperatures for the last century+, with rarely a day above 90 degrees, reminding me why I loved summer so much before climate change made itself palpable.

With both girls beyond daycare and no day camps in the mix, we spent more time together this summer than any in their lives. It wasn't always easy, but for the most part it was a blessing. And it did make summer feel good and long!

We have put in hundreds of hours of labor on the new house. Even if I look at it and see everything we have left to do, at least I know it's clean, liveable, and functional.

Although we don't know most of our neighbors much better than we did that first day, not having seen the ones we first met since then and not having met many more, our house has been warmed by visit from multiple friends who have been willing to make the trek to see us. And we'll keep hoping.

In no particular order...

Alice's depiction of Silent Meeting at Family Camp, down to the wooden benches on the ground and the tall blooming flower in the middle of the meeting circle

Our first summer of real vegetable gardening from seed yielded abundant lettuce, yummy carrots and beets, and enormous cucumbers.

Tom with four of his girls

At Winterthur

Painting a fruit mural a community center in Camden

A long overdue visit with Julia and Emily C.

Evan visits to test our childproofing of the new house, and we celebrate all being Philadelphians now

Lots of work projects, including a shed

The neighbor called out, "It's Rosie the Riveter!" This shed was brought to you by about 10 hours of labor from me, 10 from Tom, and 8 from an unsuspecting friend who got roped into the task. Shed floor still to come.

Getting ready for kindergarten swim lessons...in the bathtub

In a few years she may cringe at the style combo, but may she never lose her unique sense of self

Back in Princeton for a wedding with old church friends

These shoes came from the hand-me-down box. Alice opted out of shoes this summer as much as she possibly could.

More to come in the next post