School Days, School Days, Dear Old Golden Rule Days

Back to school.  For all THREE kiddos.  Second grade, Kindergarten, and two-day preschool.  Wonderful, fabulous, marvelous, and just the slightest bit heartbreaking.

 

Here they are on their first days of school:

 

 

And while we're talking back-to-school and those "Golden Rule Days," I wanted to share this letter, which is beautiful beyond measure and really captures so much of what Jess and I hope school is about for our kids.  Seems the song had it right all along.

Look Who's 2!

On Sunday we concluded the 2012 Davis Birthday Olympics.  (Somehow, all five of our birthdays fall between May 22 and August 12.)  It seemed appropriate that our closing ceremonies were in celebration of "the baby's" 2nd birthday.

After church and a too-short nap, Eliza figured, "It's my party and ...

But we headed outside to a gorgeous afternoon - the first promise of the reprieve of fall weather to come.

And it was all smiles from there.

Lots of goofy brother love.

Then Grandpa and Uncle Robert joined us for dinner out for Eliza's favorite meal:  mac & cheese, followed by presents and cake and ice cream.

 

I love that she takes a running leap in her excitement over this present.  A rainbow and pot of gold perhaps?  An adorable new puppy?

No, it's the pink pig Pillow Pet!  You gotta love being 2.

 

We were thrilled that we got to see Uncle Robert one more time before he heads out to San Francisco this week for an exciting new job.

Happy, happy birthday, sweet baby girl (yes, we will ALWAYS call you that)!

Noah's 5th Birthday!

Our sweet, sweet Noah turned 5 last week!  We could not be more proud of the caring, smart, funny little boy that he is.  Someone, please, SLOW down the time!

 On his actual birthday, we made cupcakes and opened gifts from our family.  Our neighbors Callie, Josiah, and Evangeline came over just in time to join the celebration!

 For his party, "Our Reptile Guys" (and apparently gals) came with some slithery friends ...

 Nothing says happy birthday like a lizard on your head.

 I mean, 5-year-olds and reptiles - you really can't miss.

According to Noah, it's not a party without a pinata.  (So, yes, Mama got online a found a blue lizard pinata - not an easy feat, in case you're wondering.)

Happy birthday, Noah!

Play Ball!

We had a Chicago Cub and an Oakland Athletic this season. 

Noah developed his own hybrid golf/baseball swing.

Ben's league started the season with a parade of teams.

 It was seriously the cutest parade ever.

 The A's, and Ben, had an awesome season.

For this, his last game, he insisted on getting sunflower seeds to keep in his back pocket to snack on throughout the game ("because that's what the pros do"). 

Bows and Neighbors

A new era has begun at our house:  Hair.  Eliza donned her first pigtails this month, and now often insists on having them.  When we see strangers she points to her hair and says "bow," expecting them to compliment her "pretty" hair.  Oy.

And have I mentioned how much we love, love, love our new neighbors,

Evangeline (yes, they're drinking from the slip-n-slide)

and Josiah?  Cutest partners in crime.

Chicago/Michigan 2012

We made our annual road trip to Chicago and Michigan at the beginning of July.  The kids always like to go down and ride on the Chicago Lakeshore path, so that was stop #1.

 Davis Kids Totem Pole

 Last year:  Sears Tower.  This year:  Hancock Center!

 Smoothies atop the tower.

 It seems I packed my camera away and forgot to take it back out once we left Chicago, but we had a great time visiting Booma and Papa and Aunties and Uncles and cousin Austin in Michigan! There was lots of bike riding, 4th of July festivities,  and a certain class reunion (20th?!).  Always love being back home.

Waiting for fireworks.