Heath is so sick

Just look at him at the doc, having to miss school on a Monday. Just miserable. (What a great mommy...)

Favorite Spot

In Heath's classroom

Eat your heart out Marilynn Monroe. 

Heath's latest story

More Heath Writing

Phone dump

The barred owls we live in our yard. 

A rare but wonderful visit with friends since birth. 

One day in a hike. 

One day on a basketball court  

One night when Heath passed out in the car. 

One morning when I made Heath brush his teeth for two whole minutes. Torture!  

One day when I had a mustache.  I do this only for Les and for a day.  

Barred owl again. 

Bball court again. 

One mirning. 

Hike on friends property on the Chickahominy. 

Heath at swim practice. 

Boys boarding their first solo plane!

Where they went: to visit Granna and Grandad. 

Heath after combing hair. 

And alder... 

Capturing the season's transition in the carport scene. 

I finally threw these shoes away yesterday after they were quite a bit more worn than this. But I took this picture because he for the past two or three months has refused to wear his new shoes, continuing to wear these, because he wanted to "save" the new ones.

Heath at 100 Years Old

And an image altered with a computer program or something:

Animal

This boy has read two hundred pages of the third Harry Potter book in the past 6 hours. He can't stop. 

Just found this in my shirt pocket

From Heath. 

Alder

)We played some basketball on this warm morning before school. Man oh man how we love this boy. Almost nine...

(And a shout out to Heath who is unfortunately weathering a high fever today.  And another to mom who is with him on her spring break when she wanted to be so productive. I love y'all too!)

.....

The update. Three hours later...  Alder too. More thanks to mom. This is how it happens. This how weeks fall apart. 

Heath Teeth brushing

When Heath brushes his teeth, he's done in less than 20 seconds.  So we have a timer, so he can make sure he does so for 2 whole minutes.  But... without some supervision, or reminding, or making him "go back and REALLY brush your teeth, Heath", he defaults to the quick job.  After all, "brushing teeth is so boring"

Part of the fun for us though is watching him muscle and grimace through the job.  So I got this:

At the gym last weekend…

Heath insisted on getting dressed and undressed inside the locker so no one would see him.

By the murals

Richmong is rich in murals and we love them:

http://richmondmuralproject.squarespace.com/murals-2015/

And here are a few pics with a couple of early ones in the project :

(with Granna and Grandad)

Some of Heath's work

Letter to the Editor

Boy are we behind on so many goings on: trips, holiday, family visits, fun, loss... 

But without time for that catch up (as i wait to board train for DC) we must slip in Heath's letters to the editor. 

Apparently this is a game he and a friend made up and played. But he is very serious about having them actually sent. He doesn't know where but told me he wants me to figure that out. 

Awh. It FINE-ally happened.

This six and  a third year old has lost a first tooth.  

I think he might be excited. 

Waterfall Torture

Heath. He asks questions like:

Mom, why do pajama pants have pockets?

Good question. 

Swim Meet #2

Just look at this gang. 

The pre-meet cheer round up.  Coaches Katie and Peter in white shirts.

Alder stepping up for a freestyle swim.  

Actually he's about to come out of his skin to shred down the pool. That stance is a bluff for the other swimmers. 

Heath swam freestyle this meet. Alder, freestyle, breast stroke and backstroke. 

Birthday Weekend

A quick update on ALOT thats being going on.  Heath's school field trip, which I chaperoned (dad) was to the zoo.  Here are the monkeys...

These boys were a total mess.  They love each other and loved turning the zoo inside out.

And, we have an eight year old now!  How did this happen??  Alder wanted a sleepover with a few friends, sleeping outside (tent), and with lots and lots of time playing together on screens.  So we let them gorge themselves on minecraft cake...

and minecraft, via mobile devices owned, brought and borrowed…

They so fully enjoyed each other.  Only one, plus Dad made it through the night sleeping out side; frield in tent, dad on deflated bouncy house, which was a wonderful place to sleep.

Altogether, we are feeling so fortunate.  These boys are growing so fast, learning so much about life and are happy in this world, happy together.  So fortunate.  We have a big Summer ahead.  So, more to come.