Highlights from the Last Two Weeks

-Visiting Smith grandparents on a perfect day and watching the great-grands push toys around in their driveway. ("Burn rubber, boys!")

-Watching the pike swimming in Johnson Creek and throwing acorns off the dock at the frogs to try to make them hop

-A spectacular called shot by J. After having looked for the Michelle Obama biography during every library visit for the last three months in vain, she looked at me on the way into the Fairport library and said casually (but confidently) "It's going to be here. Today's the day I get it." And so it came to pass

-Eating at the Hojack shack in Lyndonville with Grandma and Grandpa Smith. Poutine, hot dogs and hamburgers, and then huge ice cream sundaes while the kids bounced around the playground and made friends with the other summer vacationing little ones.

-Trail running twice with Oliver in the early mornings before he had to head in to work

-Sorting out all the old clothes in the basement and finding homes for random pairs of boots, mittens, and onesies that have a proper bin but have sat out on their own for several months to several years

-Getting a beer with Sam and Korina at O'Lacy's and trying to convince the boys that chicken ramakis aren't spicy

-Submitting James' final 2nd grade paperwork to the school district and getting clearance to proceed with 3rd grade in the fall

-The best meal I've ever eaten. FLX table in Geneva, followed by walking around Geneva with Lucas and Melissa

-Discovering Amazing Grains salt bread at FLX table and then getting another loaf of it the next day from the bakery. Hot, chewy, pastry-flaky. I didn't know bread could be that good.

-Waiting for the mail to come with J's new pots and pans. (A gift card from a student plus birthday money)

-Netsin's on J's birthday with the kids, our first trip of the season

-Hiking up to the BMX jumps at the southern end of Tryon Park with the kids

-J's new birthday dress

-Grabbing brunch with a colleague who's moving to Cincinnati at the Parkside Diner up near Seabreeze

-Hiking to "Smith Island" in Tryon Park with the kids and throwing rocks in the stream with the kids for an afternoon

-Three visits up to Eastman Durand Park to sip wine or coffee (depending on the time of day) while the kids splashed in the lake and got sandy