mandalas pt.2....will it ever end?....

Ode to Mac and Emmett

The Thinker

The smile...

Hams!

MORE HAMS

I love these guys
Papa

scenes of early summer...

...and our newest temporary additions Patricia and Hoenheim, the zebra finches from kindergarten, who have already laid an egg!!!

hellos and goodbyes...

Goodbye old school building!
Goodbye kindergarten!
What a great group of kids and families!


HELLO FIRST GRADE!!


Goodbye Morgan! Best kindergarten teacher ever!
WE WILL MISS YOU!!
(but of course we will visit regularly.
Emmett is already choosing books to read
to the new kindergarteners!


And...Hello SUMMER! WAHOOOOOO!!!!

MANDALAS...

The kids and I painted this huge mandala. It was a really fun project because the kids could do a lot of it themselves. They came up with much of the outline design. We all painted for hours on Saturday.


Even papa got in on the act with a smaller version.


The mandala craze that is sweeping our house began with an assignment to make something to sew onto Finley's quilt. We started doodling designs to spark an idea and, thanks to Spirograph as a kid and my mom who has always loved to do pen design coloring books with Mac and Emmett, we decided on mandalas and a new project was born.


We discovered that it is really fun to take old flannel, rip it into squares, and then put it on an embroidery hoop to keep it taut. Then we use Sharpees to go nuts.


The whole thing is strangely satisfying and addictive.
Now I want mandalas everywhere!


Even the simple ones are cool.


Emmett made this one for me for my b-day and I love it!

Papa rules ('cause he really does)...

Papa
Papa rocks the cazba
A smart guy
Pretty funny
Adventurous

Really fun
Oh man he plays basketball
Crazy
Koolest kat in town
Surreally cool


best papa

(us making potato pancakes for papa)