Back In the Swing

We're getting back into the swing of things here. But we are not fully swinged. Swung.

School started on a Thursday, and the following Monday we were off for Rosh Hashanah. And then today we are off for Yom Kippur. So we have had enough breaks where things still have a summer feel but I suspect that will be ending soon. Especially as the homework is starting to come now. Boo.

I hate homework. And we already did a bunch of homework this morning, and I can tell you right now that it has zapped my creative juices for the day. This will not be a funny post.

A couple of Saturdays ago we went to Palisades Interstate Park with the our friends, the Whitings. It's a park that is underneath the George Washington Bridge (the bridge we most often take into the city). It was such a cool park.

Driving under the bridge.

View of the city from the park. And also Gwen riding bikes with Pearl. My kids are not good at bike riding yet, and it's obvious I need to spend a lot more time on it with them. And maybe buy bikes that are the right size. And maybe buy them helmets.

Clearly, bike riding has not been a priority around here.

We walked on a trail that had all of these cool places to climb down on the rocks next to the water. The water was realllllllllllly stinky. But stinky is kind of our family scent, so it was fine.

And then when we were all parked out, we drove back to the bridge and walked a good chunk of it before turning around and heading home.

Gwen and Pearl are best frenemies. Gwen bosses Pearl to no end and then bawls her eyes out whenever it is time to say good-bye. It's the beginning of a beautifully toxic friendship.

View from the bridge.

And now for miscellany:

June struggles in the smiling-normal-for-photos category. She's a beautiful girl with a beautiful smile but when she is told to smile, she panics. So she asked me if we could practice on the morning of school picture day.

A little tense:

 A little forced:

Just right.

And Gwen, who goes to school in her mind.

Also in her mind, she's a great fashion designer.

I took Harris and Gwen to the doc for check-ups. I think we are going to have to get Harris' tongue clipped.

Gwen's ears had a major reaction to some cheap earrings from Claire's so I took the earrings out. I was sure that was the end of earrings for her for awhile. But the reaction went away and the holes didn't close up (even after 6 weeks) so we are trying again with some better quality earrings.

Little kitties for my Gwen Kitty (as she prefers to be called).

Storytime at the library (with Pearl!!):

With her new favorite friend "Punkin" we picked up at Aldi this week. She likes for Punkin to wear that necklace.

I guess you could say that Gwen has a wardrobe capsule. There are three shirts and three skirts she wears all of the time. Except none of them go together at all. But we don't care. This is not the battle I pick (except Sunday for church. Then it's war.).

Speaking of, here's the crew before church last Sunday.

Waiting for the bus. With Punkin.

Our favorite bus-waiting activity: soccer in the front yard.

The End.