Biggest Photo Overload Post of ALL TIME

Since I haven't posted here in 100 years, I've missed the opportunity to document for history's sake all the things that have been going on in our lives.

And since ain't nobody got time to go back and recap the last 6-7 months (!!) I am just going to dump a bunch of photos here and try (TRY) to do better going forward with at least short posts at least somewhat frequently. Maybe I can try for once a week for now, since clearly I suck at posting daily, or monthly, or this year.

I just really need to get all these photos off my phone and into a place that won't get left behind in a taxicab or dropped into the toilet.

So -- feel free to ignore this post unless you are just a big fan of photo dumps.

If that is you, then ENJOY!

Here's what we've been up to:

We went to our friends' "Living Museum" event again and this time the kids were Malcolm X, George Washington Carver and Nina Simone!

Close up of Cary X. We did a good job, didn't we?!

Clair continued to do cute things.

And, now that she's 3, she had her first big girl check-up!

We continued to get settled into our new house and one of the best things is that I got to hang the piece of artwork that Frank Morrison painted for her. Remember that story? I'm so excited to have it in her room and to have her see "I See a Queen in Me" every single day. 

More cute kids.

I had little people underfoot allllll the time!

Which made hanging with my girlfriends that much sweeter.

This.

Dean wrote a word on a post-it, taped it to the wall in the playroom and hysterical giggling ensued for 15 minutes.

The boys learned yoga poses during daily "reflection" times at school.

Lester and I got jiggy and went to his friend Shayla's wedding. The guy behind us was super drunk and super loud. And of course he was seated at our table.

We celebrated Easter at church and dyed eggs and had an Easter egg hunt in our new backyard - which is perfect, I gotta say, for Easter egg hunting.

I hosted book club at my house. And I loved every minute of it. I wish I could host book club at my house every weekend. Love these women!

Just because I love them so much, here's another shot!

We went to Stacey's house and Clair fell in love with a Hello Kitty mug -- full of hot chocolate. I fall in love daily with those eyes of hers. Just look at them. My God.

Tahira turned 30! We went to see Toni Morrison (!!!) at a reading in D.C. 

Coolest kids in the world.

We celebrated Mother's Day at Sherwood Gardens.

Cary and Dean turned 5!!!!

We celebrated at their school with cupcakes and their best buddies! We also had a huge party at the Maryland Science Center. 

Dean's friend Devyn came to their birthday party. Don't tell him I told you, but Dean gets all blushy whenever he talks about Devyn. Awwwww.

My mom's family came to visit and this is my Uncle Buddy, my Mom's younger brother. Family resemblance much?

I joined Jack and Jill! And now I have even MORE things to do! Because I wasn't busy enough. Noooo.

Cary and Dean finished up a fantastic school year at the Friends School and will be going to KINDERGARTEN in the fall. Lawdhavemercy. 

Lester fell asleep on the sofa and Clair covered him with her favorite blanket and some stuffies "so he won't be scared."

Devyn and Cary played together and looked super cute!

Clair had what might just be her best day ever, getting her nails painted, her hair decorated and eating cotton candy at her school's Fun Day.

We made S'mores (for the first time ever!) with friends. Dean and Cary were very excited that they got to be so close to fire. And also for S'mores.

We ran around in a rainstorm like idiots and had a total blast. 

Clair exerted her 3-year-old will and insisted on all sorts of crazy fashion choices, such as rain boots with shorts on one of the hottest days of the summer. I learned to pick my battles.

We took the family to New York for three days of sightseeing, taxi-hailing, subway-riding and eating, eating, eating. It was exhausting. It was awesome.

We went strawberry picking with Auntie Hira, Russy and Matthew.

I turned 42! And I celebrated  over brunch with 11 girlfriends. I invited 14 but three couldn't make it. And I could have invited so many more if people lived nearby. PEOPLE! Move nearby! I miss you!

Dean and Clair continued to be super cute and sweet together.

My Dad bought us tickets to see "Marley" at Center Stage and we all went and it was so great to all be together, and the play was awesome. We're all singing Bob Marley songs all the time now. (Also, apparently I really like that dress...hmmm.)

The boys have pool-time every day at camp, but Clair doesn't so we enrolled her in swim lessons.  She's very enthusiastic about it - unlike her brothers. But I imagine this will be a long process -- for all of them, before they learn to actually swim.

For Father's Day, Lester took Cary and Dean to their very first movie in a movie theater, to see Inside Out. Which they loved, but -- you know the deal with my kids -- they loved the popcorn, root beer and candy even more. While they were gone, Clair and I had lunch together and bought a chair for our living room.



OK - now you're all caught up! Don't you feel better? I know I do. :-)