Iris takes guitar lessons. I like how she sounds when she sings with the guitar.

Unfortunately for my ears, she isn’t very enthusiastic about playing and doesn’t want to continue.

For his birthday, Akiva asked my family to visit. They did!

Iris & Mom fixed up a set of shelves for Iris to display fancy horses.

Unfortunately, I didn’t take any photos on his actual birthday, which is tomorrow.

My kids never played with wooden blocks as much as I did with my sister.

I don’t see much block-playing time left in their future, either.

I wonder where I went wrong in their education.

I like to buy pants in advance. There’s always that day when, suddenly, none of the pants fit.

I took out a new pair of pants. Akiva put on the shirt and tie to celebrate.

Martin reads to Akiva.

Iris reads to herself.

Both of them passed their karate belt test

and lost a tooth

on the same day!

The silver tooth is the 12-year molar that Iris broke when she was five,

in the horrible sled crash where she broke her leg and Akiva smashed his head.

It is probably true that most people who enjoy traditional board games have heard of Sorry.

It is probably true that most people who enjoy traditional board games have not heard of Traffic Jam.

Were it not for the distinguished mid-century artwork and the fact that it has cars, roads and street signs,

we all would probably be ignorant of Traffic Jam. Some games have little worth remembering.

Pop is my grandfather on my mother’s side. Mom says we called him Pop because she called him Pop so Cate called him Pop and we followed suit. There was still no other Pop in our lineage when my kids came along, so I saw no reason to refer to him as anything other than Pop. Thus, my kids are the 3rd generation to refer to my mother’s father as Pop. Like many owners of a Y-chromosome, Pop was good at napping. Although he was very tall, he napped on a very short couch. His knees would hang over one arm rest and his head would rest on the other. I’m certain my father napped on the couch. He can nap anywhere. Here is Martin napping on the couch. Akiva doesn’t nap yet; he’s too young.