Things I don't have pictures of

- the fantastic brunch our friends Rico and Monika threw, that may have been the first gathering of our peer group where there were as many kids running around as adults. Gaggles of children hanging off tree swings, scrambling up and down the slide on their little play structure, chasing each other around, shrieking and giggling, and how did I not manage to get out my camera (which I had even remembered to bring!) ? Oh that's right I was busy trying to keep Sadie from getting her first sun burn because I had neglected to bring her hat. It was pretty astonishing to see the second generation of all our college friends, though. We have definitely entered a new chapter of adulthood.

- Jack's first haircut in which no tears were shed. I wasn't there so I take no blame for the lack of photographic evidence. But I'm very proud of him, and he seems to be of himself as well.

- Sadie's first non-sleep smile. I don't know if it was just gas or whatever they say, but I was feeding her while I was putting Jack to bed tonight and singing a cheesy song that I have adapted to be a lullaby (do you remember the "we love you ____, oh yes we do" little ditty from summer camp days?), and I had just gotten to the verse about Sadie when I looked down because she had suddenly stopped eating, and what should I see but a big toothless grin? It was the longest lasting smile I've gotten from her. It was like she liked the singing or she recognized her name or something. She's not the kind of baby that comes off the boob in a milk coma and blissed out. She usually comes off agitated and needing to burp. But here she was, smiling up at me goofily, like "oh mommy I love you too." No chance of getting a picture of that, though.

- the video conference with my dad and the rest of the family at Alison's house on his birthday tonight, and the shenanigans Jack was up to off camera. I kept trying to turn the webcam toward him when he darted off-screen to capture some of his bouncing and hopping and excited leaping back and forth, but I don't think I ever quite caught him. He's fast. He was so excited to see Thomas, I think he was hoping that Thomas would come out of the computer and run and jump with him. And he kept bringing items back to the computer to show Ava ("look Ava!"). And then when I asked him to tell Grandpa happy birthday he suddenly got very shy and whispered it so softly you could barely hear. What a character.

- but I did get some pictures of this (which was probably the most important thing to have caught): Jack snuggling up to his little baby sister, so gentle, so sweet.