Long time

We have been less than perfect bloggers this summer, with no excuse except luxuriating in increased leisure. Now we are back to some kind of grind, though we are both doing things we enjoy enormously (John studying classics, Rachel working on her writing and performing). George has been growing apace, though not in the weight department (only 3 ounces since June-- and all that creamy raw milk!). This has been the summer of the farm animals (George was all intent concentration in his first ride on a horse, see photo) and most prominently, of the lawnmower, with George riding on Uncle Jim's rider mower, and our neighbor Howard Trombly's too. Mr. Trombly was the assistant principal at our regional high school, inspiring fear and sneaky behavior from many adults we know even now, when they see him, but to George he is a rock star mowing MACHINE. See photos.

There is a song George has us sing at bedtime, to the tune of Waltzing Matilda: "Howard is mowing, Howard is mowing, Howard is mowing the lawn with George..." You can imagine, the lyrics can get pretty creative after that, with exhausted parents doing whatever it takes to get this very active boy's motor to slow down. George supplies the next verse, with another favorite local mower, "Taylor" or "Paul." Now things are getting a little surrealist with "horsies are mowing" and most recently and bizarrely, "cheese is mowing" and its perhaps inevitable sequel, "cake is mowing." I fantasize about writing a children's book about a crazy lawnmowing clan based on the summer on Grove St. when George was 1.