It just felt like a Jolly Cone kind of a day

There are lots of things I miss about living in West Sacramento: my friends, that lovely house and giant yard, the Nugget Market, our favorite Chinese restaurant, the amazing Little League fields, and Whitey's Jolly Cone--just to name a few. The little guys and I had to drive to Sacramento the other day to pick Koen up from the Amtrak station. (He had ridden home from my mom's house on the Amtrak Thruway bus driven by Papa Phil.) We were all in need of a quick snack before the long drive home, and it was still 93 degrees, so Whitey's seemed like just the spot!

Lawson & Hayden's First Day of School

After having a great experience last school year, I'm teaching at the local community college again this fall semester. This time around I'm teaching two classes (Mass Communication and Public Speaking), so I have to be on campus all day Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. When I was first offered this schedule I was very anxious about how I'd manage child care, but we were fortunate to have Hayden & Lawson both accepted into the on-campus Child Study Center. (You might remember that Dillon & Koen attended the child care center at SFSU when I was in grad school there, and they had a great experience!) 

I am so excited to have them on campus with me, and it will be really valuable for them to have some time with non-family caregivers. The center actually has low enrollment this school term, so they are basically going to receive one-on-one care, which is unheard of in group care settings anymore. Fall semester Hayden will be in the infant room, and Lawson in the 2/3 year-old classroom. 

When I dropped them off on their first day, Lawson adjusted immediately. Hayden, however, cried & cried. I'm sure it will wear off quickly, though. We're looking forward to a great school year!

Walking up the path to school, lunch boxes in tow.

Lawson turns 3!

Every time I asked Lawson what he wanted for his third birthday gave me the same answer: "A Thomas cake." Although his party was a low-key affair this year, he was overjoyed because his wish came true! The Cobb family joined us, and--also by Lawson's request--we had a picnic dinner in the yard.