Five Brown Kids

Our kids are growing up.  Jaxon was gone all last week for Odyssey of the Mind World Finals at Michigan State University.  On Saturday Taye was gone to a friends house post swim practice, for a neighborhood teen pool party.  It was a peaceful Saturday with just the girls.  I went for a long run with Emily.  Tyrone and I went strawberry picking and then jam making with the girls.  We swam at the pool for opening day. Ate dinner at Chipotle and then checked out the hot air balloon fest at a local park.  I can see a glimpse of my future as kids start heading out on their own and home life starts to settle down a little bit. Tyrone worked on Monday.  The kids and I played at the pool.  And then I made supper - hamburgers, bean salad, homemade mac and cheese, corn on the cob and homemade ice-cream.  And then when it was time to eat - Taye had gone with a friend to a BBQ, Scotia had gone swimming again with a neighbor and Blythe was asleep. ...

I love the end of school festivities. The talent show is a big deal at our school. Each grade does a dance and it is always fantastic. Scotia was annoyed at having to be a partner with a boy who isn't her favorite - but she did a great job. Jaxon's class danced to Uptown Funk and at the end a few kids did their own moves and Jaxon's "whip" was super cute!  Later in the day Jaxon graduated from elementary school, and I get a little teary eyed if I think about what a privilege it has been to drop my kids off there every morning. What if I'd never applied there? I can't imagine... Graduation and Oddysey of the Mind posts coming up next.  Jaxon has pink socks.  Scotia in pink skirt at far left. 

I'm still obsessed with the bluegrass band Scythian. When I heard thy were going to be playing a free concert on the lawn at the American tobacco campus I couldn't add it to my calendar fast enough. I took the kids and met Emily and her family there. We ate a picnic supper and then wormed our way into some front row seats. Eventually Jason took the big kids off to swing in the hammocks and then wrestling and football tossing on the back lawn while Emily, Holly, Blythe and I sat with our toes in the stream and enjoyed the music.  I have four delightful children, amazing adventures and activities, a house that is warm in the winter and cold in the summer, a fridge full of food, my kids go to wonderful public schools, and every week a big truck pulls up to my house and makes all my garbage disappear. I feel like the queen of Raleigh! 

Jaxon was asking us to buy something for him (fancy socks probably) and Tyrone suggested he could use his own money. "But I earned that money!" Jaxon said.  Yep...

Woah, Baby.  This girl is on the run!  

I went on a quick girls trip with some friends last weekend.  We headed up to Leesburg, VA for Luckett's spring market.  We ate dinner at Cafe Rio (still my favorite) stayed overnight at a hotel and then headed to the fair on Saturday.  It was a perfect day to wander and admire and buy.  I purchased a set of ice-cream dishes for some more epic Brown family desserts, a small milk bottle for a flower vase and an industrial stool to replace by upstairs desk chair. Cricket had a hard time committing to a sette but made a great choice in the end. I loved being with my friends...

My parents came to visit us in May for 11 days-  add that to my mom's visit in February  and she spent almost a month with us this winter/spring.  Here's what I learned  - I would love to have my mom live with us all the time!!  We both love to work out in the morning, we liked running errands together, but were also happy to head out alone.  We divvied up some chores and worked together on others.  She is really fun to have around and it's so nice to have help. My dad is a serious worker.  He showed up and crossed off everything on my list and then some.  We added a piece to our driveway to just give us a little more parking/breathing room (his idea). We made a garden box, repaired a cupboard door, replaced a stair post, made a greenway poster frame and a big chalkboard for scotia. My mom painted a bunch of baseboard trim.  It's always a mess when they are here but in the end I tidied all up and it looks better than ever. They broug...

I don't know if I saw the artist first and then this article , or the article and then the artist but last year I fell head over heels in love with these amazing greenway posters by Autumn Cobeland .  Before Christmas the whole family ventured out to a First Friday art open house to talk to the artist and look at the prints - we chose this one because of the pink! My dad added a frame last week. It's the first of many projects my parents knocked out while they were here and I love it!

The boys both had overnight school trips in April.   Taye's class went to Grandfather Mountain, Linville Caves and Biltmore Estate.   Jaxon's class went to Washington, D.C.  According to him they "Saw everything".  There are no pictures to document his stay.