Barely into Spring...

... and already pushing summer! The O'Learys opened their pool and hosted dinner Sunday night, and the kids went immediately amphibious.

The next morning, Syl's braces came off... at least for a bit. She has a retainer for a month or two, then it is back in to the heavy hardware. Good to see her pearly whites!

Neither rain nor more rain nor MORE RAIN...

... will keep me from doing what my training app tells me to do. 

51 degrees and 68 miles in the steady rain put a chill in my bones yesterday. 

A quick coffee stop helped a little. 

Today I headed out for a 15 mile run in the sunshine... and an hour in got nailed by torrential rain and flash flooding. 

At least I will be prepared for bad weather should it come on race day!

The Joy of Running

Syl had her first simulated track meet this evening. She doesn't have much interest (none) in team sports, but for whatever reason, running really lights her pilot. She gets genuinely amped up about it, and is crazy excited at the end of a race no matter where she comes in (second in the 100, fourth in the 200 tonight). It is fun to watch.

Note the intensity.

Now note the tongue. Genetics are funny.

Finally, note the joy!

From The Aquatic Photo-Bomber (Syl's Mom) to all the moms out there

Happy Mother's Day!

It is kind of cool having both the girls taking swim lessons. They came with me to the gym this morning to practice while I did laps.

Then, a dog walk.

Then our traditional Mother's Day lunch: sushi!

Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms and Grandmas in our lives!

Self Portrait of the Artist as a Young Girl

Practically one of the family

Megumi sleeping over is becoming more or less an assumed part of every weekend around here. That's okay by us. She's a delight of a kid.

Springtime in Boston

The Liggetts came to visit this weekend, primarily to take the kids to the Sound of Music last night (which Syl LOVED). Before the play we spend a gorgeous hour in the Public Garden.

Jeff is a masterful photo bomber.

And Syl is getting good at selfies.

Our new favorite hike

When we left Holliston, we mourned the loss of the nearby Noon Hill reservation, and doubted we'd find its match. In the inaptly-named Mount Misery reservation in Lincoln, we have--probably more than it's match, given the added bonus of the Sudbury River!

Last weekend we brought Syl's pal Megumi with us, for what Syl claims is their "best day yet."

Megumi brought along a wilderness survival guide, with helpful tips on surviving likely events, such as tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, and snake bite.

Maybe the snake bite thing wasn't so strange. See the birch log behind Melissa...?

This big dude didn't seem too interested in us.

Afterwards, ice cream.