So, the past four weeks have found all three Kenyon boys solo because Mary has been taking an intensive MBA class that required her to be gone Friday evenings and all day Saturday. We managed, but I'm glad to have her back on the weekend team.

While I had to use some creative ways to corral them early on (see above right), we reached an understanding early on and had a great time. Most of our Saturdays involved trips to the Iowa City Public Library, which continues to be a great diversion for them (and I don't just say that because I'm on the library's board). One week they had an Earth Day program with lots of activities, while another was a special May Day program complete with Maypole.

One of the Saturdays we skipped the library and went to a 4H AgFest at the Johnson County Fairgrounds. They pack a lot into a couple of buildings, giving the boys the chance to pet animals, learn about agriculture, meet a police officer and ride on a small carousel. We did this last year, too, so it was interesting to see how much more engaged both boys were. Edward seemed to get into things more, and Daniel interacted with the animals more this year, too.

They also have become very adept jumpers, using our living room furniture as a jungle gym. Each seems to jump a little higher and a little farther than the day before, and I fear what will happen when they max out the recreational abilities of our couch. The video below shows some of their prowess/parent-scaring skills

Yesterday brought a graduation party for a friend of Mary's who was a year ahead of her in the MBA program. It was a chance to celebrate her success and see friends, but also a test-run for what we'll be doing this time next year when Mary finishes her degree. It was a nice, laid-back affair, and Daniel got into the spirit of things by lounging in this hammock chair. He didn't stay there long, but was comfy while it lasted.