Sweethearts on the Hill

School starts tomorrow. I really can't believe it.  The days are still hot, so I'm sure we have a few more summertime activities in front of us - but they don't feel the same when they are mixed in with 5 school days each week. Here are a few pictures of the boys hanging out at Aunt Linda and Uncle Larry's pool recently.   Ha! Charlie looks like a froggy. The boys and I have also revived one of our old favorite Friday activities… lunch, fountains, and ice cream in Market Square. I used to do this with Sam and Charlie nearly every week. Once they got bigger, the fountains weren't so appealing - and Tomato Head added a new location near our house - so it all just kind of faded away. But, we've taken Luke there a couple times this summer, and it's still the same ole scene -- except, for some reason, the moms of toddlers seem really young now!  Kids these days...   Here are my handsome boys waiting for their lunch at Tomato Head ...

Every so often, it strikes me that it's time to do an official photo shoot with the little Hatcher boys. As you can imagine, these days come with a lot of resistance, so I always prep them with plenty of advanced notice and a suspicious amount of bribery (or threats, depending on how you look at it). The day typically begins with me getting everyone dressed, ready, and looking good, while trying to be a cheerleader to keep them all happy and upbeat. Nobody really looks forward to these days. They often either start or end with some kind of unnecessary drama. For this reason, I try to keep them to just once or twice a year. Sam and Charlie have (sort of) learned that if they just roll with it and give mommy the smiles she is looking for, it will make the event much less painful for everyone…  Luke…. not so much. This is how the day went... Started off here with some sweet smiles… cooperation… looking handsome... And then this… We figured maybe Luke needed some time to ...