So....where'd the month of July go? That's my question for you. It seems to have disappeared.

In a flurry of summer activities, I have made enjoying our summer my priority and this blog has suffered. For that, I apologize. To bring you up to speed on some goings-on in our lives, here is a smattering of randomness from our life. 

If you're wondering what's the deal with the sewing pattern above, I'll tell you.

Over the past year or so, my Grandma Barbara has been cleaning out her house and has found boxes of vintage sewing patterns that she no longer needs.  She is a seamstress, or was, once upon a time, and used to make most of my mom, her sister and her own clothing. In sifting through the boxes, which was no small task, I found some absolute jewels.  

I love vintage clothing. I love the simplicity of the lines, the clean cuts, the short skirts, the sheath dresses...there are so many great styles from when my Grandma was buying patterns. I chose to photograph a few of my favorites so you can see what I'm talking about. 

Are these dresses not awesome? Once my kitchen renovation is complete and I can use (heck, at this point it'd be great to simply lay EYES on) my dining room table, I'll haul out my sewing machine and attempt to create some outfits for Brooklyn. 

One thing I found interesting is that my Grandma and my Great-Grandma apparently ordered tons of patterns through magazines. They would come in these pastel colored envelopes from McCalls or something with the pattern enclosed inside. They're so neat!

Sorry this picture is side-ways...I took the picture with my iphone just to send it to my sister-in-law and didn't realize it would be sideways.

I find it hilarious that they put that little disclaimer on the pattern envelope:

"Adaptable for Chubbies"

Priceless.

I haven't looked lately, but I'm betting they no longer include that disclaimer. If anything, they probably go the other way..."Adaptable for Skinnies".

I certainly have a hard time finding things that fit my twiggy children.

These dresses just speak of another time. I look at the pictures and think, "Leave it to Beaver...Nick at Night television". I get this mental picture of cookie cutter neighborhoods with pristine lawns and children riding tricycles down the sidewalks while their mothers put dinner on the table. Idyllic, and probably unrealistic, but that's the image conjured up in my mind by these sweet dresses.

Fast forward a few decades, and here are my own sweet dudes - decked out in goggles and ski hats - their version of aviator gear. And their matching shirts. 

It is so fun watching these boys play together. 

They have a game they call "Buds". It's not really a game, per se, it's just their version of play, really.  They go around pretending to be worker men or business men or men doing manly things and they call each other Bud the whole time. 

"Hey Bud, wanna go drive this tractor with me?"

"Sure Bud, let me just grab my sword and worker boots."

Dorien looks up to August in a way that literally grabs my heart and squeezes it, taking the breath out of me. He adores him.  Thankfully, August is very patient and kind and a superlative big brother. He occasionally loses his patience, but for the most part, he is usually willing to play with Dorien.

Dorien will ask a question of August and then say, "Yeah, that's right, August! Uh-huh!"

August can do no wrong in his eyes.

Roaorr!!!!! 

Kyle took the kids to see the dinosaurs prowling around the Clinton Library.

The kids approved.

August and his "Smoopshie-Poo".

Much to Wyeth's aggravation, August loves to hug and kiss on his littlest brother. Wyeth would rather tackle August.

Can you see the sheer joy on this kid's face? 

Oh my goodness, Dad, this is where BIG PEOPLE SIT!!!!

Don't worry - no driving actually took place.

A sight to bring joy to any mom's heart - kids hard at work creating something together. No fighting. No bickering. Just concentration on making something lovely.

What they're actually working on is a huge activity sheet that came in a Tea Collection order that arrived. I buy lots of their clothes from Tea Collection, and they occasionally send interesting activity books or creative things. This huge sheet was all about India. The kids loved it.

Even Wyeth found a space and got to work.

This is our gym pool. For the first time, we have actually spent time here in the summer!

In previous summers, none of my kids had any swimming ability, so for me to take them to the pool was tantamount to a nervous breakdown (on my part).

Last summer, Brooklyn and August began to get the hang of swimming, and this year, it really all came together for them. They are officially fish.

Dorien, not so much. But, with a kickboard, he's pretty safe. So he toodles around on the shallower side of the rope while Brooklyn and August hang out in deeper waters.

Wyeth....now he's another matter. He LOVES the water, but just doesn't swim yet. 

He is fearless, and will go underwater and come up smiling - water streaming off his eyelashes and off his nose. For reasons that would bore you, the poor kid doesn't have any type of flotation device, other than the occasional kickboard he'll confiscate. Then he'll drape himself over it and kick all over the place.  He knows how to climb out on the side by himself, and I'm working on his floating on his back. I have been trying to schedule some Safety Before Skills classes while he's still teachable and fearless.

The day this picture was taken, I decided to do a late evening dip with the kids. We were pretty much the only people at the pool, and it was extremely relaxing. This was pre-100 degree weather, too. 

As you can see, Dorien loves the water - especially when his kickboard is handy.