IOWAs NO MORE! (...Until next year)

As anyone knows who's encountered the folly of standardized tests (which is to say, everyone), they're a real drag.  I was as eager to finish as the children were, so to bolster our spirits at the beginning of the week, I told them that when I'd finished grading them, we'd drop them off at the school and then immediately buy a half gallon of ice cream and a box of cones to eat while walking on the dike.

Guess who's teething finally?  Six top teeth all in one go!

Two tiny specks named Annika and Susannah ran down to the lake to dip their toes.

We all followed after.

Rock skipping was the primary occupation, and Zeke had me approve rocks for him first.

Cadence was so sweet playing peekaboo I asked one of the girls to take a picture.

Then we climbed a hillside of rocks. 

Ugh.  These mountain goats make it look easy, but with a baby strapped behind and a big ol' belly in front, I didn't win any ribbons.

We stopped in at the school playground because, hey!, we pay tons of taxes.  Also, as you can see, the littlest children begged to play.

Then we stopped in at the town pool for the first time.  It's free, and we live ten minutes away.  Why was this our first time?!

Before leaving, we squeezed in a second playground because-- you guessed it-- the littlest children begged to play.

Those few hours of fun nearly made taking IOWAs worth the bother.