Martha Clara Vineyard with Erika and Rob 2017

Super fun Sunday at the vineyard with Erika and Rob! (All made possible by our amazing neighbor Carol who jumped in when our babysitter bailed.)

Doing a wine tasting at Martha Clara. Love the wines!

Everyone is having fun.

Rob and I also got ice cream.

Sunflowers!! We should have have jumped into the field.

Erika Swyler at PWR Reading 2017

On Wednesday, Erika read from her book, The Book of Speculation, at Stony Brook University for the Program in Writing and Rhetoric's Reading Series. This is the reading series that Kevin created and organizes at work. It went really well!

Reading in the Shared Faculty Lounge

Erika reading

Students listening attentively

Drinks with Erika and Rob - March 2017

Grandma Kathy was here this weekend so we got to go on a second date night this month! Two in one month! So we headed to dinner in Port Jefferson, and on our way we texted Erika and Rob to see if they would join us for drinks after, and they did! We met up at the Old Fields bar, and it was actually full of young people. Apparently we never get out on busy Saturday night? So much freedom and joy! Thanks Grandma Kathy, and thanks for coming out on short notice Erika and Rob!

Dinner at Kimi because I always want sushi

Forgot to take a picture of them so I stole this off their Facebook. ;)

Rob's 40th Birthday 2016

We celebrated Rob's 40th birthday at The Melting Pot. I'd never been before. It was kind of exciting though we definitely permanently lost some steak in the fondue pots- haha. First world problems. There were a lot of people there to celebrate Rob and his fabulous holiday llama sweater.

Erika, Rob, and Mark

Looking dubious about something!

Clou Cookout 2016

We had a cookout. Everyone that came was super awesome. They also brought lots of goodies. They chatted, they mingled, some of them played games in the backyard. I got too tipsy to take enough pictures. Rob, Erika, Nick, and Emily also partied especially hard. Thank you all for being the best!

Rob and Erika are the bomb

Kevin with former students Heather and Rachel 

Nick and Emily visited for the weekend!

Rita gave me a flower chain

Jaz, Kristina, Joe, Shaf, and Avi

Shaf and Nick did all the grilling for us because they're awesome!

Dave and Jaz

James telling Jilleen about all his video games (sorry!)

Kalyna, James, Maksym, and Miranda

Cuban Selfie

Picture fail: Not pictured: Darren, Adam, Colleen, and Rita.

Local Author Fair at Smithtown-Nesconset 2016

Last Saturday, both Erika S. and Kevin participated in a local author fair at the Smithtown-Nesconset library. They spoke about their books, the writing and publication processes. I was mostly watching the kids in the children's section of the library, but I did get a few pictures.

Pre-fair set up- Kevin and Erika sitting by the windows

Pre-fair set up

Pre-fair set up

Erika speaking to the audience

Poster

Erika's Book of Speculation Reading 2016

dI got to actually hear Erika read and talk about her novel The Book of Speculation last week. Even though I read her book in May, and the short story prequel in June, and loved both, this was the first opportunity I had to attend a reading. It added a lot to what I got from the book. For example, I had never considered either the symbolism or the realism of the crabs... but it was fascinating to reconsider them.

Erika reading from her book

A nice size audience!

Since the book took 10 years to write, it was really cool to hear about how her life progressed as she wrote the book. It's so enjoyable to listen to talented and thoughtful people talk. I wish I'd taken more advantage of how easy it was to go to readings and author talks when I was childless and lived right next to Book Court in Brooklyn. 

You can see the back of my head. Haha.

Signing copies for people

The posters because they're exciting

Kevin watched the kids for me and since he was dropping me off anyway, they all enjoyed the playground and gorgeous children's reading room at the Neconset/ Smithtown Library.

Coloring

LI Aquarium with Erika and Rob- July 2016

We've missed Erika and Rob since Memorial Day because she's been on a summer book tour for her book, The Book of Speculation! (I read it- it's great! Buy it! Read it!) So we were excited when they suggested going to the aquarium together. We love the Long Island Aquarium.

Group selfie! Unhappy faces due to heat outside the Aquarium

We had a fun afternoon walking around the inside and outside of the aquarium, getting lunch, ice cream, and playing a little Pokemon Go.

James outside the aquarium

Miranda petting sting ray

Rob and Erika laughing at these motionless fish

Miranda pointing out her favorite fish

People in the shark tank today!

Sea lion show!

Petting different sea animals

Miranda is excited

Rob told us about the Penguin bubble!

James is excited that he's big enough for the wading pool (Miranda isn't)

Walking with crabs

Checking out a shelled animal

Kevin and Miranda checking out the otters

The train captivated and enraged Miranda

Ice cream and shade

When we got home the kids made their own aquarium, stocked with kids instead of fish.

Miranda insisted the water table be inside the pool

James insisted on "swimming" laps around the water table