It’s been too busy to write, and I have a feeling the rest of the month will be more of the same. Don’t you hate blog non-updates like that? I’ll be back eventually, but in the mean time have 2 months (to the day!) to my defense, am teaching an intensive summer course, have some awesome friends visiting, and am spending every spare minute I can possibly grab to cherish my dear family and friends. The best is that I get to chase this wonderful little boy â?? from the sand to the ocean to the river to the aquarium to the carousel to the dirt in the flower beds.

“I swim in the ocean.”

“I make a firework.”

Seals at the New England Aquarium

Carousel in Boston

May has always been special to me, since my birthday is the 13th. But now with Mother’s Day as well, I have another great excuse to celebrate spring! What have we been up to?

Playing soccer in the backyard:

One Saturday, while the boys did this:

I did this:

These table linens were embroidered by my great-grandmother. My aunt Diane gave them to me on our last trip out to California. That table cloth in the back was Seth’s grandmother’s. I was able to get them looking crisp and new by pre-treating decades-old stains with OxyClean and then drenching them in sunshine after washing. These are so special to me, and I’m glad they add a touch of history and elegance to our meals today!

A tag sale benefiting the local historical society was held almost literally in our backyard, at our neighbor’s. Knowing the neighbors and having seen their awesome 1920s house, I knew the stuff would be good. As predicted, I came away with many treasures, including this 22-carat-gold-plated china set made by Limoges USA (I know, American Limoges?!), from the 1920s:

I’m almost embarrassed to say how much I paid:  it would have cost more to see a movie in New York City.

I also picked up the most cheerful vintage recipe box:

and a pretty bowl, which I assume to be crystal because it weighs four tons:

Ah. I live for tag sale season.

Jax grew me a Mother’s Day gift at preschool:

He loves watering it and sometimes dumping out the excess water when it gets a little full.

Jax helped Seth mow the lawn on the morning of Mother’s Day:

For lunch that day we treated ourselves to delicious Mexican food. The table-side guacamole preparation was captivating:

While not a huge fan of the taste of guacamole, Jax did enjoy the cheese quesadillas and refried beans:

A big, quesadilla-filled smile!

For dinner that evening, we used one of my great-grandmother’s white tablecloths:

Seth gave me the beautiful rose plant I’ll be enjoying for months. It has since sprouted even more blooms.

Jax helped me open my Mother’s Day gift, a necklace with a charm that says “jax”:

Last weekend we used my birthday as an excuse to get together a bunch of local families with Jax-aged kids we’ve come to know. We had a picnic that lasted something like five hours, with friends coming and going all afternoon. It was great!

I have been so spoiled for my birthday and received many wonderful gifts that I so much appreciate. I now have Martha Stewart’s Craft encyclopedia and some great movies I’ve been meaning to watch and now can. There are also new treats from France and some fun new accessories I’ll be enjoying well beyond my birthday. So sweet!

My present to myself was finishing the last chapter of my dissertation.  Now on to a summer of editing and rewriting, interspersed with many more picnics and some short trips to see friends and family. Happy times!

A couple of weeks ago Seth started a new endeavor to blog about Google for Fortune Magazine’s online tech section. Although he is still working around the clock on his original brainchild, 9to5mac.com, ironically he’s now spending most of the 9-5 time slot in midtown Manhattan covering Apple’s formidable competitor. {Thankfully, he is a much more prolific blogger than yours truly.}

To launch the new blog, Fortune is featuring him on the Fortune.com page of the current print issue of the magazine.

What’s that you say? You’d like a closer look? In case you live in a city where one of my family members has bought every last copy of the magazine, here’s a close-up of the Q&A, so that you, too, can enjoy Seth’s comments on Google, Apple, and blogging.

Happy mother’s day to you, Mom! I didn’t get your gift to you on time (and I know you don’t even expect anything, which is why you deserve it even more) but I *can* give you this list of lessons I’ve been remembering as I continue my adventure of motherhood as well. I love you!

~Rachel

Things I learned from my mom:

1. Singing “Oh what a beautiful morning” when you wake up really does make any morning beautiful.

2. You also have really fun hairdos first thing in the morning.

3. People who stutter need to be patiently listened to, not spoken for.

4. Don’t bring chips, sugary cereals, or store-bought sweets into the house on a day-to-day basis, but never host a party without home-made chocolate chip cookies or carrot cake.

5. Let kids slather onto vegetables as much butter or ketchup as they please, and they’ll develop a liking for the vegetables themselves.

6. When conflicts arise, deal with them immediately and head-on, hug to make up, and never, ever hold a grudge.

7. The smaller the child, the larger art space they need.

8.Give kids only primary colors to work with and they’ll have fun discovering for themselves how to mix all the colors of the rainbow.

9. Everyone should know how to sew on a button (bonus if you know how to make a wedding dress.)

10. As ye sew, so shall ye rip.

11. Class has nothing to do with money or stuff.

12. To give means to take pleasure in knowing the receiver will do as they please with the gift, no matter what that may be.

13. To receive is to remember that first and foremost, it is the thought that counts. Be grateful for the people who care about you.

14. Candlestick salad is a fun treat: take a round of pineapple, stick a half banana in the middle, and put a dollop of peanut butter on the top.

15. You are precious.

16. Laugh lines are infinitely better than the alternative of taking yourself â?? and life â?? too seriously.

17. Some situations require the presence of a whoopie cushion.

18. Being a part of your children’s activities is one of the most important things you can do.

19. Choose water or unsweetened iced tea with lemon.

20. Tackle home repairs yourself first. You’d be surprised at how easy some projects (like painting or resurfacing a driveway) can be.

21. Don’t act like a prima donna (but know that you are immensely important to this world).

22. Who are you saving the good china for? You and your family are worth it: bring out the porcelain for everyday use.

23. Go outside.

24. Stand up for what and who you believe in.

25. Say “I love you.”