The play fight

Best large.

It's taken me a while to switch to RAW but I gave it a first go here (any tips on RAW much appreciated. Surprised to see the jpg and RAW in my iPhoto after downloading). I've realised when I was exporting from Lr that I was doing so in reduced quality. Being such a traditional SLR user for 2 decades, I have so very much to learn and I've always learnt better intrapersonally. But sometimes I really feel I should get some photographing or processing training because like many of us I'm self taught. Here I worked on clarity and exposure but not colour to maintain the true blue of Callum's eyes relative to the boys' clothes. And I love his growing lashes best seen bottom right or in the Best large on my Smugmug.
Questions: (1) best way from iPhoto to Lr for RAW ie I read you shouldn't drag a file onto the iPhoto logo in the dock at the bottom so presumably shouldn't do the same with the Lr logo in the dock? (2) why does it give you the jpg and the RAW and do you keep both? (3) quality is lost once you edit the RAW right? (4) Do I stay with RAW all the time or what?

Reuben's still a little camera shy and I'm giving him the space to find his feet again without feeling that he's under the lens.

I can tell Reuben is getting back to himself, the tell tale signs of his hands and lips gradually opening up, his little desires to smile in spite of himself, his playing on the swings and slide at school. In a class where the ratio is 1 teacher to 2 children, Lead Teacher Belinda is certainly nurturing Reuben back to good health with her support and boundless experience. And I can tell he's really getting back to himself, when Callum's back became an enticing stool for him, his torso something to tickle, and his back fit for his embraces.

Both boys are now asleep on the sofa.

When I parked today in our special disabled spot by school, I knew it would be for the last time there. For the next 2 years, the gorgeous sprawling jasmine and bourgainvillea, the grassy bank that begs for kids to roll down it, the last remaining trees, will give way to construction of a 9 story apartment complex for UCLA. There are a few causes that are extremely close to my heart: the environment and anti-prejudice and you may recall the deep pain I felt having witnessed the deforestation for said construction project in my Destruction blip yet my campaign was fruitless then. It pains me still to hear the sound of screeching drills, but somehow I must find peace or it will eat me up.