Girl Claps, then Makes Break for Garbage Can

Girl Roars at Bear

It started in Florida, with the huge lion stuffed animal Anna's Meme put on the bed. Lions say "ROOOOAAAARR," we told her. "Raaaaahhhhh," she agreed. After that, she roared at that lion every chance she got. It turns out she actually roars at anything remotely furry. Stuffed animal sheep. Dogs at the park. Even a really hairy dude on the subway once. Here she is, belting it out for the bear.

Anna on Anna Maria Island

White sand, green sea, sandpipers with backwards-bending knees, pelicans in the mangroves, blackened grouper sandwiches, dear family, steamy grass, backyard tree flush with limes, outdoor showers, and a baby who crawls headfirst into the waves. . .

beach!

Heading down to the Florida beaches tomorrow - but we had a little preview at our own Riis Park with Eva and Nicole yesterday!
The girls were less than thrilled with their carseats.

But then, the sea!

And the sand. Mmmmmmm.

Happy, sandy, salty ladies.

stairs

Up up up she goes. Down is another story. Thanks to Mike, Quinn's dad, for this great shot!

tuesday

We went to the park under heavy skies. Wet air, a few drops, clouds thickly spread and moving slowly over Brooklyn. Found friends, big kids who made Anna chuckle and squeal with glee. They climbed trees fast, legs tucked up into the branches in an instant. You could only see bits of them but the leaves shook as they moved. Anna stared up. Ate sticks, reached for the dog, said, "yayayayayaya" emphatically. Bonnie Raitt and Taj Mahal practiced for tonight's concert in the bandshell - couldn't see 'em, but we heard 'em. The park is late-summer dark green and the grass grows in thickets and the kids shot out of one tree and into another and kept coming back to make the baby laugh. The rain is close at hand but so far, still in the clouds.

VACATION

She's been busy eating corncobs and watermelon rinds, floating in a yellow ring in a still blue pool, climbing carpeted stairs, eating sand, drinking a gulp or two of the Atlantic, gnawing on mussel shells, chasing daddy around the house, playing with friends, lifting her hands up to conduct the wind as she sits on dad's shoulders, sleeping long and late, peering around, charging around, rolling around, smelling the new smells (rockweed, salt air, smoked corn, new carseat, lobster, rocks in the sun,)

to be continued. girl is awake!