water fountain

First she tried to pick the water up. She tried that for a while. Then she tried the more direct approach. Much more successful.

Eight months, One Day

summer

Summer and the baby smells like grass and bananas, and the sidewalks are hot and the playground waits under the trees, we hear it before we see it clearly: shrieks and peals of laughter and flashes of color between the leaves. She flaps her arms and starts singing the moment she knows we're close. Summer and the neighbors' front garden is full of black-eyed susans and tiger lilies and allium and bleeding heart pushed through the gate. And the skies have been blue and the air has been fresh, and last night fat splats of rain hit the windowpanes and the baby slept straight through it. She smells like rain and pancakes and shampoo. She crawls and stands and laughs and grabs and gets tired and rests her head on our shoulders and sucks her thumb and then is off again reaching for things on shelves and eating books and crinkling paper and watching us always. In sleep she looks both like she did brand new and like she will as the little girl she is becoming, so much faster than I expected.

Anna's New Baby

At first they studied each other warily.


Anna made the first move.
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When the baby is sitting on the shelf Anna crawls by it and stares over her shoulder as she passes. She can't figure it out. Eyes, nose, mouth. . . but so still! Looks like a baby. Doesn't smell like a baby. Doesn't taste like a baby either. Hmmmmm. Jury's still out.

Our Little Baldie Enjoys They Might Be Giants Kids' Concert in the Park

Friday in the Park with the Ladies and Babies

Anna Holds Forth, Take Three

motherboard back in action

practicing the parallel bars


loving up her reflection


4th of july!


wind in her hair


the fireworks looked like dandelion puffs

the motherboard

Excuse the long hiatus - the poor old computer's motherboard is on the fritz! Since I can't figure out how to post from the blackberry, imagine this: Anna and Paul this morning on their way to Anna's first swimming lesson. They walked off down the street, Anna on her daddy's shoulders, the little pink straps of her teeny tiny swimsuit crossing over her teeny tiny shoulderblades. More when the motherboard is back in action. . .