impromptu 3 1/2 birthday half-cake party with willis and gracie

in and out of the weeping beech (with bulldozer and siren soundtrack)

Peak Lilac Season at the BBG

I'm such a sucker for lilacs. I mean, really, today, it was enough to make my head explode. We had a sniff buffet and got lilac drunk and had to lay down.

And then there's this vale of bluebells. They look much lovelier than this picture. It kind of hurts to look at them, all gathered around the dark tree trunks.

But mostly we were here, in one of the only Brooklyn patches of long grass a city kid can roll in. And make deer nests.

And stalk things.

And run and run.

a good day...

has bikes...

and pies...

and water...

girl kicks butt of virus

two weeks later, Anna's back to her wily ways. here she is last week preparing for a (much despised) nebulizer treatment - good tunes and deep breathing make many impossible things seem possible. so glad to have the rascal back in action!

Practicing

P and I were saying tonight how there are fewer and fewer remnants of the baby in our great big girl these days. She pretends to be twelve million different people and animals and creatures a day. She sings to herself. She gets into the guitar case and wants us to say, "Oh, look, a new guitar!" And then "Oh wow, this guitar is really heavy. Hmm, how do I play this thing? Where are the strings?" And then, "Oh, it's wiggling, wait a minute, what is this? It's a person! In fact, it's a ballerina in a black tutu! Oh my, what a surprise." Again, and again, and again. Her favorite moments are the part when you haul her up out of the guitar case and the part when you realize (for the twelve millionth time) that she's alive. So much practicing going on. At the park this afternoon, first hopscotch game. She was very serious. Again, and again, and again. Each time a little bit steadier on her feet.

on my mind lately: