Fourty Four Turns Around the Sun

Today is my birthday! I turn fourty four. Annie has a playdate in the morning and I'm taking myself out to a special breakfast at Cafe Fanny's in Berkeley, courtesy of LaLa Pat. Then I may do a little birthday shopping at CP Shades, or I've been eyeing a dress form at a local store here in Alameda, so one way or another I think I might be getting myself a birthday present.

I really can't help but think of my mom today. And miss her terribly. My birthday was really always our day. Since she died seven days before my birthday in 2002, the days around my birthday have been bittersweet, mixed, and odd. Although this year feels different. Lighter. I'm enjoying how that has shifted.

Happy Happy Day!

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Spring Feelings

We are busy over here with our feet in the grass and the breeze in our hair! My lack of blogging is really a celebration of Spring, and an expression of our engagement with the world! We are feeling content, joyful and very connected to each other! The following is a sampling of what we've been up to;

Annie and I pulled our bikes out of winter-mode and have been riding all around town.

The aviary is abuzz with nesting, laying eggs and sorting out who goes with who. We are finding and offering different nesting materials for the hens.

Lots of croquet in the back yard! Goodwill find for $9.99!

Making long, drawn out breakfasts that include Annie's version of Fanny Farmers pancakes. (Add ricotta and an extra egg. Leave out the baking soda.)

A T.V free week!! (I hate T.V., Annie loves it!)

We made home-made watercolor cards for Spring with Illana. I painted mushrooms and chicks, Annie and Illana did everything under the rainbow.

We made home-made butter yesterday to surprise Pop!

Went on a windy picnic with Willow and Lazuli to Point Isabelle with Jasper.

Mermaid

Annie has been asking to pose for these mermaid pictures since she saw the set up at Castles in the Air on Fourth St. in Berkeley last summer. We got her a gift certificate for her birthday, and we went as a family yesterday.

I can't help but recall how Annie was as a baby/toddler when I look at these new photos. She hated going into stores, or people focusing on her too much. Her patience level was very limited. She never would have sat through a photo session, especially in a retail enviornment with others looking on. So, watching her yesterday I was amazed at how much she has grown and matured! She was calm, grounded, and she directed the whole thing! She called out for props, camera angles and costume changes like she was born in front of the camera.

Salamander City

Who knew that our backyard was such a wonderland! Not only does it grow a wide variety of mushrooms, it is a haven for salamanders. They are beautiful and delicate, with four tiny toes and huge dark eyes. Annie says they have"Alien Eyes." We though they were newts, but we have positively identified them as California Slender Salamanders. The Herp site is deep. Very deep. So far Annie likes to hold them, draw them and she brought them to the naturalist center at Crab Cove to get more information, and to show them to anyone who was interested. Then yesterday, we caught two more (we release anything within a few hours) and had to march down to the park to share the joy with anyone who was interested. Can I say, we've learned a lot about Salamanders over here? If you are interested, just email Annie care of me, and you two can go into further.

I asked her to release the last two yesterday afternoon and she said "OK!" Well, later when I went into the living room she was laying on the floor with her clothes off letting the two salamanders walk all over her. I asked her what she was doing and she said she wanted to make an amusement park for them. Should I worry?

Dear Lucy

Our dear friends the Meyers', in Santa Cruz, are fostering a pregnant mama kitty named Lucy. It was looking like Lucy was about to have five little kittens, due any day! Well, Lucy gave birth Sunday night to three little kitties, and we got to see them Monday morning! Oh! How beautiful! Lucy is a wonderful mother to her three little ones. There are two tortoise shells and one light grey tabby, all healthy and cozy with their mother. It was a tad disappointing that there were only three kitties born after the idea of five was entered into the imagination. All day the kids kept checking (and hoping) she might pop two more out. But wait! The agency they foster through, AFRP called Tuesday morning to say that they had a pair of motherless two-day-old kitties in need, and could they bring them by to see if Lucy was willing to take them on? Well, Lucy was willing! All five kitties are now healthy and cozy with their mother. I guess she was about to have five little kittens, just as planned.

Seventh Heaven

Well, the festivities around Annie's birthday are finally quieting down. After her sweet and simple birthday at home last week, we went and spent a long weekend down south at Grandma's house and she threw Annie a "smashing" Sponge Bob Square Pants party, just like Annie asked for. It was fabulous! Annie was flying high all day! Grandma is our hero! I was so glad (and relieved) that Grandma wanted to throw a Sponge Bob party, because it might have been violence to my soul to throw a TV character birthday party! When Annie saw an episode of Sponge Bob a few months back I cringed! And Annie went nuts! She thought he was the cutest, silliest and most wonderful thing in the whole world! Honestly though, I really am glad she gets so much pleasure and delight from it! I'm just very anti-commercialism. And not very silly. That's just me. I also am not drawn to animation. Or kids TV. Not Annie though! She just thinks it's hysterical! Annie draws pictures of him, acts out scenes from the cartoon, and I see her doing imaginary playing out in the backyard with him, etc.,etc., etc.

I'm guessing that the sweet home-made little girl gatherings for her birthday are over and we are now onto a new phase of trying out popular culture.I'm a little sad about that. I'm also totally along for the ride, seeing what she is drawn to and supporting her in her interests and desires. And I'll be curious to see what she wants next year!

Below was the pin-the-crabby-patty on the Sponge Bob stand-up, with Annie in her Sponge Bob nightgown. There was a Sponge Bob bounce house, birthday cake, pinata, party favors, and a constant loop of Sponge Bob on the TV. She asked for everything Sponge Bob. She got it! She even got Sponge Bob gifts! Annie was in seventh heaven!