Lenkaland

The weather was lovely this weekend. A glimpse of spring. Anika invited a friend to play and we set up for a tea party!

The goodies did not last long.  By the time I returned with the camera, the scones and mini-cookies were already gone.  Most of the cheese, crackers, and turkey sandwiches had disappeared, too.

The plates were drawn by Ian and Anika over the years. I made the flame blanket/tablecloth before Ian was born.  Perfect tea party decoration

The kids poured their own tea, which was a lesson in itself about letting the leaves steep. And be careful of hot pots.

Enjoying the good stuff.  Sugar is in the little bowl next to her plate.  We made the little bowls in ceramics class a couple of years ago.  We found the tiny spoons this morning in a kitchen supply store.  There’s a magic in adding your own sugar to your own tea.

Very Alice in Wonderland

We hung the canopy from the summer awning and the ribbons caught in the breeze.  We learned about flexibility because the first plan was to eat in the canopy.  But they couldn’t all fit.  So they ate beside it instead.  And read books on a blanket in the fairy house.

A happy day.  Love the faces covered with crumbs.

Anika beaded this heart when she was a student in my class.  Love and beauty and magical rainbows.

Shining your way.  Hope you have a reason or two to host a tea party

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Sunday the sun shone bright and warm so we packed up the bikes.  I thought the kids were crazy when they asked to take off their socks and shoes.  Then I figured, if they get cold, they would put the shoes back on.  The sun was lovely-warm, so the shoes stayed off.  They rode bikes on the cushy recycled surface around the play strutctures before too many kids arrived.  Ian gave me his usual charming pose these days.

Peek-a-boo . . . anyone still taking pictures?

We haven’t used the bikes in awhile.  I couldn’t lift them into the car for most of the summer.  And their dad hasn’t been going on outings.  So Anika was pleased as peaches to get on her bike.  She’s grown!

She loved the wind in her hair and building up speed.  Not too fast, though, she’s cautious.  Especially with socks on her feet (I guess it was a little cold).

And we did have a helmet for her (Ian’s is too big, must go back to the store for a better fit).  She wore the helmet outside the soft playground.

Happy girl with her streamers and basket.  Brings back fond memories of my own childhood.  Except we lived down a dirt road where bikes were very impractical, but still . . . who doesn’t love a basket and streamers?  She played mail-delivery and brought me little leaves and found treasures.

I sat in the lush sunshine and noticed the trees budding for spring.  Spring? We’ve barely begun winter.  Back to sleep, tree.  Hear me?

Part of what I love about photography is when it catches little moments that would be lost otherwise.  Two kids on bikes, from the back, with Ian hunched over his handlbars, not trusting the pedals yet (he can go faster running, he says), and Anika slowing down for him to catch up.  Those training wheels will come off soon and he’ll graduate to a big-boy bike.  I am so grateful that I get to watch them grow.  Watch them shine.

Even on days when he won’t smile for me anymore

*you may not notice, but many of our outings involve activities for them where I can sit and supervise.  Most of these photos were taken when I was sitting down.  The playground photos, I was sitting on the ground, which actually gave me a fun perspective of looking up at Anika or eye-level with Ian.  In our other location, I did take a few as I walked, then I sat on the picnic table (behind Anika above) and took pictures from there.  We all win- they get to play, I get to rest (sort of ).  Enjoying life with challenges is all about accommodations.  Most of my accommodations are so intuitive for me, I hardly notice anymore.  I’ll try to share, though, in case others are looking for inspiration or ideas.  I hope you had a lovely weekend!

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This week was fun. A little quiet. I didn’t get out the fancy camera so these are all iPhone 4S photos. At this time, just seeing the flow of our days, one into the other, is plenty. More than enough. And we end this week with rain! Time for the rainbow umbrella, hurrah

P.S. I just read back a few posts and I didn’t include Reno in last week’s collection. So the top two of Ian are the same day. Sheesh, hard to keep track of it all. So a Reno image, to keep it fair

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We may be traveling tomorrow (hopefully) to visit cousins in Tahoe. So . . .

This week’s photos. This week was tough because I was sick. Stay at home, camera sounds like work, tired, sick. Then remembering at bathtime…

Which was cute, too.

The next night I remembered after dark, again. Once I lose daylight, photos get really tricky. I like natural light. But this running, giggling craziness was good to capture, too. Ian was very amused by a box on the head. As well he should be. He is amusing

Then today, cousins sent us stickers.

I have a couple from the other days, but they are unremarkable on their own. It shows me how days slip past, one after another, often quiet in their passing. Which is just fine. I appreciate quiet. Drama is fine every now and again, but quiet . . . Quiet is good too.

I hope your week was lovely

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Sunday

Monday
Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

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Another lovely day, though the chilly winds arrived earlier. More good times with cousins in the sunshine. We found an interesting beach sculpture. Much laughing. Stories shared. Good times.

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Merry Christmas and happy Boxing Day! We continue the holiday adventures with a trip to Santa Cruz. My aunties and cousins are here to (not all of them, but enough to make it a party). What better way to celebrate winter than a trip to the beach? We lucked out, too, because the sun is shining and the water sparkles. A December treat.

I know the photo sizes are a bit off here. I’m posting from the hotel. Many thanks to my dear husband for getting the camera-connection-kit so I can share all this goodness right away. You rock.

And I wish you and yours a very happy holiday season!

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My favorites

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Two days of wild winds and our backyard is a strewn with leaves.  The pool . . . good luck seeing the pool through the leaves and pine needles.  I couldn’t resist a little trip to the backyard with the camera.  This was my favorite photo of the day.  I love how I can see the water bending around the leaf.  Holding up.  For now.

The sad deep end of the pool.  The water isn’t even under trees.  It’s just the wind.  Blowing in strong gusts and flinging leaves everywhere . . . I found the patterns beautiful.  My husband just walked in saw a lot of work.  ”What a mess,” he said.  Oh my.

I tried to catch a sense of the wind, but I wasn’t having much luck.  I caught the end of a gust, or a beginning, but it all seemed too still in the photos.  The trees swayed and danced themselves naked

My favorite leaf of the day (and the yard is covered in leaves).  This one caught my eye, all darkness and fire.  A song of nature, alive and dying and lovely.

I photographed a big tree in the yard.  Tried, unsuccessfully to catch a leaf midair on film. Then these little jewels caught my eye from tthe shadows.  Perfectly striped green on red, catching the last afternoon sun.

Magical.  The best part?  The whole time I was outside (which was only about ten minutes because I can’t handle cold at all anymore, and Ian has an ear infection, and Anika had a giant stack of homework, and, and, and . . . ) oh, yeah, the best part?  Getting out there.  Having the energy to make the effort to capture these wild fleeting days. That was the gift.  My feet hurt like crazy today, but the fatigue wan’t so bad.  Maybe the medicine is working after all

Happy last days of Autumn.

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