The Big Move took place on Friday, May 6. It was a flurry of effort and energy that involved the strength and patience of my dad, mom, Katia and Don (thank you!!). Leila spent the day with her fabulous daycare provider, Michelle, and so when she came home, she was greeted by her own room and the return of her own bed (something we were both ecstatic about). Later that evening, I still couldn't find her sheets, so Leila decided to make her bed with a bag of fabric scraps that she discovered (though what she actually slept in was her beloved sleeping bag).
The following week, we attended the "Sneak Peek" opening of Dry Creek Preserve and Homer Ranch. It was a perfectly classy, rustic affair complete with wine glasses for Leila's water. I don't know if you can tell in these pictures, but she's also rocking a classy but rustic couture of a simple yellow sundress, a velvet purse and dusty cowboy'ish boots... oh, and of course, a shiny headband (she doesn't leave home without at least one).
Leila frolicked through the fields of dry brush and cat tails with new friends Lucy and Elsah. Lucy and Elsah, who are quite intimate with ranch life, demonstrated to Leila the joys of fearlessly romping through the fields.
And the following weekend, we attended a fabulous carnival for kids. It was a Leila wonderland, with heaps of games, art activities, forbidden treats (see sno-cone and popcorn shots below... there was even a pre-lunch cupcake... gasp!), hair dye (you may notice a streak of pink in the sno-cone pic) and face-painting. She made two amazing pieces of art - the painting below and a really cool freeform mosaic of sorts.
Last Friday, we had a playdate with my old friend from the really old Sequoia swimming days (we're talking 25 years ago... yikes) and her adorable son, Levi. The two got along splendidly. As the day warmed up, the Eric Carle caterpillar sprinkler came alive, clothes came off and giggles filled the air.
And, back to our neighborhood... we've been walking (or "triking") to the Farmer's Market every Saturday. We also trike around the neighborhood. Once I realized that her bike tires needed some air and her wheels needed a good greasing, she was peddling like a pro. This last weekend, we picked up a CSA box for the first time. I hadn't anticipated the trials of getting it home, so luckily we had a jumprope to strap the box onto the trike and we were good to go... that is, until she realized she was doing all the work. It was super cute while it lasted though. We'll be better prepared next time.
We take a lot of evening strolls and Leila gathers "bouquets" along the way. I encourage her not to pick flowers from people's gardens, and mostly she listens. The bouquet below only inflicted one real casualty.
The following week, we attended the "Sneak Peek" opening of Dry Creek Preserve and Homer Ranch. It was a perfectly classy, rustic affair complete with wine glasses for Leila's water. I don't know if you can tell in these pictures, but she's also rocking a classy but rustic couture of a simple yellow sundress, a velvet purse and dusty cowboy'ish boots... oh, and of course, a shiny headband (she doesn't leave home without at least one).
Leila frolicked through the fields of dry brush and cat tails with new friends Lucy and Elsah. Lucy and Elsah, who are quite intimate with ranch life, demonstrated to Leila the joys of fearlessly romping through the fields.
And the following weekend, we attended a fabulous carnival for kids. It was a Leila wonderland, with heaps of games, art activities, forbidden treats (see sno-cone and popcorn shots below... there was even a pre-lunch cupcake... gasp!), hair dye (you may notice a streak of pink in the sno-cone pic) and face-painting. She made two amazing pieces of art - the painting below and a really cool freeform mosaic of sorts.
Last Friday, we had a playdate with my old friend from the really old Sequoia swimming days (we're talking 25 years ago... yikes) and her adorable son, Levi. The two got along splendidly. As the day warmed up, the Eric Carle caterpillar sprinkler came alive, clothes came off and giggles filled the air.
And, back to our neighborhood... we've been walking (or "triking") to the Farmer's Market every Saturday. We also trike around the neighborhood. Once I realized that her bike tires needed some air and her wheels needed a good greasing, she was peddling like a pro. This last weekend, we picked up a CSA box for the first time. I hadn't anticipated the trials of getting it home, so luckily we had a jumprope to strap the box onto the trike and we were good to go... that is, until she realized she was doing all the work. It was super cute while it lasted though. We'll be better prepared next time.
We take a lot of evening strolls and Leila gathers "bouquets" along the way. I encourage her not to pick flowers from people's gardens, and mostly she listens. The bouquet below only inflicted one real casualty.
