Midday sun

Edit: Today is a huge milestone day. Reuben aged 4 and 1 week has just read the entire Brown Bear book to me. It's the first time I've read it to him in a very long while so it was by word recognition, not memory of the story. The two words I helped him with were "teacher" and "looking" and the rest he did all by himself.

Being late for school this morning ended up being a blessing: Walking in with Reuben rather than dropping him off at the carpool gate, we found the kids waiting to take their turn down the rollercoaster ride that spanned the length of the playgym and I looked at Reuben thinking I'm sure this isn't something they'll have him do. Upon arrival, the kids called out his name and Amy gave him a big hug (I was later to realize that Reuben and Amy give big bear hugs all the time) and there too was Paul, the quiet one whom Reuben always mentions when I ask him the name of his friends at school. My heart felt very warm and contented at how accepted my funny little man is amongst his peers. There were a few kids left waiting for their turn down the rollercoaster, the kid who'd gone before given a choice who should go next (if this was school, I was thinking and the subject was sports, I'd have been the last one to be chosen) and he chose Reuben to go down next. Another heart soar. And then lo and behold, Reuben climbed the stairs, boarded the rollercoaster and down he swooped at great speed and into the wall of cushions ahead of him. He kept his balance. Callum was beside himself with laughter watching Reuben race towards us. It was a lovely stolen moment which I would not ordinarily have seen. I was thinking the teacher will ask us, along with Vincent's Dad who was just as tickled by the experience, to leave at any moment.

What to do with Callum this morning? The World felt like our oyster, so we drove a couple of blocks to the beach at Ocean Park, and joined a group of American, British and Australian Mums with toddlers and pre-schoolers. You know how often outside of such groups I've felt, self conscious, not quite fitting in, but today was so delightful. A nearby beach cafe was giving away free coffee, as I discovered, every Tuesday so perhaps an every Tuesday thing this could be. Callum was enraptured by the kids 6 months older than himself, having them slide repeatedly down the twisty slide into him, again and again and again. He loved the crash. Santa Monica can be a wonderfully social place for me, I think perhaps if I allow myself. I walked away with many phone numbers of the welcoming Mums, picked up Reuben from the school back up the hill and home we drove, Callum by now fast asleep behind me.

Happy 4th birthday sweet Twinkle twins with whom we've shared infertility, pregnancy and life beyond.

I've realised there are 5000 images in Aperture since April to be processed - weddings, birthdays, holiday, family and friends, clients. Oh boy... Does anyone use an editing service for workflow?

PS Check out last year's thumbnail. The ice flowers are back in bloom on the vacant lot just begging for a repeat.
Wedding Sneak Peek!