Capilano Suspension Bridge Regional Park is British Columbia’s and nature’s own thrilling adventure park… so much fun! We all had a great time walking over the impressive suspension bridge, the beautiful canopy walk, the breathtaking cantilevered cliff walk, and ogled the beautiful of the trees and forest. Such a pretty spring day. There’s even a AAA discount on full-price admissions, so if you make it up here bring your AAA card! When we got back to the West End we noticed the cherry trees were blossoming. Spring is here in Vancouver, BC!

After just a little bit of sleep not a big bit of sleep just a little bit of sleep (Lake gesturing with his fingers ) we set out on the bathtub ferry boat for Granville Island Public Market, and then bussed up to the University of British Columbia where we saw the largest Blue Whale skeleton ever (well, at least in Canada), and plotted Lake’s future academic career at UBC. Then we visited one of my own favorite college haunts, The Naam, the 24 hour vegetarian health food restaurant open since the 1960’s that has such soul. Mid-chopstick, Lake took his nap right there on the banquet while we enjoyed our tea and dessert and chatted in the sunny window seats reminiscing about college days and swapping stories about our first jobs. A perfect day… so nice to explore British Columbia and Vancouver, Canada with Luisa, Lake, and Michael!

Langley was due for his monthly bath. Michael took him to Rub-a-Dub Dog in Greenwood. They’re pretty awesome. I’m unable to share the “during” photos due to privacy issues. I think a senior dog, and a retired grand champion deserves to be remembered in his full glory, not reduced to the drowned-rat look. Suffice it to say, he’s back to his fluffy (cleaner) self three bottles of shampoo and one full blow-out later.

Langley, “King of the Market”

I want my *so’cks* off. I want my socks off Mommy. I’ll sleep much better.

Large Baffle Lion

I’m going to Morocco. I’ll see you later.

Bye-bye! See you later. I’m going to Ketchikan on my boat!

I like your hair down. I don’t like your hair up. I like your hair down. It’s beautiful!

I need you Mami. I need you.

can you read that? It’s on German! Can you talk on it?

“I want to *carry* you! I want to carry you Mama!” Switching only once to the more proper but less whimsical “I want you to carry me” on 2/26/19.

“morning clothes” or “day clothes ” vs pajamas

My feet are getting so long!

I’m getting bigger every day.

I’m running so I get stronger so I can play baseball!

Are we tourning? It’s my turn; it’s your turn?

We can purprise Daddy!

Goodnight downstairs. Goodnight books!

A perfect day of toddler speak. I’m so glad I’m here with you, hearing all this preciousness!

I have big important things to do! I have big important things to jump and do.

Says Lake as he begins his long jump training for the evening. He runs the length of the dining room then the living room, then he jumps onto the “sand” aka giant beanbag.

One more. He will say and jump and say and keep jumping until absolutely necessary to allow himself to be reluctantly redirected.

Then we took Langley out for his walk and Lake wanted to keep on running! Langley do you want to run together? Let’s run all together!

A perfect evening of track and field! I’m glad I spent it with you Lake VonLaana ,Odin as he calls himself. I love you and all the big important things you do, (like make a Lion totem!), so much!

Lake began calling me Mama Monkey this weekend. He’s “big boy monkey” and Michael and Luisa are “cats” and I’m Mama Monkey. He likes to climb all over, including me… “up the ladder”, he says. Here we do some nose-diving airplane maneuvering. It’s akin to Acroyoga for Toddlers. He knows my weakness if he wants to delay bedtime, all he has to do is suggest we do some yoga. A perfect day, I’m glad I spent it with you, my big boy monkey!

What are you doing for yourself this Wednesday evening? Divya Krishnan offers a Beginners mind yoga practice. Ananda Yoga. Wednesday’s from 7-8pm at the Ballard Community Center. You are invited and all are welcome! It’s drop in/donation, or sign up online for a month of Wednesday’s classes for a mere $20 activity fee. https://apm.activecommunities.com/seattle/Activity_Search/yoga-18-and-older/6612

I highly recommend it! Divya’s the loveliest person and such a skillful poetic and comedic yoga teacher!

A perfect day, any day spent with Divya!

February 2019 has been the month of snow for most of us in Washington State, and one of snow, sea and sheep for Lake! We started out the month with a visit to Nora and Ed’s Farm our near Port Townsend for Groundhog’s Day. On February 2nd we confirmed the groundhog indeed saw his shadow, and what ensued was more winter with a vengeance! Snow arrived that very same day, and hasn’t left us yet! It came down thick and in flurries and “stuck” making a beautiful magical snowscape… the sheep didn’t mind a bit. They had full access to the barn the whole time but often were huddled bravely outside in their wool coats grazing peacefully. Lake loves the sheep but primarily the “baby sheep” (actually grandmother sheep, Beauty, who is smaller in the stature due to her age and breed) as the others of the flock are “too big” and intimidating.

Mostly he loves the sea, the Salish Sea and the Pacific Ocean. No matter how freezing it is, he’s happy playing in the cold wet sand with his bare hands. He likes making houses with doors out of driftwood, sticks and shells and sand. Lake got heaps of winter beach time in This month first here in Port Townsend with Nora and Ed, and later in Grays Harbor with NanaBaba. Lots of snow, sea, and sheep!

Thank you Nora and Ed for the great groundhogs day visit! What a February adventure it sparked! Will we get even more snow? Will the snowy weather last through Friday, the heralding of March? As the saying goes for the month of March… in like a Lion, out like a lamb!

“NanaBaba, you take care of me,” Lake stated. I like how this picture from Damon Point has a literal representation of this. Here Nana is holding Lake up and he’s leaning into her embrace. Meanwhile the Pacific Ocean tides crash and lap at their (bare) feet. And they’re both smiling so joyfully! You know Baba is full of peace and joy too, looking at them.

Joyce Carol Oates’ Proust Questionnaire Vanity Fair Holiday 2018/2019 issue, she wrote: “Amid so much blatant cruelty in our political situation, such shocking indifference to the lives & welfare of those living in the margins of an affluent society, I think [the trait I most deplore in others] must be this institutionalized cruelty, & the hypocrisy that surrounds it. ‘Making America great again’–for whom? Wealthy white people?”

Oates makes an eloquent assessment of the current challenges in our national affairs, and meanwhile Lake makes an effortless statement of our interdependence. A moving book I recommend on this topic is The Nordic Theory Of Everything: in search of a better life (2016) by Anu Partanen.

“No Man is an Island” and so… we take care of each other.

Lake loves to talk about Free Solo. Last month when he was on grandparent-holiday Lake went with his NanaBaba to see Free Solo in the movie theatre in Olympia (ironically and unknowingly Michael and I saw Free Solo at the Crest that same day). Free Solo (2018) is the story of Alex Honnold’s preparation and flawless execution of free climbing El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. That means rock climbing ~3,000′ up a granite monolith without any ropes. Ever since watching this film co-directed by Jimmy Chin (Meru 2015), Lake talks about Alex, the “boy on the rock”. He thought it was very cool!

Well, Lake is back on grandparent-holiday again this week. They’re having a blast of course. Today Lake went to Damon Point at Ocean Shores with NanaBaba and did some rock climbing of his own (sandy) El Capitan.

The boy on the rock. My boy on the rock! A perfect day, I’m glad you spent it at the ocean free climbing in the sunshine with NanaBaba, sweetheart!