They go waaaaay back

We had a great playdate at my house last Friday...so many of Lucy's little friends. It is amazing for me and my friends to sit back and realize that our little babies are now children who converse and play with each other. Where does the time go?

{lucy with gabriel & henry, april 2009...3 pretty princesses!}

{lucy with gabriel & henry, july 2006}

{lucy & gabriel, on the inside, december 2005}

{lucy & max, april 2009}

{lucy & max, march 2006}

{dylan & the top of lucy's head, april 2009}

{dylan & lucy, january 2007}

Hot or not?

{that is NOT me!}

What do we think of this swimsuit? Cute or dowdy? Chic or "trying too hard to be chic"? Fun or just silly?

Easter 2009

{bunny evidence}

{bunny power}

{happy pheebers}

{found one!}

{i found one, too!}

{opening presents from grammy & popi}

{tippy-toes}

{hmmm, veddy innn-teresting}

{easter basket skirmish}

{hi phoebe!}

{lucy cottontail}

{portrait of a little lady}

{and another little lady}

{punky brewster hat}

{the glasses complete the look}

{my baby doll}

{relaxing with nonno}

{me & cousin daisy...she got the family blue eyes that skipped me!}

{my nana's ladies}

Easter's on its way...

Bedtime conversation tonight:

Mommy: Ok, Lucy, I'm gonna go downstairs now. I need to be down there to let the Easter Bunny in. So, go to sleep now.

Lucy: Will he ring the doorbell?

Mommy (knowing that Lucy will stay up listening for the doorbell): No.

Lucy: Why not?

Mommy: Um, because his big bunny hands can't press the button. So he'll knock, but very lightly so you can't hear him. I need to go downstairs now so that I can be sure to let him in when he gets here. We wouldn't want him to miss our house!

Lucy: But Daddy's downstairs, he can let him in.

Mommy: Um, well, no, see, here's the thing with the Easter Bunny...only mommies can let him in.

Lucy: Oh, ok. Good night, Mommy.

Mommy: Good night, Lulu.

Wine/no whine weekend

Jeff & I escaped to the perfection known as California last weekend. We flew into San Francisco (the world's most perfect city?) on Friday and then made our way up to Napa & Sonoma. It was a quick trip, but won-der-ful. Lots of great wine, food, and even some much-needed relaxation.

Great big thanks to Nonni & Nonno, our magnificent weekend babysitters :)

Four

But ultimately there comes a moment when a decision must be made. Ultimately two people who love each other must ask themselves how much they hope for as their love grows and deepens, and how much risk they are willing to take…

It is indeed a fearful gamble…

Because it is the nature of love to create, a marriage itself is something which has to be created, so that, together we become a new creature.

To marry is the biggest risk in human relations that a person can take…

If we commit ourselves to one person for life this is not, as many people think, a rejection of freedom; rather it demands the courage to move into all the risks of freedom, and the risk of love which is permanent; into that love which is not possession, but participation…

It takes a lifetime to learn another person…

When love is not possession, but participation, then it is part of that co-creation which is our human calling, and which implies such risk that it is often rejected.

From "The Irrational Season" by Madeleine L'Engle

{Read at our wedding, 04.09.05}

Young love in the photo booth (with an update)

{mom & dad...1968-ish}

{me & jeff, 2003-ish}

{p.s. dontcha think i look like my mama?}

Update: I showed Lucy the photos of her Nonni & Nonno and she said "but they look a little older."

Officially a beach baby

Big Giant Screen Day

Lucy, at age 3, is already a huge classical music fan. It started when we moved into our new house in the fall and she would hear the wind blowing through the old walls and floorboards and would be scared. We came up with the idea of letting her listen to music as she went to sleep and we thought that the classical station would be the way to go. The station is now on in her room pretty much 24 hours a day. We keep it on all night because she has woken up at times to find we have turned it off and she gets really upset. I have no idea what they play at 3am, which is probably a testament to what a good sleeper Lucy is because we never find ourselves in her room at the wee hours of the morning.

A few weeks ago, the station (90.9, WCRB) started running ads for their Classical Cartoon Festival at Symphony Hall. Lucy heard this, including the part about the cartoons being played on a giant screen, and decided that she needed to go to this event. For weeks, we talked about "Big Giant Screen Day" as if it were Christmas...every day, she wanted to know if today was the day. Finally, on Saturday, the big day arrived. I took her for a just-Mommy-and-Lucy date (ah, the luxury -- for both of us -- of no little sister to ruin our, er, to share the day with). And boy was it worth the wait! Bugs Bunny cartoons right there in the hall on, yes, a BIG GIANT SCREEN! Clowns/Sylvester/Bug/Tweety walking around! Manicures! Cookies and juice boxes! Trying out instruments! Drawing with THE Sidewalk Sam!

It was a very magical day....for both of us.