Graham and Julia

Photos, California June 2016 & 8th Birthday and more

Graham took this photo while in California in June

 We were so lucky! While on the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, we ran into Graham's 'cousin' Jordan Bush. Jordan is an extremely talented musician who plays at the Hollywood Bowl, and with some well known musicians. And...he's only 19 or 20.

 Graham has an ear for piano, and likes to compose his own music.

 Julia holds court at her birthday party

Birthday cake. 

 Julia loves to cook

Jumping waves in Bethany Beach, DE

During 2016, we've done a bit of traveling and just enjoying life.

One not-so-fun event was Graham's emergency appendectomy in April--poor guy. Missed his own birthday party, spent a night in the hospital, and -- his favorite part -- spent a week away from school.

He was such an impressive patient, and received amazing care at Georgetown Hospital. When asked if he had any questions--what I took as a formality, and something the doctors didn't expect Graham to answer--Graham said: "What is the recovery time for this particular surgery?"

Forever a physician's son.

In June, we headed out to Aunt Annie's in LA, where we spent time in her gorgeous garden (photos to come), at Disneyland (where I feel I'm still recovering from Hyper Space Mountain), Santa Monica (Lovely little hotel at the beach, the Standard), and Zuma Beach and...a meal at one of my favorite fish restaurants from way back when, The Reel Inn.

I miss California, the beach, the mountains. DC is 'real life' in a bubble--all of this hot political air swirling around, going nowhere, and just creating unnecessary tension.

 Something about the Pacific air blowing off the ocean truly chills one out in California.

It's been awhile, quite awhile

So much has happened in the past year. Good things! Posting one photo now, to see if this still works, and will upload more later -- Therese

Beach boy Thanksgiving Weekend 2015

Pied Piper Graham

Last week, while Julia went to her ballet class, Graham and I went to the Beauvoir playground. The building blocks had been tossed into a 'swamp' area, but that did not deter Graham. He took the blocks and, without even getting muddy or wet, built a bridge.

Soon, smaller boys were coming up to walk across the bridge...it was an amazing construction--and reminded me of bridges in movies that were were built over rivers and that you took your life in your hands to walk over...but somehow, in Graham's engineering brain, he built a solid bridge that held all of the little boys (whose nannies -- god forbid you ever see a mom at most parks in Washington, DC, or at least one who is not on a phone or iPod -- were calling warnings out to their charges).

See for yourself! 

 

 

 

New posts...testing

Ha. For some reason I haven't been able to post in forEVER...but it looks like my photos may be uploading...for family reading this, stay tuned...I have many more photos to load up...

Halloween 2014 -- so happy, so fun!

Halloween was truly fun, as always...we had friends over for Chili that was so delicious--Thank You Megan! Megan took my mom, Gracie's old recipe and pumped it up ... me, a pescetarian...had 2-3 bowls...it was that good. I thought my vegetarian days were over, but alas, the next day meat and chicken smells made me nauseous once again...but I am contemplating having chili again every Halloween -- only my/our/Grace's/Megan's chili ! So yummy.

 

Mary and Walter and Nancy, dear friends for years (well, 40 years plus if you count T's  association with them!) came over to help hand out candy, chat, and just have a great time at home. Gracie came over too--thank you mom! And er...we somehow got Grace down the steps to the little "Parisian" room downstairs to spend the night...but the stairs proved too daunting the next morning (how the heck did we even get mom down those steep steps? A bit of spirits in the mix?) ... but mom did get out through the basement stairs and make it home to her humble abode...it was fun to have mom here over night (something repeated at Thanksgiving--this time, on the couch upstairs! ... photos to come).

 

But I digress...there are more pictures to be put up, from the Nikon, as always...

 

This little pumpkin of Graham's design caved in the morning after...awwww.

 The Golden Ninja had had enough of Halloween by the end of the school day (children have a parade and wear their costumes all day)...so he  opted out of trick or treating and handed out candy instead...until he got tired of it, ditched the candy, and ran inside to play piano (his way to cool off and handle being overwhelmed!)...The upside? We had NO candy the following day from the children trick or treating...and that was just fine with all of us ;)

When we rean out of candy, Graham made a sign that basically told people the house was haunted, or something along those lines, and to go away! It didn't work--the bell rang until all hours of the night. Teenagers!

Front row seat: Megan, Grace, and Terence, just before the crowds hit

 The Halloween display...spider webs and spiders...and a pretty pumpkin on the left, which Julia painted with her fingernail polish ...

 OK, this was the best...Julia had this AMAZING Elsa costume with a very long train ... so, the children at school made a game about 'carrying her train' (Queen Elsa, right?)...well, right after taking this photo, the children were going to 'play their game' and show me how they carried Julia's train...One little girl got so incredibly seethingly jealous that she said "I'm Not Going To Carry Julia's Train" and she stomped off to the side and folded her arms and glared at the other children...OMG! It was so amazing to watch such obvious jealousy...one thing about children, they don't hide it!

 Julia and the 3 Elsas...and the sweetest little girl from her class standing in front.

Julia, at school, pointing to the 'parade' route...carrying her train...ahem. I stayed up late ironing up the hem. Hoping I didn't do it inside out...as my children know: I Did Not Earn The Girl Scout Sewing Badge...useless back then, but boy would it be helpful now!