Visit from Ann & Jenny Rytting

Ann (Jenny's mom) has such a dramatic reading face!

Aperture

Our camera perished. 

We can hope for nothing better.

Two weeks ago, it was left behind at the park. Or dropped into a garbage can. Or inherited by a preschooler at gymnastics. Or collected from the bottom of the YMCA's pool. Or buried among the wood chips at LILA. 

In short, as the darkness closed in around our dear camera, it followed the light, passing from one life to the next. Be at peace, gentle friend.

Suddenly Popular

One thing that we have LOVED about being in the West--and being close to major theme parks--is that we are suddenly popular people! 

Back in November, Carlos had a lot of fun with the Baileys, (second cousins on Lauren's side) from northern California. He held 5-year-old Liam's hand throughout the park! Now when we visit Disneyland, he asks if they'll be there, too. 

More recently, we enjoyed a park date and dinner with the Wilsons (second cousins on Kirk's side) from Washington! Arianna and Carlos were simply reeling with joy as they discovered more inherited playmates!

Yesterday, we shared a couple of Disney hours with the Fosters (second cousins on Lauren's side) from Utah. Thanks to previous family gatherings and the online world of Webkinz, Arianna was already great friends with 11-year-old Matthew, but she and 5-year-old Rachel had a lot of fun together, too. Carlos and Rachel also helped Disneyland with some unsolicited gardening. 

We just love having a family tree that includes so many built-in buddies!

Disneyland with the Fosters and Aunt Eileen

 Rachel and Matthew Foster with Arianna 

The Fosters' SoCal vacation coincided with Eileen's Valencia visit!

Every tender-hearted boy needs a Pooh Bear and a light saber.

Carlos with Rachel, Bailey, and Matthew Foster

They pushed for a long time, but the sphere stayed put!

1,000 words x 3

   

"Armstrong" by Claude Nougaro

"Armstrong" is one of the songs that Arianna's class recently learned and performed at school. Set to the tune of "Let My People Go," but with a snazzy, fast-paced flare, the song celebrates Armstrong and other famous Black expatriots who fled America for the égalité, fraternité, et liberté that France offered. Nurtured by tolerance and encouraged by an intrinsically artistic culture, these musicians developed a new genre of music, jazz. Incidentally, jazz is Kirk's favorite form of music.

Paroles : Claude Nougaro

Armstrong, je ne suis pas noir,
Je suis blanc de peau.
Quand on veut chanter l'espoir
Quel manque de pot !
Oui j'ai beau voir le ciel, l'oiseau
Rien, rien ne lui là-haut
Les anges, zéro
Je suis blanc de peau.

Armstrong, tu te fends la poire,
On voit toutes tes dents,
Moi je broie plutôt du noir
Du noir en dedans.
Chante pour moi, Louis, oh oui,
Chante, chante, chante ça tient chaud
J'ai froid, oh moi
Qui suis blanc de peau.

Armstrong, la vie quelle histoire !
C'est pas très marrant
Qu'on l'écrive blanc sur noir
Ou bien noir sur blanc
On voit surtout du rouge, du rouge,
Sang, sang, sans trêve ni repos,
Qu'on soit, ma foi
Noir ou blanc de peau.

Armstrong, un jour, tôt ou tard
On n'est que des os...
Est-ce que les tiens seront noirs
Ce s'rait rigolo
Allez Louis, alléluia,
Au-delà de nos oripeaux,
Noir et Blanc sont ressemblants
Comme deux gouttes d'eau.


Armstrong, I'm not Black; 
I am white skinned.
When I want to sing about hope,
I have no luck.
Sure, I can see the sky, the bird
Nothing, nothing is up there, 
Angels, nothing.
I am white skinned.


Armstrong, your whole face breaks into laughter;
We can see all your teeth.
Me, I'm more Black,
Black inside.
Sing for me, Louis, oh yeah,
Sing, sing sing, that's hot!
I'm cold, oh my,
I am white skinned.


Armstrong, life is so crazy!
It's not very funny.
Whether we write black on white
Or white on black,
We mostly see red, red,
Blood, blood, no truce, no rest.
Whether we are, oh my,
White or black skinned.


Armstrong, one day, sooner or later,
We'll be nothing but bones.
Will yours be black?
That would be funny.
Go on Louis, alleluia!
Take off our old, worn-out clothing, 
Black and White are the same--
Like two drops of water.

The Best First Sleepover Ever

What do you get when 5 second-grade bilingual girls get together for a GNO sleepover?
 - Fearful gasps whenever 'the mean man' enters the scene in the American Girl movie "Felicity"
 - Organized swing set play and lemming-like parading up the ladder and down the slide
 - Delight from a rich lemon bar dessert but disappointment that there is no Charlotte cake
 - Croissants for breakfast but hot dogs for lunch
 - Spontaneous, window-rattling singing of "Armstrong" during dinner
 - The lemonade, the food, the party itself--everything is "the best ever"

Many thanks to our courageous and generous friends who hosted this memorable weekend!

James Bond Gymnastics

This is our little guy busting out his killer instincts on the rings:

I mean, you just can't teach that stuff! You either have it or you don't...

Easter Morning

my Easter angels!

That Easter Bunny 

is such a softy!