“Sing a song of sixpence, a pocket full of rice“
— Lucy’s version of Sing a Song of Sixpence
Lucy wrote a shopping list and brought it to my store. This is what it said:
Bouncy Mushroom (see fig. 1)
ABC for Wubie (2)
‘Pinano’ music for Wubie to practice (3)
Xylophone (4)
Stickers for me
Cat Toy for Wubie
Circus Cat
Merry-Go-Round
The Palo Alto Obon fest is the third and final Obon festival we attend, and is a bit smaller than the others. It has drums and dancing and food and game booths. We attended the P.A. Obon with Grandmommy two years ago, and keep going in her memory.
This year the big event of the day was Lucy winning a prize at one of the game booths…a kitty cat! She has had luck on the ‘wheel of fortune’ two years in a row. Yay Lucy! I think you’ve found your game!
This weekend we hosted a birthday party for Auntie and Grandpa…our annual August birthday bash.
It was a lovely day so we all decided to have a picnic in the park, then come back home for cupcakes. It was so relaxing in the park, I forgot to take any pictures, so we’ll have to start with the cupcakes Lucy and I made…
the gang’s all here…
about to sing the birthday song…
partygoers and birthday celebrants. Happy Birthday Grandpa and Auntie!
I made my first doll for madame tonight (this morning?!) It was a great deal of fun, and I put a lot of love into this dolly. I hope she lasts til Lucy has babies.
She was from a waldorf doll kit, so basically everything was done, I just had to sew her head to her body, stuff her a bit more, and close the arm seams. I have a new level of respect for dollmakers…even this little bit was a lot of work, and took me a few hours. I can’t imagine making her from scratch.
Here are some pics I took while I was putting her together…
and finally, she is finished!
getting dressed…
at the play table waiting to be discovered. Hope you love her sweetie!
“Shhh…I’m baking.”
— Lucy, while making banana bread with her mom (and wearing apron and chef’s hat.)
Part 2 of the summer pic series…more beach, boating on the lake, painting with auntie, and playing at the park.
“Wubie crushed my wand — no magic show for him!”
— Lucy’s response after she waved her ‘magic wand’ (stick with a ribbon) in front of Wubie one too many times (he destroyed it).
We went to the SJ Obon with friends recently and had loads of fun, especially Lucy…she got to dance in her first Bon Odori.
Lucy went to her first Obon fest way back in 2008, when she was still a baby. Grandmommy had suggested we go, she had cut out a clipping from the newspaper for us, and urged us to go that very day (it was a Sunday and we had been visiting her in the hospital). We went and had a lovely time. Shortly thereafter Grandmommy got out of the hospital, so we all went together to the Palo Alto Obon fest. That was about a month before she passed away in September, and it was our last big outing together.
The Obon festival is held to remember ancestors and loved ones who are gone…so it seems appropriate that we keep going in memory of Grandmommy. (Posts from last year’s visits here and here.) If she were still here, she would surely be dancing with us!
“Phalaenopsis, phalaenopsis…pretty flower, pretty flower… “(to the tune of Frère Jacques)
— Lucy’s song after visiting the orchid farm
We’ve had a pretty mild summer, a few hot days here and there. On the hot ones we head out of town…to the foggy city or to the cool beach. Here are some snaps from our summer so far, mostly beach pics. Stay tuned for part 2…
We were lucky to spend this Father’s Day with family at one of our favorite places, Filoli. Lucy got to romp around, dance and sing with her grandparents, and cause a ruckus in the café. We had a wonderful time. Here are some of our adventures.
The tree house…a room made by hanging branches
Trying out cameras…she sure has some trusting relatives!
lounging by the pool…phew it was a hot day.
(Anyone else notice how much auntie resembles G’Mommy these days…almost thought it was her in some of these pics. maybe it’s the hair…)
dancing in the ballroom with grandpa
cavorting in the café
We went to a super cool birthday party recently, and they had a bouncy house. What fun!
Madame also enjoyed playing with the birthday girl’s toys….
But kept going back to the bouncy house….she even convinced her daddy to bounce!
They were crafts…a pinata…loads of balloons…cupcakes…phew!
It was a great party, and we stayed til the very end. Just as we were about to leave, she got in one last bounce!
