Nora played Mayor Shinn in our park district's Broadway Bound camp version of The Music Man and if she's missing from this photo you can bet her jaunty straw hat and energetic emoting are somewhere very nearby and you can also bet those two little cuties in the front just encapsulate all the joy I felt watching, singing along and crying through this lovely show.
Mia and Nora dressed up as Totoro and Mei for last weekend's Comic Con -- it's their fourth cos-play experience together and they still get such a kick being recognized and ooed over and asked for photos.
In between the trips to Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin, Mia and I took a break for steak quesadillas and Saga comics (for her) and Thoreau and tequila (for me) at Depot Nuevo. My favorite night of the summer.
And this shot is EVERYTHING. My dear darling grand-niece Caroline at nineteen months who stared for the longest time at the three of us from the comfort of her father's lap when we first walked in the door and then, after giving it a great deal of thought, burst into confused tears. Which just made her slow warm up to us all the more wonderful. For by the time we left Cleveland after a lightning quick weekend, she was giving long hugs to all of us and little kisses in the air next to our faces. A miracle, really, to watch her learn and think and discover before our very eyes. A walk to the park is a journey through wonderland. And here also is her little bestie, Brinkley, the gentlest and softest of sweet doggie friends. And see Maggie's welcome sign for the three of us on the mantle and on the other end of the mantle Maggie's photo album of photos from her trip to Nepal to perform corrective cataract eye surgery at free rural clinics. Maggie turned 30 in April on that trip and it makes my head spin and my heart melt to remember her at Caroline's age. Like it was yesterday. So proud, so in love, so happy to spend time with them.
