10th Anniversary

This week, Lyman and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary. It was pretty low key as we are planning to go all out in August. However, a nice dinner out following by ice cream was pretty great on a warm summer evening. I took out our wedding photo album. Now that we have scads of great pictures, these always disappoint in their poor quality. Lyman never liked them- right from the proofs- but they remind me that I bought them with my low teacher salary and how much we have accomplished- financially, stylistically, intellectually, artistically, personally- in the past 10 years. It's feels great to be married 10 years and want to be married 10 more.

On Beauty

Summer is here! Hallelujah! I am so ready to slow down and calm down after many months of stressed rushing to get stuff done. I have very little to do, and that's the way I like it. I got a jump on summer reading with Zadie Smith's On Beauty. I bought it some time ago after reading her other hit White Teeth. I wasn't into it after 75 pgs. so texted K if I should bother to continue. She said right away that it was one of her favs, and didn't I know it was based on Howards End? Two big reasons to continue: 1. K is rarely wrong on her fav list. 2. I love something based on something old and English. After reading, I rented the movie straight away having not seen it since high school. Her book is so much better than the original inspiration. Born the same year as me, she makes me feel so unaccomplished as she is truly a remarkable storyteller. Like the best, Jane Austen, Smith can write about sexism, racism, classism in the guise of a juicy story and characters you care about. Only after putting it aside, away, to bed do all her insights into human dynamics really blow you away. It's beautiful.

Milo's Art

Lyman took Milo off to the free Sunday family day at an art museum again. This time, they were to make an art project inspired by the entrance to the building. Two stars for the first person to name in comments! Below is my mother's day craft made at daycare. He also made something for father's day, but it was destroyed before being photographed.

Milo and Sofia

Here is a pic Ivan shot when we were visiting a few weeks back. Little Sofia is now making her Hoosier debut, and I am sure everyone is loving her.

Auntie Nicole

Look who we saw! Lyman's sister Nicole was visiting CA with her boyfriend and his family for the week, and we stole her away on Saturday. We went to the beach (next post), lunch and this huge mall. She is as sweet, positive and helpful as ever. I hope we can she her and the whole family soon!

After walking the mall, we had to take a sweet break. Milo didn't want to miss a drop of our brownie sundae.

At the Beach

We thought we would show Nicole our California Beach- knowing it would never meet her usual standards- and it was worse than we hoped. The sun never burned off the overcast sky, and the water was icy cold. No one even bothered to put on a suit. Milo still had a grand time in the sand with his bucket.

Cuties