Plot 55

Sunday, July 7, 2013

Gallery: portraits

Ani has been wowing us with portraits this summer. The one above (it's me, dontcha know) she drew while I was dozing on her bed, listening to a story with her. She got it all - the lines on my lips, my nose ring, my underarm hair (she was particularly proud of that detail). Can I just tell you how loved I felt, being looked at so closely and rendered so beautifully? Big big love.

This one is more my super-hero look, I think, which Dan found an interesting contrast to what he sees as his clown self, drawn here as a mouse. I think she's just picking up and emphasizing the more playful aspects of his character. See his bike?

Ah, and here he is as a rock-n-roller. Right? He should be so lucky, to have those ~~pajamas~~ super star clothes.

These really amazed me. She is going for more realism than I've seen her do before, patiently finding the details and including them in her drawing.

all the way from California...

photo by Keira, upon arrival

We had the great pleasure last week of hosting ancient friends of ours. The kind who knew us as our just-out-of-teenhood selves. It feels awesome and incredible that we have known Keira for 20 years and that our friendship still fits like a glove. Throw kids into the mix and hooha, it's a party! Sadly, Papa Steve was left behind in California, but the kids - who last saw each other when they were 1, 2, 3 and 5, respectively - fell into it quite nicely.

We showed them how we have a good time in the big uptown. Beer garden caution tape.

This is my wonderful family.

Dan and Keira met in Alaska while in college, at the Wilderness Studies Program, and when we moved to Seattle a year later she and her family became our family away from home. We became adults together - back-country hiking trips, relationships, weddings, births, parenting...many stories and a lot of love. The three of us camped out in our living room at night, and talked until two in the morning. A magical slumber party.

It is always something to have your kid be drawn to someone she doesn't know but knows you love. Keira told me that Eliza told her, "we really have a lot to catch up on!" They made quick work of it.