Feeling summer coming...

We had our first picnic of the season today at Molly's school. It was the best kind. We started before school let out for lunch and we were still out there when school got out at 3 o'clock. Solly's bagels and treats, fruit and veggies. It was divine. We had good company, too. Eric's cousin Heather and her husband Steve, and another cousin, Claire, joined us.

Heather and Steve are living our lives, about eight years ago. He is playing professional volleyball overseas and they just got back from the year in Japan. We never lived in Asia, but so many of the experiences of being an import professional athlete are the same no matter where you are. It was great to catch up and think about how different our lives are now. In some good ways, some sad ways. We used to pick up with 45 minutes notice and go to Prague for the weekend. Now we are lucky to get to IKEA with an hour lead time...well, that's a little harsh...but you know what I mean.

This evening, we celebrated Eric's mom's birthday with dinner together at the Arbutus Club. They had activities for the kids' tonight, with a magician, face-painting and balloons. Kids are pretty predictable in their pleasures, really.

Here is Lukey making his scary tiger face:

Here is Lukey looking terrified next to a bunny. I told him how funny it was that the bunny looks chilled out and the tiger looks freaked. He thought that was hilarious.

The bunny was a big hit. The kids are campaigning hard for a pet. We, the parents, are equally resolute in our rejection of the idea. It's a cold-hearted, dream-stomping, straight-up NO.

At the end of the night, we were all tired. But sleepy (lily-livered) tiger said it all with the picture below. We were all a little blurry around the edges.