Elegant. That is how I would describe Kyoto in a word, although it is a city too complex to be summarized in such a singular way. It is teeming with reminders of its ancient history, yet Kyoto is a large city with many modern touches. But I noted a quiet elegance throughout most of our stay there – from the meticulously manicured gardens, to the bright kimono, to the quiet residential homes with wooden doors, shoji screens, and pitch after pitch of beautiful clay roof tiles.
On the advice of our friend and Kyoto-guru Glen, we stayed at a ryokan (traditional Japanese lodging) instead of a Western-style hotel. And I’m so glad we did. The ryokan shared many characteristics of a Japanese home, including tatami mats on the floor, futons for sleeping, low tables and floor pillows for eating (and drinking green tea), shoji screens on the windows and even a beautiful garden. This was the view from our window, and we slept most nights with the screen pulled back so we could take advantage of the fresh, cool air.
Lee and I were so fortunate to have Glen with us every day, carting us all around the city, taking in so many fascinating sites. Each night he would present us with the itinerary for the next day, full of visits to temples, shrines, castles and gardens, with some shopping and excellent dining mixed in between.
The gardens were so beautiful, with the carefully pruned bushes, grounds that were weeded by hand, and ponds filled with koi. Even the pine trees were manicured, with needles removed to keep them from being too bushy. Nothing escaped the watchful eye of the gardeners at some of Japan’s most treasured historical sites, and the result was enchanting.
Also enchanting – the kimono. I fell in love with the kimono and all the bright fabrics and elegant obi worn by some of the Japanese. Each time I saw someone in kimono I caught myself gawking, and had to remember my manners and try not to stare.
We also had the good fortune to visit with several local Japanese, via our friend Glen, of course. We were invited to a Boy’s Day Parade by one of the locals, and I snapped so many pictures of the costumed children I probably looked like some sort of parade paparazzi. I couldn’t help but think of Camille and how much she would like to dress up too!
It was good to come home, to sleep in my bed, and – most of all – to hold my sweet girl. But I miss Kyoto already. I am so happy we made the long trip, because it was more than worth it.
(Video compilation below!)
We returned a few days ago from our trip to Japan, and it was a thrilling adventure. I’m still going through photos (while munching on Japanese snacks flavored with green tea) and gathering my thoughts so I can write about the trip here.
Meanwhile, Lee described his experience on our company blog. I really enjoyed reading about his perspective – not just as a tourist, but as an artist and even a student. The writing is beautiful, and I love that he is capable of such deep connections with people, places and art. He’s all mine.
But I’ll let you read his blog if you want. 🙂
Lee opened up his toy display cabinet tonight after dinner and let Camille play with some of his old school superhero toys. I enjoyed the following snippets of conversation so much I had to share.
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Lee: “Penguin is a criminal mastermind.”
Camille: “Oh! Like an astronaut!”
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Camille was playing with two Batman toys, one larger than the other.
Camille: “This could be the mama Batman, and this could be the baby Batman!”
Lee, being the ever-accommodating playmate, pulled out two more Batman toys and decided they could be the father and brother. A Batman family!
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Camille: “Robin doesn’t look straight enough.”
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Camille shows me how high the Batman toy can kick his leg.
Me: “I wish I could kick my leg that high!”
Camille: “Well, you can’t because you’re metal.”
Camille’s first words to me this morning were “Happy Earth Day!,” as she burst into our room at precisely 7 a.m. That girl loves a holiday. And what better way to celebrate than by getting into nature via the intracoastal waterway?
Ok, so we’d already planned to take out a boat today, and not just because it was Earth Day, but the timing worked out well.
For this outing, we took a boat with a cuddy cabin, and I had not anticipated how much Camille would love the little “room,” which we dubbed her playhouse. She split her time between pretending to go to sleep…
And being a self-described “observer,” peeking out of the hatch and looking for birds and such.
She was delighted to see pelicans diving into the water, and we were all pretty ecstatic to spot a pod of dolphins making their way toward the Savannah River.
I was proud of us. We set our sights on Riverstreet, even though that meant entering the main shipping channel which made us nervous. Thankfully, no large freighters were moving through at the time, and we pretty much had the water to ourselves. We docked at the public dock there on Riverstreet and ate at Tubby’s (on the porch so we could watch the boat).
On the way back we managed to get lost. It’s not a good feeling to look around and not see any familiar landmarks, but GPS soon saved the day. And I figure we’re making improvements. On our first outing, we got stuck in the mud and lost. On this, our second outing, we just got lost. Maybe on our next outing we’ll avoid both!
I don’t know what it is about being on the water that is so simultaneously exciting and calming, but it just feels so good to be on the boat. This particular boat had a perfect spot at the bow, just big enough for me to sit down and put up my feet and enjoy the view. And enjoy it I did.
Hello Sweet Sleeping Bee, and Happy Forty-Five Months! This last month has been so full as we’ve been sampling all the joys of spring in Savannah. Where to start?
With Easter! The fun began with an Easter Egg Hunt at church, as you and your church buddies plucked eggs from the tulip beds, dashing around Orleans Square to fill your baskets.
Then, you had an Easter Egg Hunt at school, which didn’t go quite as well. For whatever reason, we parents evoked nothing but tears from you and your classmates on the day of your Easter party. Some of us came to the party to help hide the eggs and serve lunch, and nearly every child who had a parent present was inconsolable at some point. You didn’t want to do anything without me by your side (very touching, yet impractical), and refused to take part in the Easter Hat Parade.
I had to laugh when, during circle time, several of you were crying and your teacher said, “I know many of you are sad because your parents are here…” It was as if we had come to shame and humiliate you all! I thought that wouldn’t happen until high school!
Sigh.
Surprisingly, things went much better than expected on a trip to the mall that same week. You didn’t want to have your picture taken with the Easter Bunny, but wanted some of the bunny ear hats that the photographer was giving away. So you agreed to give the bunny a high-five. And then that high-five turned into a hug. And then before I knew it you exclaimed, “I DO want to have my picture made with the Easter Bunny!” and my wallet got significantly lighter. But how could I say no to your first Easter Bunny picture? You were quite proud of yourself for being so brave, and so was I!
Easter weekend, we continued the tradition of dyeing eggs at Boo’s house in anticipation of the Easter Day Hunt.
Easter morning, you were very excited to find your basket from The Bunny, with your much-anticipated spider toy. I’m not sure exactly why you decided you needed a spider, but you’ve been asking for one for quite some time. I wonder how many other little girls asked the Easter bunny for a spider?
The Bunny tried not to fill your basket with too many sweets, but knew you’d love this marshmallow owl. When I took this picture, I couldn’t help but mentally caption it, “The moment she got her first cavity.” Let’s hope not.
The family Easter Egg Hunt was a lot of fun, and you even found one of the prize eggs. The weather was perfect for a picnic outside, including cookies with icing because the marshmallow owl wasn’t enough sugar for one day.
The next weekend, we headed to Ottawa Farms for the annual Strawberry Festival and picked a huge bucketful of beautiful, ripe strawberries. Last year you had your very first pony ride at this festival. Here you were then:
And here you were this year, not nervous at all, happily riding atop Miss Prissy.
This has also been a great month for playdates with good buddies. You met up with two of your school friends at a barn, dressed appropriately in your cowgirl boots and hat. The three of you spent the morning running around, pretending to be animals and playing in the hay barn. I just loved the pictures we captured that day.
Last weekend we visited your buddies Nia and Nate in Winder, and I’m pretty sure I’ve never seen you play so happily with other kids. You just adore them both, which is a good thing because I do too.
You went to your first Sand Gnats game of the season this month, and enjoyed strolling to the stadium hand-in-hand with your buddy Sam. Unfortunately, on the way there you stumbled and s
kinned your knees. As you were crying and I was comforting you, Sam snapped off a branch of beautiful pink azaleas and brought them to you. He’s been well trained!
Although you still have many moments of shyness, you have been quite a ham at times this month too, if the mood is right. We shot our first episode of “Cooking with Camille,” and I think we both had a lot of fun with the project. This month your Daddy also introduced you to a microphone, and the two of you have been preforming rock concerts in the guest bedroom most nights. I named your band The Camtastics.
Before you perform, I have to close the door so you and your Daddy can decide on a song to sing. Then when you’re ready, the door opens (much like a curtain on a stage) and the show begins. Tonight you were performing a song you wrote yourself called “Dance With a Ukulele.”
You’ve passed another big developmental milestone this month. Or to be honest, you probably passed it last month, but I was slow to accept the fact that you’re giving up your nap. For several weeks you’d sleep less and less during naptime, and I’d spend more and more time chasing you back into your room. I was certain you still needed to sleep, but I finally grew tired of the chase. Our compromise was that you still had to spend an hour in your room by yourself, but didn’t have to stay in bed. You could play quietly.
This has actually worked out very well. Your favorite thing to do is draw in preschool workbooks, tracing letters and numbers and solving puzzles. How could I argue with that?
You also like to have books in your bed for company, and lately many of them have featured volcanoes. I’m not entirely sure how this love of volcanoes began – you came home from school one day drawing triangles and talking about volcanic eruptions, which progressed into a trip to the library to find volcano books.
At the library, we found the children’s nonfiction area and you gasped upon spotting a hardback book with an image of fiery lava erupting from the top of a volcano. We picked it up, along with a few others, and then got in line to check them out. Too excited to wait, you sat on the floor and started flipping through the books. Each turn of a page was punctuated by “WOW!” or “WHOA!” or “Mama! Look at that volcano!” I was amused when you confused the term lava with “saliva,” as though the volcano were drooling down its own chin. But I have no doubt that very soon you’ll know all sorts of facts about volcanoes because you love to learn.
So, pretty full month, wouldn’t you agree? And a very, very good one. Thanks for sharing your adventures with me. I love you so very much.
For several years now, Lee and I have been wishing for a boat. Driving on the bridges spanning the local waterways, I’d look out at the boats going by with a longing to be out on the water too. I want to explore the undeveloped barrier islands and search for seashells and sand dollars. I want to coast in the rivers between the marsh grasses and listen to water lap the side of the boat.
So this year we finally joined a local boat club – a boat co-op of sorts – and I’ve been so excited sometimes I can’t sleep. Silly I know, but I can’t help it! Last week, Lee and I met with a trainer for orientation and took a boat out on the water. Let me just say – it’s harder than I thought. The basics of boat operation aren’t really that tricky, but understanding the tides and learning the waterways and channel depths will take some time.
This afternoon we took Camille and Boo for our first boat trip without the trainer. Our plan was to keep it simple and just cruise around the Intracoastal waterway, drop anchor at some point and have a picnic on the boat.
Sounds deceptively simple, right? About 20 minutes into the trip we found ourselves stuck in the mud, but we learned some good lessons about how not to drop anchor, got back into deeper water and had a well-deserved margarita and some steamed shrimp.
Then we cruised out closer to the ocean where the views were gorgeous. We hit some choppy water, but thankfully Camille didn’t find the waves alarming at all. In fact, she laughed hysterically every time we crested a wave and salt water sprayed across our faces.
Then there was that one time when we got turned around, but thank goodness for GPS because we were soon back on the right track toward the marina.
It would be nice to skip this “newbie” phase and already have all the knowledge and boating skills of a salty sailor, but I realize the only way to get that knowledge is by being on the water. And despite our mud encounter (did I mention that I was up to my knees in mud at one point? Gave my new boat shoes a workout!) and brief disorientation, being out on the water was pretty fantastic. I love standing up when the boat is cruising, feeling the wind whipping at my hair, even getting the occasional sea spray shower. I’m excited that all the waterways and beaches around coastal Savannah are now open to us, and I’m ready to explore some more.
Watch out Paula Deen! There is a new chef in town, and she’s really, really cute.
Camille and I love to cook, so a couple of days ago I got it in my head that she needed her own cooking show. With lots of technical and graphical support from Lee and with Camille’s general cuteness and willing demeanor, we created this first episode of Cooking With Camille. Will there be more episodes? I hope so! As long as she still enjoys hosting her cooking show, I’ll be ready with a camera to capture the fun.
Recipe Info:
Homemade Gummy Candy
Ingredients:
1/3 cup water
2 pkgs. unflavored gelatin
1 (3 oz.) pkg. instant Jell-O mix (we used sugar-free and it was fine, too)
candy molds
Directions:
1. Sprinkle the gelatin and jell-o mix into 1/3 cup water. If it’s well-distributed, there is no need to stir. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes.
2. Melt the mixture over medium-low heat on the stove, stirring constantly, until the jell-o and gelatin have melted. Let cool for about a minute.
3. Transfer melted mixture into something from which you can easily pour. Fill the candy molds, then let them sit for 20 minutes as the jell-o and gelatin harden.
4. Peel the gummy candy out of the molds and enjoy! If you’re going to store them, you can lightly brush cornstarch on the backs to keep them from sticking together.
I love game shows. It’s true. I don’t watch them as much now as I used to, but when I was in college I watched an awful lot of The Price is Right and Wheel of Fortune. I also tuned in to old school episodes of Press Your Luck and Family Feud on the Game Show Network. Dork, I know.
My greatest game show fantasy is to be on the Price is Right and make it all the way to the showcase showdown. A few years ago when we went to L.A. I was crushed to find out Price is Right was not taping while we were there. We’ll have to go back sometime, because being on that show is on my must-do list.
So when I heard that Wheel of Fortune was having auditions in Savannah, I just had to give it a shot. On Sunday, I showed up at the mall where they’d set up a makeshift stage in the center court.
Vanna and Pat were there in cardboard form, standing in front of the big gold drum into which all of our applications were placed. The “host” pulled applications out of the drum randomly and chose players to come up on stage for a quick mini-show. Based on your performance in the mini-show (i.e. are you zany and can you solve puzzles?), you might get selected for a future final audition and eventually, THE SHOW.
In case you were wondering, the answer to the puzzle pictured above was “Chef Paula Deen,” and I solved it before the person on the stage did. GRRRRRR!
As much as I wanted to get picked, there were other people who wanted it far more than I did. Several who made it on stage sang songs; one even wrote a song just for the occasion. A woman standing beside me bowed her head and crossed her fingers each time the host dipped into the drum, clearly desperate to be selected. Others brought camping chairs and made themselves comfortable as they watched the spectacle unfold.
Alas, my application was never pulled out of the drum. I left a little disappointed, but at least I can say I tried. And maybe I’m just saving my game show karma for The Price is Right one day. (Yeah, I know. Still a dork).
I am very happy this morning about the passage of Obama’s health care legislation last night. However, after waking up to the rancorous discourse on television, radio and all over my Facebook page, I need a palate cleanser.
In case you do too, I present:
This seal who couldn’t stand to be excluded from the penguin photo (via Cute Overload).
A baby bat in honor of my bat-loving child (via ZooBorns).
And this adorable baby tapir who looks like a watermelon (ZooBorns again). So cute.
Inhale. Exhale. Now let’s all try to get along.
Hello beautiful girl and Happy 44 Months! Right now you’re sitting on the couch watching Dinosaur Train with your baby doll Maya. Poor Maya, she’s been throwing up all evening and you decided she needed to drink some Ginger Ale, then lie down and take it easy.
Unfortunately, vomiting has found its way into your pretend play because you were sick last week with your first stomach virus in a long time. The illness was fairly short-lived, but made an impression on you nonetheless. The other day you were playing with your bunny family and dollhouse, and poor baby bunny was bent over a bucket the whole time tossing her cookies.
I sure hated that you were sick, but thankfully you recovered quickly enough to enjoy one of my favorite times in Savannah – St. Patrick’s Day! I love this holiday for many reasons. St. Patrick’s Day usually signals the beginning of spring which is a glorious time here, and there are plenty of fun things to do around town to celebrate. This whole town gets excited about St. Pats, even to the point of canceling school on March 17 each year. The excitement is palpable and contagious.
We had a great time at the parade. You brought two of your stegosauruses (because they were green), and even held them up periodically so they could watch the floats and bands. The only floats you didn’t like were the ones that fired cannons. This is what you looked like when they paraded by us.
I put together this little video compilation of this year’s St. Pat’s experience:
This month I finally got around to downloading all the fun pictures you’ve been taking with your camera. The pictures span the past year or so, and while most were taken by you, you also like it when we take your picture too. Especially when we use the little pre-programmed graphics, giving you bunny ears, googly eyes and the like. There were so many fun ones it was hard to choose a few to show here, but I managed to organize some of my favorites into 3 categories.
Friends & Family
Pics of Camille
Camille’s Point-of-View
Speaking of pictures, I grabbed this one with my phone a couple of weeks ago at Boo’s house.
Daddy had discovered several of his old books – the kind that came with a record tucked into a back flap with a recording of someone reading the story. We dusted off Boo’s record player and listened to Winnie-The-Pooh, and it took me right back to my own childhood. I loved those records and books, all except for the Fox and the Hound because it made me cry.
You’re still enjoying chapter books this month, and we just finished our third book in the Magic Treehouse series, one about “Monsters of the Deep.” The book featured a giant octopus, and upon hearing the tale, you were full of questions about octopi. Your Daddy scoured YouTube for some instructional videos, and you two discussed the octopus’ tentacles, beak and such.
I’ll get back to the octopus in a minute, but first let me tell you about a new tradition you have with your Daddy. Once a month, the Jepson Museum holds a toddler art class. You and your Daddy have been attending these, touring the galleries together and then making a craft based on one of the museum’s exhibits.
Last week, the craft was a keepsake box. Your Daddy tells me when the teacher asked everyone what they might put in their keepsake box, most of the girls said “Princesses!” But you shouted, “A GIANT OCTOPUS!”
That’s my girl.
I just love your individuality. If you’d wanted to put princesses in your keepsake box that would’ve be fine too. But I think it’s wonderful that you have your own sense of what’s fun and cool.
Your Daddy found a picture of a giant octopus for you to put in your keepsake box, but there is still plenty of room for other treasures as well. And that’s good because you like to collect things – mostly shells and rocks. A couple of weekends ago we went for a stroll on the beach, and you were nearly overwhelmed by the vast number of shells you could collect. I am really looking forward to coming back here again when the weather warms up so we can spend the whole day inspecting the shells and exploring.
You’re still a big fan of face painting, but it’s not just for your cheek anymore. You really like to paint my cheek. The first time I let you paint my face, I requested a rainbow. I thought you did a wonderful job!
It has been another great month, my love, filled with fun and laughter. I’ll close tonight with another video – one that I watch over and over because
you’re just so funny. It’s a video of you jumping on the bed while your Daddy plays guitar. You’re yelling, “Rock it out, man!” while dancing with two thumbs up and a look on your face like you ate a lemon. I’m not sure where you got this act from, but keep it coming.
I love you so much, my rock-it-out girl! Encore! Encore!
