Big Trees

The three of us headed up to the Sequoia National Park this weekend. Oh what fun!

Here's the little one hanging out on top of luggage while dad filled up the tank.

Big Trees this way, please...

Here's a couple of big trees.

And a bigger one.

We also saw a deer.

And not one...

but two bears!

And we saw a tree resembling blowing a bubble gum-rock. Strange.

Maya enjoyed the long trek through Crescent Meadow. Bug repellent, a must!

We ate lunch in a picnic area and hiked down the slope to check out the creek. Dad decided to take Maya on a log overlooking the rushing waters. Mom's silently freaking out from a distance.

We climbed Moro Rock.

And made it to the top.

We also explored Crystal Cave. It's damp, really dark, and about 50 degrees inside. Maya kept saying "wow" and "cool". The pic above is one of the tightest spaces that you have to go through. No strollers or baby backpacks allowed so we had Maya in our arms the whole time. Ow!

Waterfall by the cave. Maya's finger became self conscious so it slowly made it up to a nostril before the kind stranger hit the click button.

Mom and Maya resting before making the strenuous hike back up from the cave.

We've been here many times, but our first with our daughter. The lansdscape never fails to amaze us each time.

It was nice to get away where cellphones don't work and just focus on family and the majestic landscape.

Camp Maya

What do you do when it's 110 degrees outside? Set up camp inside, of course.

Pad thai

Father and daughter sharing pad thai.
It's that good.

Camping on the sofa

The bebe is not feeling well. Her doc said to take it easy, give her baby Tylenol, and a leukwarm bath to get her temperature down. It may be beginning stages of ear infection. (hope not!) We camped on our sofa this afternoon. Me with my book and her with camping friends. And a stray orange racoon.

Then and now: Evolution of Maya's mama's art

My former self with acrylics.
My former self with watercolors.
My painting gear with oils and field box.

One of my last watercolors before my daughter was born.

Wow, that seems like a long time ago. The thing with painting is I have to be mentally prepared for it. It requires concentration to reach a certain level of consciousness. If you know how "runner's high" feels (I used to run back then too), then you know what I'm talking about. I have "painter's high". Not from sniffing the paints, silly.

And now, here are my new painting materials...

...with my new painting/drawing buddy. No worries, I'll teach her all about white crayons and paint later on.

She discovers that pen is better than the white crayon because, you know, you can see what you drew.
Present day: Mommy and me "art work" .

Jump n' Jammin

Our new playground.

for jumpin'
for crawlin'
for runnin'
for hangin'
and for flyin'

Maya's weekend

My mom let me stay up past my bedtime this weekend so we got to play in the backyard longer. We laid on the picnic blanket and watched the breeze rustle leaves and push clouds in the sky. We chased after Charlie and bugs. Sang songs about flowers. Listened to birds get ready for bed. Gathered some flowers and leaves. Oh and I can now say "G' mawning!" which my mom finds really cute.

Remember this pool my parents worked hard on putting up?
It's now a family fort. Water is optional.
I got wrapped up like a burrito in a picnic blanket.
I helped mommy wipe the coffee table I made a mess on.
My friend Lulu and I rode my horsey.
And of course, I picked flowers (and dried leaves and branches that mommy vaccuumed off the living room floor.) My mom took this weird shot. Not my best pose nor my dad's, but Charlie's is picture perfect.

Is this weird or what?

Our dog Charlie and our cat KeeKee recently started sharing the same bed.