the farmhouse

Toby took Owen and one of his friends to the Science center on Saturday so Oona and I had a date at the farmhouse. It's a great playground for kids her age, much nicer than the park that's right near us which has a panic in needle park feel to it, there are no needles but plenty of addicts that hang out there. I have a hard time getting pictures of Oona as of late, since she frequently turns her head once I whip out the camera, but that gave this photo sort of a toddler homage to Christina's World feel to it.

Here Oona is really turning up the emotion. She looks like one of the old Holllywood stars swooning on a couch after being turned down by her lover. She's very demanding with me during playtime. Mommy play with me she'll say with a tone of, or else. She is very strong-willed, much more so than me. She loves going to this area under the jungle gym where there's a molded plastic cash register. She likes running a restaurant where she gives out ice cream and french fries to whoever comes to visit here. Then she insists on sleeping and will demand you lie down on the tiny bench and sleep with her, she hasn't demanded any of the other kids to sleep, just me, so far.

I'm positively swooning over the lovely blooms this spring (this isn't the best picture but you get the idea). Last year we had a late freeze and things weren't nearly as colorful so I'm like a kid in a candy store seeing all the lovely buds and blooms. The acidic green of the baby leaves on some trees I just love, such an amazing spring color. That, and when the grass comes back to life, a lovely, lush green. Living in a part of the country where everything is dead and grey for so long you can get positively giddy over the beauty of nature, although I also drank a pot of coffee today so the caffeine could be contributing to my giddiness as well.