First Mani Pedi

We walked by a nail salon...not the one I frequent. But Deia got excited and said she wanted pail nolish :) So we went in and she picked out her color, purple, and she sat in a chair. She let them file and buff, but HATED the remover. She settled down watched the polish go on...very skeptically. But she was happy about it and was very quick to answer yes when asked if she wanted flowers on her toes and sparkly polish on her fingers. She actually kept her feet and hands flat for the drying time and spent some time with her nails in front of a fan. She's very proud of her mani pedi and already knows what color she wants to do next time :)

Who Me?!

Deia has become the most expressive little girl. From the ways she uses her vast vocabulary, to the inflections in her voice, to the waving of her hands and the squinting of her eyes....the cocking of her head and the raising of her eyebrows...sometimes her entire body is involved in conveying a message. When she speaks, I stare. Watching her pouty, heart shaped mouth speak makes you starving to bite it. And when those teeny little teeth are revealed, you just wish you were a toothbrush!

Tal & Deia

Deia and Tal remain great little buddies. They get along SO well! We'll let them be for hours and hear mostly giggling. Now-a-days, we are hearing very complete conversations between the two of them! It's amazing! Deia, "Why are you sad?" Tal, "I want you to sit with me on the couch." Deia, "I don't want to sit on the couch." Tal, "Come watch TV with me." Deia, "OK!" It's incredible. Every once and a while they will push each other's buttons, which is so normal. And Deia has a tendency to get a little too much in Tal's personal space. But when they do hug....it's magic. LOVE those little girls!!!!!

Tap

Deia just began tapping! Her "2's" class at the Creation Station is half ballet and half tap....and moms are not allowed in the room anymore. It's actually better for her. They are currently "rehearsing" for their first recital scheduled for June! Adorable!!!!!

Tough Day At The Beach

This was one tough day at the beach :)

Wahini

This image has been captured before, almost a year earlier on the same beach! Jaco Beach, Costa Rica.

Black Sand In Jaco

There's nothing like Jaco Beach at low tide....flat, black, glistening sand as far as the eye can see. ...although it can look like mud, the sand is very fine and makes for great body painting. Deia loved running around at low tide, collecting rocks, looking at the sand snails and worms, pouring sand over her legs and then bolting into the waves to laugh and splash. Deia has no fear of the water. She'll stand armpit high and say, "look at me!!!!!!!"

Tamarindo Sunset

Deia and mommy, on "cation" together in Tamarindo, Costa Rica.

Corey's Birthday

Sometimes simplicity brings about the most joy. We left the house on bikes at 6:30 Pm. It was really windy, which is why Cor didn't get in an evening birthday surf, but we braved it on the bike path to the Washington Pier. We frolicked down the pier and watched seagulls at a standstill between the wind and their attempts to fly. After a gorgeous sunset, we cruised over to Baja Cantina, where Chris, Shelley, Stephan and Tal spontaneously met us. Great night! ...only to get better when we got home and Deia sang happy birthday a billion times.

More Beans Please

Who knew how much Deia would LOVE black beans! She is never more silent during a meal (even with noodles!), than when gorging on beans. Her favorite meal out right now is black beans & guac from Casa Linda on Abbot Kinney. Second to that, the summer crunch salad (most importantly the radishes, persian cucumbers and iceberg lettuce in there) from 3 Square on AK also. AND, she has a particular liking for the Chinese Chicken Salad from Cal Chicken Cafe...although she does fish for the spiral pasta more than anything. She still loves her noodles and annie's "pizza pockets," but will go to town on asparagus and baked kale chips...loves cherry tomatoes and will destroy an entire, adult-size artichoke. Her snacks are pretty standard for her - dried mangoes, seaweed, apple sauce squeezies, cheerios, cheddar bunnies, tangerines, apples, grapes and tortillas. Gelato is probably her absolute favorite food on the planet. And we're talking yogurt tubes that I put in the freezer for her :) She is a good eater and remains a large consumer of Manu.

Beach Moment

I just love this moment. It's the way life looks to me on a Sunday. Naked child and daddy on the beach.

Wax

Deia loves to help wax Daddy's surfboard! The words, "I wanna do it," are yelled with great enthusiasm when the board comes out and she knows what needs to be done!