Summer theme: family

As you all saw from the Easter photos, summer had not only brought along Kecil's first ever egg hunt, but some family members as well.
Eyang Kakung, Eyang Uti and a certain lovely Tante arrived during the Easter week to spend sometime with Kecil, spending the holiday as well as observing Kecil in school and at home LIVE instead of through whatever scant documentations that Mama can provide.

Suffice to say, Kecil enjoys being the center of attention of OH so many people!
Not to mention the mountain of gifts that came along in Eyangs' suitcases.
But we'll cover that one by one.
In the meantime, let Mama presents... the family:

Eyang Kakung

Eyang Uti

Tante ...

So the sun might shine so brightly and oh so hot,
But I think we'll be fine enjoying ourselves with the family.
We do hope that your days are just as great too, no matter the weather.

With love...

Easter Sunday ...

... was a day for pretty, flowery dresses, cotton candy, and outdoor festivities...

Amidst all the new stuff, the confusion... I think Kecil still managed to enjoy herself, eventually.
It was just too bad that she missed out on the egg hunt.
Not to be deterred, though, since GrandMama and Mama had already arranged for her own private hunt at the backyard: Gram colored the eggs, and Mama hid them.

With some help from GramM, we managed to recover all FOUR eggs.
Not too bad for Kecil's very first egg hunt.
Especially if you can count that huge yellow one right at the end as a bonus one.

T'was a huge egg, no?

And so... despite it being late by four days.... wish you all a Good Easter!

Following...

Planning

As the Kid and her best friend continues growing up each day,
This Mama is getting the lesson all Mamas are learning everyday:
At times, there are more following than leading when it comes to parenting.
Just as on one summer afternoon...

Covering more details

Executing

This Mama became a witness to some elaborate planning & execution of a late afternoon walkies led by the two friends.

Following

And so this Mama follows, acting simply as a guardian, to ensure safety (and that no fight ensued). Needless to say, Mama learns quite a few things from following, like....

Utilizing any kind of space for 'play'

Recapturing the joy of being barefoot

Posing, naturally

Wielding your umbrella

Even using natural material to tell the story of 'summer'

It was indeed an enjoyable summer afternoon, simply following. How's your summer so far?

Enjoying a summer afternoon

how difficult is it?

It's been a while since Mama played with the camera, so on one sunny day, it was decided that Mama should try her hand again on food photography.
Starting with just simple everyday item from the kitchen, really, how hard would it be, right?

Onions... and hand

Ahem... not THAT easy, as it turn out.
Not with a certain pair of itchy hands always trying to 'help' with the process.

Measuring spoons... and hand

These hands kept on trying to steal Mama's prop, butting in for prime focus positions, totally stealing the scene. So... we try distracting the Little Girl with other things.... like her own apron...

Seems to be working for a while...
Then it backfired, as the Little Girl decided that she then had the 'duty' to be the main cook, and therefore entitled to all the tools Mama had kindly provided. Ahem...

 

Moral of the story? It was difficult. Ha!

 But then again, after receiving my 'pay' in her smiles... not to mention the imaginary soups she managed to prepare... I am so not going to complain.
It was great fun.

I guess the kitchen thermometer and the spoons just have to wait for another sunny day when Kecil takes a nap.

"piter patter"

Time to dress me up, Mama!

 It's been said that as parents get older, they would long for the piter patter small feet once again in the form of grandchildren.
Well... the saying is quite inapplicable to us, this Mama and Daddy: one, because we are still young
And two... seriously, who came up with 'piter patter' anyway?
Early morning on Sunday(!), those little feet sounds more like BAAM BAAM BOOM BOOM on the wooden floored short hallway that separates the master bedroom from the Kecil's.

So not piter patter.
And at practically the crack of dawn, these young Mama and Daddy is so not longing for anything but simply more sleep.
Still, I suppose there is always the theoretical probability that someday we will miss this kind of mornings. And that is the reason why there are photographs: to capture those beautiful (albeit sleepy) moments and freeze them in time to be enjoyed forever.

Capturing moments

a cabinet-full of giggles...

THE Cabinet

Once upon a time, Mama decided that she wanted to fill up this corner near the front door with a cabinet, to drop keys, pens, and other knicks knacks. Mama and Daddy looked high and low for something nice, and found this 'children wardrobe'. It was a nice size, just the perfect height and width, and Mama was happy. She thought she could use the cabinet for LOTS of things. Ah, silly Mama.
Mama did try to keep the umbrellas there, only to find them strewn all over the hallway by someone else who were obviously VERY happy with the new addition of furniture. Still very happy about it too.
And of course, what is happiness if it is not shared?
So... here's what I found in the cabinet the other day:

Lots of GIGGLES!

Some worried faces?

And still more GIGGLES!

Huge smiles and happy faces

Ah well.. I suppose there are still other nooks and crannies in which I can hide my umbrellas.