One Camera. One Lens. One Photo a Day.

If yesterday was the day of Belle, today was the day of Bella.

She had her first birthday celebration today at the Avendale clubhouse.  She’s a little peanut and a sweetie, and it just seems hard to believe that I photographed her last February just after her birth.

Last night I had a pretty good idea that the birthday party would most likely give me the photo of the day.  Not that you like to coast or take it for granted, because that’s when you always see something that can be really good, too and you don’t have your camera.

Perhaps the most frustrating thing I’ve discovered about this blog is limiting it to one selected image for the day — some days I would like to make it my favorite five a day.  Though there have been days were there might be one only I would really care to share, so I suppose it evens out.

Today there were some sweet frames of Kate that I had never made before even in the house, so you just never know how the elements are going to line up on the day and the byproduct of the blog is that it is forcing me to continue to look and think about creating new photographs, even when I feel like “I’ve seen it before”.

Though today, that notion I had last night was right.  The photo of the day DID come from the birthday party.  Happy Birthday Bella!

It was a Belle kind of day.

Last night before bed, Kate made sure that I pulled the Belle dress out of the closet for wearing today.

It’s her second favorite dress, these days, Cinderella is at the top of the pile.

Coming back from an afternoon run to the store, Kate was giving her usual royal treatment by the folks there.  Monir gives her a quick hug between customers, and Ann almost always gives Kate a balloon.

And I loved how she color coordinates the balloon with her outfit de jour, and with ribbon flourishes.  She’s treated like the Mayor on these trips and has been since she was born.

By the third set of “KaKaw KaKaw KaKaw” I finally woke up from my post lunch, carbohydrate – induced haze and spotted him up on the light fixture.

One of the Ladera crows and they’re just about everywhere around here.  In the morning we’ll see them (but usually hear them first) gather on an oak tree, or in the back alley (especially if it’s garbage day and they can “examine” the contents).

Coming from lunch with Robert, a friend and fellow photographer, I was a bit startled at the sound, and remembered that I had my camera on me.

I stopped by the car and raised the camera slowly, not wanting to startle the bird.  As the crow stayed put and I was framing, I envisioned what might happen if it were to take off and fly.  Just sitting there, making noise, was not really a photo.

But then it took off. Not exactly where I thought or even hoped it might go, but I really loved the wing span as it flew over to the light fixture in the next row, and away from some pesky photographer.

Toe to toe.

These two have known each other since they were newborns.  I remember Katie (the Mom) bringing Ben over to our house to meet Nicki as they became part of the Baby’s Club 2006.  He must have been all of a few weeks old at most.  Our Kate, perhaps two months older, also slept as the new Moms compared notes about this whole new world they were both experiencing. The notes are still being exchanged as the game is constantly changing.

Now they both are Moms twice over — Mom Kate’s little Abby is now almost two and changing right before our eyes.

This is what makes Ladera special.  The network of friends and Moms is tight — they might all meet at a park once, twice, even three times a week at the drop of a hat.  It’s kind of a bubble, and a bit of an anomaly.  While it’s a suburb it at times feels much more like a small town.  The architecture helps and the way the town is designed, too but it’s really more about the people and the kind of life they want to have here.

And we’re so glad to be here.

Walking out of the house this afternoon to make a quick trip to the shops, I spied this lone gold leaf amidst the naked branches.

Winter is here in CA, though it pales compared to other parts of the country, or even parts of the state for that matter.

But it does still feel like winter just the same.

The good thing is that in just about six weeks, we should start seeing the buds on the trees and we’ll have that prolonged spring which I just love.  Sometimes it seems like that lasts well past the June gloom.

Rainbow sharebox day is always a huge day around this house.

The planning and anticipation began last Thursday after Kate was entrusted with the hallowed box.

What would she place in the box?  What would the three clues be that she would give to her fellow classmates to see who, if anyone, might guess?

Well, last Friday the odds on favorite for the item in the box was a DVD of the Barbie version of The Princess & The Pauper.  That thing must’ve played on the DVD last week since it was pouring with rain (and thus less outdoor stuff to do) I can’t guess how many times.  She’s actually singing the words and when she watches that DVD over at her buddy Marlee’s house, she’s actually reciting the lines (hmmm, I wonder where she gets that talent???).

But a darkhorse emerged on Saturday with the arrival via Netflix of one classic Disney movie, Sleeping Beauty.

Almost instantly that movie became the “new favorite” and by Monday the Barbie Princess and the Pauper was relegated to also-ran status, and SB was placed in the box.

Kate couldn’t wait to get to school today, to share the sharebox.  Racing to the car, and getting to the school  extra early (rare for us), she turned to me with a forlorn face and asked: “Where are my friends??”  Soon they started to arrive and she and her classmates had giggles and laughs as the lined up before heading in for a full morning of class (when Nicki can really get some things done around the office).

One of the kids guessed correctly Kate’s little surprise and she will no doubt be just as excited and thrilled the next time she gets the box.

Meet Olivia — the world’s most mellow baby.

Even running a slight fever like she was today, you’d never know it.  She’s just one happy little girl.  Easy to smile.  Gentle.  And the classic #2 child.

She’s the baby sis of Kate’s little friend Marlee and our kids were over at their house this afternoon for a spontaneous little playdate.  I stopped by briefly to make my photo then let the Moms be.

We joke that Sparky didn’t get “The Olivia Gene”.  Especially when he is whinging about something (no food, too much food, displeasure with the rice, not being held by Mom).

Though honestly he is much easier to smile and laugh these days and it’s great to see him grow and change.  And it’s happening so very quickly.

She’s been talking about this birthday party for about a week.

Kate LOVES her cousin Robert, who had his birthday party at an ice skating rink in Westminster.  Even though he’s 10, he’s always been super kind to Kate and always lets her tag along without any kind of attitude or resentment.  Her other cousin Chris is the exact same way.  As a Dad it makes me feel really good to see the boys treat her so well.  And even though Robert was surrounded by family and friends, he made Kate and the baby feel right at home today.

Kate enjoyed the skating, but she’s certainly not used to the cold.  And her father (the Cheesehead, remember) who took the kids to the rink and the party while Mom had a brunch with the girls and then a movie, forgot to bring a heavy coat and gloves.

So as Kate was doing exercises up and down the rink pushing a small chair to help her balance, her teeth were chattering.  So Dad tried to recoup and draped his jacket on Kate, though I don’t think it really helped that much (except give me a photograph I really loved).

Sleep training has been a source of frustration around this house.

With Kate, she slept great during that first year, but at 18 months began to have dreams that would wake her.  We had to use a crib tent to keep her from climbing out.

Now Sparky is only 4 months old and he’s proving to have endurance and lungs like his sister.  This afternoon, trying to get him down for his two hour nap, we just had no luck.  He wouldn’t sleep and even though we went into the room to comfort him (we probably should not have), he would not close his eyes.

Thankfully he is sleeping through the night, or through most of the night, but it’s disconcerting that he won’t sleep as easily during daytime.

Here is him in his crib (which he’s almost outgrown — the bigger crib is coming out of storage this weekend) during what should have been his nap.

We’re on Day Four of the California deluge of 2010.

Though today was not nearly as intense with rain as yesterday, we still got pretty wet today and even had a bit of hail (though Nicki tells me that on Tuesday it was really coming down).

I had to get out today to see how things were at the beach.  Reports were that the waves have been pretty high and they were, at least at  San Clemente where I went this afternoon.

And though the waves were high, the wind was seriously strong.  And biting cold too. So glad that I threw on the heavy jacket which at times didn’t seem heavy enough.

You would never know I was freezing earlier this week in South Dakota because I felt almost as cold today.

Today’s photograph was made on the San Clemente Pier with storm clouds to the north.