Of Lunches Boxes and Lizards

Look who's back in town! Yes, Alana's home. She came over for coffee on Tuesday, did a lousy job of trying to convince me to move to Saipan, and of course, Maya got her nails painted.

Today Maya started her Vietnamese lessons. She is going to Bill and Ly's house for a couple hours once a week so Ly can speak Vietnamese with her. I don't know how much she remembers. She repeats things after Ly but I don't don't if she understands everything Ly says like when she first came to Homer.

Yesterday was Maya's first day back at school after being sick last week. She was a little hesitant at first. She clung to me and did not want to join in the game in the gym. Her teacher asked if there was something she was attached to in her backpack that she could hold while I left. I thought about it. She is not attached to dolls or stuffed animals. Although she likes her blanket, she is not attached to it. Then I remembered her Curious George lunch box. She takes it everywhere. She even packs a snack to go to Grandma's. I told the teacher the only thing Maya is attached to is her lunch box. Ms. Baechler had her assistant, Nicole, go get Maya lunch box and bring it to her. She let go of my neck, grabbed onto the lunch box and I was able to walk out without a single tear.

Sadly, our anole lizard died this week of natural causes. He shared a habitat with a tree frog and a fire bellied toad. They coexisted peacefully for several years. He loved to bask under the heat lamp on a log, plotting his escape. His only regret in life: missing that job interview with Geico to go surfing on the Amazon.

Welcome home, Alana!

Why do I bother buying toys? This is Maya's latest obsession, the Vietnamese noodle dunker. You can use it to catch balls.

It also makes a very good hat.

You should always wear goggles when eating breakfast. You never know what's going to fly out of the cereal bowl and hit you in the eye. Just look at my mom!

The boys love making kitty condos out of cardboard boxes.

A magnificant coffin for our anole. He will be buried in the traditional Alaskan way:

His body will be frozen until the ground is soft enough for him to be buried late spring.

I'm ready to go to Ly's house!

Got my Curious George lunch box in my backpack!

This is a beautiful oil pastel portrait of Maya, a gift from Midge at South Peninsula Hospital.

Of course, the photo does not do it enough justice. Thank you again, Midge!