Peas in a Pod

Lola rang in her parents' 11th wedding anniversary with lots of good food and smiles.

Lola P. Howe, Second Grader

Three weeks ago, Lola entered second grade, full of vim and vigor. Her teacher Sara is young and newlywed and celebrating her first year as a full teacher. Lola adores her. So far, they've visited the L.A. Zoo, to take in the new orangutans exhibit, choreographed a dance inspired by orangutans (in this video, Lola appears at 18:15) swinging through trees. Just yesterday, Lola asked me whether her bag of potato chips had palm oil in them. "You know Mom, they're ruining the orangutans' forests by cutting down trees for the palm oil." No more palm oil for us!

Fairy Theater

After school each week, Lola and some friends wrote and choreographed their own production involving fairies and from the looks of this photo, lots of joy!

Merry Merry Little Fairies

We got a fake tree this year for the first time and Lola and her buddy Emilia helped decorate it. They stayed in character, as Tinker Bell and Periwinkle. Naturally.. 

Lola had school on her actual birthday, so naturally there were cupcakes! (And special seating with the birthday girl at a table with her specially selected friends.)

Thanksgiving, L.A. style

Lola's Papa visited for Thanksgiving this year and together, they made some homemade bread for the occasion. It was unseasonably, record-breaking hot for the holiday, so when we weren't basking in the air conditioning, we ventured outside to Huntington Gardens for an afternoon among the lush flora..

The Birthday of Birthdays

Lola turned seven in a fairy wonderland this year, in a place called "Fairies and Dragons," tucked demurely inside an Encino strip mall. Hordes of little girls swarmed the place, got their pick of floofy costumes, crafted interesting little fairy houses, sipped from a pink lemonade fountain, watched a puppet show and left Lola with a bounty of gifts. When I asked Lola what she wished for, she said, "That this party never ends."