Cold Spaghetti

Friday morning, we took the kids to the Gulf Coast Exploreum to let them play in the Wharf. They had a blast. The Pompeii exhibit that I’m hoping to see was filled with school kids on a field trip… so we stayed in the Wharf. We followed up the morning fun with a lunch at Felix’s with my Dad. It was a very nice morning and early afternoon!

It seemed like a lot of time had passed since I practiced my one-on-one photography with the kids. Will was napping, a package from Granna with some spring/summer outfits for Kate arrived in the mail, and I decided to take advantage of the warm afternoon.
Little Nasal Spray is providing prop support.
I was amazed that I actually managed to take a few pictures before she pulled the barrette out of her hair to eat it.
At some point, my Dad arrived home — that’s why she’s smiling!
This is a great example of Kate’s new crawl. She’s still getting up on her feet and taking several unassisted steps… but then gets down to crawl. Except her crawl (faster than you think) resembles a push-up. Check out the one leg in the air action! Hooo-waa!

When my Dad was in grammar school, he visited the Loew’s Penn Theatre (now Heinz Hall) to hear the Pittsburgh Symphony. Its impact was profound. Dad is a huge fan of the symphony; memories of that first experience (hearing Copeland’s Rodeo) can actually choke the Old Man up. Since moving to Mobile 6(?) years ago, Dad has been an avid supporter of the Mobile Symphony. It’s not the Vienna Philharmonic, but the MSO has some fantastic folks on board who have brought in impressive artists, events, and community programs. In the past few years, I’ve gone to the MSO for about half a dozen or so concerts and enjoyed them. Last fall, we learned that Itzhak Perlman was coming to the MSO and jumped on the opportunity to get tickets. The concert was Thursday evening. My Aunt Sandy and Uncle Kirk, family friends who knew me when I was Will’s age in Boston, offered to watch the kids — leaving Paul and I free to relish in a worry-free evening. We had a great time with my parents. The concert was fantastic. Polio racked his body as a child; he used braces to take his place on the stage. Looking at his supported movements as signs of weakness would be an incredible mistake. The power he is able to express through the violin — the ease with which his hands slide across the bridge — is astounding. At times, it seems almost unreal. It is such a pleasure and honor to have the opportunity to see a legend perform. We were thrilled with the night.The kids had fun, too. We played together and enjoyed some decent family time.