This week's outside our neighborhood was a beautiful start to our "new" every day life for this year. And I think above all, what I was reminded of this week was the beauty in our collective stories. For those who have visited California, you are probably aware of the homeless population, and it certainly makes your heart ache when you see the amount of it that exists (in every city) but more noticeable here in LA because of how big the city truly is. And anytime I do see someone homeless when we are driving in the car, I always say a prayer and wonder about their personal story. What led them here? How are they feeling? What are they thinking about? 

This week we had our first three days with little E, and she is a pure joy and delight of a baby and little Luna has done such a fantastic job of being the big sister, sharing her toys and giving her hugs. Though every baby's story is different, they are so alike in their purity of heart, their longing to be loved, cuddled and talked to and their innocence and wonder of the world around them. I wonder about the countless stories and memories that lie ahead for both of them, and I marvel in their wonder and awe they exihibit on an hourly basis. Speaking of a collection of stories, our park is just full of them. I have met some wonderful children and their parents or nannies at the park. The beauty about it is not only the diversity but the magical community that exists within that park. There is always a birthday party being celebrated on Saturday or Sunday, picnics and friends to be made from every culture imagineable. My favorite phrase as an educator was "the world is in my classroom" and in many ways, this park is a classroom of life. There are bubbles and every human that comes to celebrate life there has a story to tell. Also, in living in such an individualistic society, it is incredibly refreshing to watch children play together and make friends on the weekend, have a slice of birthday cake among the grass and asphalt and simply enjoy one another's company without anything fancy. Because the truth is, there is greater gifts that come from community and simplicity than anything fancy. 

During the Fourth of July, we ended up going to one of Xiao's boss' houses. It was truly nice because both babies were able to enjoy eachother and splash in the shallow pool that was in the backyard. The other fellow's husband and myself headed back early with both the kids so we could make the 8:00 bedtime and (between intermittent screaming) he shared with me his upbringing (which was incredibly interesting to listen to) and I couldn't help but be reminded of the fact that so much of who we are stems from childhood and for me, I want to make sure my children can look back on their childhood with the love and the whimsy I feel when I look back on mine. Childhood cannot be taken for granted, nor can the importance of it all be ignored because that is where everyone gets their start in the world, and it has such a tremendous impact on the individual as they continue to evolve and grow.

Stories are beautiful and listening to other people's stories can have a wonderful influence on one's heart. So as we travel to Sawtelle on a family walk to get a bubble tea or head to the pier and ride the carousel with our little one, cook dinner in our apartment or visit the UCLA campus, these memories become part of our larger story and we grow in between the pages. 

Cheers to more openness, more stories and more adventures as we add to life's pages this year. Looking forward to our third full week of fun.