A new perspective

The heatwave is draining although thankfully lacks humidity. I still have boxes to unpack post construction, still have to delight in the new space, still have the remains of our 6 week holiday to sort, still have to thank you all very much for visiting us here on Blip and commenting, favouriting and all the other special touches which I find uplifting, still have to finish the backBlips and still have the orange crayon drawings all over my bright white new walls of my new studio dedicated to a lifetime's passion for photography to laugh at. Thankfully the school holidays at UCLA have just started and Reuben will start his pre-school for 5 days and Callum will return for 2 days at UCLA in mid-September. Through the advocate and fighting that Reuben deserves a better school than which he was deemed to be placed because "Children with CHARGE syndrome are mentally retarded" and thus have limited potential, we won the case and Reuben will attend Step-by-Step in Santa Monica. I can quote our friend Keith whom we met when Reuben was born and, now flying high at university, continues to inspire us. That Reuben could accurately sign the alphabet and up to 10 before his 2nd birthday seemed to have eluded them in their assessments. The programme is a pre-school mix, 50:50 ratio of typically developing and kids with special needs. I will continue to work on his ASL signing so that he will be bilingual in spoken English and ASL, but to send him to a school where signing is the first language so the classes are silent, didn't feel right, not now that Reuben has found, and is delighting in, his voice.

It's often remarked that Reuben is seldom seen without his glasses which he wears for myopia and which transition with the light to give him a cool pair of shades, and so here are his eyes peering out unobstructed. I don't tend to remove them too often: it deprives him of a sense in doing so, but whilst we rolled on a colourful blanket in the shade, I couldn't resist. For once or twice at least...

Gradually filling in the gaps of 42 days.
Disneyland backBlip from yesterday.
and a favourite Life and Love from Friday
Tunnel of my loves