Learning to fly

A companion piece to Dandelion Love.

How can it be 113F in LA in late September. School for Reuben this morning and a conference with the lead teachers to discuss how he's settling in, very nice thank you. I'm happy for the reassurance that there are two teachers on staff who are fluent in ASL as I had been concerned about the lack of signing in class. And his class teacher will now be learning as well. Well, Reuben could give her a good few lessons. He's playing with the other kids, observing them, learning the new routine and starting to be teacher's helper with the calendar and days of the week. Ah love, you're only 3 and already teacher's helper.

After school, we stop at the splash pools at Virginia Park where Reuben had celebrated his birthday party (Jen and Erick so kindly joined us that day to shoot and we haven't been back). Callum's tantrum immediately ceases as he runs in and amongst the huge jets, brought to life by his stamping. Reuben giggles incessantly. Oh what strength lies in the body of a toddler with a tantrum. Reuben has never expressed himself in that way, so I'm still learning how to cope with them.

A brief afternoon in the garden as the air conditioning is not working post construction. I don't like to use the A/C and this is the first time this year I've tried this summer, but it's stifling and ripples, no, torrents of sweat are running down our faces. Oh sorry, I mean I'm glowing with the warmth and the boys are saturated. Isn't that right?

I find the third dandelion, perched alongside the two storks which must have been the bounty Callum brought in on Saturday, and Reuben blows... I still like to picture how Callum went about picking them.