Too much has been going on in the last couple of weeks to write about: the kids have been in school for a total of about 3 days this month thanks to the snowiest February anyone can remember. But we escaped for a delicious and perfect weekend in L.A. visiting Michael and Stephen, who took us to Bouchon for the best meal we have ever had (which turns out to be a vastly superior thing to the "snowiest winter we have ever had") and to visit the set of Glee and tour the Paramount lot. And they let us swim in King Henry VIII's pool and look at his huge mirror. We even squeezed in a trip to the beach and to the Museum of Jurassic Technology. Perfect, and just what the doctor ordered before returning (just in time) to still more snow.

What else... Hmmm. Well, on Friday we got to see Porgy and Bess at the Southern, an absolutely amazing production and the kids' first opera (Gideon is in love). It was an especially nice celebration as we had just received the news that both boys had received awards in their respective essay contests, Gideon's on "freedom" and Eli's on African American history month. Readings and ceremonies to follow. And celebratory sushi with Bubbe and Papa when they return from the desert. Saturday Gideon and the Cougar's fought valiantly in the field for an hour and then Gideon went off to art class to work on figure drawing. Some new pics by the young master here:



And the whole of JBEG is grooving on season 6 of Lost and the first 7 volumes of 20th Century Boys. Basically, life, as always, is pretty darned awesome. Except for bills and cleaning the toilets, but still...

Snowed in for the weekend, building sad, short-lived snowmen. Check out the short, happy life of Tilty, the Snowman. And Gideon, inspired by his reading of Douglass's Narrative, did a portrait in the great man's honor.