Cascarones

Heritage and holidays.

Sebastien, you have a diverse background! Dad has been double checking his family tree and mom knows the gist of hers.  You are German, Spanish, Irish, Scottish, English, French, Indian and who knows what else. You are 6th generation Californian on your mom's side. Your Dad traces his Dad's side back to Robert the Bruce and all of that side of his family came to America before the revolutionary war. Talk to his mom's side of the family though and it is the Spanish side that rules culturally. At Easter that means cascarones. Your great grandmother sends us cartons. Your grandmother paints beautiful designs on them. You glitter them and EVERYBODY cracks them on each other at Easter and many family celebrations. I think this is the first year you did not cry when they were cracked on your head too.

Somewhere between cooking, eating and drinking..well, mommy turned to snapshots instead of portraits but what great memories.

 Find the ones the Easter bunny hid.

 Crack one over Grandma Macias' head.

 Then Daddy gets you and you get Daddy. Hugs.

Mommy got you. Always in motion.

We will probably have the confetti and glitter in the yard until next year's hunt.

I am so pleased to be writing these letters to my son. Some months it is more about the letter and some months its more about the photographs. It is a journey that I hope brings me even closer to you and maybe one day brings you closer to your childhood.  Please click through our circle to read these beautiful letters from these amazing moms and photographers to their sons.  Janecke 's letter is next in our circle.

March

 You told me after this photo that I can only take pictures of you when you are happy!  You were sad that Dad went to the store without you. I missed you pressed up against  the window as he drove away. You perked up with some Go Fish! :) This month we've been traveling (Portland, Philadelphia). But you finally said I am sad without soccer. I need to restart soccer again.  So, our first weekend at home, and you put on your uniform. Then you checked out your hat in the mirror and off we go early Sunday morning.

I love that at 5 you know how much you are loved and that you articulate how much you love us, even when things are not necessarily going your way. I am trying to make that transition from overprotective parent to letting you learn things the harder way. How to recognize what packs of boys to run and not run with…You  are a changing child and your Dad and I are changing parents but we will always love you :)

I am so pleased to be in the Letters to my Son blog circle with these amazing moms and photographers. Please click through the circle to see their amazing photos and stories. Up next is the fabulous Janecke.

February

Ruth Woodruff Photography

Dearest Sebastien,

Happy Valentine's! We took a few months off from the blog and photography. It was busy.You turned 5!! There were almost 20 kids at your batman party at our new house with bouncy castle. Of course it was a cold snap at barely 40 degrees. Christmas was a whirlwind.

As I sit down to write tonight, all of a sudden, my five year old seems long and lean to me. The why and how questions have started.  You are shooting up and emotionally you bounce between baby, child and adult. It's amazing. At bedtime, you look for kitty. Kitty joined us at dinner the other because he was hungry. Dad teased you about keeping kitty clean, so he doesn't have to take a bath. And , all of a sudden, you say "Kitty doesn't take baths, he's just a sleepy toy.  But you have grown up with him. A baby present from Grandpa Warner and Felicia to match our real ginger kitty, Joe.

 Ruth Woodruff took pictures of you as a baby. You were so beautiful, her pictures were beautiful. Mom took fuzzy snapshots with a DSLR. Now I try to take the photos, and you are still hugging kitty. I love you. Don't grow up any faster.

Please continue along our Letters to Our Sons blog circle to amazing mom and photographer Sarah Leonard

November

Dear Sebastien,
So often you look into my camera and look so serious, but you really have this light and bubbly personality. That is never so clear as when Grandpa Warner comes to visit. You just love to get silly with Grandpa Warner and he loves to get silly with you. Let's take his arrival for Halloween as an example…through the garden in dinosaur pajamas? dueling roars through the windows?

 This guy sure knows how to get you to smile.

 You are blessed with a wide extended family. Grandpa Warner and Felicia keep you company often. He takes you to swimming lessons and soccer on occasion, and they both spoil you rotten with ice cream, books and iPad games. We took a few pictures by the ocean for Grandpa for his blog. That guy is an environmentalist for the ocean and his wife runs the state water board! Maybe their idealistic intentions will rub off on you…that is, if you your stint as Dark Vader on Halloween has not turned you to the dark side :)

I am so honored to be a part of a 'letters to our sons' blog circle. I am joined by some amazing photographers and moms. We are writing these letters in honor of our sweet little boys. Please be sure to click through to follow our circle-up next is 

Bedtime through the kitchen and bedroom windows

Oct 23, 2013 830pm

I was closing the window in the kitchen, which also looks into your window. You were snuggled up with Dad. So sweet. Reading Caps for sale, to be followed by superheroes. I knocked on the window as Dad switched over to superheroes. You looked up. I smiled and blew you kisses before I closed the window. Dad asked you,"Why is Mommy looking at you through the window?" And you replied, "Because she loves me. She is smiling at me. She likes to smile at me."

Yes I do.

This month your newest thing to say is "I forgot."  Baba, do you want to wear your Star Wars shirt or your spiderman shirt? "I forgot."  What do you want for breakfast? "I forgot." What did you do in Spanish class today? "I forgot." But then we cuddle up at night after after reading books and, for the few minutes before you fall asleep, you start to tell me about your day. Who you played with, what happened, if the teacher gave you a sticker or if you got into trouble a "little bit."  Last week , you said "Momma, do you know what the color orange is in Spanish?" No Baba, what is it?  "Naranja!"

I am so honored to be a part of a "Letters to our sons' blog circle. I am joined by some amazing photographers and moms. We are writing these letters in honor of our sweet little boys. Please be sure to click through to follow our circle- up next is Kelly Tonks

August

Last month mom was locked out of the house with you and the phone inside. A lovely neighbor walking his dog helped hoist mom in through a living window. Tree climbing was involved and you had to finish pushing open a window. You thought it was like superheroes. I saw that man again yesterday walking his dog and we had a lovely chat. He said that we must be doing something right as parents because you were such a sweet boy. Grandma Annie and Peter took you to the zoo and echoed the same thoughts. Grandma Macias just thinks you are angel.  Grandpa Warner and Felicia adore you, so much so that Grandpa Warner stopped on his way from Santa Cruz to Tahoe just to come put you to bed. You shower mom and dad with I love you's, kisses and hugs, you play with everyone at school, and you regularly announce that today is the 'bestest day ever.'  You are a good kid and just full of joy.  Your dad and I are feel so lucky to have you.  Love, mom.

I am so honored to be a part of 'letters to our sons' blog circle. I am joined by some amazing photographers and moms. We are writing these letters in honor of our sweet little boys. Please be sure to click through to follow our circle-up next is Julie Nelson Hardy

July

Mark Twain is credited with saying, "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco."  Luckily, we've got family in hot places. Your mom grew up in Livermore and July 4th we escaped the usual fog for triple digits on the thermometer. You and your cousins did not make it to the fireworks after a day of water guns and slip and slide.  Aside from a fun 4th, July has been a tough month for your parents. Our jobs are crazy, we are getting ready to move (yeah!), and we have raccoons marauding the plum  trees on the side of the house we rent and leaving fleas for us to battle outside.

So mommy was not at her best today; there were 4 year old tears at the end of a long day of work and a long day of preschool. We hugged and ate a cupcake and smiles reappeared. It turns out that life is not always so easy, sometimes physically or emotionally or both. Hopefully you don't really have to grapple with that for a long time. Still in the lovely bubble of being four. Let's keep you there for a bit longer.  I love you.

I am so honored to be a part of 'letters to our sons' blog circle. I am joined by some amazing photographers and moms. We are writing these letters in honor of our sweet little boys. Please be sure to click through to follow our circle-up next is Julie of Julie Harding Photography

Cousins. From oldest to youngest. Galen, Max, Aidan, Sebastien. 

Video games in the bar.

Impromptu evening walk. Dad is everything.