Last weekend, in the high spring Colorado winds, we went down to the Santa Fe arts district to cheer on a friend from Vail who was showing a piece in one of the galleries.

 Eating street-cart panna cotta in the lounge.

With my friend Lara and her guy John. A late night for little Q, but she's a trooper!

 Skipping back to NY, and the Met, with my mum and my dear friend Carol.

 During our latest trip to NYC, we were finally able to have a long-delayed dinner with Jane of the amazing children's clothing line Anaïs & I and her family.

I do some illustration for Anaïs & I, and Jane is a treasured friend.

 Q spent the beginning of the evening racing up and down the halls on scooters, in hot pursuit of Jane's youngest son.

 

They have a similar speed ethic, and were fast friends from the start. 

 

This is Anaïs, Jane's daughter and muse for the line (in an Anaïs & I dress). It was her birthday.

Q and Anaïs allaying their boredom during the dinner party ;)

 Anaïs had already had a birthday celebration, but there was some cake left over, and she was eager to re-enact the ceremonies with the new guests. Lucky us, since the cake was elegantly constructed from dozens of layers of crepes with a delicate filling between.

 At this stage of her existence, Q harbors a deep-seated and burning jealousy of watching others blow out their birthday candles.

 It eats her up inside, and on occasion I have actually seen her burst into tears at a restaurant when someone at a neighboring table has a birthday celebration at dessert.

 

So I was incredibly proud at the supreme self-control that she exercised in order to compose this exquisitely polite facade as Anaïs blew out her second birthday candle of the day. As a mother, I can see past the facade, and I know that she is burning up inside at this moment. So I give her a great deal of credit for the angelic facade she was able to compose for this occasion. 

 

After the cake ceremony, all was made well when Anaïs presented Q with a surprise gift box containing a spectacular Anaïs & I party dress (in silver to complement Anaïs' gold version). Both girls changed into their dresses, and all of Q's jealousy was forgotten ;)

 One member of the group, however, was still feeling left out...Lucas (wearing an A&I tee with my balloon elephant design) was dying to join the party, and apparently feeling very left-out...

Being comforted by mommy. Sometimes, it's hard being the youngest.

 We had a beautiful pre-Valentine's dinner at our friends' house, place-settings gorgeously-styled by Bella, the oldest daughter.

 Q and Bianca at the table.

All of the girls seated for dinner.

After dinner, the younger girls got themselves dressed up in belly-dancer outfits for a bit of a dancing session. Q's was a combo of tablecloth/princess. She still looked rather dashing, I thought!

Cupcake break!

Two little bellydancers.

 We celebrated the lunar new year quietly with friends at the restaurant where Mike sometimes cooks.

It was crab night at Highland Pacific!

 Is there anything better for the heart than the sight of a pile of happy kids?

 Most of the photos in this post were taken by my friend's daughter Sasha. That's her with Q in the photo below. I think she has a future in photography!

 Cake...gone before you know it.

 Today our friends were back from Miami, and we all met up at Whole Foods in the midst of Holiday mayhem for lunch and sorbets.

Larkin, Pettus and Dahl children. Evidently Q had a bit of a thing for the Nutcracker guy.

 Q and her lime-ade sorbet.

 I'm not sure who started the dance-off...

 ...but it progressed quickly into a major event...

 ...at the Whole Foods Pizza Bar in the middle of the lunch rush.

 Goodness!

My family is just not this flexible, sadly. 

 Bianca schools Q in a very graceful splits stretch.

 And Q tries it out in turn.

 I think Q just gave up and started breakdancing in between Bianca and Sasha here! Is she takin' it 2 da street? Will she risk everything?

 Ballet-trained Sasha has her moves down!

Bonding with Bianca over pink things.