Swinging & Pears On a Last Summer Saturday

Theodore finally got to taste his first fruits this weekend, as we started him on pears. He didn't make any faces at all, just wanted to eat them as quickly as he could. He bangs his hand on his high chair between bites to show his angst.

He also had his first taste of a real swing-we walked the path near DBI down to a park and let him swing away. It was a nice relaxing summer Saturday.

28!

Last Sunday, Brian had his tenth birthday since I met him at the tender age of 18. He says it was his best yet, most likely because he had someone to help him blow out the candles. A little one who was himself a day shy of his half birthday. And he didn't really help as much as he started screaming as soon as I lit the candles. He was already ready for bed. He did great at dinner though, as we went out to Ole Tapas and he charmed multiple waitresses as he sat in the booth between us. He even started throwing his foam block on the floor and had a few different girls pick it up for him. For records sake, I like to post the tapas we tried, so we can remember what we've had as we try to complete most of the offerings on the menu (minus most of the seafood choices).

The Chefs Compliment was a carrot dish, and Brian enjoyed his glass of Riberal.

Then we started with a trio of quesos (cheese), all tasty: Idiazabal (sheep), Manchego (sheep), and Mahon (cow) and the Aceitunas Marinadas (house marinated olives).

Then we had both "of the day" items, in the Coca del Dίa (pizza) and one of my favorites, the Empanada del Dia.

Our fish tapa was a Piquillo Relleno de Bacalao (piquillo pepper stuffed with salt cod) we paired with the surprisingly tasty Lentejas Morunas (moroccan style lentils).

Then we finished with meat and potatoes, including the Croquetas de Jamon (serrrano croquettes), Bocadillo de Cordero (spiced lamb meatballs sandwich with oregano) and the Patatas Bravas (fried potatoes with spicy mayonnaise).

It was a great meal!

And yes, this was way too much for two people. We were a little too full to have birthday cake later. But we managed.

Kiki also celebrated her 5th birthday. She is aging beautifully!

6 months!

Theodore is officially 6th months!

Lutheran Baptism

Theodore was finally baptized into the Lutheran faith on Aug. 15, 2010 at our newly renovated church. It was a unique experience for my family, who are non-denominational Christians that normally wait until adolescence to baptize. We do actually have Lutheran ancestors way back on our Poulson side, maybe I'll write up that story on here someday. I am a very big fan of genealogy, though I have very few posts about it on here.

However, on the paternal side, Brian's great-great-grandfather Martin Phillipp came from Germany in 1893 and was a Lutheran minister in Michigan. So it was very meaningful to see this new generation carry on the Lutheran faith.

Grandma had to let out the sleeves a little for Theodore's chubby arms so he was able to wear the baptismal gown that Brian and his siblings all used. We accessorized with the cap Brian wore, and a new bib and socks.

Brian in Dec. 1982.

Theodore in August, 2010

It was a great time, and we were glad for every single person who could make the trip for Theodore's special day.

Feed Me

We waited almost the whole recommended 6 months until giving Theodore his first bit of cereal. And I'm glad we did. I think it is making him sleep worse! He used to sleep 6 hours and now he's waking up more often. He really likes it though. We can't get it in fast enough.

*The lobster bib was in recognition of our recent trip to Maine*