Dear Asher: 15 months

Dear Asher,

Happy fifteen month birthday! This was a big developmental month for you. The biggest thing is you took your first steps! It was a really exciting moment because you chose to walk for the first time from me to daddy, while Zahara was cheering you on. It was an awesome family moment. You showed off your new skills for babushka, dedushka, and Aunt Amy this weekend too! You haven't walked too much on your own since then, but now we know you can do it. We're excited to give you more opportunities to practice.

You're also talking a lot more now. In addition to the words you had last month (mama, dada, "hara"), you now say cat, ball, no, banana, bye, and you'll say "arf" when you see a dog. You still sign for milk, all-done, and up. You are picking up new words and sounds all the time. You love mimicking what everyone else says and does. You repeat gestures, sounds, and silly dance moves.

This month you were extra clingy, which translated into a lot of hugs and kisses from you. Who can say no to that? I think it was probably teething though, since you now have around 16 teeth! It's crazy! So many popped up this month.

You and your sister play so well together--for the most part. You, of course, love everything she does. The way you glow when she smiles at you or plays with you is the most beautiful sight in the world. You two are giving me a scare though, because neither of you hold back; you're so rough with each other! I'm always worried someone is going to get hurt, but you two are just shrieking with joy as you wrestle each other to the ground. And yes, you can hold your own against her. I guess that's what being in the 90th percentile for height and weight will do for you.

You still absolutely hate diaper changes and the car seat. You love food--any kind. You're excellent and crawling up and down the stairs ("tummy toes"). You sleep great at night (knock on wood!), but are getting a little fussier at nap time. And getting you off the bottle is going to be a real challenge.

Asher, your personality is really shining through and we can't wait to see what comes next. Happy birthday! We love you!

German Unity Day

Dan and I recently attended a really fun event at the German embassy. It was an invite-only cocktail party to celebrate German Unity Day, which is the anniversary of German reunification in 1990.

Dan and I will take any excuse to dress up and have a night out, but this was a particularly good event. It was very "DC," in that we were among elite government officials. I'm terrible at hob-knobbing and knowing who is whom, but I saw several Generals and other high-ranking officials.

The embassy itself was gorgeous. They had a real beer garden with long, wooden tables and excellent brew. Food was set up in various stations around the grounds. I was surprised at the variety of foods on offer. I never thought of herring and salmon as traditional German foods, but they are part of the coastal region cuisine. That was my favorite section. I also really enjoyed the warm pretzels and cheese from Bavaria. Of course they also offered schnitzel, spaetzle, bratwursts, and black forest cupcakes.

We had a great time. The weather was perfect, the music was fun, and the food was delicious. I hope to do it again next year!

RennFest

A few weeks ago we went to the Maryland Renaissance Festival--something that has become an annual tradition for our family. Before you say anything, yes. It is totally nerdy. But it is so much fun.

The festival is not too far from our house, set in the woods. The 25-acre village is chock full of entertainment, including jousting, axe throwing, pony rides, face paining, and tons of performances. I especially enjoyed the Vixens En Garde--three women performing Shakespeare in a fast-paced, slightly naughty way.

All of the actors are dressed in period costume and remain in character throughout your interactions. A lot of people come dressed up too. That's always the most fun for me--the people watching. As Dan says, it is so fun because this is nerd heaven. You can just tell that many of these people had a rough time in high school, but here they are the popular kids!

There are also some great food and drink options. I love the Bee Sting, which is half mead and half cider. We also had a soft pretzel, fried mac and cheese, fried pickles, and garlic bread. We brought our own food for lunch too, but these were fun treats.

Zahara enjoyed the kids-centered entertainment. There were pirates, and fairies, and wenches.

Asher looks skeptical in this picture, but he had a lot of fun too. If you go, I'd definitely recommend a baby carrier versus a stroller. It's so much easier to get around the wooded village without having to push a bulky stroller around.

This is a family tradition I can't wait to carry on next year!

October Thoughts by Z

This month Zahara was very insightful. I wonder if it is because she was learning all about forgiveness and repentance in school in preparation for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. It is really interested to me to see how complex some of her thoughts are getting. Of course, she can still be just as silly as always!

Thought 1:
After talking about the fact that G-d made the world and everything in it:
Z: Did Hashem (G-d) make Himself too then?

Thought 2:
While doing taschlich--a Jewish ritual where we throw our sins (in the form of bread) into a river:

Z: I'm sorry for breaking the rules. I'm sorry for not listening. I'm sorry for being grumpy in the mornings.

Thought 3:
Z: I love our new house because it is so big it can almost touch the clouds!

Thought 4:
Z: When I kiss Omri at school, Felix says "eewww."

See previous Thoughts by Z here