Avi's Perfect Day

Today was a totally perfect day for Avi. We drove downtown this morning and left the car in WestLake, then took the new lightrail train. Avi was fascinated by the train ride itself, by the big construction site we passed along the way (complete with diggers, bulldozers, cherry pickers, cranes, and dump trucks, all of which he poined out), by the police men at the station who gave him a "junior sherrif" sticker he proudly displayed on his jacket, and by the voice of the "Mr. Conductor" at every stop. Then we got off, crossed the tracks, and went back in the opposite direction, when we decided to make a last minute stop in Chinatown. Our first stop in Chinatown was an aquarium/fish store, where Avi loved all the tropical fish, and then we heard fireworks, and raced down the block to catch the tail end of a Chinese New Year parade, complete with dancing dragons and explosives. Next we went out for lunch, where Avi got both "challah" (scallion rolls) and noodles (which he managed to eat with a single chop stick), then got back on the train one last time. Later in the afternoon, once he had a great 2 hour nap, Aunt Daya took him for a bus ride down to University Village, where he met up with Ema, who was grocery shopping there, and got to drive his green race car shopping cart before heading home for dinner and bed. We couldn't have asked for a better day!

February 2010

It's been a fun month for us in Seattle. We've been enjoying near-spring weather, lots of sunny days in the high 50s-low 60s, and fun outings to playgrounds in the neighborhood. Baby #2 is growing like crazy, and Ema already has a big belly. Luckily, she has only gained 7 pounds total in 18 weeks, but she looks like she's gained at least 14! She also just started feeling the baby kick this week, which makes it all feel very very real (as if the belly weren't enough). Meanwhile, Avi is nearing his 2nd birthday, and is excited for his cake and party. He's been very into the toilet, and has had some notable success with "pishy on the potty", though none of us are ready for full-on potty training yet. Avi's also been experimenting with throwing tremendous tantrums and deciding that he doesn't want to do anything but watch tv (though he is usually fine once we manage to leave the house). It's definitely been challenging, but we are hoping it's yet anoter phase that will pass quickly. Next up on the blog: Purim and Avi's second birthday party!