A visit

Mia, Milo and Theo came over to watch the royal wedding (tape delayed). Before the wedding, though, Theo spent some time getting to know Soren.

eye lashes

Soren has super long lashes.


They curl up in the corners.

I swear, no mascara!

Gary Danko

We decided to go to Gary Danko for my birthday, and ended up with a reservation a week or so after my birthday. We had a great dinner.

So just how do you do a dinner at Gary Danko with a three year old and an eleven week old at home? You take a 5:30 reservation, and you're home by nine, giving the little guy a bottle.

Easter finery

That's a genuine double-breasted coat (with the inside button and everything).



Head to toe, it's a Grammy special.

Arc de Anders

I told him that one day we'll take him to Paris to show him the French rip-off of his masterpiece.

Ok, he can't sit up yet...

...but with a little help he can fake it.

Blade Gin

New gin. Tried it, and thought it tasted a lot like Sarticious Gin. Well, it turns out that Sarticious Gin is no more, and that the master distiller responsible for Sarticious is now responsible for Blade Gin. Not traditional at all, but makes a great martini.

The Party

Today was Anders's birthday party.

During the pre-game warm-up, Anders was getting really excited about his party. Indeed, he got so worked up that right before the party started he had a bit of a fit. Luckily, just before he drove himself off of an emotional cliff, the first guests arrived, and he pulled it together.



We had flowers.


Homemade bagels.


Toppings for said bagels, including home-cured smokeless lox.


The guests trickled in for a bit, and then suddenly pretty much everyone arrived.


The kids enjoyed play dough, a teepee, a water table, and an easel out back.


Balloons in the house resulted in mayhem (well, not technically mayhem, which at common law requires removal of an eye or limb).


After people ate their way through a whole lot of bagels, fruit salad, shrimp-avocado-mango salad, and mini-PB&J sandwiches, we moved on to the main event.

Anders declared that he would sit in his high chair for the arrival of the cupcakes. Perhaps he felt this would look regal.


Cupcakes by La Luna.


He looks happy, doesn't he?


No, I mean really happy.


Masterful blowing out of candles.


"That one, Mama!"


Pre-bite.


Bite.


Post-bite.


The cupcakes were accompanied by an excessive quantity of frozen desserts created with our new ice cream maker: berry froyo, chocolate pretzel froyo, secret breakfast ice cream, and molasses stout ice cream.  (Tip for Humphry Slocombe fans: Yes, the secret breakfast is very good, but you really should try the Magnolia stout.)

More party attendees.









Post-party wind-down looked a lot like the pre-game show. Including, eventually, another fit, though complete tantrum disaster was narrowly averted (that is, there was a tantrum, but it was over in under fifteen minutes).



Three years! As one guest put it, only fifteen more to go!

Cara and Caden

For his birthday gift, Cara and Caden took Anders on an adventure to the Exploratorium. But before they took off with Anders, they spent some time with Soren.

Good moments

Kissy kissy

Magneto-train-dominoes

New skill

You forget how hard certain every day skills were to learn until you watch your son trying to master them.

He's 3 (but don't tell him).

What sort of cruel parents would hide from their son that it's his birthday?

Well, in the morning Sigrid told Anders that he was 3. And then he wanted to know if that meant his birthday party was about to start (it's on Sunday). Rather than try to explain the situation, Sigrid just switched course and said that actually he was almost 3. (Since he was born in the afternoon, I suppose technically she was correct.)

So it was just another day. Except that he got some frozen yogurt after dinner. And got measured on his doorframe.


(One of his friends, meanwhile, hasn't even been told about the birthday party yet; his mother didn't want to answer all the "is today the party" questions, so decided not to say anything about it until they get in the car on Sunday morning.)