Holiday toy trains

So, this isn't the best photo ever, but I like the festive mood it captures. On Sunday we took J to see some toy holiday trains down at the convention center. It was a great exhibit and full of toddlers on a cold, Sunday morning. There were buttons to push and complicated train tracks and I think Jacob could probably have stayed there all day, he even started running and following some moving trains.

Oldies but goodies

I found these pics on my mom's camera over thanksgiving, and, while they are from August, I loved them too much not to share. I believe the moustache is tofutti cream cheese.

Family pics

Second Second Birthday Party

On Saturday we had a party at Seger playground in Center City to celebrate the boy turning two. Jacob's grandparents came in from Detroit and lots of wonderful friends came to help us celebrate. Here he is opening some presents:

Susy made a spectacular vegan chocolate cake big enough for, well, a party.

Two Years Old Today!

Our friend Sarah the photographer spent some time with us taking photos of the boy and our whole family. Here are a few she took while hanging out with Jacob in our back yard (I'll post some of the whole fam soon). Susy and I are having a lot of fun with Jacob's second birthday, even if he doesn't seem to quite get what's going on, or why I keep singing Happy Birhtday, Jacob. Yesterday we spent about an hour blowing up balloons and watching them fly around the living room.

The Delaware Beaches

We took an adventure yesterday to the beaches in Delware, camping in Henlopen State Park near Lewes, DE and checking out Rehoboth Beach, DE. It is a beautiful October weekend here on the East Coast, Sunny and warm, and not too cold at night for camping.

Jacob for Obama

Vote!

First Second birthday party

Even though his birthday is still over a month away, we decided to start the celebrations early, while some friends were in town from Germany.


Aunt Elise reading Jacob his new favorite book.

Iris being very cool.

That's Clara on the left. She's 10 months old and walking around like a champ!

Mel and Jacob

Have fun in Europe, Mel!

The Two Jacobs

This morning at Rittenhouse Square's Goat (in background) we ran into this litte boy named Jacob who just turned two, wearing the exact same shirt and similar blue shorts as our Jacob. They were very sweet together - in the picture, our Jacob is sharing the phone with Jacob number 2
.

A week in the Midwest

After flying to Detroit on the 9th, we spent a couple of nights Up North. We had a great time catching up with everyone and hanging out on the beach.

Cousin Danielle reading to cousin Charlie and Jacob.


Cousin Cady.


Hanging out with Grandma and Grandpa on the beach.


A rainbow over Lake Huron. We drove through some rain on our way up I-75, and it rained off and on through the evening. We were still able to grill out for dinner, and then we saw this rainbow that actually was a complete half-circle on the water.


Grandma and Jacob at the beach near Grandma's House

Happy Adoption (Ima) Day, Susy!

As most of you know, the legal adoption process of Jacob by Susy was completed on August 3, 2007. In celebration of that momentous event, we decided that Susy should get her own special "Mother's Day" every year on August 3rd. Yesterday I attempted to make vegan waffles with fresh blueberries (eaten too quickly to get pictures) plus there was a lot of singing and smiling and celebrating Ima. We decided every baby should have his or her own Ima. We love you, Susy!

Camping down the shore

Last weekend the 3 of us made our way to Cape May, NJ, the southern tip of the Jersey shore. The weather was beautiful, the ocean was freezing, and the night was perfect for sleeping in a tent.


This is the famous lighthouse.

Here's Jacob standing on the picnic table on our campsite, and the RV parked at the campsite behind us. Lake Laurie campground is a huge place just outside of downtown Cape May where people park their RV's for what I can only imagine is the whole summer. We looked kind of silly in our little tent, with our little car, and no living room, bbq, or huge containers of junk food. But we made do. We walked to the lake on the campgrounds once, which reminded me of the ponds at Kingswood camp (not good, for those of you unfamiliar). There was a pool on the grounds, too, but we ran out of time to check it out. I never found out what "sparkles" though:

Smile

A ride in the rain

Thanks to a lot of great friends who gave me a lot of great birthday presents, we were able to take our first family bike ride and take pictures AND VIDEO of it. We rode through the city to the river path and toward the art museum, where we stopped for a snack.

Then we waited under a bridge during a downpour. Jacob was a good sport, of course.

Watermelon feast

It seems that the Golumbia tradition of liking fruit, and eating a lot of it, has been passed down to Jacob. Here he is with a big bowl of watermelon.



And here he is with a dinner plate of watermelon, blueberries, and tofu, just to balance things out.

Jacob and Chrissy

Close Closer Closest

So there!

18 months old

Eating birthday vegan ice cream
Blowing out birthday candles
Wearing Ima's shoes
Sitting on the back deck, in a big kid chair!
Asleep snuggling with a ball from his friend Calyx's 1 year birthday party