Author: fatherhoodneighborhood

We were on a hunt to find a pumpkin large enough for our little lady to fit inside of. We found one!Just like last year, it didn’t start out too smoothly. But she finally warmed up to it. Unlike last year, we decided to make Olive’s costume this time. It started with this bear outfit. And ended up with this Ewok. She met Yoda in her Wednesday class. Since our Ewok is too small to go trick or treating, we took her to have her new favorite dish, agedashi tofu. It was a treat. 

The Chicago story is a good one. Delayed flight kept us at SFO for 5hrs. Then the 4hr flight. Then the 1hr 2am train ride to the hotel. But once we finally got there it was worth the trouble. 

Food:Terrible Chicago DogCanoli BarPastaDeep DishExcellent Chicago Dog. Pics of dog eating were way too messy. 

It was a short trip. We only had one day all together and it was raining, hard. So we made the most of it and spent the day at Eataly and in our room. Check Illinois off the list and Olive has 43 states left to visit. 

Fleet week Fried chicken& BaseballIt was the last game we were going to this season so we went all out and got front row seats at the bullpen. Olive got 2 balls. One a foul and the other from the warm up catcher. It was a great way to end a terrible season. 

We’ve been DJing together for over a year now. To save you from having to scroll back too far, I’ve made a collage to show how much our little DJ has grown. She still can’t quite make it through a whole show without a nap but she can finally sit in her own chair. Her input into each weeks playlist is very important. Every weekend she does her research. Her dance moves have improved as a result of her growing music knowledge. I’ve been trying to get a video of if, but she is still a little shy. Until I can capture the boogie, enjoy a disco playlist Olive is pretty proud of. 

Olive’s Disco Playlist

Can you believe it?!?!? Our little butter bean turned 1. We had her party in the beautiful Presidio during their Sunday picnic. The weather was perfect and so was Olive. We spent the week prepping, shopping,& resting. Then it was time for the fiesta. She was a little shy with the cake at first.  But once she got a taste of that sugary goodness, there was no holding back. It was about this point when we decided she might have had enough cake. Time to play with her pals. A big thanks to everyone one that came and celebrated with us. As parents we wanted to make sure Olive’s first party was the best it could be and it absolutely was. 

She loves watermelon and the summer sun. This summer has been a pretty warm one, even here in SF. We have been outside a lot soaking it all in. She had her first burrito in Dolores Park. Same place my sister and I had our first burrito and where my dad would eat burritos all of the time as a teen.  Olive and her pal Conner crawled through the tunnels at San Mateo’s Central Park. Another park I played in as a kid, also my mom and her sisters when they were kids. Playing in historic parks aren’t the only outdoor activities we’ve been up to this summer, Olive went on her first camping trip. It was full of Olive & Grandpa hang time and she loved it. Lucky for us, summer continues all the way through September. Plenty of time for more watermelon and outdoor adventures. 

I have never sang karaoke before, but once Olive took the mic, I realized it would be great for us to have our first karaoke experiences together. So we did. Everyone enjoyed it as much as Heather did. 

Our little lady made it to Music City. Nashville, TN. Two places at the top of our list to visit were The Johnny Cash Museum and the sound booth at Third Man Records. She ate catfish and greens for the first time and ate her weight in mac & cheese. Lots of walking around. Which didn’t leave a lot of time for naps, so we had to get them in where we could. We came home for a few days then it was time for Olive’s first road trip!600+ miles to Idaho and she was great almost the whole time. In between lots of family time, she was hanging poolside.  On this trip, she ate her weight in toast. She seemed to have a great time except when we put her in the crib. She only has 44 states left to visit to check off all 50. Can’t wait to see which one is next. 

Just finished our 9 month old check in class. Our girl Olive wasn’t the biggest or the smallest, but she was the fastest. Crawling back and forth and weaving in and out of chair legs, doing laps around the other 9 monthers.

Other things our Olive has mastered:1) Crawling out of her car seat 

2) Standing up in her crib. Below is the greeting I wake up to most mornings. 3) Hanging out poolside.  I imagine she is saying, Touch the crust and I break your thumbs.

We had been watching games all week on tv in anticipation. She was dressed in many layers including her new Posey onesie. And off we went to her first Giants game. Caught the train, found our seats, and it was game time. We made it official.Made it almost through the whole game. 8th inning to be exact. She slept through a very loud and fun 9th and all the way home. Can’t wait for the next one!