Family BBQ in Tarrytown

We had a family BBQ -- something this family rarely if ever does -- at Cousin Debra, Kenny, Drew, Nina and Cole's lovely house in Tarrytown, NY, about 45 minutes drive up wooded and rolling-hilled Westchester. Erik, Kim and Mai-Ling from Boston attended, as did Uncle Paul and Aunt Rochelle and Mom/Dad. There was excellent BBQ (plus ridiculous margaritas) and a thrilling ping pong tournament (I crushed Shana, my mom and Aunt Rochelle to face off with Kenny in the finals and won a close one).

Nate, meanwhile, had a tough time of it. We forgot to change his diaper before the trip up from Brooklyn, so when we arrived in Tarrytown, he was soaked through. We didn't have a change of clothes and he didn't nap, so he was mostly a wreck. Mai-Ling, however, was dry and well-rested. Anyway, despite the distance between them, I am hopeful Nate and Mai-Ling become good friends.

Nate managed a few good moments. He played catch with Cole:

He played with Cole's old matchbook cars with Mai-Ling:

And he posed for a family picture:

19 months old

Nate is about 19 months old now. Most of his teeth are in. After an epic resistance, he's walking around some, getting the hang of balance and understanding what his legs can and can't do. Nate seems to understand more than he can actually say. He knows the following words: Mama, Dada, Nana, Rampa (Grandpa), Simmee (Simma), O-ah (Opa), Book (Brook), Aheee (Avi), Sadie, Mae, Marmo (Margot and/or Elmo), chee ("cheese"), sky, door, light, and of course, hi and bye-bye. In an odd twist, he says "Bye Dave" (first said when saying goodbye to my tennis buddy Dave), when he says goodbye to anyone.

Nate has become a bit more easy going these days too. He's easier to change and dress, though admittedly more difficult to feed (he's in a finicky stage with food). He's still attached to his ba-ba (bottle), but only needs his pacifier to sleep. Both of those battles loom like a mountain range.

With the warm weather finally arriving and Nate walking and acting more easy-going, the family finds itself on a good run. Here's Nate at my parent's house playing with a mop bucket.

Nate Falls

With walking, comes falling.