Rubber Ducky You're the One...

Getting the tub ready for the toddler.
Raphie in his "riding hat."

La Petite Ferme

Raphael doesn't know he has friends yet, but we took a trip to La Petite Ferme to celebrate his friend's birthday. See Raphael with the birthday girl.












Raphael, before he fell off the Merry Go Round.
Negligent Parents - Yes. Tears - No. We'll call it a tie.


Living his father's dream of being a Formula One driver
Raphael was probably booted off about 3 seconds later by a menacing Swedish kid.

We are planning to keep this picture hidden so he won't start asking to go on the carrousel in the "centre ville." We prefer that he looks longingly at all the other smiling children, thus mimicking our own miserable childhoods.

Future Musician

Raphael has discovered yet another way to make noise.

Baby Led Feeding

I really don't believe in any sort of "food exploration" that results in a mess. I'm probably stifling Raphael's creativity, but there's enough to do without having to pick smashed peas off the floor.
However, at some point, the little guy will need to learn that food will not always be delivered to his open mouth. Hopefully, the sound effects will stop at some point, too.




I wonder who Raphie got the don't f@8k with me look from. For the record, he is not pooping.

Walking Man

Raphael started walking yesterday. He'd taken one or two steps to grab a cell phone or play with an iPad, but yesterday he was on the move for real.

California, here I come. Part 2

A very patient cousin Jill. Was she secretly evaluating the mini-cousins?



Raphael begins his love affair with bananas and the singing shopping cart.


Hilla and Raphie wait patiently for the pool inflator to do his job.


The grandfather who encourages Raphie to eat dog food.




California Car Culture.

American Family Portrait



a.k.a. The Beverly Hillbillies



Grandma grabbing the ball of perpetual motion.

California, here I come! Part 1

Raphael, as usual, can't deal with being held against his will. Ann succeeds in getting Tessa to smile for the camera.




Jacob and Cousin Waphael



I'll credit Evan with turning my mom's rusty lawn furniture into something artistic.



Charles always said that you can't find good food in the US. Raphael begs to differ as he headed off for a second helping of Kibbles 'n Bits.



I always thought that those kids that are shoved in bike trailers must be miserable. Raphael agrees.

Never too young...

We thought this might be a problem during his teenage years, but Raphael is a little precocious.

He makes calls everywhere: in the tub with the shower head, on the floor with a plastic block, during meals. This morning, the tail end of a baguette started to ring.

Raphael's 1st Birthday

July 22, 2010
1 year stats: 75 cm, 9.1 kilos (29.5 inches, 20 pounds)
Words: Tya (Tiens), Ba-oo (Boom), Dada, and very rarely, Mama. His Grand-mere swears she heard him say "gateau." For the moment, he has 4 sweet teeth, so it makes sense.

He can now stand on his own for about 3-5 seconds before he plops down on his Huggies.


Raphael goes for the good stuff.



No need to ask him twice if he likes cake.


A birthday wouldn't be complete without presents. Of course these are grand-mere chosen, fine motor skill-specific presents.

A visit from grand-mère and grand-père

Raphael decided that his grand-père's breakfast looked too good to pass up.




A little dip in the pool in the afternoon. Raphael has also realized that he can clean the floor at the same time.

Summer Time

Je n'aime pas l'abricot!





Raphie dances to one of his favorite songs.



Quoi?

Almost 11 Months

Raphael smiles with pride after pulling himself up onto the couch.

 

 

Raphael discovers the multiple uses of a roll of tape and a Pampers box.

Raphie goes to Paris

A couple of weeks ago, we went to Paris.
We took Raphael on the train. He enjoyed the train ride more than we did.





We took him sightseeing, but he was not impressed by the Seine or the metro.






I think he was saving his energy for the return trip. Bon voyage!

Raphie on the Run

Charles found that the best way to get Raphael to crawl was to play "Digital Camera Chase."

Baby Grunge

To celebrate being 9 months old, Raphael applies the "3 Steps for Grunge" fashion principles. Please note that this was copied from a "wiki," and we are not responsible for the poor spelling and grammar.

Step 1
Hair does not really matter, it can be long or short, preferably messy, as if you have just woken up.

Step 2
Wear any shirt you feel good with, however, if you want to dress in true grunge style, do not jump for the bright, bold colours. Just make sure you are comfortable. A very popular item is flannel. Get any not too cheerful colour.

Step 3
Layers are important, but if you live in a place where it gets hot during the summer or year-round, a t-shirt or two noticeably layered over each other is suitable.

 

Charles thought the layered look had gone out of style with Kurt Cobain. So, he opted for a "preppy" photo shoot.





The secret behind the smile...

Newton's Apple

In the past week or so, Raphael has learned to sit up on his own. With a little motivation, he also moves a bit.

When the chow bell rings, Raphael is on the move.



Raphael is getting warmed up for some big science, groaning required.



Hmmmm...Interesting.. 9.8 m/sec^2.



Maybe it's more like 32 ft/sec^2?




Oh, is that a camera?

Whine and Cheese

Raphael was salivating when he saw my breakfast. However, the taste test shows off his American side; he's not quite ready for stinky French cheese.






Mais non! Je n'aime pas le Comte!





Raphael takes a break from the puree to peek at Papa.

The Honeymoon is Officially Over

Raphael, on a mission to find the "Three Blind Dust Mice."

So far, the car only rolls in reverse, but we are assuming that once the car can go into first, we're in for trouble.

Spring is Here!

Charles took Raphael to the beach for the first time yesterday.

After a week of heavy eating, Raphael is showing off his new cheeks. Apparently, he was stocking up in advance of Passover.

Center of Attention

Waiter! There's a fly in my soup.

Raphael attacks his vegetables.

At some point we will gently tell Raphael that slapping the table when he wants more food is not appropriate behavior.

Snow Day

Raphael on his way back from daycare. Chains were not required for the stroller.