Drew's first Shabbos dinner out...

Drew was invited to the Cantor's house for Shabbos dinner last night! He had a very good time - he enjoyed the food and liked the chanting too - he swayed back and forth as we sang the prayers. They also had a big "puppy" that was fun to play with and lots of musical instruments to try out. He was shy at first, but was quickly walking around like he owned the place!!

On Friday nights Drew likes to watch me light the Shabbos candles. I hope that it's something he will grow up loving and thinking is important. Tomorrow we're going to a preschool program at shul where there will be singing and crafts and Challah eating, so it will be interesting to see how he does there and what he thinks.

Our cantor and his wife adoped two of their three children from Columbia and it was interesting to talk to them about it. Their experience was very different. They were only in the country for a week with their kids before they came home and their kids came home when they were about 4 months old. Still, it's nice to talk to people who understand what it's like to put together a dossier and wait and just the whole adoption experience.

It's snowing out right now and Drew is napping after our outing to the mall and McDonald's. Drew drank from a juice box for the first time, not his sippy cup, and he was very excited about it and proud of himself! :) It was cute to see him smile when the juice came through the straw - I think he was surprised.

Tomorrow Opa and Mary Ann are coming for dinner so it will be nice to see them...

Valentine's Day is coming up this week (and yes, Aunt Sheri's b-day too!!). We decided to continue with Drew a tradition my father started for Valentine's Day. He bought me a sun dress every year (or a summer outfit that he called a sun dress!) until I got married, that's when he said it was Patrick's job to buy me a sun dress. Drew obviously won't be getting a sun dress, but we will buy him a summer outfit every year until he gets married (eesh!!!). I like the idea of carrying on that tradition with my child - sometimes it's nice to start your own traditions, but sometimes it's even nicer to continue what your parents did for you...