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Asher got to visit Hawaii
to celebrate his mother’s birthday, and his own 6-month
birthday. He liked the plane trip, the
hotel bed,
and the grass
(boy did he
experience the grass; it’s not easy
looking cool). He enjoyed going to
the pool and sunbathing on lawn chairs in different
outfits though he looked (somewhat
longingly) at the beach. The beach itself
got a lukewarm response. But he was
still California
Dreamin’ (of the hiking along the coast … or just on the fire trail
in Berkeley).
Asher is quite photogenic. Here are some black and white pictures
that are very
cute. There are a number of very cute pictures, as
well as three
incredibly cute ones (and a philosophical
one). There are also portraits
of him with his mother
and father
separately, and with
the family (including
some flying
pictures).
Asher is a world traveler and spent the spring of 2000
in Paris. He enjoyed the Louvre, and
liked the Place
des Vosges. Hanging out around the Seine and the
parks was also fun, so long as he was appropriately clad. Eating in Burgundy
was also a pleasure. He made a few
side trips, including a trip to Switzerland.
The first birthday was great; many presents for him and
much joy for everyone else. Listen to him laugh! The party was held
outside. It was also the occasion for a new set of
photographs. He has posed: by himself on a bench in Mills College;
with his grandparents
together and separately
with his grandfather Larry and his grandmother Vera;
with his parents; with a mess o’ Greens;
with his lovely
mother (sometimes upside
down); and with
his boring old
father. There are also a number of group photographs.
Asher finally got to Canada
in August 2000 to
go for a swim and meet his cousins. The water was warm
and the sun was
bright.
Asher’s first trip to the Southern Hemisphere
(ex-utero) was in August 2000; he joined his parents to hang out in
Buenos Aires for almost two weeks.
He stayed near La Recoleta,
and visited: la
Boca; the Casa
Rosada; the frigate
Sarmiento; Florida
(BA style); the 9th
of July and Obelisk; and the Botanical Gardens
(well he is a
guy, even if little). He also deepened
his affection for his parents’ favorite drink.
Asher spent a week in the big Apple in September
2000. He has seen Times Square,
the Battery,
and the Steuben
parade just outside the Met (which he loved),
and thinks the
subway is the coolest way to move.
He
especially digs waiting for his parents who like to shop on Fifth Avenue.
The little man has also been to his nation’s
capital where he got to flirt at Lauriol
Plaza, experience
the White House in his own way, hang out on
Pennsylvania Avenue, and have his portrait
sketched at an arts festival.
One of the sprog’s trips took him first to Florida
to see his
great-grandmother on her hundredth birthday in September 2000 and enjoy
a swim with
his grandparents. Then he got to
experience Trafalgar
Square in his own way, as well as the Mall and
Buckingham Palace, and Horse Guards. Parliament
was a more
stimulating experience. On the
return, he got to explore the
washing machine of his godparents (surprisingly fascinating)
and torment other passengers on his ride home.
Asher is the proud owner of a Thomas Moser continuous armchair. He likes to stand and sit on it in
many cute
positions.
Asher was in Georgetown
(Washington)
for Halloween 2000, and wore a cute elephant costume.
In bleak November, Asher visited the
capital of his
father’s nation, and got to see the Bank of
Canada and the Chateau Laurier. Then the visit to the great North
(not so white) continued to his grandmother’s
birthday party
where he got to hang out with cousins,
and uncles (in this case Uncle Dave, ver.
2).
For a change in scenery, Asher then visited Israel
in November 2000. He stayed on the
beach in Tel Aviv and enjoyed walking the
boardwalk and looking at the
Mediterranean. He then went up
to the spa of Mizpe Hayamim;
it features nice
walking where you can stop to enjoy the flowers,
see an organic
dairy, and visit Sefad.
Unfortunately for his parents he also learned to open
doors. Back in Tel Aviv he
enjoyed some hospitality
courtesy of the Razins and hung
out in a mall
for the first time ever.
In late December, Asher went to San
Diego to see
“qvich” at the zoo, which can be frustrating because of
barriers (which
also exist at Sea World) requiring
parental assistance. He had an
easier time at Yosemite where he could hang out at the
Ahwanee or hike
in a relaxing way (with either
parent) to see giant Sequoias (dead or very much alive), the Mariposa grove,
Mirror Lake,
and Half-Dome. He’s also started to say his name. He also enjoyed a hike to Pt. Reyes
with the Frankel family.
Asher’s first trip in 2001 was to New
Orleans where he got to play with trains,
climb around a
lot, and mess around in a kid-size version
of Old Man River.
But while he travels a lot, Asher’s heart is in
the San Francisco Bay Area. He likes
to walk on the
Berkeley Pier, and hang out in the City on
aptly named streets. He is also a great
stair-climber (well he has his own style), and allows his mother
and aunt to rest when they need to.
Here’s the
little man and his father after they both got haircuts from the same
barber.
Asher visited the
Great State of Washington in February and got to pet a pony. He also spent time at a
lock with
his mother and took a bath with
a new friend.
February can be bleak, but Asher beat the blues by going
to Oakland Fairyland. He captained a pirate
ship, and helped
to feed a photogenic goat. But Florida
proved to be a better escape; he could hang out
with his
great-grandmother, enjoy the
somewhat novel experience of grass, go for a swim,
and admire art
(he has strong aesthetic views). He
enjoyed reading with his Aunt Alisa
and his
grandfather (who is also a good snuggler).
Asher eats with gusto: here he is
both before
and after one
meal.
Not all of Asher’s travels are foreign; he’s
been to Monterey
to visit the aquarium, hang out with his
friend Ayelet Drazen, take a ride, climb in and out of giant
shells, and go hiking at Point
Lobos. He’s also learned how to hit the
goblins (Where
the Wild Things are), and enjoys stepping
on them too. Asher likes to imagine
he’s been captured and taken hostage to Mt.
Tamalpais which makes him laugh. And there’s nothing better after a
long day than snuggling
with a good book in bed.
Asher spent his second summer in France,
and enjoyed Fontainebleau. He has had lunch in
Barbizon and learned to play soccer in
Sorques, where he can also read in the
garden with his grandfather and enjoy the view
from his room. He likes to hang out at the
Bois de Boulogne (check out the cable car!) where he can ride
with his mother. One of
Asher’s side trips was to the Swiss National
Bank’s Study Center at Gerzensee, just South of Berne (a place to
eat on the
street and where Miriam and Asher
can both do what they do best).
On the way back he visited the Abbaye de
Fontenay and went wine-tasting in a real cave in Beaune (he likes to check out the
pour in his taste-vin, and savor the bouquet,
before tasting). Asher has also spent time on the
famous Fontainebleau rocks which can develop a great appetite,
and enjoys the awesome
(nineteenth century double-decker) Fontainebleau merry-go-round (his mother enjoys
watching).
Asher has also been to the Champagne
district (and Chablis). He
didn’t much care for the Reims cathedral,
but enjoyed tasting champagne at Piper Heidsick,
Mercier
and Pommery,
and especially the caves at Tattinger
and Moet&Chandon. Still, his favorite part of the weekend
was a ride on
the Fontainebleau carrousel, and waving at his
best friend.
For his second birthday, Asher got to go to Northern
Italy in July 2001 and hang out in Venice. He enjoyed a
conference dinner in San Servolo with his surrogate mother Paola, strolling in
Venice, and spending
time in San Marco (especially feedings its
pigeons and
chicks). But it can be
very tiring (here’s a high quality
and very cute picture of the Sprog asleep).
And for making it all the way to the bottom of the page,
you get to see a
(censored) version of his mother naked. Ooh la la!
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