Great Grandfather Borya

Dear Samantha,

I am writing this from San Francisco. Your Great Grandfather, Boruch Grinberg (I used to call him Dedushka Borya) passed away. You never got to meet him, so I wanted to tell you about this great man.

The thing I remember the most about Dedushka Borya is his smile. In fact, I don't recall ever seeing him without it. He could see humor in every situation. How else could one go through World War II, get an education while bringing up 2 children, move to the other part of the world in his seventies, and stay in a difficult marriage without losing his dignity?

Another thing I remember so well about Dedushka Borya is his camera. The first one he got as a teenager was the one he made himself. Just like his smile, it was almost another part of his body -- completely inseparable from him. Dedushka had a bottomless curiosity about the world. He wanted to take everything apart and understand how things worked. He saw beauty everywhere he went and wanted to commit it all to memory with his camera.

Your Great Grandpa loved to travel as close as the other part of his city and as far as the other part of the world. If you could get there by foot, he walked. I spent the summer with him and Grandma in Lvov when I was 11. He gave me a map of the city and told me to go exploring. Every morning I set out on a new expedition. Maybe that's how I got the walking bug; maybe it's genes. I thank him for it every time I get somewhere on my own two feet. Transporting yourself with your own body is one of the biggest joys of being alive. Who knows -- you might be a great walker one day. At your ripe age of 19 months, you refuse to sit in the stroller and walked 1/4 mile the other day.

Last and most important thing I want to tell you about your Great Grandpa -- he saw the good in every person, and loved unconditionally. He taught me that life is not a game of settling scores. It's an opportunity to see the humanity in others. He thought of himself as a rich man because he had so much to give. He did so for 92 years, till his last day.

Even though the two of you have never met, he thought about you since the day you were born, and loved you very much. Part of him is in you, in me, and in everyone his life touched.

Love you very much,

-Mommy

Christmas 2008

December 2008 and Christmas pictures are up. Here are the highlights.

I helped decorate the tree.

Santa came to Ms. Sophie's and brought me a tea set. Want some tea?

Tea party with Mr. Bear

Babulya's strudel

Musical cards are fun! Thank you Grandma Louise.

Grandma sent me a stroller with a baby doll. Being Mommy is fun. I get to feed the baby, take the baby on walks, get the baby dressed, and even check for poopies.

Look what Daddy gave Mommy for Christmas! I like playing the piano too and I can say Bach.

Accessorizing

What do you think of this bag with these jammies? I don't think they really go together.

I think it's time for a little shopping. Ta-ta, Mommy and Daddy.

I am off to Bloomingdale's.

Walking

Look, Ma -- no hands!

We've been making a few little steps here and there before, but on October 11, 2008, we made whole 9 steps all by ourselves on the playground.

We are now officially on the move.

We also LOVE to talk on the phone. We see Mommy and Daddy doing it all the time, and now that we tried it, we see how easy it is. You just pick up whatever is near you (a computer mouse or even a fridge magnet will do fine) and talk into it. See! Start the conversation with "ha-ya." Never fails to make Mommy and Daddy stop whatever they are doing and to talk to you.

First steps with Babulya i Dedulya

Babulya i Dedulya came to visit in the end of September. We went to the playground and made our first few steps.

Picnic and the beach

New pictures are finally up.

We went on a picnic to Decordova Museum with Zia Gaia and Zio Jerome around Labor Day.

We also went to the Cape (Wellfleet) and saw the ocean for the first time. It was way more water than in the bath tub!

Happy First Birthday!

Our dear Samantha,

One year ago, you pushed your way into the world, and we got to meet you and hold you for the very first time. It was the happiest and most miraculous moment of our life. The last year was filled with so much joy and unforgettable "firsts." Your first smile, first roll-over, first tooth, first crawl, first word, and of course, your first birthday party.

Grandma Louise came to visit for your birthday weekend and brought you all kinds of goodies. Daddy decorated the dining room with streamers, Pooh, Tigger, and Piglet, and Mommy cooked all sort of yummies. At 11:45am, the doorbell rang and we went to get the door for Zia Gaia and Zio Jerome. But guess what? Surprise!!! It was Babulya and Dedulya! They drove over all the way from Baltimore without telling us. How could they miss your first birthday?! Zia Gaia and Zio Jerome came a few minutes later.

We had a lovely lunch and you got to try your first Earl Gray Chiffon cake.

It just occurred to me that on your first birthday, you were surrounded by 7 people who love so much (it's that number 7 again ;) We wish you many more birthdays filled with people you love and who love you.

• We wish you health.
  
• We wish you true happiness -- the kind that can only come from loving someone and being loved back.
  
• We wish you to have friends -- not many, but a few good ones.
  
• We wish you laughter, even in difficult situations.
  
• We wish you to have faith in yourself and others.
  
• We wish you to grow up all that you can be.
  

All our love, hugs, and kisses,

-Mama and Dada

p.s. more birthday pictures