Bah-bots!

I know a certain little boy. This little boy has a book. It's a book about airplanes. He loves this book so much that he is currently on his 3rd copy. He takes it with him everywhere and reads it all day everyday. And wants it read to him all day everyday.


He loves airplanes so much that we bought him a toy airplane. It is his favorite thing and it's dangerously adorable when he plays with it and makes airplane sounds. He runs the risk of being squeezed into bits.


He calls them bah-bots! and you've never heard anything so cute as when he spots one flying in the sky and yells "bah-bots!"



We found this airplane at this incredible toy store in Santa Monica called The Acorn Store (they don't have a website, so I've linked to their Yelp! page). If you are anywhere in the tri-county area you MUST go check it out. It's filled -- almost too full -- of the most beautiful wooden and natural and Waldorf toys. Many of the toys are made in Germany (like the airplane we got) and the quality is just not something you see in mass-marketed toys now days. Is it expensive? YES. Is it worth it? ABSOLUTELY. If you're selectively buying a small number of toys that are going to last a life-time, it is completely worth the money. These toys spark the imagination and will eventually become heirlooms. And the lady who owns the store is too sweet.

Sorry that this post turned into an advertisement for The Acorn Store, but I'm just SO excited about it. It was like a dream come true when I walked inside. I can't wait to go back!

A Happy Birthday Among the Germans

John's birthday was yesterday!



A couple of months ago John requested German Chocolate Cake for his birthday. I had never made one before, so I was a bit nervous. I just used the recipe on the German's Sweet Baking Chocolate box and it turned out great! From the looks of the baked cake, I was worried that it wasn't going to be very moist (it doesn't look very moist, does it?)and wasn't sure about the delish factor. But it was and it had it. We are having the last couple of pieces for dessert tonight. Along with the best vanilla ice cream ever, from Trader Joe's (it also happens to have about 100 calories more per serving than cheap-y vanilla ice cream -- but so worth it).

A local farm here, Underwood Family Farms, is having Oktoberfest this weekend so we had to hit that up. We listened to German music and watched men dance around in lederhosen and ate knockwurst with sauerkraut. What could be better? (Actually, if it wasn't 95 degrees it would have been way better. Also, actually being in Germany.)



We put William in a big pen of beans and I think he had more fun than he's ever had. He was very sad and cried when we finally had to leave -- maybe I'll have to put some beans in a box for him to play with here at home.



I think we made it up to him though, by getting these amazing handmade toys from a booth there at the fest. These wooden toys are handmade by a really nice man named Arlen, right here in town. I was freaking out at his booth. The toys are all adorable, really well made and very reasonably priced.

I have looked at wooden, American-made toys online and they are pretty pricey. And you have to pay shipping on top of that! That won't stop me from getting a couple of choice things, but I am really happy to have found someone local who makes such incredible toys. I wish he had a website so you could see all of his other toys -- helicopters, stack rings, cars, tic tac toe, tops and more. I'm sure you'll eventually see more of them here on this blog. :)

We also had dinner out with friends and attended a very fancy baby shower (which you'll soon hear more about), this weekend. And John got a panini press for his bday so we will definitely being trying that out this evening. Yum! Happy Birthday, John!