Ten Month Tiz

Here is my directorial debut. We got a video camera just before Tiz was born and I've been taking footage here and there since. My brother-in-law Nathan is a photo teacher and a video wiz. He talked me through the basics of editing and how to embed a video on the blog (Thanks, Nathan!). This is a little montage of life with Tiz at around ten months old. Excuse the cliche G n' R on the soundtrack... I just couldn't resist.



Ten Month Tiz from Matt Lennert and Vimeo.

bathing beauty, part deux

In anticipation of her career as a pro windsurfer, Tiz has spent a lot of time this summer getting acclimated to water. Here she is floating and giggling over at Elaine and Joel's.

goin' back to Cali

Tiz was in California last July, but since she was still in the womb the golden state missed out on a lot of her charm and charisma, so we decided to bring her back for an encore. We flew into Oakland then drove up to Napa, where our friends Mitch & April live. It was a great few days visiting with them and enjoying some amazing food and wine. Here are the highlights...

After our long flight the first thing we needed to do was eat. We raced to Berkley and arrived just in time to be seated at Chez Panisse before they stopped serving lunch.


After lunch we strolled around Berkley for a bit and stopped at this flower shop to get a bouquet for April. The flowers were pretty and Tiz fits right in, wouldn't you say?


Once we arrived in Napa it was time for a little relaxing in the hot tub... Could we get some Crystal over here, please?


On Saturday we took Tiz to the shore so she could dip her toes in the mighty Pacific. We played in the waves for a bit and walked along the beach. Only as we were leaving did we spot the sign warning of a recent great white shark attack... oops. But what can we say, shark attack was definately not covered in our infant care class.

Back on terra firma Tiz posed for this cute shot entitled Sandy Toes.

all grown up

Kim's sister Carol took this photo yesterday... doesn't Tiz look all grown up, sitting at the table? I'm sure she is just about to relate a clever anecdote, poignant with irony and social satire.

C'est une fille

Check out Chitlins & Camembert cause Amy & Lolo had their baby - a beautiful baby girl named Lucia. Since they live in the Loire, we broke out a bottle of Chinon to toast the occasion. Congratulations!

my bad

Ooops... my apologies for the Tiz-less post there. Don't know what I was thinking.

ann arbor

We just got back from an amazing trip to Ann Arbor. Even though Tiz stayed behind at her Grandma's, I thought I'd post some thoughts and photos anyway.


My Friend Nate is a pilot and he had to bring his plane to Ann Arbor for maintenance, so we hitched a ride. We enjoyed the plush appointments of the Pilatus and some amazing cloud formations over Lake Michigan.


Once in Ann Arbor, our mission began. Ann Arbor is an amazing food town and we'd brought Katie and Emma, co-workers from The Feast, to get inspired. Our goal was to pack in as much as possible into 24 short hours.


We began at the Farmer's Market, where we bellied up to a funky Korean lunch counter to steaming bowls of bi bim bop and bulgogi. We also sampled their interperation of an American classic... the Seoul Dog was a fried all-beef hot dog smothered in kim chee and served on a sesame seed bun. Wow.

We strolled over to Zingerman's, a deli not unlike Moveable Feast that has grown over the years to include a bakery, creamery, restaurant, this quirky coffee & donut trailer and more. They were an inspiration.


Later Sunday night we dined at Eve, a farm-to-table restaurant of national acclaim.


Monday morning we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast, stocked up on snacks back at Zingerman's deli for a picnic, and headed home refreshed and inspired. On the way we passed a truck carrying these little pigs and I came perilously close to crashing the car to get this shot!

discovery

It's so fun to see Tiz discover new stuff. She's so aware now that it seems like every few moments she's having another epiphany. Yesterday she was obsessed with tags. She would bypass the colorful, noise-making, razz-a-matazzing substance of any toy to gently knead its logo tag between her fore-finger and thumb. I like to think she's developing the fine motor skills necessary to make a magically flaky pastry crust.


Today, she discovered mirrors. One hangs above her changing station at Mom & Dad's and Tiz has become obsessed with beaming cheek-busting smiles at herself. Watching her do it is almost more joy than a person can handle.

birds of paradise

Somehow, between all the eating and planning what to eat next, Dad and I found time for a little landscaping project. Dad wanted to put in a small patio off his deck to showcase his three potted Bird of Paradise plants. We took a couple hours this afternoon to get it done and here are the results.



Looks like Dad was glad to have some help!

skype

Dad and I were having a talk about the mind-blowing progression of technology in the last century. It's so incredible to think about the fact that my grandparents grew up without running water, electricity or motor vehicles and now we're... well, you know. The talk was affirmed when we got on the Skype with Kim. For any of you who haven't seen it, Skype is a free online service that lets you video-chat with anyone, anywhere in the world. We Skype with Mom & Dad all the time because it's a great way to keep them in touch with Tiz's progression. This was the first time Tiz had Skyped with Kim and the result was hilarious. Tiz kept looking at the screen, then around it, trying to see where her Mama was. Even though she never found her, when Kim would sing to her, Tiz would beam with joy. Technology is indeed amazing.

bathing beauty

In anticipation of summer, Mom & Dad sent this bikini a few weeks ago. To try it out, they picked up a little pool for our visit. Here's a sequence of Tiz getting her feet wet.


At first she was a little uncertain...



But after a few tentative splashes...


She dove right in...

when in rome

Tiz has kept right in stride on our culinary adventure down south. She's really gotten the hang of eating from a spoon and now lunges forward, mouth gaping, in hot pursuit of her next bite.



Grandma's Pancakes are a family tradition passed down from our Estonian ancestors. Mom & I made Tiz her first batch this morning and she eagerly gummed away at one. Tanan vaga, Vannaema (Thanks, Granny)!

ace of cake

Mom requested a birthday cake... chocolate with vanilla buttercream. Here's the play-by-play action.




Here's the part where I really start wishing Kim was here...



OK... so it's probably not going to win any competitions...


But it tasted great... Happy Birthday, Mom!

the good life

I love coming to my Mom & Dad's because it's like being at summer camp for cooks. The weather's always warm and sunny and our days are spent cooking, eating and planning what to cook next. This trip has been especially fun because it's Mom's birthday and Mom & Dad's anniversary, so we've got some serious celebrating to do. In this shot I'm skewering some shrimp and vegetables on The Calypso - a cool cooking gadget that Kim found for my Dad's birthday.



It worked really well and made a dramatic presentation. Maybe we'll start carrying these at the shop. It turned out to be a great gift.

granny's house

Tiz and I are visiting my parents for the weekend. My Mom had a hip replacement, so we came down to cheer her up and help out where we can while she's in recovery.


Tiz was happy to see Grandma and Grandpa and is enjoying the plush accommodations.

bird's eye

This is just a nice portrait of Tiz that her Mom took, so I thought I'd post it. Enjoy.

another food adventure

Here we are at Frontera Grill, a Chicago landmark and a favorite of ours since Kim & I were first dating. This was Tiz's first visit and, since she's now eating real food, she was able to partake in some of the dishes we had ordered. Here she is getting a taste of Rick Bayless' famous cowboy beans that accompany the tacos al carbon. And no, that girly-looking drink is not a cosmo, it's my mezcal margarita. Cloaked behind its feminine hue, this mysterious and high-octane brew is defined by a charred-agave smokiness that is unmistakably manly and is simply terrific with this food. Highly recommended.

day at the beach

Tiz had her first day at the beach last Sunday. It was in the 70's and sunny so we packed up and headed to Evanston to Greenwood Ave. Beach, our summer hang out for the last few years. Tiz and her Mom strolled along the lakefront and played in the sand while I windsurfed. The day was beautiful, but the water was still a frigid 47-degrees. I'm pretty sure Tiz liked the atmosphere. She seems well suited to the laid-back beach lifestyle. It was a great day and we look forward to many more this summer.

a little drama

proud parents