Even though there is still about a month left of summer, it seems like fall is near. It was overcast today, there are back-to-school ads everywhere, and D is gearing up to watch college football for hours on end.

On Saturday we went to Ikea. It was k’s first trip to one of my favorite stores.

Lately I’ve been having the urge to decorate/organize/clean our place more, but I can usually only do these things for an hour or so at night, when k is asleep.

We ate dinner at Portillo’s, which originated in Chicago and serves Italian beef sandwiches and Chicago-style hot dogs. D enjoyed the atmosphere (“It’s like you’re on vacation.”) The service was friendly and efficient and the food was good, if not good for you. Here is k with an Italian beef.

Today we went to a Japanese cultural fair in Irvine. k is saying hi to an Akita.

During lunch today, D got his “pre-race” haircut. In other words, it’s really short. Really, really short. So much so, that when D came home tonight, k did not recognize him. When he tried to hold her, she started to cry and had a look on her face that said “Who is this scary man, and what have you done to my Daddy?”

Happy 8 month birthday, k!

Saturday morning we went up to Burbank for an engagement ceremony/reception for one of my dearest friends. It was held at the Castaway. Traffic was bad so I thought we would be late, and I was stressing. However, it turns out the Pastor was caught in traffic too, and he was even later, so we had plenty of time!

(Too bad the groom-to-be’s eyes are closed, but I do think this is a really nice picture of the bride-to-be. These girls and I all lived in an apartment in Berkeley at one point). I gave a speech during the reception. Thankfully, it went OK, but I guess some people wanted it to be “juicy”, which it definitely was not.

The restaurant is on a hill, so there is a really nice view.

Afterward we stopped at Porto’s Bakery in Burbank, our first time. Parking was difficult, but it was worth it!

I ordered a bunch of stuff to go (since we had just eaten lunch): mango smoothie, potato balls, medianoche sandwich, cheese rolls, guava cheese pastry, and individual servings of tres leches cake and mango mousse. The cake and mousse were amazing. I defintely would like to go back.

Yes, we are still eating that watermelon! It turns out that k enjoys watermelon, too. It’s interesting (and sometimes frustrating) to figure out what k’s likes and dislikes are in terms of food. So far, she likes peas, green beans, watermelon, Cheerios, and Gerber Graduates “stars” (puffed cereal). k dislikes applesauce and peaches. Go figure.

I cannot believe summer is more than half way over. The other day I bought a watermelon–the receipt said it was over 19 pounds…that’s more than k! I thought it would be fun to take a picture as a comparison. k enjoyed thumping on it.

This past week I also baked a cake for a potluck at D’s work. I decided to get a little creative with it:

For a little over a week now, k has been crawling! It is amazing to see how quickly she acquires new skills. She can also stand up in her play pen and crib (although she has some trouble sitting back down). It is already more tiring to watch her since you constantly have to be on your guard.