Leeor's Birthday

Chocolate cake enjoyed by all! 

Our neighborhood bookstore, Bird and Beckett

Saba and Avi take in the beauty just across the street from our place

We had a lovely, family and friend-filled weekend to celebrate Leeor's birthday.  

Leeor took Friday off and the 3 of us went to the Contemporary Jewish Museum in the afternoon.  Then we let Avi run around the Yerba Buena Center.  He was (of course, Aquarian that he is) especially drawn to the waterfalls.  We ended the day at Chevy's, because though fine dining in San Francisco is plentiful, it is also pricey, and for $5, Avi had a lovely supper while Leeor and I enjoyed cheap margaritas and free chips.  We had such a good time together.

Everything seems better these days.  I have been wanting to write about this for so long but I had to wait until it was official.  Leeor's birthday  gives me an opportunity to celebrate him for a number of reasons. He left his job at the law firm of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Doer to be the Program Director of the East Palo Alto Youth Court.  Just saying it like that does not even begin to capture the significance.  I couldn't be more proud of him.  

I remember when Avi was born, and Leeor was so miserable with his job as a corporate attorney.  It was a path he'd never intended to travel but he felt like he had to provide for his family in a particular way.  Leeor talked about wanting to feel good about his work, for himself, and also to be an example to his son.  He didn't feel good about working at the law firm. He couldn't be present the way he wanted to be, which made him feel worse.  Of course, there were also benefits from Wilmer Hale, such as the sweet apartment in New York we got to stay in, and the pro-bono opportunities they provided.  Leeor started volunteering at Youth Court because it was one such opportunity and slowly realized it could be a place for him to really focus his energy and passion for serving the community.  

It's tricky to head up a fledgling non-profit in this economy.  While Leeor is working fewer hours than he was at the law firm, he is certainly working far more than the 25 hours per week that the funding allows.  It is worth it to all of us.  

On Saturday, Leeor's birthday, we gathered with the McFarlands, our good friend Jessie, and Saba and Safta to eat and hang out.  It was a beautiful spring day.  Declan and Avi enjoyed the patio and each other.  Then Saba and Safta stayed to babysit Avi while I took Leeor out for a much-deserved night on the town.  We went to Yoshi's for delicious Japanese food and a great concert by Chicago blues man Otis Clay.  

My mom came on Sunday and we celebrated Easter by re-planting my little herbs while Avi helped and carefully handled flowers.  We will hunt for eggs next year, when it makes more sense to him.  Sunday was also Safta's birthday, but as they'd just returned from Japan, they rested and re-grouped at home.  We still plan to have a Passover Seder . . . I love how flexible we all are about these things!  I love how we come together to celebrate, and that we make our own rules about how we do it.  I especially love that my man had the courage and integrity to take a risk; I am so proud of him!  Here's to a great year. Happy birthday, my love!