Jo's First Passover

We spent the first seder, as is our custom, with Co's "Jewish family," the B's -- the parents of her college roommate J. Co spent seders there for several years before we met. College roommate J. became Due Date Buddy, and is now mom to Leo, born four days before Jo. J. and her husband P. are also Jo's godparents ("kvaterin" in Yiddish), and we joke that the B's parents are therefore his grand-godparents.

My mom and her husband also came to the seder, the result of a sneaky yet brilliant move on my part: I asked the B's to invite them this year, thusly circumventing the knock-down drag-out fight about where Jo would spend his first Passover. (We love to go to the B's, and since my mom threw in her lot with my sister's in-laws, holidays with her/them have been tense and unpleasant at best. It's a longer story I may end up posting about next time they piss me off.) So Jo got to be with his Grandmom, we got to be with our extended B family, and everyone had a great time. I hope I can continue to be this creative with family politics. In any case, here is the sweetness of Grandmom snuggling her little guy at his first seder:

Jo looked smashing in his new bib from his Grand-Godmother:

And a bit goofy in a yarmulke:

Leo sported a yarmulke from his other grandfather (in case you can't tell, it emphasizes a certain team loyalty):

Here is Jo, reading along in his Haggadah:

And here is Leo, taking the seder very seriously (the onesie reads "Grandma's Little Matzo Ball"):

Jo also got the chance to see his other godmother Auntie A. (wife of Auntie S.), and their 3-year-old Z., on the way home from their seder. Z., in her role of "Bat Kvaterin" (Godmother's daughter) gave Jo a plastic frog to represent the flog plague. His Jewish education has begun.

As usual, Co has been using her culinary talents to keep me from matzah-related despair (and, uh, matzah-related digestion). She made the most delicious chocolate matzah to bring to the seder. And she's planned meals for the week that will be unleavened yet delicious, while providing leftovers for me to take to school for lunch. Tonight we had lemon chicken. What a wife!

Good Yontef to all who celebrate!