Like April, this is going to be a lengthy recap as May was a very busy month. Jenn and I started the month with our first real date since moving back to California. We first had brunch at A Restaurant in Crystal Cove. Jenn had the Mexican Benedict, and I had the Breakfast Burger. It was fantastic, combine that with a few morning cocktails, and we were riding high. From there, we went to our first show at South Coast Repertory since 2018. We saw a very emotional, at times zany play called You Are Cordially Invited to the End of the World! It’s hard to compare to nearly seven years of Broadway, but we both left with our eyes red from crying and having that pep in our step that only live theater can bring.

A few days later, we packed up a rental car and slowly made our way from our house to Las Vegas for a conference Jenn was attending for work. After a few false starts (where we had to return the first rental car), we dropped off Frasier at The Bone Adventure and were off. We made a few stops along the way and eventually, through a pretty big rainstorm, arrived at Resorts World Las Vegas. This was our first time in Vegas since 2013, and we haven’t missed much. When we got to the hotel, we checked in, got situated, and ordered takeout for dinner. We walked around the casino for a bit to avoid the rain and called it a night.

We stayed at Resorts World from Monday, May 5th, to Thursday, May 8th. Most days, Jenn would leave first thing in the morning, Elle and I would go for a walk, get her down for a nap, and in the afternoon/evening, we’d meet back up with Jenn. It was obvious early on that children are not a thing in Vegas. We knew it had shifted back to an adult area, but walking Elle around Vegas felt wrong. We made the best of it, though, having some nice meals in our hotel at Brezza and Carver Steaks and even went to an old classic Outback. The highlight for Elle was when we went to Shark Reef Aquarium in Mandalay Bay. Elle lit up from the moment we entered and especially loved the massive tanks that you end your visit with. The entire time her legs were kicking, her eyes were lighting up, and she was laughing.

We left on Thursday and had a relatively easy drive back home from Vegas, and picked up Frasier before dropping off the rental car. We had a busy weekend ahead. On Saturday, we drove down to Vista to celebrate Teddy’s first birthday at Bub Williamson Park. It was a huge party to celebrate the little guy with all of his cousins and friends. It was a pretty warm day, and we decided to bring Frasier with us, who enjoyed meeting all the kids and hanging out at the park. The next day was Mother’s Day, Jenn’s first official one as a Mom. Elle, Frasier and I put our heads together and did our best to give her a great day. After a lot of back and forth that included brunches at both The Ritz-Carlton and Pelican Hill, Jenn landed on Oceans 48 in Fashion Island. It was a phenomenal choice. On our way to Oceans 48, we visited Jenn’s Mom’s cemetery and let Elle spend some time with her grandma. We had incredible cocktails (bartenders might have been a bit heavy-handed) and loved their bread. Jenn had the seabass, and I had their lobster salad. Elle did great throughout the meal, munching on bread and a little bit of her mom’s fish. Afterward, we walked off our cocktails (and Jenn’s glass of wine) in Fashion Island before heading home. That evening, we took the entire family to Crystal Cove for a sunset walk to close out Jenn’s first Mother’s Day.

The next week was my first full week of non-stop time with Elle. Since we’ve moved to California, our weeks have had a lot of errands, people coming over, and things to break up the week. After Mother’s Day, I took the mantle of stay-at-home Dad, and Elle and I had a great week together. The weather started to get warmer, and so most days we went to the park between her naps. On Friday, Jenn and I had the best meal we’ve had since moving back, at Fable & Spirit in Newport Beach. We started with their bread, crudo, and rabbit. Jenn had their seafood pasta for a main course, and I had the Porchetta. It was quite the meal.

One of my favorite personal activities in May was the two hikes I went on at Crystal Cove. Before we moved to New York, Jenn and I would go hiking there at least once a month and get Bear Flag afterwards. With Elle and Frasier (they don’t allow dogs), that’s a bit tougher now, so early on Saturday, the 17th and 24th, I did two ~10-mile hikes around the park. The first one was the full loop, and the second a slightly abbreviated one to make sure I made my haircut appointment. I find the hikes mentally and physically freeing and I can’t wait to keep doing them. It’s also a huge plus to be able to walk out of our house and within ten minutes be on the trail.

After my second hike, Jenn’s Dad and Joan came to watch Elle so we could go to the movies for the first time in over a year. We saw Mission: Impossible: The Final Reckoning (described below), which led us to the main event for May, Elle’s first birthday.

It’s hard to imagine that it’s been a year since Elle was born. I’ll never forget the day. I’ll never forget the 9 months leading up to the day. But somehow, through the joy, stress, and daily learning, Elle is officially 1 year old. Jenn went back and forth on how she wanted to celebrate Elle. Her initial idea was to have a big party. But with the move, work, and the idea of hosting that many people, she changed her mind in March. Instead, she invited our families and kids to a day at Disneyland. The tickets were purchased, her dinner celebration was booked, and we were ready for Elle’s first trip to Disneyland. To ease her into it, we went on Monday, May 26th, to California Adventure. It was just the three of us. We woke up early, dropped Frasier off at Hydrant Pet Hotel, and our bags at The Westin Anaheim before walking to California Adventure. Elle was mesmerized from the moment we walked in. From the characters to all the sights and sounds, her legs were kicking, and her face was aglow. Her first ride was on The Little Mermaid. We thought she’d cry, but instead she was giggling and excited the entire ride. After a few photos, it was naptime, which meant Jenn and I did loops around the park, stopping for some sugary Mimosas, while Elle slept in her stroller.

When she did wake up, we went on what ended up being her favorite ride of both days, the merry-go-round. Talk about a smile. She was beaming on that ride. From there, we went on the Ferris wheel, and went through Animation Academy and Monsters Inc before heading back to the hotel and letting her take a nap.

I thought for sure we’d call it there, but we all got a second wind and went back to the park for 2 hours. We rode Toy Story Mania, the merry-go-round again, and I got a quick ride on the roller coaster. It was such a great day, and we were all exhausted by the time we left the park. We had a quick dinner at Puesto in our hotel before calling it a night.

The next day was the big event, Elle’s birthday celebration. We woke up early, got Elle ready, and met Jenn’s Dad and Joan in the lobby of the Westin before walking over to Disneyland. We met Jake and Holly at the Disneyland entrance and went in right as they opened. Amy, Ryan, Ally, and Tim all arrived shortly after and met us in the park. Jenn wanted to make sure we made the day special, and so she bought everyone Mickey/Minnie ears with “Elle’s 1st Birthday” printed on the ears. Unfortunately, my parents hit a lot of traffic coming in, so they met us after the entire group went on It’s A Small World. Elle loved every second of it. We took a few more photos before we let everyone go their own way.

Although we told everyone they could go their own way, we all went on the Alice in Wonderland ride. It wasn’t too bad of a wait so we were all able to get on and enjoy what is still a bit of a creepy ride. From there, we all started to disperse and meet up throughout the day.

It was time for Elle’s first nap of the day, so Jenn and I took Elle through the park, including to the Star Wars land, our first time walking through it. We were both blown away by how amazing the area looks. Fortunately, we were able to get a good nap out of Elle and went straight for Pirates of the Caribbean when she woke up. We met up with Jake, Holly, Jenn’s Dad, and Joan for the ride, and it still holds up as one of my favorites at Disneyland. Elle loved it including the drop at the start of the ride.

From there, we went to the Winnie the Pooh ride, which Jenn was very excited for, having read these books to Elle while she was on maternity leave. I’ve walked by the ride dozens of times and never even realized it was there. But Elle, out of all the rides today, loved this one the most and recognized Pooh. Elle seemed like she needed a break from the action, so she spent time with Jenn’s Dad and Joan while they ate lunch, and Jenn and I quickly used our Lightning Lane passes to go on both Thunder Mountain and Indiana Jones.

We met back up with the rest of the crew and rode Casey’s Jr Circus Train, which all of the kids loved. From there, it was time for Elle to get her second nap of the day. Jenn, Elle, and I walked with Holly through Star Wars again, I grabbed a coffee, and we sat on a bench to let Elle sleep. At 3:30, Jenn and Holly left to go set up for Elle’s birthday dinner while I continued to let Elle sleep. The park was extremely busy by this point and I met up with everyone else in Fantasy Land to re-ride Casey Jr Circus Train as our last ride before dinner.

Jenn, being the amazing planner she is had a beautiful meal planned for the entire family at Paseo in Downtown Disney. From the custom menus to the balloons and signs, the patio overlooking Downtown Disney was ready to celebrate Elle’s first birthday. The adults had unlimited alcohol, the kids could order whatever they wanted, and the table had a stunning 3-course family-style meal with multiple appetizers, entrees, and desserts. Jenn couldn’t have planned it any better! When it came time for dessert, the restaurant made a beautiful cake for Elle. And like most kids, Elle didn’t enjoy the singing or blowing out of birthday candles. Fortunately, her mood switched back to happy when she was able to play with the whipped cream. It was a perfect celebration of our amazing daughter.

Most went home after dinner, but the Nordbecks, Jake, and Holly joined us back in Disneyland for one more ride, Peter Pan. Although one of the shortest rides in the park, it’s still one of the most magical. When we got off, everyone dispersed, and Elle kept pointing at the Merry-Go-Round. So we went on and, like the previous two times at California Adventure, lit up. From there, we walked back to the hotel, checked out early, and went home to call it a night. When I look back on those 48 hours, it was both exhausting and beautiful. The experience of living at Disneyland through Elle’s eyes is something I’ll never forget.

The rest of the week went by like a normal week, and on Saturday, Elle’s actual first birthday, we boarded a flight to Denver for Jenn’s work offsite. But it’s probably better to save those stories for the June recap! For now, let’s bask in the fact that Jenn and I have a beautiful 1-year-old daughter who we got to celebrate her birthday with all of her cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents at the happiest place on earth. What could be better than that!

TV WE WATCHED

It’s been a long time since we’ve watched this little television. But we've been quite busy between traveling, finishing the house, and Elle. The best show of the month and likely one of our favorites for 2025 was The Studio on Apple TV+. It’s a show for people who love movies and don’t mind geeking out on it. We both found it hilarious, smart, and thoroughly entertaining, and we can’t wait to see what they do with a second season.

We finished Paradise’s first season, which was fine. It had some good episodes, but also a few cringy episodes. I finished the first season of Daredevil: Born Again on Disney+. I thought it lived up to the Netflix show, and I’m looking forward to continuing it.

BOOKS I READ (OR LISTENED TO)

I wasn’t able to read the 8 books like I did in April, but still read five excellent books. I started out the month with one of my favorites of the year, Frankie by Graham Norton. There’s something beautiful about a simple story of someone telling their life story to someone else at the end of their life. It’s a simple but beautiful book. I followed that up with my first of two fantasy books in May, Senlin Ascends. This is out of my normal wheelhouse, but a steampunk book about newlyweds who lose each other on their honeymoon, visiting the Tower of Babel. There’s a good cast of characters and good world-building that kept me engaged.

I’ve been looking forward to reading Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson for a while now. A book about what if we were able to implement a string of democratic policies. It’s an interesting thought experiment about what a cleaner, safer, more vibrant US could be.

The final two books were Everything is Tuberculosis, a very in-depth look at the history of TB, and how it’s been prevalent in history and continues to be to this day. And finally, Empire of Silence, I finished a few days ago. It’s a blend of sci-fi and fantasy that I fell in love with early on and started to fall off at the tail-end. I want to read book 2 of the series, but not as much as I did when I started this one.

MOVIES WE WATCHED

Our first movie in a theater since before Elle was born was Mission: Impossible The Final Reckoning, which we saw at The Lot in Fashion Island. I’ll never forget as we were walking to the theater from the parking structure, Jenn and I talking about all of our memories of seeing movies in this theater and its several predecessors. We’re now at the age where we have extensive memories in a lot of the areas near where we live. Mission: Impossible is one of those memories for us. We’re not the biggest fans of the series, but we’ve always enjoyed them, and The Final Reckoning was no different. It started very slowly, but the last hour and a half were fantastic. Could I tell you what happened in the plot? Not really, but it was a fun ride!

GAMES I'VE BEEN PLAYING

The standout this month and likely for the next few was Assassin’s Creed: Shadows. Its the game I found myself coming back to more than any other. It took a few hours for the game to get its hooks into me, but now I just can’t get enough of it. I will definitely finish the game, but there’s also a strong chance I’ll 100% it. There’s just something about this series that I still love.