G-Mom Ruth flew in for Halloween. She and Jack had quite a day getting ready for the big celebration.

To help us get through the day, Ruth was in charge of diaper changes, and getting Jack down for each of his three naps today. When he was awake, she was never more than a foot away from him. It would be a huge understatement to say that we think she is a ROCK STAR!

love Jack, Jeff and Mark

Hunger Strike

Today for lunch, Jack decided that he was not interested in feeding himself. He conducted his own version of a hunger strike but firmly placing his normally intensively inquisitive hands out of sight and out of mind.

7 minutes later, he relented.

Cheerios.

God's gift to parents.

Curious George visits Lamont St for Halloween

For Jack's first Halloween, we decided that Curious George was a most appropriate costume for Jack. The rest of our outfits flowed from his role as Curious George. As you will see below, Jeff was "The Man in the Yellow Hat", Mark was a banana tree, and G-mom Ruth played the role of Carmen Miranda!

Halloween in our neighborhood is a big deal. They block off two city blocks and we are slammed by kids and their parents from all over the city. We gave away pounds of candy and must have had 200-300 trick or treaters.

Jack is sleeping like a champ and now the local teenagers are pursuing mischief throughout the neighborhood. Must retire to protect the castle.

A Seifert Family Tradition Lives On....

Many of you may know that Mark's Dad is a super-jock. Seriously. Since his high school days in the 1940s, Dad has been a track and field athlete. He has also coached school kids for his entire adult life. During his 50s, he ran marathons. In his 60's, he focused on the shorter distances in track, and in his 70s, he focused on achieving a national ranking as a decathlete. And now, as he is gracefully moving into his 80s, he's pole-vaulting.

In fact, as long as any of us can remember, track and field has been a part of the Seifert family tradition. Part of that tradition requires the filming of Dad tossing his children and grandchildren over a high-jump bar. (One day I will figure out how to transfer to the blog the 8 mm films of his earliest efforts with us...which are a hoot.)

When I was last home to visit, I asked Dad to indoctrinate Jack in the high jump ritual. You can never start too soon with proper technique. And here are the results. You will note that Jack is using the Fosbury Flop rather than the straddle. No one uses the straddle jump anymore (except for those 80 year old Masters athletes).

Watching my Dad with Jack just slays me. He's so tender and funny with him.

Then again, you gotta watch Dad when he's near the water with young 'uns. More on that later.

I want, therefore I learn...

Jack is learning to pull up. As you can see from this series of pictures, his desire to chew drove him to get up off the floor.

That satisfied look in the last pic cracks me up.

Uncle Jimmy comes to visit!

Jim Roth, our favorite Okie, came to DC for work. Jim is a real sweetheart and is a natural with babies. Jack took to him like a duck to water.

Jack is looking forward to Uncle Jimmy's return to DC as are his dads.

So you think you can dance....

We like to call this the Jumpin' Jack Jig.

Note the snappy toe point and the heel kick.

Jack told me that he wanted to send this one out especially to Aunt Marsha! (Kudos to Uncle Mike, who is a wiz with Mac's video software....)

Time to take the dogs for a walk

This vignette screamed for a picture. I was particularly taken with the orange socks peeking out of the bottom!

Wouldn't it be something if you could gain wisdom and compassion topically?

Set me free, why don't cha babe...

With apologies to the Supremes. Jack is trying to make a run for it out my parents' front door. He was unsuccessful and a little disappointed, methinks.

Mom and Cathy Loving on Jack

Nanook of the North

Yesterday, the temperature dropped more than 25 degrees. I took Jack for a walk but we didn't have a lot of cold weather wear. I dressed him up in the cute/silly French-looking fleece coat with the hat. Then I found a big fluffy robe of Mom's and tucked that around him to keep him toasty.

This was the result. (He appears to be enjoying himself...)

Alls I'm saying is that there is just a whole lot of crazy down here in Alabama

Dad said that they got the wig at a garage sale. Not that they needed it for anyone's illness, etc. They just thought it would be fun to have a crazy blonde wig stashed in a drawer in the kitchen...you know, just in case the grandkids come for a visit.

Jack meets a FABULOUS Celebrity

I just remembered that I had this picture from the Alaska Cruise. This is Leslie Jordan, who you will know from the Will and Grace series and for those in the know, from the fantastic indy film, "Sordid Lives."

"My fans are crazy, but they are loyal."

Mr. Jordan was a big fan of Jack's.

Mom's rocker

Each night when I put Jack down at Mom and Dad's, I rock him to sleep in the same no-frills black wooden rocker that Mom has used with all of her grandchildren.

The chair's creaks syncopate against the rocking motion. Every so often there is an odd, slight cracking sound. Shift the baby's weight in your arms and the chair accommodates with the slightest groan.

The first night home I was putting Jack down, the rocker brought me back years. The memory of the sounds was more visceral than aural. Meanwhile, Jack nods off just like the 12 grandchildren before him.

Jack's reign over Birmingham is both celebrated and secure...

The Burdens of the Crown...

Breakfast at Jelly Bean Grandpa and Nana's.

(And let the record reflect that Grandpa was the one who decided that Jack should wear a crown this morning NOT Pop!)

Grandma Gert and Jack are spending some quality time together....

Jackson goes for a swim...

Today, Jack and Pop accompanied Dad, Mom and Cathy to their local swim club. The facility, Lakeshore, is a rehabilitation center for sports injuries, the aging, etc. It is also a National ParaOlympics Training Center. The swimming center was wonderful. The entrance to the pool is a very gradual ramp that starts at 1 inch deep and goes down to about waist level. We were able to sit Jack down at the edge to get him used to situation. About 10 minutes later he was ready to rock and roll.

We had so much fun floating around the pool. He was at complete ease, so much so that he was able to interact (READ: flirt) with several of the older folks that were doing water aerobics.

Dad says his starting position off the blocks is pretty good. Now we just have to work on the swimming part.