Jack and his cousin Mark making beautiful music together....

Mark actually does a great job on the piano. His entirely too clever mother figured out how to trade Wii minutes for piano practice minutes. If he wants to play baseball Wii, he has to practice his piano! Jack was content to bang out a bass line.

Jack and Tahitian Buddha

Jack found this friend out at Tom and Vince's place in Lewes Delaware. He seems quite pleased with his new friend...

Second Thanksgiving

Last night we had Second Thanksgiving with our friends Tim and Sarah and their son Evan who is about five months younger than Jack. Dinner was fun, with roasted, stuffed pork loin, butternut squash puree, brussel sprouts with apples and red onions, and more sausage and apple stuffing. Dessert was a scrumptious take on caramel cake - YUM!

Jack and Evan ran around on the first floor hysterically laughing, hugging each other and playing with the various plastic things scattered throughout the living room. The following video will give you just a taste of the fun.....

Great football game yesterday....

Yesterday while we were cooking dinner, we were able to watch the Auburn/Alabama football game. It was a barn burner with Auburn pulling it out in the end. Jack sends the following message to all of his friends who were rooting for Bama.

Happy Thanksgiving to Everyone!

Hope you are all doing well.

This year (and every year) we are thankful for Jack and all that he brings into our lives. We see the world differently through his beautiful brown eyes. Rocks, sticks, and tigers (pronounced "tye-jeers") are now experienced from entirely different perspectives. Some of it is that the perspective is about two feet off the ground. Much of it is re-seeing the mysteries of the world. Relearning sounds and colors that we had assimilated, and even forgotten years ago. Playing games that have no purpose or goal or winners other than running or laughing or working our fingers and toes. (Playing a game with no goal and no winner has been a major life development for ONE of Jack's dads!)

We are also thankful for our families and friends. You have given us endless patience as we have entered into the pantheon of parents who won't stop talking about how wonderful their little angel is. Thanks for not rolling your eyes or sighing with exhaustion as we recount just one more time about the latest mirabile de Jack.

Thank you also to Jen and Daniel who made all of this possible two years ago. Enjoy your rest and know that we are also thankful for you.

Love,

Jack, Jeff and Mark

Secrets between a Grandpa and his grandson....

Grandpa George is passing on all the secrets of the world of tractors.

Long Day on the back 40....

Jack, Jeff and I went down to Waynesboro to visit Grampa George and Grandma Linda. We all had a wonderful time, but I think Jack had the best time of all. George has a tractor [pronounced: TRACDKED-DOOORRR].

Someone fell completely in love with it.

In thinking back on it, it must be astounding for someone to see an object that you know so well from the pages of a book come to life before your very eyes. Jack has had a long love affair with tractors and when he turned the corner at Grandpa's house and saw the real thing just SITTING there, he was amazed.

He was also perfectly content to sit up in the seat for 30 minute stretches, blissfully rocking the steering wheel back and forth.

Studies in Orange, Part 4: Joie

Studies in Orange, Part 3: Mercury

Studies in Orange, Part 2: Pensitivo

Studies in Orange 1: Motion

One afternoon in October, the fall sun was streaming through the bedroom window and Mr. Jack was in a particularly ebullient mood.

The National Building Museum II

Great spot for a rainy day. Papa made the ultimate amateur parent mistake though. We went into the museum store, which has lots of cool architectural stuff including some GREAT toys. As you can imagine, Jack was fascinated. I was tempted to get him something when this little voice in the back of my head reminded me of a recent lunch conversation where someone was remarking on a parent who was incapable of taking their children out without buying something. Soooooooooo, I did the right thing and picked him up to go back out into the main area. I told the toys had to take a nap as they were very tired.

He wasn't buying it. Great agony issued forth. Let's just say that the boy definitely has a future career as an opera star, a muezzin, or a trader on the commodities floor.....he is LOUD! It was over soon thereafter and we finished up a marvelous day.

Where's Waldo?

Jack at the National Building Museum.

Post Halloween infatuation...

Jack loves the "milk carton." He spends large tracts of time rolling around in it, putting things into it and sitting inside talking. Today Margarita turned it into a basketball goal. If you visit in the next six months and it is still sitting in the hallway, just act like it is normal.

Master Jack goes to Washington

This morning, Mark and Jack went down to the National Mall to see the Air and Space Museum. No word yet on how Jack liked the museum, but he seemed quite taken with the gravel path running along the mall.

We are all about the concept costume

It is not enough to have a costume for Jack. I believe in the diorama version of a Halloween outfit. As each new member of Jack's entourage joins, the tableau becomes richer, more textured, more complete. (Or, if you will, it's a chance for his Papa to get all creative, pull out his craft materials, and go to town).

This year, in the supporting rolls of Jack the Cow, were:

Margarita, as the Vaquera (cowgirl)

Jeff as the Milkman and Mark as the carton of Milk.

Enjoy.

We sure did!

this picture induces pain...

He is so cute, it hurts.

Organic, Free Range Jack...

These are pics of Jack just after we put the cow outfit on him. The mirror pictures are the first time he sees himself as a VACA!

MOOOOOve over, Papa's back to the Blog.

Jack's papa apologizes for his long absence from the Blog. He will be making up for it in spades in the coming days. We have lots of updates and they won't be in exact chronological order, but there will be plenty of Jack coming your way. Until now, enjoy this sneak peak at Jack's 2010 Halloween outfit!