Jack and His Two Dads

He's growing up

2012-02-13T22:09:00.001-05:00

Jeff just went upstairs to turn in for the night. About five minutes later I get a call on my cell phone with an urgent whisper: "Get up here now."

I run upstairs and Jeff is standing there over our bed laughing. Seems Mr. Man got out of his big boy bed, climbed up onto our bed, read himself a book, got a little chilled and covered himself with a big feather pillow and fell asleep. He was as happy as a clam and fast asleep.

It was awfully cute. I turned to Jeff and said: We are in soooooo much trouble.

Have a good night!

Here's to you, Katie!

2012-02-11T00:04:00.004-05:00

Can't wait! Love Mark, Jeff and Jack

Grandma Linda and Grandpa George score big with Very Vera

2012-01-29T22:47:00.002-05:00

After a small snafu with UPS, Jack received a fantastic birthday cake from a company named Very Vera.

I have had a lot of food delivered over the years and I have to say: Grandma Linda knocked it out of the park with this cake: Raspberry Lemonade was the name. Three layers, two layers were raspberry/strawberry cake and the middle layer a lemon cake. Topped with an icing of cream cheese flavored with lemon.

We cracked it open today and gave Jack a slice after dinner. I am not sure he breathed the entire time he was taking it down.

Later on, after we put him to bed, we had some ourselves for dessert. Jeff heard Jack upstairs and went up to check on him. After Jeff got him back in his bed, Jeff bent over to kiss him goodnight. Jack said "Daddy, I want to smell your teeth." He asked Jeff what he'd been eating and Jeff confessed some of Grandma Linda's cake. In a low gutteral voice, Jack said:

That cake is gooooood.

Thanks Grandma Linda and Grandpa George!

Lightening McQueen, Mater and seven 3-6 years old descend...

2012-01-29T22:41:00.005-05:00

Thank the Lord for my sister, Mary Ann. Two days before the big party, we called her for advice. In about seven minutes, she'd come up with eight Lightening McQueen-themed games perfect for a group fo 3-6 year olds. She had food, decorations, music and party favors. She was born to throw fabulous parties for kids and all on a budget. I am waiting for her book.

We had about seven kids and their parents over, my sister Jenny and her daughter Martinique, and Jack's nanny Margarita, her daughter Mariann, and Mariann's children Natalie and Baby Gio. It was a house-full and we had a blast. The kids mostly loved playing with someone else's toys and the cupcakes.

Margarita and Mike celebrate Jack's Birthday

2012-01-29T22:27:00.003-05:00

Sweet Margarita made Jack some yummy cinnamon muffins. On his birthday, we popped in a candle and sang Happy Birthday. Mike serenaded him in English and Spanish. We opened up a few presents and whisked him off to bed for the big birthday party the day after.

Uncle Mike comes to visit...and to do good

2012-01-29T22:13:00.005-05:00

Over the years, Uncle Mike has provided us with many, many opportunities to be so proud. the week of Jack's birthday, he gave us one more time to think "well done."

There is a lawsuit in Texas right now about redistricting. Mike was asked to testify about what it meant to not have representation based on his experiences over the last 22 years in the poorest place in America. He was the last witness of the day before a federal district court in Washington DC. There were three judges. In his testimony, Mike told stories; real, heartbreaking, poignant, gripping stories. Everyone in the courtroom was riveted -- including the opponents.

At one point, he had many of us in tears. There will be a decision soon and who knows how it will come out. However it is resolved, his voice - which speaks for the countless people he works with - will be a part.

Mom would be so proud.

Grandma Ruth's Balloons

2012-01-29T22:06:00.003-05:00

Grandma Ruth has put it upon herself to single-handedly reinvigorate the US postal service with a series of fantastic pre-birthday cards and gifts. She also made sure that the house was absolutely festive for the day of the big party. Grandpa Ray also provided Jack with a big surprise: a LeapPad. Jack has already figured out how to turn it on and play with the puppy dogs.

Happy 3rd Birthday Jackson

2012-01-29T21:23:00.004-05:00

This is the first birthday that Jack actually understands.

He gets that he was born on the 20th of January.

He gets that he is going to receive gifts and that there will be a party and a cake.

Just to make sure that we haven't lost focus that we are working with Jack here, he also gets that he's now three years old.

So when you ask him "How old are you?", he says with a slight ironic twist to his lips "Two months old."

After repeated entreaties, he has not wavered. It's just the latest in his long running campaign:

You think you are in charge Daddies....you are not.

Happy Birthday Grandma Ruth!

2012-01-03T16:10:00.005-05:00

In honor of your birthday, I decided to have an ICE CREAM SANDWICH!!!!!

I love you soooooooo much Grandma. Hurry back so I can see you again.

Muchos besos,

Jack

How the chronology of a narrative must ultimately bow to the demands of actually living that narrative...

2011-12-08T08:39:00.009-05:00

We set out almost three years ago to chronicle our sweet boy's journey. To tell his story with pictures and anecdotes for his wonderful birth parents and their families and friends as well as for all of our family and friends who have spread around the globe.

If you know us at all, you know Mark loves telling a good story. (In truth getting him to finish a story has been a challenge at times.) As we look back over the blog over the last few months, it is clear that we have not employed a consistently dedicated and timely updating of our adventures with Jack.

It is not from a lack of desire. So we recommit ourselves to sharing. Not just because it is fun to bear witness to his journey, but because he --and his 3 year old compatriots around the globe-- provide a respite from the travails and challenges we encounter daily.

I hope that each of you find time today to dance in circles and hoot and holler - just to let the world know that you are alive.

Seriously, if the earthworms can dance, why can't we?

Daddy's Dancin' on the Teeter Totter

2011-12-07T10:34:00.002-05:00

More pics from our Day at the Railway Park in Birmingham. Aunt Cathy is on one end and Jack is on the other. What a great day. And Daddy's looking pretty good up there, isn't he!

Homewood Park at Thanksgiving...

2011-12-06T00:59:00.000-05:00

I played in this very same park 40 years ago. They updated the facilities. Kids still seem very happy. It was a nice day to be a dad.

Looking for choo choos

2011-11-27T23:33:00.002-05:00

While in Birmingham for Thanksgiving, we went to Railroad Park. It's a beautiful urban reclamation project - 5 acres downtown adjacent to two railroad lines, beautifully and thoughtfully landscaped for myriad purposes. So incredibly cool to see this in Birmingham. Felt more like Montreal or Belgium. Of course, as you can see from Jack's face, its sole purpose was to provide him a vantage point for viewing choo choos.

Cruella de Ville Arrives on Lamont St

2011-10-31T20:47:00.001-04:00

Grandma Ruth is always game on Halloween for whatever craziness Papa cooks up!

Papa is just praying that the hair dye is going to wash out.....

Halloween Madness!

2011-10-31T20:43:00.000-04:00

2011 Halloween Family portrait for the Dygert-Seiferts

2011-10-31T20:38:00.001-04:00

Introducing the Dalmatian Puppy, the Dog Catcher, the Fire Hydrant, and Cruella De Ville.

After we pulled a couple of WWF moves to get Jack into his puppy dog outfit (which he had previously BEGGED for), we then headed out for the Lamont St Halloween Craziness. Every year, they rope off two city blocks and we are then flooded with kids from all over Mt. Pleasant, Columbia Heights and other outlying neighborhoods. Jack was a little standoffish at first, but then got into the swing of things....

Grandma Ruth is Game!

2011-10-31T20:33:00.000-04:00

Missing Daddy....

2011-10-26T10:20:00.003-04:00

Karma's funny. I have been travelling a LOT lately and Jeff has had Single Parent duty. I have an idea about what that means, but until you are in the middle of it, you forget what it is all about. The highlight when you are the travelling Daddy is little videos that are taken when Jack wakes up. These videos are a tether back home and are a blast of sweetness across the time zones.

Here's the latest of about six that I sent Jeff while he's out in San Francisco speaking on Human Rights.

Enjoy!

Hey EVERYBODY! Let's CELEBRATE!

2011-10-16T14:56:00.000-04:00

My mom, Jenn, just got married! She's the greatest and we are WAY excited. Have a great time, Jenn.

Jack

Starting the morning!

2011-10-09T14:59:00.002-04:00

Jack talks about the Zoo Part 2

2011-10-06T21:48:00.001-04:00

Jack talks about the Zoo Part 1

2011-10-06T21:44:00.002-04:00

Jack reading a book this morning!

2011-10-06T21:36:00.002-04:00

Winking, not Blinking!

2011-09-26T10:14:00.002-04:00

Jack still needs some work on the whole blinking concept. This morning at breakfast, he started working on it entirely unprompted. Let's just say there's still some room for improvement.

Going to the zoo, that's where...

2011-09-13T19:17:00.002-04:00

Daddy goes sailing for Labor Day

2011-09-06T23:13:00.000-04:00

Tom and Vince took Daddy out for a lovely sail on the Atlantic. The weather was perfect and Daddy held up his end by knowing that the ropes are called lines and the sails are called sheets.

Labor Day in Lewes

2011-09-06T22:59:00.000-04:00

Jeff and Jack are watching the cars by from our favorite room in Tom and Vince's house.. This was an amazing weekend with amazing friends. Jack kept asking when we were going back to Mr. Vince's house. We told him that he should get in line. There were a lot of people asking the same question!

Fun with Jack at the pool

2011-08-24T23:23:00.000-04:00

Jack's goal is to try and touch my feet as I dive over him.

Opening his eyes would improve his odds! (Note pointed toes!)

He missed but is squealing.

Serious downgrade on the entry splash!

Annie Liebowitz? Maybe not...

2011-08-24T23:20:00.000-04:00

Dad thought it would be fun to create some family portraits.

Here we are, getting ready to submerge so Cathy can get an underwater shot of all the Seiferts.

Jack is skeptical and certainly NOT joining in as that would require him to get his face and hair wet. Not happening.

Post-portrait. Jack is looking at Papa with one of those "Have you all lost your minds?" looks. Son, the answer is simple: Yes; many, many years ago!

Juxtapositioning

2011-08-24T23:16:00.000-04:00

Jeff at the pool. And six feet away....

the rest of the crew. How can he look so serene?

Years of practice.

Around the dinner table...

2011-08-24T23:13:00.003-04:00

Anna is happy to be at the beach!

The boys and their dad after a long day of baseball and a great meal by the McDonoughs.

Martinique makes us laugh and makes us smile!

Cousin Anna and Cousin Sage were superstars!

2011-08-24T23:12:00.000-04:00

Anna and Sage spent tons of time showering Jack with affection and he ate them up. We were so happy to have them playing with them, watching over him, and loving on him. Thanks girls for being so sweet to your cousin!

That's my boy.

2011-08-24T22:54:00.002-04:00

Just after bathtime

2011-08-24T22:54:00.000-04:00

He's very contemplative and very peaceful. . . which resonates throughout the household.

Grandpa Gordon gets some sugar...

2011-08-24T22:52:00.000-04:00

Jack just crawled into his lap and gave him a big hug and kiss one afternoon. Completely surprised and completely sweet. This one scene was worth the whole vacation for me.

Take me out to the ballgame

2011-08-24T22:47:00.002-04:00

In McDonough baseball, there are two teams made up of one player per team. Dad plays outfield and referee. One out per team per inning. No walks. Ghost runners advance on a very strict and rule-bound basis. After each inning--ballpark permitting--the teams go to their dugouts and rest. (This may have something to do with the rarity of actual dugouts in their regular rotation of fields.) These games are very, very serious and very hotly contested.

The teams approach the field with the appropriate equipment - mitts, bats, and a shopping bag full of tennis balls - remember, there's no catcher.

He's out! Dad's a tough but fair umpire. He's also very hard to argue with, given the hierarchy!

It's a HIT!

Michael is considering trading his center fielder in the next draft....

At the beach!

2011-08-24T22:41:00.000-04:00

We returned to Lewes for a week in August. Last time we had mostly Dygert relatives and friends. This time, a truckload of Seiferts showed up. Mary Ann's boys love to play baseball so we went over to the local diamond for an afternoon game.
For about a year, we have been working with Jack on his sprinter's start. Not sure how successful the starting techniques have been adopted but he LOVES to run. In this series Jack and Papa are racing. As you might imagine, Jack won just at the end of the race. For you racing fans, note Papa's running posture...very akin to Michael Johnson's upright positioning.

Best Friends!

2011-08-24T19:48:00.002-04:00

This is Evan. He is Jack's best friend. How do we know this? Is it the fact that we love his parents Sarah and Tim and are imposing our relationship on them? Is it the fact that having them be best friends means we know he'd have a great role model and wing man for years to come? All of those are plausible and rational answers. The truth is simple: Jack loves Evan.

Every morning when we start our routine we will ask Jack what he dreamed about. Setting aside that we're not sure he even understands the entire concept, Jack responds nine times out of ten, "Evan. I dreamed about Evan!"

These pics are from a early weekend evening dinner with just the six of us. And what is dinner without dessert? Evan showed Jack how to REALLY invest in ice cream.

You can see that Jack of course is a little concerned that Evan has no nerve endings in his face because Evan hasn't tried to scrape every last morsel of ice cream from his visage. Seriously.

We love Evan (well, Sarah and Tim also).

Uncle Greg's turn

2011-08-03T22:47:00.000-04:00

Uncle Greg is a natural...

Ready Set Go!

2011-08-03T22:23:00.002-04:00

We spent every day in the pool or at the beach. By the end of the week, Jack had become very comfortable with the water. These shots bring back so many memories for me and my childhood with all of my cousins. There was always a young relative on the side of the pool being encouraged to jump, Jump, JUMP!!!!

Lincoln falls asleep in the water

2011-08-03T22:20:00.001-04:00

A couple of days we went to Tom and Vince's and hung out at the pool. At one point, Lincoln was so blissful, he just fell asleep in Danielle's arms. It was the sweetest thing.

Danielle and Lincoln at Dinner

2011-08-03T22:13:00.000-04:00

She is such an fantastic mom and has another one on the way!

Cousin Lincoln

2011-08-03T22:12:00.000-04:00

He is so sweet and afraid of nothing. We owe Lincoln a great deal. The first day we went to the beach, Lincoln headed for the water break sat down in the sand and started laughing and playing. Any reticence on Jack's part immediately disappeared. So, from your two beach-loving uncles, Lincoln, thank you thank you thank you!

July Vacation

2011-08-03T22:08:00.000-04:00

This summer, Jeff and I decided to spend two weeks at the beach. For those of you who follow this blog or have asked Jeff or me about the LAST time we went to a beach with Jack, you might think we were not the brightest or just plain stubborn. I think it must be the latter.

Well our persistence paid off. This is Jack at dinner the first night, which is the first clue that things went well.

We spent a week in Lewes Delaware with Grandma Ruth and Grandpa Ray, Jeff's brother and sister in law, Greg and Danielle, and Jack's cousin, Lincoln. We also had Washington friends down for the weekend (Fred and Ward, and Mike and Sean). finally, one of our favorite people in the world, Susan, joined us after a long day of transportation that involved subways, trains, cars and ferries.

The next series of photographs are from that week at the beach. It was so much fun and so great to spend time with Jeff's family. Jack was especially enamored of his cousin Lincoln.

When your kid makes you go "Waaaiiittt a minute. Did he just say that?"

2011-08-03T21:15:00.002-04:00

In April, Grandma Ruth and Grandpa Ray came to visit. As part of the visit when we went to the Building Museum and rolled around on the second floor in this very cool room that has a domed ceiling. While we were there, Jeff explained the funny sound that Jack heard: "That's an echo, Jack."

Fast forward to last weekend, 3 months later. It was a (now) typical Washington summer weekend...103 degrees, no wind, 80 percent humidity. So we head back down to the Building Museum to get out of the house. We found ourselves in the fun room again, rolling around and playing. As we headed out, Jack let loose with a big whoop and then turned to Jeff and said "that's the echo."

We looked at each other and said "Waaaiiiittt a minute. Did he just say that?"

Jack and Daddy go for a bike ride

2011-07-24T21:48:00.002-04:00

Jack and Daddy are getting ready to head off to Rock Creek for an afternoon bike ride.

But not before Jack does his best "Burro" imitation.

Tah-tah, Papa. We are off to cycle.

Pics from the weekend with Jenn and Christian

2011-07-24T21:28:00.004-04:00

Jenn and Jack at Evan's for a picnic.

Jenn and Christian at Robert E. Lee's home at Arlington National Cemetery looking back toward DC.

Jeff and Jack taking a breather on the long climb up to Robert E. Lee's home at Arlington National Cemetery.

Christian, being a good sport....

2011-07-24T21:28:00.000-04:00

I am still not sure how he got all the way in the fire truck. I can only get in if I am laying down flat on the floor! Jack, of course, was thrilled to have another first responder on duty with him to keep the city from peril.

Jenn, Christian and Jack

2011-07-24T21:26:00.000-04:00

Jenn and her younger brother Christian recently came for a visit. As you can see, Jack had a great time with them. Christian was a great sport, especially when Jack asked him to climb inside Jack's fire engine (a smallish tent designed for toddlers, not 6 foot plus teenagers!). Jenn and Christian saw tons of museums and monuments, had great food, and were as sweet as can be with Jack. We had a great time with them and Jack did too!

Mr. Goofball....

2011-07-24T21:22:00.000-04:00

Yes, Mr. DeMille, I AM ready for my close up.

2011-07-24T21:20:00.000-04:00

Thank you, thank you, thank you! And thanks to all the little people that got me here!

I am thinking more of a chartreuse drape, dontcha' think?

Seriously? You want me to do WHAT? You will definitely need to talk to my agent....

Darling, the paparazzi are KILLING ME!

Evan's Birthday was a RIOT!

2011-07-24T21:15:00.000-04:00

When Jack and Evan get together, there is always a moment where they get right up in each other's face and howl with laughter. Luckily, I was prepared this time.

Evan had a great birthday party. We had a blast. As you can see from the remnants around their mouths, there were cupcakes!

Jenn and Jack in the car on the way to breakfast at the Diner!

2011-07-18T21:35:00.000-04:00

Jenn visits Jack!

2011-07-18T21:30:00.000-04:00

Jenn came to town with her brother and spent the weekend with us. It was a fantastic weekend and Jack had so much fun with her!

Playing in the Park

2011-07-18T21:23:00.000-04:00

Papa loves Jack!

2011-07-18T21:21:00.000-04:00

This is the best birthday gift you could ever receive.....

Who loves his boy?

2011-07-18T19:45:00.000-04:00

Mr. Serious...

2011-07-18T19:40:00.000-04:00

Playing on a fire truck at the park can be a very contemplative time.

Showing his Southern roots....

2011-07-18T19:33:00.000-04:00

That's Jack's harmonica on the table next to him. He's rocking on Uncle Fred's back porch after a jam session.

this is pure unadulterated joy...

2011-06-21T08:15:00.001-04:00

This is what we call "dribbling."

2011-06-21T08:09:00.001-04:00

That Miles is quite the multisport athlete! He played lacrosse and whiffle ball and finally basketball with Jack. Here they are working on the fine motor coordination involved in dribbling a basketball. Luckily, Jack is enjoying the journey because at this rate, the dribbling journey is going to be a long one!

What is this stick thingy?

2011-06-21T07:48:00.004-04:00

If only there were a professional who could show me how to use it?

I think I am getting the hang of this. Where are my pads, Coach? I am ready to go in! Put me in, put me in!

Happiness is a blue balloon

2011-06-19T14:01:00.001-04:00

Jack at the picnic at Mark's 20 year Law School reunion. (When you go to UVA, you always capitalize "Law School." It's like "The University" is how you refer to UVA. Thomas Jefferson and all that....)

What you can't tell from this picture

2011-06-19T13:53:00.001-04:00

is what's causing him to smile so broadly.

We were at my 20 year Law School reunion at the University of Virginia. For the kids, they had set up a big Moon Bounce and an inflated slide that was about 20 feet tall and has a pretty steep slide. This is Jack at the bottom of the slide after the first of many trips down!

That's a tattoo of an Easter egg...

2011-06-17T22:22:00.000-04:00

Happy Easter!

2011-06-17T22:21:00.001-04:00

This is Jack's first Easter Basket. He likes the concepts of a basket full of presents.

Grandpa Ray loves Jack

2011-06-17T22:17:00.000-04:00

Jack loves Grandpa and Grandpa loves Jack!

'Til he POPS!

2011-06-16T22:32:00.004-04:00

That's how much Grandma Ruth wants to hug him.

She's probably going to kill me for putting these pictures in, but I had to, given her unbridled joy. You can see how she's unable to keep her arms away from him, swooping him into a big fat hug.

Jack gets it. This is a rock, a safe place, a home plate, a safety zone, an overwhelming BOOM of love, Grandma Style!

He senses her joy and feeds on it. In a flash, he will be skipping around the garden, ready at a moment's notice to fling himself into her arms again.

Nice life, dontcha' think?

Rolling in the Building Museum

2011-06-16T22:18:00.007-04:00

At one point, the running had become too much and so we decided to roll across the room. Again and again and again.

It's amazing what a two year old can get you to do if he puts his mind to it!

Daddy and Jack running.

2011-06-16T22:04:00.000-04:00

Daddy and Jack played "Chase" in the suite of rooms.

Adventure at the National Building Museum

2011-06-16T22:01:00.000-04:00

One day, Grandma Ruth and Grandpa Ray came to town. We all decided to go down to the Building Museum, which is always fun. On this day, the building was being used by the National Craft Fare (which is not nearly as horrendous as it might sound; quite the opposite - cool crafty things made by master artisans. Not a rug with dogs playing poker in sight). So we headed to the second floor with all the other urban parents with children. We found this empty suite of rooms. It apparently belonged to the building manager back in the day when the building was used for the War Pension fund (as in Civil War . . . .).

Jack saw it as a huge set of carpeted rooms where he could RUN...... This picture captures his first entrance into this magical land...

Jack's Bestie, Evan

2011-06-16T19:48:00.001-04:00

So, I know this is Jack's blog. But Jack's world is rapidly expanding. This is one of Jack's bestie's, Evan. In the years to come, we expect to spend many fun times with Evan (and his parents Sarah and Tim).

What a good looking kid that Evan is. Personally, I think Ralph Lauren should be using him for his summer catalog!

Easter Egg Hunt at the Allen Powderlys

2011-06-15T21:29:00.002-04:00

Sarah and Tim had a great Easter Egg Hunt the weekend before Easter. It was great fun. There were kids EVERYWHERE! Obviously some were more enchanted with the concept of hunting eggs than others. Is that Evan a sweet heart or what!

All in all, Jack thought it was the right time for lawn maintenance, a task he takes verrrryyy seriously.

You need to be prepared....

2011-06-15T21:25:00.001-04:00

Because you never know when breakfast could get CRAZY! Cereal and milk flying, blueberries being launched, syrup spattering.

(Actually, we are trying to get him used to the idea of actually putting his entire face in WATER. Heaven forfend...).

Still no success on that front. But the goggles certainly make a statement.

Monkey see, monkey do

2011-05-09T16:05:00.004-04:00

This past weekend, Jack and I went to the zoo on Saturday morning. After a year of frequent visits, it's still the park that keeps on giving. A couple of weeks ago, we (or at least I) discovered the lemur enclosure, tucked away behind the waterfall that we've looked at over and over, without wondering what was behind it. And this time, we found the cutest little sculpture garden beside the ape house. It's full of these neat, bronzes of chimps in all sorts of different poses and groupings. To begin with, Jack was a little wary of them. But soon, he was clambering over them and willingly posing for a picture.

Bubbles!

2011-05-03T14:07:00.003-04:00

Many of the good things in Jack's life start with Margarita. The joys of a bubble bath are no exception. She put him into the bath with some bubbles recently on a rainy day, when they couldn't go outside. Not surprisingly, the bubbles were a huge hit and have now become part of our morning ritual. This was one of the first times. As you can see, he still had a few things to learn. Not to worry, though. He no longer makes this rookie mistake.

Hammer!!!

2011-05-02T10:40:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, Jack and I were out walking, and we ran across our friends Tony and Kevin, who live at the end of the block. They had gotten this totally cool toy as a birthday gift for Jack. Jack was thrilled to receive a "presem" out of the clear blue like this and very eager to get it unwrapped when we got home. The wild thing was that he seemed to have an innate sense of what to do with it. The combination of a small hammer and colored wooden balls spoke to him on some deep, evolutionary, collective-subconscious level. As soon as we got it open, he went to work. We had several talks about how the hammer was only to be used on the balls -- not the dogs, the furniture or the walls. More later on how well that lesson stuck.

The Tramp

2011-04-20T13:36:00.003-04:00

One of my all-time favorite movies is "Lady and the Tramp." And here's Jack, doing his interpretation of the movie's iconic scene.

On Saturday, Grandma Ruth, Grandpa Ray and the three of us went out to Sorriso, where the wonderful Pietro and his beautiful daughter Isabella served us their characteristically delicious fare. You can see that someone's a big fan of the spaghetti carbonara.

Just Because

2011-04-11T22:20:00.002-04:00

No explanation here. Just because the pictures are so darned cute.

Toddler Acrobatics

2011-04-11T22:09:00.002-04:00

Toward the end of our time at the White House, Jack started getting a little antsy. This was made worse by his knowledge that two tractors were just "over dayre." So Mark did his best to keep the little guy distracted. I thought the result looked a little bit like the star lift that Gordeeva and Grinkov perfected.

White House Garden Tour

2011-04-10T23:17:00.003-04:00

This morning, Mark got an e-mail from a former work colleague, who now works in the White House. He said he had some extra tickets to the annual White House garden tour. Well! We may have a kid and all, but hello! Garden tour! What self-respecting gays can say no to something like that?

So we beat a path down to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, and Jack got his first taste of life inside the White House perimeter. Pretty cool. There were a few too many pictures of members of a certain presidential dynasty for my taste (and I don't mean the Adamses). But other than that, it was a lovely way to spend an hour or so on a cool Sunday morning. And there was something for everyone. For Jack, the highlight was the two little John Deere tractors parked near the exit. We almost didn't make it out because of them. Luckily, there was the promise of lots of buses and trucks back on 17th Street.

More Jack Close-Ups

2011-04-10T23:08:00.004-04:00

I guess it's a lack of perspective that comes with parenting, but I just can't get enough of pictures of Jack's cute little mug. I hope some of you enjoy these as much as we do.

I'm considering papering a bathroom in pictures like this. What do folks think? Too much?

The Soccer Field

2011-04-10T14:40:00.005-04:00

Margarita has clearly been working with Jack on his soccer skills. And isn't this a sweet park?

Great New Park!

2011-04-10T14:03:00.004-04:00

Not too long ago, the city redid the park at our neighborhood elementary school. And it's GREAT! There's a little artificial turf soccer field. There are three different jungle gyms for different ages of kids. And it's crawling with children and parents on a Saturday afternoon. Jack is a huge fan.

Oh, and we have Margarita to thank for the stylin' new hat. She and Jack picked that out on Friday this past week. Does he look like a big boy, or what?

Who Loves Margarita?

2011-04-10T13:50:00.005-04:00

Margarita truly is the super nanny. Jack clearly loves her. And she helps Jack's dads work through some of the complications that come with having a two-year-old in the house. None of us knows what we'd do without her in our lives.

Morning Cheesecake

2011-04-08T09:44:00.004-04:00

This morning, Mark had to leave the house early, so Jack and I were getting ready on our own. He was SUPER sweet and gentle this morning. Probably something to do with the extra hour of sleep that he got because he slept until . . . wait for it . . . 6:45!!!!! Great joy in the house.

The new favorite game before Jack gets into the tub is to lie down on the bathroom rug and talk about how he's sleeping there. (This seems particularly cruel when he has woken at 5:30, but I'm not bitter.) So, he was doing that, and, the next thing I knew, Tucker was there curled up beside him. As further evidence of Jack's kind state of mind today, he was nicely petting the dog, instead of whacking him like happens sometimes.

All in all, a banner day. Plus, who wouldn't be cheered by that cute little butt?

Linguistic Ticks

2011-04-05T10:59:00.006-04:00

Jack's talking up a storm these days. He's getting to the point that even people who don't spend much time with him can usually decipher a fair amount of what he's saying. Sometimes, things come out as clear as a bell. Perfect diction and the intonation that you'd expect from an adult. Other times, it requires a good deal of interpretation, but he's pretty good at making his thoughts known.

And then there a couple of funny little ticks that he's held onto for quite a while. Things that clearly aren't right, but they're so cute that we can't bear to correct them. Like the large, pink barnyard animals that say "oink." They're pligs. Every time. He says it with this sweet, lilting tone in his voice that makes them sound like the most magical, friendly animals on the face of the earth. Pligs . . . .

Or the color yellow. It was the first color Jack learned, and for a long time it was the answer to the question, "what color is that?" -- whether the object was red, green, blue or yellow. And all along it's been "lellow." It still is.

A few weeks ago, when we went to Florida, we spent a lot of time talking about how the pilot drove the plane. In that funny way that toddlers have, he took in the information and didn't say anything about it for a couple of days. Then, we were watching planes up in the sky one day, and he proclaimed that they were driven by the "toilet." This stuck with him on the return trip from Florida, when he was quite vocal about the toilet driving the plane. Since then, it's morphed into a pirate who flies the plane.

I feel like we're closing in on pilot pretty quickly. That's good, I suppose. But I'll be a little nostalgic when the sweet pligs and the color lellow vanish from our conversations.

Jack and Cousin Mark having a raucous rumpus

2011-04-04T23:43:00.001-04:00

Daddy, I think this guy could use a shave...

2011-04-04T23:39:00.001-04:00

David and Michael are two of our best friends in the world and have been such a wonderful support thoughout. They were here the day we found out Jack was being born and been with us the whole way. It is important to note that Jack is not always so skeptical of Dave either! Can't wait to see you this summer and swim in your pool!

Uncle Mice is in the House!

2011-04-04T23:33:00.001-04:00

Uncle Michael and Uncle David came to visit. Jack had a lot of fun with both of them. When I saw these pics it looked like they swapped facial expressions!

What do they know that we don't?

Nature or nurture?

2011-04-04T23:27:00.001-04:00

Can you teach Good Ole' Boy or do you have to be born with it? Jury's out but I know what I am betting -- Mr. Jack is gonna like himself some grits, some lazy fishin' on a Sunday and the occasional watermelon spittin' contest!

Early one morning...

2011-04-04T23:25:00.001-04:00

We are well into Jack's second year figuratively. He has found his voice and it is LOUD! One of our strategies is to conserve resources. When Jack gets up really early, we decided to let one of us sleep in and let the other take him three floors down. These are pics from early one Saturday morning.

Isn't Papa good looking that early in the morning?

Evening Run

2011-03-16T15:17:00.002-04:00

These days, we're working on getting Jack totally and completely tired out before he goes to bed, in the hope of encouraging him to sleep past 6:00. (Times starting with a 5 -- or, worse yet, a 4 -- are just too cruel of a way to start the day.) We've had some success with this, but we haven't yet hit on the perfect formula. So, Margarita and both dads encourage the little guy to zip around as much as possible up until about 30 minutes before bedtime.

We shot this video while Mark was out of town and needing video greetings from home. Sorry for the cinema-verite quality of it. Even with Jack in it, it manages to have a bit of a "Blair Witch" feeling to it.

Bubbles.

2011-03-16T15:14:00.002-04:00

Jack continues to develop his skills with the straw and a cup of water.

Vrrooomahs!

2011-03-16T14:19:00.002-04:00

Jack's deep fascination with cars continues in full force. There's nothing that brings a smile to his face -- or diverts attention from a gathering, two year-old tantrum -- faster or more effectively than a car, truck or tractor. Consequently, there are cars all over the house these days.

One of the funny little behaviors that's developed over the last month or so is his habit of painstakingly lining them up. They park in precise, straight lines along the edge of window sills, form linear slices across the middle of sofa cushions and travel in jaunty, but always neat, caravans across the kitchen table. A source of great comfort and satisfaction. The mind of a two year-old. A fascinating place.

The Ladybug Sweater!

2011-03-16T14:14:00.003-04:00

We're so happy that the fantastic ladybug sweater that our good friend Rebecca knitted for Jack last year still fits! Even after a close call with the washing machine. Whew. In this picture, Jack's also sporting some ultra-cool, lined, Osh Kosh pants that Rebecca passed on to us as hand-me-downs. Quite the fashion plate, isn't he? Luckily, we have friends who are looking out for Jack's sartorial success.

One year and one day later...

2011-03-11T11:36:00.003-05:00

I don't cry at random times as much.

I can go days without mistakenly thinking I should pick up the phone and check on her.

My conversations with Dad have a much different focus and much less intensity.

But every time Jack does something cute or wonderful or amazing or confusing, the emptiness rises up. I want to tell her about Jack. I want to marvel at him with her because her greatest gift and passion and fascination was with children. At it is in those moments that the absence, the incompleteness waves frantically at me: "She's not here, she's not here, she's not here."

I can't call her and say: "Jack can count to ten now, but he forgets 4 until the end, so he adds it on after ten. Did I do that? Do you remember when I learned to count."

I can't send her a video of him lining up his countless cars, end to end, perfectly aligned, with an engineer's precision, and not stopping to all is ordered and right in his universe. I don't have to ask her whether I did that as I am constitutionally certain that kind of order has never been important to me.

I can't wrap her up in my arms, kiss her soft cheek, hold her and hear her laugh and feel her strength and sweetness as she hugs me back.

I know I am supposed to focus on moving on, learned lessons and living each day in the present, yadiyadiyah.

Frankly, I am just not always able to do that. In fact, if she were here, she would be telling me just that: get on with life, take care of that baby, get to work. But sadly, she's not.

So Mom, I still miss you. I still think about you and am deeply sad that Jack will never know you the way that I did. He does say good night to you every night on our way upstairs to bed. We stop at your picture, he touches your cheek and says "g'night gramma." And I tell him every night that just after he falls asleep, you come down from heaven and kiss him on the cheek.

So I guess in that way he will know you.

Love Mark

Last night's entertainment

2011-03-08T10:02:00.003-05:00

We had a great time last night watching Jack discover the joys of bubblewrap!

No, I promise, I won't make you go in this time!

2011-03-01T23:21:00.000-05:00

Note how tightly his little feet are wrapped around Daddy's waist. He's latched on like a mollusk!