A few more quick ones

From a recent editors' cookout at my teacher Dave's house. Taken by first year AFI editor Scott Jacobs.

Remote control mania

Jack loves to play with the remote control. We got him a toy one but he saw through that ruse in about a day. So we gave him a couple of old, unused remotes. He loves playing with them, just like daddy does. Today they fell to the bottom of his exersaucer and he devoted much hard work to crawling entirely beneath it to retrieve them.

Aunt Megan's Graduation

As promised, here are a few snaps from Jack's big trip east with Mommy to see Aunt Megan graduate. Here they are, making a cute couple, the two of 'em.
Aunt Elizabeth was a big hit with Jack, too, of course.
Jack is one smooth daddy in his hip Hawaiian shirt.
Yep, just like daddy: "Large bottle of fluids? I'll guzzle it."
I believe this is the first pic we have where you can see all of Jack's shiny new teeth.

Baby steps

No pics today, at the moment -- some are upcoming from Jack's trip east -- but I thought I would announce to the world that Jack took his first official steps last night. Genevieve and I were eating supper and Jack was playing next to us; standing up, he thrust a block toward me. "Do you want to give that to me?" I asked. I was so focused on the block that I didn't notice what he was doing. Genevieve said, "forget about the block, aren't you noticing something?" And suddenly I realized he had taken two steps forward without holding on to anything for the first time. He took a few more, giggling as he went (and we reacted with glee) and obviously very proud of his new skill, before plopping onto his butt to much applause (Jack, of course, joined in -- he loves clapping). As he walked I did my best Dr. Frankenstein impression ("It's aliiiiive!") in honor of Jack's lumbering gait.

Very exciting and delightful. I'll try to get some video of it soon.

A few quick little shots

Jack and Mommy are in Washington, DC giving the president what-for right now, and also attending Jack's Aunt Megan's graduation crom college. Daddy has two days of shooting to worry about this weekend, so he couldn't go, but Mommy has been sending him a few pictures with her camera phone. More pics when they return tomorrow.

Big Boy Haircut

Well, Jack doesn't have a very thick head of hair and what he does have is kind of thin and wispy. Blessed will he be, methinks, with his maternal grandfather's premature glabrousness.

Anyway, thin though his mane be, bits of it were getting long and stringy, and for some reason it was coming in thick and long at the bottom of the back of his head. This gave him the unseemly appearance of nurturing a thick, velvety mullet. So just after his first birthday it was off to an old-fashioned barbershop for his very first big boy haircut.

Jack awaits his first tonsorial experience.


Both Jack and Mommy found the experience stressful. Pay no mind to the female barber's "alakazam!"-style hand motions here. One half expected her to produce a three of clubs at any moment and exclaim, "Is THIS your card?"

Don't tell her I said so but I think mommy squirted a few tears here.
The owner, a typically rosy-cheeked, bewhiskered old gent, sat behind a desk reading, I don't know, Facial Hair Monthly or whatever it is barbers read when they're sitting at desks. I had rather hoped that such an old-fashioned barber, in an old-fashioned barbershop, would have ministered to Jack on this fateful day, leaning over him, reeking of Old Spice and other peoples' hair, but alas it was not to be. Instead we got Belmont Shore's barbershop version of Doug Henning. C'est la vie.

Jack got sick of it pretty quick.

You can notice two things here: a) how fine Jack's hair was and b) how little there was of it. This will be important when I c) receive the bill below.

Jack was pretty pleased at how good he looked afterwards! Note chubby, bewhiskered barber in background.

As we plucked Jack from the chair after perhaps five minutes' worth of snipping and the removal of perhaps two grams of baby hair, the barber went off to the back of the shop and produced a tattered Xerox document comemmorating "Baby's First Haircut," complete with official seal of approval from some mythical governing body. A touching gesture, to be sure. I asked how much we owed and had to cock an ear again when she replied, "$18 dollars." Well. Highway robbery, what? I could see a token ten bucks -- if it were me, I'd be inclined to spring a freebie, after a look at Daddy's dissheveled rat's nest, in the hope of drumming up some paternal business -- but $18 dollars seemed, by my count, to come out to something like 50 cents a hair.

I eyed her shears -- they were within arms' reach and I could have made a clean getaway -- but I had Jack and Genevieve to worry about. Reluctantly I pried $18 from my wallet along with a meagre tip, and we headed off for errands, and for home.

When we got home Jack celebrated his new haircut by standing up and stuffing a sock in his mouth. And who among you wouldn't do the same?

Happy Birthday, Part 1

Many apologies, as usual, for taking sooo long to get these birthday pics online.
The usual excuses apply!

Anyway -- on April 19th Jack celebrated his very first birthday! And of course, we had a party at Disneyland!
It was Jack's first experience of cake and especially frosting. He didn't know what to do with this goopy stuff on his fingers. Initially he just wiped it on hs shirt.But soon, he got into the spirit of things!
After the photo op (see above), which resulted in three or four pics because Minnie and Mickey wouldn't stop playing with Jack, Mickey and Minnie came over to our table and spent a lot more time playing with Jack. Myabe it is just because Jack is so cute but the characters at Disneyland spend way more time playing with him than with the other kids! I swear I am not exaggerating. The little kid on the right in these pics seems chagrined -- they didn't hang with him!

Anyway, Mickey and Minnie came to our table and were enchanted with Jack. . .
Mickey leaned down to play with Jack and Jack smeared frosting on Mickey's nose. "Oh, I'm sorry, Mickey!" cried Genevieve.
But with a "don't be silly" kind of gesture, Minnie took Jack's hand and smeared MORE frosting on Mickey's nose.They had a good laugh and went off to Toontown, presumably to wash up.
After that it was dinner time for ol' blue-eyes. Hey, it's your birthday, you can have dessert first!Then as we walked by the King Arthur Carousel Jack went berserk, staring at it and kicking and laughing. So on we went -- Disneyland was in the throes of spring break season so there were long lines for everything but this anyway -- and Jack LOVED it. He was so happy and having a great birthday for a one-year -old!Jack even gave his reflection kisses!
So there you have it, better late than never -- a thoroughly awesome birthday!

Happy Birthday, Part 2

So Jack's official birthday at home celebration was on the following Friday. Mommy got a cake and everything and the fiesta began with balloons, a big hit.
Jack tried to fit one in his mouth, of course.
Mommy and Daddy picked out some cool Fisher Price pop-on blocks for Jack and he wasted not a moment beginning construction.
Beach toys and other fine implements were in the offing, too . . .
And a fine day it was for hats, as well.
Nanny and Pop sent a fine seersucker ensemble...While Grammy and Grampy's big present was this awesome animal quilt made by Jack's Grammy.