happy leap day!

jack is jumping with joy over the leap year ...

vogue

don't just stand there, let's get to it

strike a pose, there's nothing to it

vogue ... vogue ....

jack is clearly a producer's child. obviously his antics are highly documented and slickly packaged. but at the tender age of almost-21 months, he has also learned how to get the shot just right.

case in point -- yesterday, mommy said: "jack, do you want me to take your picture?" and he replied, "yeah." but the backlighting from the south-facing window was killing us, so mommy said, "come over here, away from the light." and jack complied ... by laying on the ground and striking a pose.


this takes brooke shields-like ab control

who's your baby? who's your baby?

"wanna know what comes between me and my uggs? socks."

snack attack

first off, my apologies if i seemed cranky in my non-post post yesterday. lack of sleep does that to a person. oh, and maybe reading the blog of a very salty mama has also been a bad influence on me. next thing you know she'll have me smoking behind the cafeteria!

so today...we're back to sweetness and light.

the sweetness this time being the way jack sweet-talked his way into his lunch bag before he and roxana had even left the house for the library's story time (english language version).

another note: his hair today. yeah, we know. and that was *after* we brushed it! details are fuzzy. all we really know is that roxana gave him a kiss on top of his head last night before leaving, which caused her to remark: "hmm...sticky. jelly."

oh, yeah ... but of course ... what else would it be?

no sleepy = no posty

jack decided that he needed to be awake and -- for the most part -- screaming between the indecent hours of 2 a.m. and 3:30 a.m.

so i've decided that i don't need to blaud him today (and yes, that's my own portmanteau for laud on the blog). so take them logical consequences and chew on 'em!

ironically, this morning jack was playing the "night night game" where he lays down -- today it was fiendishly in my own comfy, warm bed -- and goes "night night." of course he only plays this once you've finally pried yourself out of the aforementioned comfy, warm bed and -- with or without the help of gravity -- forced yourself upright. why he can't play this little lark in the wee hours is beyond mommy's comprehension.

to futher the irony ... jack went trotting off this morning to spanish language story time at the local library with a spring in his step, while mommy practically dragged her carcass into the office.

and so here ends today's non-post post.

weekend update

usually, when it comes to jack, we play more of a zone defense. but this weekend it was strictly man-on-man. since mommy had plans that would keep her busy almost all of sunday, on saturday she and jack set out for adventure.

another trip to the building museum with the moms' group was on the docket first thing saturday. jack had a great time playing in the building zone with the other kids and running around the museum's atrium when not pausing to eat raisins and veggie booty.

a long drive home lent itself to an afternoon nap, after which jack was ready for proper lunch and a trip to the park.

a family dinner of spaghetti rounded out the evening. note to self: definitely do tubby time *after* dinner when serving spaghetti!

sunday brought a full social calendar for mommy ... which meant jack and daddy got some quality time. instead of watching golf ... jack and daddy intrepidly headed out to hit some balls from jack's little set. they had a great time together.

mid-afternoon nana stopped by to give daddy a little breather. and jack found new ways to entertain himself ... and her.

playing with floyd:

and then looking for floyd when he (shockingly) ran for cover ...

reading a book ... about kitties, of course ...



a walk to the park, which included a special find ... doggy tennis ball!

and ... since no one much felt like cooking ... spaghetti leftovers for dinner!



jack agrees ... it is even better the next day.

and daddy was very smart and bathed jack after this saucy repast. well ... at least smarter than mommy!

is it monday already???

laughing breakfast

a while back we gave you a glimpse of jack laughing his way through his lunch.

today, due to icy roads and closed public schools, roxana arrived with her 7 year old daughter in tow. jack is a huge fan of "sesi" as he calls her, and was so excited when she arrived he could barely contain himself.

by breakfast time, he had calmed down some but was still enthralled with his playmate for the day.

for her part, "sesi" loves jack and engages him very sweetly ...

jack could do this all day ...

what a nice treat for friday ... and a great way to pass an icy, wet day in the house!

A Feline First

Long-time readers know that Jack loves our cats, Floyd and Janice. And that his love for them is, to say the least, unrequited. In fact, they usually make a bee-line for the basement whenever they hear him coming. Last night we had a breakthrough. Jack and I were sitting on the living room floor, and Floyd came over and sat down. Jack was so excited he was almost shaking, but I urged him to be cool, be cool. And he did. He very gently stroked Floyd's back, and Floyd let him do it (Floyd has now been awarded the Silver Star for Bravery and Valor). After a few minutes, Floyd had had enough and he wandered away. But Jack hasn't forgotten this happy moment. This morning when I retrieved him from his crib, his first request was "FWOOOYYD!!" Maybe tonight, buddy.

as you wish ...

our many weekend trips to the playground almost all include one common denominator -- running! jack will literally run for an hour (or longer!) chasing balls, dogs, his own tail ...

one thing he particularly enjoys is running down the hill. he used to need an adult to run with him, lest he take a "princess bride"-style tumble but these days he goes it alone ...

though he does expect someone to follow him ...

your turn daddy!

but sometimes things do go somewhat awry ...

oof -- the agony of defeat! well ... at least there are no rous-es in our park ... but if there were, jack would no doubt poke them with a stick.

these were all taken with very poor quality cameraphone video, so we hope you are able to see them enough to enjoy them. although this is not up to the normally stellar quality which we know you expect from the blog, they were too hillarious not to share!

your hair wants cutting: the sequel

"Your hair wants cutting," said the Hatter. He had been looking at Alice for some time with great curiosity, and this was his first speech.
"You should learn not to make personal remarks," Alice said with some severity; "it's very rude."

~ Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Chapter VII: A Mad Tea Party

Well, Jack's hair definitely wanted cutting ...



but since other attempts at shearing our lamb had not turned out so well ... we decided (to mix a few metaphors) to quit bringing mohammed to the mountain and instead brought the mountain to him.

miss courtney arrived at our house just a few minutes after the appointed time of 8:30 (darn beltway traffic!) and greeted jack. mommy had explained all morning how our friend miss courtney would be coming, and how she would play with his hair and how it would feel ticklish ... but nice.

well, the minute old courtney walked in, he smelled a rat! he was very reluctant to even look at her, and when he got strapped into the barber chair (aka his high chair) he lost it. he was screaming like a banshee.

but courtney, bless her heart, persevered (with mommy holding jack's head still when she cut out the ears) and finished his cut. and when he was done and calmed down, he did look awfully cute:

and the fact that he got to help clean up the fallen locks? well, that was just a bonus for our little cinderelly ...

weekend update

well ... we were social butterflies this weekend!

first, we hosted friend and local celebutot kay taylor (and her parents) for a "bruncheon."

kay taylor drank milk (celebutots -- they're just like us!), while her parents feasted on eggy casserole and bacon. they did not eat fruit salad because a daft hostess forgot to proffer it. bad hostess -- what a twinkie!

jack, sated with eggy casserole, was content to peer at kay taylor from afar.

but in case you, dear reader, wanted a closer look:

then again, you could always just visit her blog ...

and while she is clearly a star of wide renown, the paps weren't only focused on her ... in fact, they were very interested in our very own jack:

and a gracious jack obliged, posing for pix. this pose is called "blue steel."

and while it's not easy being jack ... or being green ... it's also not easy being a papparazzo. and, so before you judge a man, you should walk a mile in his shoes



but ... if he has giant shoes, like our friend dudley, you may only get a couple of steps in before you fall down.

with their new-found simpatico status, dudley and jack's friendship achieved (pun alert!!) new heights (ahem) ...



after kay taylor and her entourage departed, jack enjoyed a nap and some playground time. but soon, the host with the most was at it again ... welcoming our "beach friends" for our biweekly "happy hour."

he showed off his toys to lucy and phia ...



and looked at life through lucy's rose colored glasses ...

the kids had a great time playing together and the parents all wished that our summer beach week could start immediately!

sunday was relatively tame in comparison, but jack enjoyed (count 'em) *two* trips to the playground and a stroll around the neighborhood. more on that in a future post ...

we enjoyed a nice family dinner on sunday night, gathered around the table, before jack (and mommy!) headed to bed.

daddy and jack are enjoying a wonderful president's day ... chopping down cherry trees and building log cabins with them.

happy blogday to us

it was a year ago today that livin' la vida jack came into being ... live on the internet!

a year ago, we were unsure where this crazy blog idea would take us ...

I'm a lot of things, no doubt. Consistent is not one of them. So, right now I'm inspired to create this blog about Jack -- to share with friends and family not just the bimonthly transformations we see, but the incremental, the ephemeral, the stuff that really makes Jack Jack (or John or whatever). But will inspiration last? Will it get overrun by insidious perfectionism and an overcommitted schedule? I am optimistic, and I hope it will last. So keep checking back....

well, the optimism was well-placed (if we do say so ourselves!). we have pretty consistently kept up with posts so that the incremental ephemera, for the most part, has been captured.

a great glimpse for our readers into jack's world ... and, more importantly, a great keepsake for our family.

from the first picture posted:

to the latest:

it's been an amazing journey.

so happy blogday to us. and cheers to the year ahead!

v-day story

jack's grandma and grandpa sent him a wonderful valentine's day book, where you lift the flap to look for baby's valentine.

jack loved reading it this morning ... and enjoyed searching for baby's valentine behind the cushion, under the blanket, inside the closet ...

but when it came time to "look" for baby's valentine behind the lamp, jack was reluctant to fold back the flap ... cautioning, "hot! hot!"

if only he had the same degree of caution with things that are *actually* hot!!

happy valentine's day

much love to all ... from your favorite cupid -- jack!

i just called to say, "i love you .... and while i have you ... did you know how yummy phone antennae are?"

watching barney

barney's valentine's message: "i love you ... you love me"

the aftermath of the valentine's cupcakes ... eaten too fast to even get a picture snapped!

jack and his valentine, mamaxana

jack and his other valentine, mamamama!

for the statisticians ...

here's the breakdown on jack's swimming performance:

swimming in the swimming pool

swimming lessons ended for the session ...

jack received his report card (details to come ... so check back) which advised that he repeat the class. held back in swimming?!? well ... not exactly. the class goes up to age 3, so 20 month old jack would pretty much have to repeat the class even if he had mastered all the skills.

as it stands ... jack improved a lot with kicking his feet and briefly putting his face in the water to reach down to grab a toy from the bottom of the pool. he still needs a little more practice holding his breath, paddling with his arms and floating on his back. his jumping into the pool and climbing back out remains his strongest skill

so, without further ado, here's jack ... swimming in the swimming pool ...

weekend update

a busy, banner weekend for the staff and subject of livin' la vida jack ...

it started saturday with swimming lessons. actually, it started saturday at 3:30 am, but we've already kvetched about that and we're moving on and rising above ...

so ... we're going with: "it started saturday with swimming lessons ..."

it was jack's final lesson of the session. he did a great job and finally started to relax on his back and kick.



he received his report card, which advised he repeat the class -- more of a "needs improvement" type of grade. but, he is the youngest in the class, which goes up to age 3, so it was still a good showing by jack "the fish." more on swimming tomorrow ...

for now, we move on to the celebratory after-breakfast at (where else?) mcdonald's:

jack thoroughly enjoyed his second breakfast in as many weeks at the golden arches. afterward we went home and he enjoyed his first movie, "the jungle book," and a trip to the park.

he had trouble sitting for the entire movie, but he was captivated for the first twenty minutes and interested for almost an hour. next time we will use the dvd feature where you can watch just the songs. that was his favorite part anyway. he even learned to say "mowgli."

but ... an even bigger first than his first "movie" was his first "move*ment*" ....

now you'll remember that daddy has banned posts on poop, but (without getting too graphic) here's the scoop:

jack received a potty chair from santa for christmas. he was interested in it inasmuch as he could wear the removable bowl on his head. but this weekend he asked to sit on his potty in the afternoon and there he stayed -- seated, reading books, for almost 10 minutes. nothing happened, but we praised the effort anyway and jack seemed pleased with himself.

that evening, after a family dinner, jack seemed to be straining to make something happened, so mommy simply asked, "would you like to try to sit on the potty, or would you rather stay there holding on to the chair leg for leverage?" jack said, "potty!" and walked over to the bathroom.

as we removed his pants and diaper and he sat onto his potty chair ... well, let's just say gravity took over. and we had our first successful deposit! jack repeatedly informed me, "dirty" but seemed pleased with himself and was especially proud that he got to push the lever and flush "dirty" down the big toilet. he even bade it, "bye bye!" as it swirled down to infinity and beyond.

it's a far cry from potty trained, but it's a great first step and we're (understandably, i hope) proud -- and also weirdly freaked-out -- about the development.

there are no pictures of any of this ... for which daddy is happy with and pleasanty surprised by mommy.

and as dawns sunday ... so dawns the idea for an outing to the national building museum. mommy had heard from a friend at the park that it was a great place for kids to play, so we headed down to chinatown:


cool fountain!

cool playhouse!

how do these sticks stay together??

taking a puzzle break

can you see me?

and even though jack fell asleep on the way down and napped in his car seat for nearly an hour, he played so hard at the museum that he also took a long nap in the afternoon.

and another request to use the potty for his evening evacuation was welcome, even though it was made after it was already too late to be of use.

so ... a busy weekend with miles traveled and milestones achieved. who could ask for anything more?

sleep diplomacy

it's funny ... sometimes toddler sleep issues can very closely resemble a foreign policy crisis. take, for example, jack's 3:30 am wake up last night.



daddy and mommy turned to each other -- what should we do?



be interventionist or isolationist?



would shuttle diplomacy be the solution? benign neglect? brinksmanship??



and would we achieve a rapprochement or simply mutually assured destruction?



we took a realpolitik approach. we decided to let him cry it out and ultimately settle himself back to sleep.



we can only hope that if it happens again tonight that condi will be here to put him back to bed.



where's dean acheson when you need him?!?

kiss off

jack's learned some new types of kisses ... eskimo kiss and butterfly kiss

he asks for eskimo kisses by saying, "kiss ... nose" and that is almost always closely followed by a request for "eye" (aka the butterfly kiss).

the butterfly kiss is usually not wholly successful due to jack pressing his cheek firmly into the ocular socket, but he sometimes gets far enough away to get the tickling effect.

this morning, as roxana was getting him dressed, mommy, heading out, asked jack for a kiss. he obliged, giving one on the lips (just a peck, not a juicy mess!), then asked for "nose" and "eye."

both mommy and jack parted with smiles on their faces.

day care day

another fun day at daycare for jack. looks like he took a three hour nap -- wonder how they managed that one?!? it may have had *something* to do with his wake-up time ...

(remember, you can single click on the image to enlarge it)

what 5 looks like at 9

a five o'clock wake up (antemeridian!) meant jack was car-cat-napping at 9 a.m. when we arrived for day care.

roxana's daughter was sick today, so we headed off to "school" -- our first visit for 2008! and jack wasted no time making himself comfortable with the toys. the main attraction: the water tub!

hopefully jack will have a fun day and roxana will be back tomorrow. because after all this ... mommy's gonna need a nap!