Skeeball: Still Fun After All These Years

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Nine balls for 25 cents! Where else can you find that kind of fun? It took a dollar for Jackie to get one over the lip and two for daddy to figure out how to eke out 260 points for a "small prize." (The green squirrel Jack won himself by throwing a beach ball into a red bucket for a "large prize.") Thanks Funland!

Funland!

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He had to wait until the rides opened at 1 and he had to leave a scant hour later - not without some serious cajoling - but it was well worth the wait. Jackie went on all the rides he was tall enough for, some of them twice. And he loved every minute of it - even the bomberos ride which ran pretty fast for mommy and daddy, but Jackie was ringing his bell all the way (as you can see, bottom right).

A Clash of Kings

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Chess with a 2-year old can get pretty interesting in a hurry. Openings are non-standard, to say the least. Jack made the Latvian Gambit look like a butterfly kiss soonafter his initial (and somewhat unexpected) opening move (b7 b5). He then decimated his own ranks, and trotted his king out for all to see. Unflanked, he proceeded to challenge my king to some kind of supreme duel, a la Jamie Lannister (after his capture). As you can see, he did not wait for the courtesy of a reply, sweeping white from the board with one swing of his tiny forearm. Then he raised a rook in sweet victory. Not bad for a man wearing pyjama shorts.

Lamarck's Bicycle

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Jackie appears to be taking his new Strider bike, well, in stride. Amateur geneticist Matt Frazier thinks all Jack's traits were derived from Paleolithic DNA, but clearly somewhere along the line someone in Jack's lineage rode a bicyle, b/c he got right on without a moment's instruction and off he went. In the last frame he is saying, "Lamarck was right, Frazier - you orthodox pinhead!"

Bucketheads!

CLICK FOR BIGGER BUCKETSWe're not sure who's idea this actually was, but one moment the kids (Jack and Maddie) were "painting" with water out of these buckets, the next they had dumped them and we're squealing at each other and putting the buckets on their heads.

Fly

Jack got his Fly on again yesterday (this time, in Bruno's sunglasses), but couldn't keep the act up for the camera - or maybe didn't want to. "A man will rise, a man will fall..."

Farmboy

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After strawberries came goats, cherries, and a tractor ride (the main event). Jack looks the seasoned farmhand in the middle photo, doesn't he?

Finger Pickin' Good

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Jack took to strawberry picking almost as as much as he did strawberry eating, of which he did plenty en route to filling up his little red pail. Like Sal in "Blueberries for Sal" (or as Jack calls it, "Sal for Blueberries"), Jack ate umpteen berries for every one that went "kerplink" into his bucket. Note the tell-tale juice all over his chin and cheeks. Also note the key strawberry picking skill of "eyeing the row" before committing to it.

Cupcakes in the Park

Jack was none too disappointed to receive a late afternoon cupcake from Papou at Riverside park on Saturday. In a way, this reminds me of the old Diane Arbus photo of the kid with the grenade - only this one is its opposite number. Jack destroyed this sugar bomb in seconds, it seemed - efficiently rejecting only the cocount shavings that topped it, with a scrunch of his nose and a little "ptui."

New York State of Mind

Jackie sampled the wares at old Zabar's today, en route to Riverside Park for a sweltry afternoon of nappin', baskethoops, and general mayhem on the playgrounds of the upper west side. Here Jack holds up a housemade Zabar's salami sample and says, "It's an umbrella! It's raining!" (Honestly.)

Giacomo Towers

Back by popular demand, here's Jack putting the finishing touches on "Giacomo Towers" - which of course was unceremoniously toppled moments after completion. Gonna be hard to get financing for these things.

First Day of School

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Well, sort of. An open house, which Jack waltzed right into, with Evie, and didn't think twice about joining the fray in three different classrooms, a playroom, and two additional classes into which he was not invited (but welcomed nonetheless). Jack discovered powertools, circletime, storytime, and painting - which he did for the first time, without getting any paint on himself. The kid beside him was covered in paint and couldn't keep his brush on his own page (his mom did that 'M', in case you're wondering). Anyway, can you believe Stephanie absconded with the painting and it's now hanging in her office? Daddy was robbed!

Oh, Susannah!

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Jack's new "guitar" (actually a ukelele) is the co-favorite birthday present so far (tied for first with the digger truck). Here he shows you his day-one chops with a unique interpretaion of the classic, "Oh, Susannah."

Cupcake Makeout

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For the 2nd year in a row, Jack happily faceplanted into a birthday cupcake - and managed to say "cheese" for the cameras before he had completely slathered himself in it. If you watch closely, you can see the glaze of the sugar transfer directly into his eyes upon first bite. More birthday party videos to come...

Digger Truck!

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It was Christmas in April for Jackie Two-Two yesterday, as he awoke to the sights and sounds of his very own "digger truck," a Caterpillar replica that lights up, shakes, rattles, and rolls. It even says "Back it up!" before doing so, much to the delight of its new (unlicensed) operator. In these photos, you can see he pushed one of the buttons before opening the present, which suprised the pants off him. Once it was unwrapped, and he realized what he'd scored, he did a little dance of joy. Thank you Gigi and Grandpa Lowell!

I'm 2!

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Jackie turned two today, at 4:21pm EST. It was a wonderful day, the middle portion of which was interrupted by work, but which resumed happily over pizza with Jack's BFF Evie at 2 Amy's, where the patrons were mostly amused by their frolicky antics. This was followed by dessert across the street at Something Sweet, where Jack selected a "brown" cupcake with a "Toy Story 3" Woody trinket, which he gleefully devoured (the cupcake, not the trinket). Happy birthday, Big Boy. XOXOXO

Vanity Fair, 23-Month Edition

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We haven't done a Vanity Fair in a while and these three photos present the perfect opporunity to revist Jack's homage to VF asking an actor or actress to make faces to go with certain, usually outrageous, situations.

Here we go!

Photo #1: You've just been told there was broccoli in that sandwich.

Photo #2: You've just been told no girls until you're five!

Photo #3: You've just been told that at the rate you're going you're gonna be an only kid for a while.

Jack-lander, Male Model

"I'm pretty sure there's a lot more to life than being really, really, ridiculously good looking. And I plan on finding out what that is."
There have been some rumblings in the blogosphere lately about Jack focusing too much on sports. So we thought we'd show you his softer side with a few snaps from his recent trip to Bloomingdale's. Here he is doing Kanye, asking, "Does this hat make me look short?" and hitting the (lighted) platform to show he can run with the boys from Bryant Park.

The Shot

After dunking on a kid-sized hoop for a while (see below), Jackie wandered out of the playroom and into his first big-time gym today. (He actually found it on his own and insisted on going in.) Then he took what will forever be known - in this family, anyway - as, "The Shot."

Big Boy Will Dunk It

Ignoring warnings from the officials about hanging on the rim, Jackie took it hard to the goal on his 23-month birthday today. He said, "No, Daddy, no!" when I pulled the rim down an inch to make it easier for him. Then he proved he could do it on his own.

Laurie Berkner, Part II

Jack did it up right for his first concert, scoring backstage passes (thanks Beka!), flashing the rock-out sign (sort of), and stealing a kiss from the lead singer after the show! Though he was a bit nervous - note the fingers.

Laurie Berkner, Part I

Jackie saw his first live concert today, rockin' out to the great Laurie Berkner Band. He spent the first few songs with his mouth open (first photo), as though he could scarcely believe Laurie was real. Then he put his lovie on his head, for "Pig on Her Head," then we ventured up to the stage for some true fandom. Jackie was seriously hooked - and lasted for a 90-minute set and then some (see Part II).

Natural Scorer

When not sitting on the ball and falling off while laughing hysterically, Jack is displaying a prodigious nose for the back of the net. Here he beats a keeper seemingly stuck in cement with some nifty moves. Good enough for the Carling Cup, I reckon!

Wait a minute ... we're fish!

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Jack got up close and personal with big sea creatures this weekend, including a basketball playing dolphin, a shiver of snaggletoothed sharks, and a three-legged sea turtle (all pictured here). The aquarium's big finish is a sprialling walk down thru the middle, ie, inside, of the big tank, where the only thing between you and being a shark's lunch is an inch or so of glass. Jack was undaunted, of course.

Raspberry Fingers

No commentary needed!

Solid Gold

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Both because it's priceless now but also becuase it'll be priceless in a different way later. There are two dances here, one entirely of Jack's own invention, then a variation inpsired by mom saying, "Move your tush back and forth!" Alex is on keys.

Ready to Sign His Commitment Letter

Coach K, are you watching? Jack gets an assist from ball hog Al "Osgood-Schlatters" Epstein for a monster jam at sun-down on the play-down on Sunday afternoon. Note the gleeful smile, the use of the thighs for ball security, and the torso extension as he puts it down. No shattered backboards yet, but it's only a matter of time (and outgrowing daddy by a good six inches).

Tower of Baby

This is Jack's building within a building, which he constructed Saturday morning at the Building Museum, the largest indoor space in Washington, DC (which is saying something). He has now clearly made the connection between putting something up and being able to knock it down, which he does with a big grin (not pictured here). Note the big-ego, "statement architecture" flourishes on the top... Hello, Dubai!

Jackson 2

Here are the Jack-sons, with Jackson, who's actually named Jackson, on the left and Jack, who gets called Jackson when he's doing something marginally bad, on the right. ("No sir!" is what he gets when he takes mischief to the next level.) The boys recently caught up over bagels and cream cheese ("keem peas").

Superbowl Party

While the rest of us were inhaling chili (including a delicious pumpkin chili) and watching eventual Superbowl MVP Aaron Rodgers pick apart the Steelers secondary, Jack was making a few moves of his own. First, he gets her number... Then he enters it into his/daddy's phone. Then he calls her! Meanwhile, she's just trying to take his picture (which she successfully did). Later, they danced ring aroudn the rosy, to everyone's delight.

What Part of Don't Bother Me...

...when I'm on my iPad" don't you understand?

Photo credit (and blogpost title suggestion) to leading architect and local photog, Chris Snowber.

Back to the Future

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Aunt Dee and Uncle Harry have uncovered a gem in the (extended) family archives: a photo of Jack playing piano in 1971! Or, wait, that's not Jack, it's Ken! Can you spot the differences? Other than the piano and the vintage shag rug? Of course, it's what's inside that counts, and for that reason we're confident Jack's musical ability will far exceed that of his father's - because it will come from Stephanie.

Up!

Today was a day of looking up for Jack... Big bears (brown and polar) at the Museum of Natural History (DC version) and, later, a Bob the Builder balloon he spotted at Safeway. (Never even noticed they had balloons before.) Now, there's grabbing the bull by both horns, then there's grabbing both the bear by both paws...

Two Man Bobsled

Winter wonderland today for Jack and Evie, who bundled up and hit the hill for Olympic training. Camerman Robin Leach/Crocodile Dundee adds to the excitement with his commentary and cinema verite hand-held style... Evie, as the anchorwoman, is relaxed and jovial, while her frontman, Jack, is deep in concentration, squinting coolly into the camera. Then Jackie counts it off and they go hurtling down the hill, narrowly avoiding a hugh snow covered boulder which the four supervising adults (ie, parents) noticed only *after* the run.

Foosball!

"Screwdriver!" Jack exclaimed, as he grabbed the handles of this junior foosball table (at Pottery Barn Kids). "Soccer! Kick it!!" he said. Then he sat down to the business of playing out the 2022 World Cup in Qatar (really?), in its entirety. The eventual winner? "Germany," he said. (Really!)

Le Petit Jacques

Something reminded me of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's Le Petit Prince in Jack's posture (and insouisance) here, with the billowy blue pants and the feet poking out. "Too big, Mommy," he said. Then he ripped his lats, striking a bodybuilder's pose.