Swimming!

Here are Jack and Peter playing at the coolest swimming pool ever, which is inconveniently located (for me, at least) in Bend.

It should be noted that Peter is eating something in this picture. Aren't they so cute?

Surfin the Net

Here's Jack checking out his cousin's blog. Little Xavier will be arriving around Christmas and Jack can't wait!

Shameless Bragging

You know that expression "a face only a mother could love" is just so true. One time when I was in high school my best friend (at the time) and I saw this... hmmm... not-so-cute baby at the store. The mom leaned toward the baby and said "Oh, aren't you so cute!". Right then and there my friend and I made a pact that we would tell each other if one of us had an ugly baby.

I guess I'll never know for sure now, since the friend and I are no longer friends, but I'm pretty sure that Jack is exceptionally cute. Here's why:

We were at the park yesterday and Jack was chasing after a ball on the basketball court. Two gangsta wanna-be looking teenagers were lounging nearby in the grass when one says to the other, "Dude, that's one cute kid." The other guy agreed.

You just don't see stuff like that everyday. He really must be cute.

Jack, the Metolius and the Pellet Heads

Last week we made our yearly trip to do a little camping on the Metolius. Last year Jack was too little to really enjoy the fish at the Wizard Fall fish hatchery. I think Jack enjoyed dropping the feed pellets to the fish.

Jack in the box

Easy Rider

Here's Jack testing out his new tricycle from his great grandma. Since his feet can't reach the pedals yet I spent about a week hunched over and pushing him around until I figured out how to pull him along with the dog's leash. Klassy, I know.

Check out his farmer's tan! He gets this from Brent.

Jack and the Giant Peach

These pictures were taken at Mt. Pisgah, where Brent and I got married. It's one of our favorite places for a family picnic.

Lunchtime: A Series

Fine Dining with Toddler

We scoped out the newest pizzeria in town last week and we give it a two thumbs up! I can't remember the name (something Italian- duh) but it's owned by the Beppe and Gianni's people.
They've got authentic Italian pizza and a cool atmosphere AND enough high chairs for all (you would not believe how many restaurants don't have enough seats for the little folks). Another plus, the waitress didn't cringe when she saw a toddler coming to her section.

As you can see by the picture, Jack got attacked by the tickle monster while we were waiting for our food.

When the novelty of the tickle monster wore off, he amused himself with my sunglasses and then started throwing everything on the floor. Good thing we are generous tippers.

Pancakes! Pancakes!

When Brent and I were first dating he bought me this book called Pancakes! Pancakes! by Eric Carle (the guy who does those cool color montage things, like The Very Hungry Caterpillar) as a joke because he likes to make fun of a certain part of my body that maybe, kind of might resemble pancakes. A little bit.

Yep, that's right. I have a flat butt. There you have it.

Anyway. So the book got put away and boxed up when we moved and I forgot all about it. Then one day we dug it out and realized that the main character, the boy who wants a pancake, is named Jack. Ha.

Have you all seen this? It's pancake batter in a can for those of us who are too lazy to mix Bisquick and milk. This is processed and packaged food at its finest. But look closely at the label: it's ORGANIC! Does anyone else find that funny?


Jack is not sure what to think about all of this. But he will most certainly eat any pancake that is put in front of him. Just look at that belly!

Let the Demolition Begin

There goes that nasty parquet flooring that's been darkening our doorway ever since we moved in. Up next is the carpet and kitchen tile. Sure is fun tearing up your house with an inquisitive toddler on the loose. Woohoo!

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

Well, two pictures actually, but you get the point.

Home Improvement

Here's Jack and his pal William living it up at the park. Nothin like hitting up the old sandbox on a hot and humid day, am I right?

We had a nice weekend visiting my Aunt Karen in Oregon City (Hi Karen!) despite the fact that the AC is broken in the Volvo and I had to drive there and back in the heat of the day (aka nap time). We had a little family bbq and Jack put on a really good show of being the most perfect toddler of all time. Or at least a decently behaved one. I never noticed before this weekend how weird Jack's preoccupation with garbage cans is. Everyone thought it was so funny. I guess Brent and I are just used to it. You know how when you're a kid and you just assume that everybody does the weird things that your family does (like eat dinner by candlelight every single night) and then there's that moment when you're with someone else's family and you do that weird thing (like ask where the candles are) and everyone looks at you like you are crazy? It was kinda like that.

And while I was gone, Brent started Kitchen Remodel 2008, which started as my bright idea to paint the cabinets and replace the hardware. But then the counter tops look really bad next to those freshly painted cabinets so we'll have to replace them. But then the flooring will look really bad next to those cabinets and that new counter top so we'll have to replace the kitchen floor. But then the living room floor will look really bad next to a new kitchen floor so let's just redo the floors throughout the whole house... and the doors! Don't even get me started on the doors! Ack! Somebody make it stop!

So whenever y'all want to come over and entertain Jack while we continue to redo every single last part of our house, just let me know.