As promised to Amanda, here are some more videos of Jack's trick.  

Here's Amanda setting him up. He had just woken from a nap and was a little slow. But still eager to play.

Here he is just after learning the trick. He's eager to do it, and it's usually a domino chain of explosions.


Other tricks that Jack has recently learned:

• blowing air
• kissing your cheek - usually a gross, open-mouthed press to your cheek, but tonight he actually make a puckering lips smack!
• holding the phone to his shoulder/ear region
• pretend washing the table with a napkin
• Putting pencil to paper
• Can balance on two legs for a few seconds (only done twice, he doesn't seem to like it yet)
• Fast at climbing up stairs, can go down backwards with lots of prodding

Other things he can do, learned/mastered in the last month or so

• Cruising!
• waving bye bye
• high fives
• nodding yes
• standing in his crib after naps
• "Da" has been generalized for many things, but with tones. Mom, Dad, bottles, animals, fruit, all "da!"
•  Sorting, stacking rings, putting straws in cup lids . . .any kind of "this" goes in "there" task

And reading by osmosis!

(There, Amanda.  Blog updated.  I'm going back to sipping tea and doing nothing.)

The purpose of our trip was to attend the wedding ceremony for our dear friends, Jeff and Mavi.  They held it on the Monument, right on the edge of a cliff at sunset.  It was gorgeous. 

I love her dress, hand made by the bride - of course!

Who's that on the left?  Ben and Brian participating in a brass quartet to accompany the ceremony!  Jeff requested that Ben play for them.  Now, he hasn't played in 12 years, since his marching band days in high school.  But he rented a baritone and practiced practiced practiced to play for the wedding. 






Jenni and I were duly impressed by their chops.

The wedding was so much fun.  They had a reception dinner at Dos Hombres where I met some of their crazy friends from NY.  The next day they had a picnic in Lincoln park.  I wish I hadn't gotten sick so I could have enjoyed it more and talked with the bride and groom longer.  But it was still fun, and great to see old friends like Katie L. and Katie H. and Neil (with new fiance, Novolin!)  I wish all my old friends ever would just move to the Denver suburbs and entertain me.  Is that so much to ask?

Amanda said: I keep looking at your blog for updates, a summary of your GJ trip, etc.

It's not his first time swimming, but his first time having fun!
(sorry for the low res, taken straight from phone)

Found an old business card in my parents' basement. I'm guessing circa 1995. Very Max Fisher, says Ben.