Life's a Bokeh

Squishing a baby bumble bee

My son picked up this rather morbid song somewhere but it was fun hearing him sing it.  I think he might have misunderstood the lyrics...or maybe it was us. 

January 22, 2010 - Here Comes Annie Spohr!

Twitter didn't endear itself to me for some time, with the constant "fail whale" in early '08 and the stark interface, I wasn't convinced it would last.  Then came April, 7th 2009...when news first broke that Maddie, the adorable daughter of Mike and Heather Spohr had passed away unexpectedly.  Although Maddie had been born prematurely, her passing caught everyone off guard and the outpouring of support for the family via Twitter and blogs was staggering.  I still remember making a donation in her name to the March of Dimes which at the time totaled less than $1,000.  As news spread the total began to jump, I found myself refreshing the browser just to see the donations mount, it didn't take long for them to exceed $20,000.  Twitter and social media were instantly legitimized & validated as a mobilizing force for good will.

Photo of balloon release at Maddie's funeral courtesy of Casey Mullins

Not long after Maddie's passing, I received a phone call from one of Heather's friends Casey Mullins AKA mooshinindy who requested assistance from my employer Tiny Prints to provide programs for the funeral service. It was at that point I went from an interested observer to an active and emotionally attached participant in both a tragedy and a touching expression of collective human warmth. 

Yesterday was a moment I know a great many people including myself have been looking forward to, the birth of Annabel Violet Spohr to Mike and Heather. Welcome to the world Annie, you have already deeply touched so many.  May you always find comfort in the love that is, has and always will be expressed toward you and your family.  We look forward to seeing more of you and hearing of your adventures! Here's a link to Annie's photo set on Flickr.

You can follow Heather and Casey on Twitter -
Heather: @mamaspohr
Casey: @mooshinindy

Thank you both for letting me be a part of your lives.

The "For Sale" Sign

Although I've already mentioned that we needed to move because our landlord has decided to sell the home we rent, the "for sale" sign finally went up which has a certain symbolic nail-in-the-coffin feeling to it.  It is a strange feeling coming home each day with the sign out there.  All of a sudden I'm more aware of any mess in the house, dirty dishes, laundry laying about, un-made beds etc.  Really looking forward to moving out now...just not the move itself.

It occurred to me this morning that this will be the 4th move for our three year old son. It's time to stay somewhere for awhile!

Fortunately we have a lease agreement for another home ready to sign which we will do today.  Move-in date is February 5th, right around the corner.  Looking forward to the move now, in a masochistic sort of way.

It's All About Jack

Three year old Jack was a busy kid today

First thing this morning he was drawing on his easel which usually results in something he describes as "train tracks" -  his default description for the random jumble of weaving lines.  Today was distinctly different however and I ran to get my camera to document an image that I could clearly distinguish as "balloons." It helps this this was also what he was trying to draw.

He later drew an image that took a bit more explaining, in this case a balloon that he popped. Notice that it has deflated somewhat, the horizontal line is air escaping from where he punctured it.

Since we're preparing to move, our office is a bit of a mess.  Jack found some headphones with built in microphone and was pretending to be a pilot.  Makes you wonder where he learns about such things...he's never seen me imitate being a pilot but he has flown a few times, he must have caught a glimpse into the cockpit.

Disclaimer: The headset and microphone was adjusted by him, not staged by the proud parents

Something Called Croup Can't Be Good

I've already lost track of when the cough started, it may have been Monday or Tuesday night this past week.  It began in the middle of the night and came with a slight fever.

By Thursday Jack was at the pediatrician getting poked and prodded.  Lungs OK, ears just fine, temperature normal, cough...NASTY!  Diagnosis - croup.  The name alone sounds like something that got lost in the back of the fridge for a month, or worse something growing on warm stagnant water.

It's now Sunday evening and we aren't seeing any significant improvement, if anything the lack of sleep has run him down...and us too.  Doesn't matter what we do I am up 3 to 4 times a night to try to soothe the cough which is quite painful.  Taking him outside for some cold damp air helps but it is just a temporary fix. We have a vaporizer running constantly as well so it is difficult to know how much it helps.

There is a side benefit effect for which I feel terribly guilty, his lower energy levels mean his likes hanging out close to mom & dad under a blanket on the couch.  Hoping we turn a corner soon!

Funny Video of My Son Rockin' Out

My 3 year old son and I hung out this morning at a local cafe and he was really diggin' the music and dancing in his seat so I took out my phone and captured a few funny clips of him enjoying himself, this is a compilation of the videos.  Hope you enjoy it as much as I did, he was entertaining everyone in the place.

Here is the best of the shorter video clips if you get impatient.

Jack Likes to Bake

At my son's daycare they do all sorts of fun and engaging activities, recently they did some baking.  They're constantly taking photos and videos but usually there are other kids in the picture so I can't share due to privacy concerns.  I found these recently of my son making cake batter and wanted to share.

Cake batter almost finished! Yes, mom and dad got to eat some of the finished product.

Jack Kissing Mommy

Jack Kissing Mommy

IMG_0498.JPG, originally uploaded by jack'sdad.

Just a set of photos of I took today of my son Jack and wife Becky while trying out the diminutive Canon XSi. Let me clarify, diminutive compared to my 1D III. Used my 28-70 L 2.8 which completely overwhelmed the camera size wise but was still quite easy the handle. If I were to use the camera more frequently, I think I would mount the lightweight 35 f/2 or similar lens. The menu system isn't terribly intuitive but perhaps I'm just not accustomed to it yet.

Really looking forward to getting my hands on the 7D. Take a look at this weeding video so see what the camera can do in capable hands:

jc plus esther // all 7d highlights from stillmotion on Vimeo.

More photos from the day:

Funny Three Year Old Expressions

New 3 year old sayings are thick in our household, apparently streaming from outside influences.  The newest from our little guy is "I'm talking about" which is his version of "what are you talking about?" and "what's going on?"  Both are used completely out of context but he clearly loves getting a rise out of us when he says them.  I'm going to have to do a follow-up post if I can catch either on video, it's pretty funny stuff.

In addition, the "whys" are now coming on strong, usually from the back seat when I'm driving.  On the occasions that we're stopped at a light and I can catch his expression, the devilish look on his face makes it clear that he is finding pleasure in his petty annoyances.  If you haven't had the pleasure, the "whys" are when every statement you make is followed by "why?" regardless of the subject.

Good times!

What I learned This Weekend

I learned that my son might finally like swimming pools! 

May sound trivial but he's almost three and has been particularly reluctant to embrace swimming and pools in general.  On a trip to a friend's home in Davis on Saturday, Jack finally got a positive taste for the merits of that hole in the ground full of water. Of course it helped that there were two older boys  having a good time splashing around as well.  Never hurts to have a little peer pressure. 

I'm including a few pictures of the fun, although we had no idea how much he enjoyed it until we got home.  After returning he found a deflated raft at our house and has insisted on playing in it ever since.

I am so grateful for the precious time spent with friends and family over the Labor Day weekend, in this case with friends who were in town from New York with their two sons. 

Jack with mommy

Cannonball!

Busted

Wife and I went to the mall this weekend to run some errands.  While we were there we needed a little snack and decided to use the free McDonald's burger coupons from the Cheeseburgher Party.  This is quite out of character for us since we typically avoid all kinds of fast food, especially with Jack in tow.

While we sat outside I tried to grasp why Jack repeatedly was pointing toward the restaurant and asking for a toy.  Before long it became apparent that someone has been sneaking him to McDonald's.  While he did not divulge who the culprit is we have our suspicions. 

As he gets older, clandestine activities including Jack become ever more difficult...gotta keep that in mind when I try to be sly.

Neighborhood Block Party

Jack at Block Party, originally uploaded by jack'sdad.

Several homes in the immediate area had a block party this evening. It wasn't our idea so we can't take credit for it but we (especially my wife) helped set it up. Different homes host the party every other week in about a one half mile square area of Los Altos and a schedule is published so turn out is very good.

It isn't very relevant that I'm using my son as the primary photo of the post but, well, he's my son and it's a cut picture of him. I guess it's my prerogative.

In this edition we had a shaved ice machine, popcorn machine, two grills with chicken, hot dogs etc., margaritas, beer and a bounce house. The kids played, the parents talked and everyone wandered freely in the street since basically the whole neighborhood was in attendance...until well after dark.

I feel gratitude to live in a neighborhood where this type of behavior is encouraged and supported by all. Fortunately mean, nasty, landlord lady next door lives elsewhere so she doesn't count.

Wish I had taken more pics, these don't accurately represent the turn-out but take my word for it, we had lots of fun and it was well attended. In fact, after staying out a bit later than my wife and son, I found her out cold in bed. He was cheerfully watching TV, knowing that he was getting to stay up far later than normal while she dozed.

You should visit some time.

Unrepresentative street scene that shows only a portion of those in attendance

Yum! Love the smell of a good summer grill

The Bounce House

Tiny Prints Birth Announcements in @PeopleMag

Maxine Bahns Birth Announcement in People Magazine, originally uploaded by jack'sdad.

The August 2009 copy of People Magazine includes two stars who recently used Tiny Prints for their birth announcements. Included are the announcements for Alison Sweeney and Maxine Bahns. We're all pretty excited...or should I say "grateful" about the exposure so I thought to include it here.

The lighting was pretty poor when I took the pictures so they'll a little dark but finding the real thing can't be too hard...page 72 I think.

Jack in Mom's Shoes

Jack in Mom's Shoes, originally uploaded by jack'sdad.

This is my Wordless Wednesday post, it really needs no explanation. Glad the shoes weren't too expensive...and that I had a camera around to catch him in the act.