Jack Jams with the Jingle Bell Puppy

Remind me to thank Aunt Jenny for the Jingle Bell puppy later. Aside from the rather loud singing, it is particularly funny to watch Jack light up after pressing the puppy's paw. And they make pretty good dance partners. Here, Jack is dancing -- yes that is dancing -- with his new best buddy. He wakes up each day and does a jig with Jingle Bell puppy. Right after turning on the Christmas tree lights and just before his cup of "milk in a Hawkeye cup."

Let's Go Bucs!

We recently attended a Des Moines Buccaneer's hockey game with our friends "The Bumps" -- or John and Amanda Grask (see wedding posting from September). Jack was glued to the action on the ice for almost the entire game. He liked cheering and yelling and was especially taken with the pirate mascot on the ice. Th rest of the weekend, he kept asking, "hockey today?"

Counting Oranges

OK, we know this isn't perfect, but it's still cute. He can get all the way up to 12 on a good day. Here, Jack starts with confidence, but suddenly remembers his favorite game, "Blast Off," which leads to the countdown at the end. We'll work with him some more and post his progress soon. Stay tuned!

They Meet, At Last

After 19 long months, Jack and Uncle Nick Holmes finally got to meet each other. Jack was spellbound by Nick's ever-present video camera (hopefully we'll get to post the edited finals, right Nick?). He is still talking about Uncle Nick and basketball. Hopefully, he'll get to meet Autie Collette soon, too.

I'm the Star, Here, Sally!

Stop stealing his spotlight, Sally! A photo op on the steps quickly became a wrestling match, but Sally was no match for Jack and his moose sweater and his new "big boy" jeans that Daddy picked out. Get this baby a Gap contract, now!

Jack Learns His Name

Listen carefully or you might miss it. But yes, Jack has finally figured out how to say his name. It's about time, seeing as how he can correctly identify an entire room full of relatives or name each of his day care "classmates." As Jack would say, "good job, buddy!"

T&V Come to Visit

Great grandma and great grandpa Otis came to visit in Octboer and Jack managed to sit still for three nanoseconds to have his photo taken. Then, he was off and running!

Kissing a Brontosaurus

"Look what Mommy brought me!" I went to a writers conference recently and while I didn't get a publishing contract, I did win a stuffed dino and a book for the little guy. Here, Jack welcomes his new friend to dinner.

Hoppy Halloween

Jack, our favorite kangaroo, really loved Halloween. His costume stayed on with no fights, and he even used his kangaroo pouch for candy instead of using the totally adorable, completely overpriced pumpkin bag we bought him from Pottery Barn Kids. He ran around the neighborhood yelling, "kids, kids!" as big groups of trick-or-treaters ran from house to house. He even invited himself into a few homes looking for puppies (not candy). Directly above, Jack and his neighbor buddy Sam Bugge (and mommy Yvonne) get ready to trick-or-treat. The other photos are of Jack ripping apart Yvonne's fall scene. For some reason he was really into the corn; must be the Iowan in him. The scabs you see on his nose are from a face-plant that happened earlier in the week at day care. Try not to mention it to him, he's very self concious about it.

Oh Gosh, Amazing!

Jack is a big football fan already, and has picked up a few phrases key for football viewing. Here, you can here him yelling, "oh gosh, amazing!" as someone (not Iowa) scores a touchdown. He even does a few jumps at the end to show his excitement. Yes, those are jumps. We think he'll actually get off the ground one of these days.

Night Eyes at the Blank Park Zoo

On Saturday, Oct. 20, we went to the Blank Park Zoo for Night Eyes -- Jack's first try at trick-or-treating. He didn't mind his kangaroo costume, and even made sure his Joey was tucked into the seat belt (see photo directly above). We saw lions, tigers, leopards and eagles. No to mention lots of "pooky monsters." Lucky for Bryan and I, Jack doesn't eat candy yet, so we had a pretty good haul. His favorite movie is Charlie Brown's "The Great Pumpkin" and we get daily requests to watch it. He can even tell you what's going to happen before it happens on screen. His favorite part is when Linus tries to squeeze the big pumpkin between the fence and falls down. It gets big laughs every time.

Howell's Pumpkin Patch

On Sunday, Oct. 7, we went to Howell's Pumpkin Patch in Cumming, Iowa. What a production! First, you ride on a tractor-pulled wagon through the flower gardens to the eight-acre pumpkin patch. Then, you search and search until you find the perfect pumpkin. Then you haul your finds back to the greenhouse to be weighed and you're ready to go! Jack also had fun in the Kiddie area and liked looking at the goats (puppies!), bunnies (puppies!) and chickens (puppies!). We are one step closer to our "'pooky Halloween, ha ha ha," as Jack would say. Bryan and I decided the pumpkin patch was a lot of fun, but perhaps better suited to a crisp, fall day, instead of 85 and humid.

Calling All Grandmas in Spencer!

Jack enjoyed meeting Evan Scott (daughter of Fred and Brette, granddaughter of David and Molly Scott) at a breakfast club gathering during the Iowa/Penn State Game. Both kids rocked the Iowa wear, but to no avail (this is soooo not a going to be a good season). We decided chalk drawings and pink basketballs were more important, too. Both send kisses to their grandmas in Spencer, Iowa.

Jack Gets a Haircut

Aunt Tanya gave Jack his second haircut in September (still not much to take off the top). Jack was very helpful by pointing out how he liked his hair combed. He also enjoyed the styling products she used, he's one chic baby!

Bump and Amanda's Wedding

Bryan and I were lucky enough to be a part of our friends' wedding -- Amanda and John Grask. It was a beautiful day for a fall wedding and we had a fabulous time. The bride was gorgeous and the groom had a special twinkle in his smile the whole time. Now, they're on their honeymoon in Hawaii, and I wish I had snuck along as a stow-away. Aloha, John and Amanda!

Gatsby Gala

Bryan and I served on the planning committee for the Gatsby Gala, a party to benefit the Salisbury House in Des Moines. The top photo is of Stacey Thompson, Stephanie Cox and me.

It's a 20s-themed party, and people got really into their costumes. Lucky for me, I have a stylish grandmother who saves EVERYTHING, including her lace dancing dress from about 1929. We had a great time with our group of friends -- everyone decked out in flapper gear and zoot suits and feathers!

Wrigley Field

Bryan and I spent Labor Day in Chicago. There, we were able to take in a Cubs game on Friday afternoon and see Iowa play Northern Illinois at Soldier Field. Jack was at Camp Grandma in Okoboji learning bad habits. (kidding, Sally, calm down!)