On the road again...

Greetings to all! First, I apologize for the delay since the last update. I have shared my displeasure with the powers that be and they have assured me that in the future, they will get me to my laptop in a more timely manner.

They better.



So... moving on! The past month has just plain been exhausting. I have once again been stuffed into a semi-ergonomic car seat to be driven across the country in an effort to broaden my horizons. I assure you that, while the trip was fun, my horizons are PLENTY broad at this point.



On the trip from WY to WV, my parents planned some very exciting stops along the way. First was an educational visit to the "Heartland Museum of Military Vehicles."

Much to our disappointment, she wasn't for sale... woulda been a great backseat companion.



By this point in the visit, I had worked myself into quite a frenzi of giggling hyterics. Apparently I LOVE military vehicles!



Anyhoo... the trip had to continue. The next day, we visited a magical mecca called Menards. There was a section in the store that looks like it is for people to test outdoor furniture, but mom and dad said that it was actually an indoor yard for cooped up babies to play in (and not be white trash at all)!!

Awesome. I explored it thoroughly and made sure I brought attention to every tiny speck of dirt or rock that was available.



Eventually, we made it to KY where we stayed with some of my parents' friends. It was cool... I got to show their tiny baby some of my tricks - like how I eat on my own.

In time, little baby, you too will be able to achieve this.



Peedles and Poppy came and picked Mom and I up in KY so that Dad could go on to AL. Of course, only moments after seeing me, Poppy let the fun begin...

Poppy to Knox: Here Knox! Have a delicious treat!
Knox to Poppy: Are you sure, Poppy?



Poppy to Knox: Absolutely! Eat up - you'll love it!
Knox to Poppy: Okay, Poppy! I trust you implicitly!

Knox to Poppy: LIAR!!!

My time in WV was of course wonderful. I got to spend lots of time with my uncle Stew and greatgrandparents - Nanny and Gramps.



I also became a fabulously entertaining meal companion. I will pretty much mimic anything that someone will do to me - including sticking my tongue out while screeching at the top of my lungs. It's tricks like these that make dinner time so much more enjoyable.



Oooh - and Peedles and Poppy took me out to eat where there were lobsters. Poppy, of course, told me to touch the lobster and that it would be "fun". Well, I'm onto Poppy. My little fist would not be undone!



After a few weeks in WV, mom and I hit the road again to go stay with dad in AL. That trip was much quicker and easier than the one to get to WV. I love myself an airplane and may have gotten a tad overstimulated when placed in my own seat. I also may have serenaded the good people on the plane with "songs". Not crying...more of an ear-piercing shriek of happiness.

What can I say? I'm an entertainer!



Being in AL is pretty great - warm weather and sunshine everyday! Plus, my first St. Paddy's day which was lovely. It should be noted though that dad said our household was celebrating March Madness a little more than our ancestoral holiday...

Noted.



Now, I am just anxiously awaiting the arrival of the Easter Bunny! I hear candy might be in the offing...?? Mom just keeps focusing on the fact she can dress me up in seersucker and dad can't say a word.

Anyway, I miss and love you all!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day to you all!




Life has been pretty sweet these past weeks. In addition to having become an efficient crawler, I have also taught myself to pull up on anything taller than the floor (seriously, if it is three inches off the floor, it's game.) Does it matter if it is stable? Absolutely not. In fact, I try to play with or pull up on items that provide the greatest potential for personal harm.


What is this? An incredibly flimsy basket? PERFECT!




...still...hanging...on...




Crap. Hmmm... surpsingly, my meaty thighs are not as strong as they seem.

Oh well - I'll just go search for some other way to try and maim myself.





BINGO!





Again - jackpot for me! However, my parents are probably not going to be winning any great awards for this either.



Strangely though, it seems that as soon as I discover a super fun cord, it disappears. Despite this, I have no worries as I'm sure there are a bunch more to uncover around the house. Yippee!!

My folks have been putting me in my booster seat a LOT lately. They say it is so that I can learn to feed myself and just generally function like the big kid I am, but I'm actually pretty sure it is because I can't go anywhere once I'm strapped in. Georgie is working on a solution to this problem for me.




Another recent highlight is that my Aunt Mel came to visit me and of course she brought me a wonderful treat - a brown bag with a rope handle. It was superb.



That's about it for now... We are getting ready to head south for a while and I have to say, I'm ready for some warm weather. Hopefully this is the last time you'll ever see me resemble the michelin man.

I'm baaack...

Sorry for the lapse in communication. My mom had to cover for me a few weeks ago as I was suffering greatly from a bout of baby pink eye. Of course, it was brutal, but I dealt with it like a man and am now back with a vengeance.

Lots has happened in the past few weeks - most notably, I am completely mobile which is AWESOME! Sure - it's freaking my folks out a little bit as they are not used to my swift movements, but they are getting used to finding me in a completely different place than where I was last placed. Yesterday, mom found me under the bed with just my tiny feet sticking out.

I am VERY fast.**



See? I can even beat Georgie to her ball. She definitely was not trying to clean up my bib, but was clearly just losing the race.



Oh... I have so moved on past the spatula and measuring cup. My new favorite companion is a foam brush. It pretty much rocks and I love it - despite the facts little pieces of foam get stuck on my tongue.



Still trying to help take pictures. Still not being taken up on my offer to help.



So mom thinks she is clever... when she doesn't want me to motor away (which again can happen quite quickly as I'm SO fast), she traps me in a basket. I realize I look happy, but inside I'm actually seething and plotting how to get out.



She also "lets" me play in this contraption. Again, secretly angry inside. Am just very good at hiding it...



**Should be noted that speed is subjective. What might be fast to a tiny, but mighty baby might be hilariously slow to an adult.

Our son, the Vegan.

If meat of any kind is involved, feeding time in the Jackson household immediately becomes an event in and of itself.

It is the weirdest thing - like somehow our 6 month old with a little pea-head has the wherewithall to immediately figure out that on a particular night, we are feeding him meat and not veggies or fruit. I guess his sense of smell is more developed than one would have imagined...

As soon as we open the jar, he will set his face into a determined, if not stubborn, expression.



Then comes the actual taste test. He will all of sudden become overly dramatic, gagging and rolling his head around like we're shoving mud (or worse) down his throat.



After this becomes absolute refusal to open his mouth. I think that if his nose were stopped up, he would rather suffocate than allow us to sneak in another bite. (Also, note the lack of clothing. This is because he has been know to spew whatever does make into his mouth ALL over the place. That's fun.)



Well, no worries... He doesn't know it, but he is being duped on a daily basis now since we just add a few tablespoons of our meat of choice into whatever veggies or fruit he is having that day.

Anyway, other than the occasional battle over nutrition, life is just getting more and more fun and exciting.

Of course, we celebrated the Gator's winning the national championship!



The obsession over wearing sunglasses continues...



Oh! And we have invented (well, maybe discovered) a new game. While complicated, it can be played by yourself.

Step 1: Put something over your eyes. Squeal. Kick legs. Laugh. Thrash about some more.



Step 2: Remove eye covering and act like you have just invented the wheel or something equally amazing.



We've also become very "helpful" recently. We help type, talk on the phone, pet the dog, etc...

Here we are helping take pictures.



...if you would just give that to me...



And last but not least, Georgie. Now that Knox is somewhat mobile (albeit, it is awkward and more often than not, thrwarted by lack of balance), our poor basset hound is played with on a daily basis. "Play" is defined by grabbing jowels, ears and tail in a suprisingly strong but tiny grip and pulling them to one's mouth to chew on.

Sometimes I wonder if she is going to run away...

How I spent my Christmas Vacation

Christmas was awesome. I straight looted up as well as held court for a few days at my Peedles and Poppy's house.

And by the way, who knew my folks were so rich? Check out the stuff they got me... Mom kept saying to Peedles that she didn't actually buy me much as I "have the attention span of a fly with toys", but you can clearly see that all of the gifts below would be used by only a six month old, right? She must have searched high and low... I could barely contain my glee!!



A spatula.


A magical cup.


And my favorite... a beautiful bow! You can tell it's a really nice one - see how shiny?

I'll admit, it was a bit elusive at first...


..shiny bow...?? ...helloooo....


And then I got it. Victory is sweet.


Ironically, after all that work - I found myself here...


Who doesn't love to be in a bucket of bows!?


Christmas dinner was, of course, a puree'd delight!


Unfortunately, there was a bump in our holiday when things got a bit testy due to Snowman trying to take my rightful place as the family Santa Clause. You can imagine who won.

Oh wait...a green gator...makes noise...


Nonono...must focus. Back to fighting Snowman.


Poppy and I shared a celebratory drink after the altercation.

Well, I guess "shared" might be a big generous since none was passed my way. Thanks, Poppy.

No, seriously - thanks. I was fine just drinking my own spit.


All in all, we had an absolutely great Christmas and hope that you did too! Have a Happy New Year!

Getting ready for Christmas...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!



So far, Cheyenne is pretty great - especially after it was confirmed that they do indeed celebrate Christmas out here as well. In addition to getting settled into the new digs, our days have been spent decorating the tree, going to a Christmas parade (complete with horses wearing lights. That's right - horses wearing lights.), and shopping.

Anyway, the whole concept of Christmas was rather confusing in the beginning...


...but I'm starting to get it. And I have to say - I like what I'm hearing!



Georgia has taken to taunting me on a regular basis. She KNOWS that I am barely mobile and she takes advantage of this by lying just far enough out of my reach to make me very frustrated. After I work and work to eventually reach her - she'll just walk away. If this behavior does not soon stop, she will lose the title of my best friend and will become my archenemy. I am not kidding.



Enough with my personal crisis... I have recently been introduced to some wonderful treats called vegetables. My current favorite are sweet potatoes, although green beans are not too shabby. They are however a tad messy and I might have a tendency to squirt them several feet from wherever I am getting fed. That's fun, right? Apparently not according to my folks.



All in all, things are pretty much the same. Mom is still dragging me around like a circus animal...



...and wearing me out in the process. But hey - who doesn't love a good nap?



Have a great holiday season!!