Grandfather Mountain

On Saturday, we went up to Grandfather Mountain. We saw some of the wildlife (bears, cougars, deer, and a bald eagle) up close and Cindy and Paul went over the "Mile High Swinging Bridge." Well, Cindy just "went"; Paul gritted his teeth and managed to stumble across. Cindy kept stopping to make helpful suggestions like "Look, Paul. It's not that far down." And then there's the ever popular "Wow, isn't it fun when the bridge sways like that"! On the way back she made Paul pose for a picture. He may look casual, but there are dents in the metal railing from his grip!
Never fear, Jack was safely ensconced in Jane's arms at the base of the bridge area. He had a nice nap, she said. We saw several people carrying their small children in their arms across the bridge. We could just imagine the child doing a patented squirm and "Weeeeeeeee", off the bridge they would go.

Thanksgiving

We went up to Jane and Bill's for Thanksgiving. Jane must have thought our names were "Hansel" and "Gretel" because she stuffed us full of food. The turkey was fabulous! Jack tried some and loved it, the little bit he could wrestle away from his mom. Cindy didn't even wait to dig in, just ripped a turkey leg right off! (She ate the whole thing by the way)! Jack has also discovered that he can "pull up" on stuff. He hasn't done that much at home, because Paul and Cindy long ago got rid of the coffee table (too easy for dog's to destroy stuff). We're in trouble now.
On Friday, we went to see Cindy's parents. Jack loved playing with their coffee table too, and he got to see some cows. More turkey again, and some ham this time!

Sly boy

Isn't this just the most sly look you've ever seen? That's his favorite toy, by the way.

Swingin'

Jack went to the park the other day with Alison. (Alison is Cindy's employee who takes care of Jack during the day). She said he had a ball playing in the swings. She took this video of him with her camera phone, so it's a little small. Thanks Alison!

Uh oh!

Today, two milestones. First, Jack learned to pull up in his crib. He now likes to greet you at the crib while he's in a standing position. I suppose it's still going to be difficult for him to dive out, but Daddy is nervous!
The second new thing he discovered is cupcakes! Not by design though. Cindy and her employees were having a Halloween celebration complete with cupcakes. Jack was in his highchair, right beside the table with all of the food. Whilst no one was watching, he decided he was going to taste the cupcakes. Cindy said he was shoving them in as fast as he could! Good boy! Needless to say he had to have a bath and a change of clothes!

Visit with the Stubbs

While we were at Jane and Bill's house (see below), we took a day to go see Cindy's Mom and Dad, Wilma and Adrian Stubbs. Jack had a ball, showing off his Cheerio eating skills!

First Snow! Second tooth!

We went to visit Jane and Bill (Paul's Aunt and Uncle) in the NC mountains for a week this October. Jane and Bill went on a cruise, so Jack helped Paul and Cindy to take care of Jane and Bill's kitties. While we were there, he got to see his first snow! It was just a skiff of snow, but it was bitterly cold! Jack helped Mom and Dad feed the goldfish on a really cold day. He loved to play with the empty cola bottle, and he showed off his new tooth! (Since it's his second tooth, we call it the "twoph"). He was also fascinated by the pile of magazines, and as you can see, he almost disappeared under them. Thanks Jane and Bill! The stay was great!

Hep-cat!

Jack has this black turtleneck that we put on him because it's gotten a little cold. He looked like he needed a beret and a cigarillo, and he'd be a 1950's jazz musician! Cindy called him the "Hep-cat!"

By Popular Demand...

This is a picture taken BEFORE his first haircut. See why why had to shear the boy?

Frankenstein Frank

Alternate hat for the Halloween costume!