Just Call Him Radar!

Here is a picture of Jack playing the drums on a giant, plastic pumpkin. This is a boy who takes his drumming very seriously- a trait he picked up from his cousin Bubba (Caleb to those who aren't frequent visitors to the Kempffer Compound). I wanted to post this picture for two reasons. First, it's a pretty funny picture even without knowing this little story. Second, I want to put a mental image in your head that will make you laugh. Remember the character Radar on M*A*S*H? (If you don't there is something wrong with you and you should stop reading now because this just won't make any sense to you!) For those of you who are familiar with one of the best characters on TV, try to remember the few episodes in which Radar plays the drums. His head is down, he's moving to the beat, he has a goofy smile on his face... this is Jack when he plays the drums. He could be using pencils as drumsticks on the coffee table or pounding with his hands on a pumpkin, whatever the scenario, he reminds me of Radar as he entertains those around him with all his heart.

And even though I see reminders of others in him everyday, my boy is one of a kind!

Halloween 2010

This is the third year in a row that I've posted Halloween pictures

on Halloween! Yea me!

Here's Jack standing in the friendly pumpkin patch. We went to a party on Saturday night and Jack had a great time running around looking at all the decorations and people dressed in costume. (Thanks for a great party Mary!) It was a bit chilly so I opted for the fleece hat & mittens instead of Jack's costume. Such is life in Minnesota!

And here we are casting our anchor at Granny Nanny's apartment ready for trick or treating. This awesome costume is direct from 1979. Is that considered vintage? It seems that Nancy is just a bit sentimental and she had kept this from when Seth was a little tyke. I think the big difference though is that I used the sailor suit as a costume and it was just another outfit back in the day. Jack was very excited to trick or treat for candy bars and he was very polite too- as befitting a sailor in the US Navy!

Random Jack 7

Jack and Mazzy were having fun in the leaves during this October that doesn't seem to be getting cold! Grandma Donna wasn't having quite as much fun though... every time Jack would run through and kick the pile of leaves around he would look at her and say "Fix it?" In other words, "Pick up the rake you just put down and make the pile bigger!"

When was the last time you remember having so much fun?

Jack was trying to help but the rake was just a little too big!

Now Jack is not one to pose for a picture as his cousin Caleb was prone to do as a toddler. This lucky shot was the result of me waiting and waiting and then Jack fell over and started laughing.

Hey, whatever works right?

The Big Boy Bike!

Jack was having a great time trying out his big boy bike!

I tried uploading a video too but I don't know how well it will work...

Check out this kid! Jack's friend Cooper outgrew his bike and passed it on to him. Grandma Donna let him try it out today and I think he did really well. Let's remember that he's not quite 2 and a half years old and he inherited short legs from both sides of his family! I think the Kempffer athletic gene is alive and well in this next generation! And just for the record, Mick, that gene didn't skip me, I just chose not to use it! To translate Jack-speak into English, he's saying "Pedal, pedal, pedal!" just as Grandma told him to do.

Thanks for the bike, Cooper!

Road Trip

A few days before school started, my mom and I took Jack and Caleb on a little road trip into northern Wisconsin. Caleb to visit his girlfriend and Jack just to get him out of the rut of a 2-year-olds life... as tough as that could possibly be! While Caleb spent time with his girl, we went exploring and found a great place to spend some time next summer possibly. Even though Caleb will tell you that we picked him up too early, I think everyone had a good day. But I have come to realize that my kid is weird in the sense that he doesn't sleep in the car! A few weeks ago we went to Minneapolis with Ajha and Mazzy and Jack stayed awake the whole ride! For better or worse, all he does in the car is take little cat naps. This picture is evidence of just that happening. Jack fell asleep about 7 miles outside of Two Harbors on our way home. To try to stretch out his snooze we took a looping ride through the country.

Total nap time? About 25 minutes!

It does guarantee a nice early bedtime though!

(And as for Caleb's eyebrows? One of his friends dared him to do that and Caleb brilliantly agreed! We're all hoping they grow in before school pictures are taken!)

Random Jack 6

We all somehow survived the Mayor's Block Party. Friday night we watched ET in the park. And although the weather we were sitting in matched that on the screen, think misty & foggy, we had a good time- Reese's Pieces and all. Saturday's weather was perfect for an all day, outdoor party. As you can see from the picture above I have a little dare devil on my hands! He went down the "big slide" only twice but asked to go many more times. The look on his face as he was sliding down was absolute terror but he was smiling when he was getting his shoes on! Mazzy dominated the kids' karoeke stage. I think she was up there 5 times in the 4 hours they were running it. I don't think I could have heard more Taylor Swift if I went to one of her concerts! The music downtown brought in a local high school band called Silencing the Desperate who were really very good! But of course the main attraction were The Accidentals. Johnny B. Good never sounded better!

Thank you Mayor Bolen for another great party!

So here's the little stud muffin down by the lake. One of his favorite hobbies these days is throwing rocks- most of the time in the water but once at my car (I have the scratch in my paint to prove it)! And yes, he is one of the few kids I know who actually asks for his hat & sunglasses. Everything has been going well this summer. Jack is a great kid who cracks me up most of the time. He pushes his luck every once in a while but usually he's pretty laid back. We'll see how it goes when his little sister comes at Christmas time!

Random Jack 5... again!

I noticed that the first Random Jack 5 posting is dated in February. I tried to post then (did I mention that I hate waiting for pictures to upload?) and never finished but the date stuck. The first Random Jack 5 was actually done this afternoon!

This picture is Mazzy & Jack trying to fish coins out of a foutain at the end of our adventure to the MN Zoo. We did stop them by telling them that you can't take other people's wishes & dreams a la The Goonies. They were a bit disappointed!

By the way, the MN Zoo is awesome! I recommend it whole heartedly!