Little Man

Jack, Jack, Jack.

I cannot tell you how fun and funny it is to have a little miniature man running around my house.

There are some things I have to learn about having a little man around the house. For example, they pick up on things that look fun, even if they are not practical. I never had to worry about this with Abby. She only picked up songs that might be questionable. But we were watching Wipeout and sure enough, mid episode, when no one was paying attention to Jack, he climbed up on the ottoman and dived off it... onto Steve's stomach. AND he just kept doing it, over and over and over...

His ultimate manliness can most be noted when Steve is home, at which time Jack follows him, throwing basketballs at him in the hopes of initiating play or, when Steve is not in sight, Jack carries a ball around with him roaming the house calling "Dah! Dah!" in this really focused sort o way.... like... this is really important that I find Dad so I can throw this ball at him.

He's been copying whatever Steve does with said ball for months now - trying to dribble it from hand to hand, trying to throw it up and catch it while laying on the floor, tossing it at the wall so that it comes back to him. The mimicry gets more intense as time goes - for example today Jack insisted Steve hold him up so that he could throw the ball at the wall AT Steve's height because obviously that is why Steve is getting so much more force behind his throw... or maybe it just looks cooler that way.

It's just something in his attitude that broadcasts, "I want Dad time." With me he's almost totally different. He's still always up for a ball game, but with me he comes up and he holds me around my neck and offers up his cheek for a kiss or grabs my face and plants a forceful (if a bit sloppy) kiss right on my lips a la some 50s movie. With Abby he wants her to chase him and catch him and make him giggle. He'll go up to her and sort of collapse onto her to cuddle and hug. It's pretty much heartbreakingly adorable.

But with Steve it's man business. Even if its fun, even if there's giggling, it's business. And it is NOT to be interrupted.