On the Round

Jonas has taken a liking of late to a red ottoman that previously had been home to a bunch of his toys. Now that he's getting tall enough, he is enjoying hoisting himself on top, having a seat and taking a look around.

Jonas and Woof Woofs

Seems we've had a number of dog-related posts of late, which is something considering we don't even have a dog. But in many ways, it feels like we do as some of Jonas' best "friends" around the house are the canine type. That includes this friendly mutt who Jonas likes to hang out with...

...But fortunately for Jonas, he does have a few real dogs in his life, including his Mima's pal Penney. The other day at her house, Jonas took a liking to Penney's bed, prompting Penney to check out who was crowding her space...

...The dog thing even extends to the car, where Jonas enjoys wearing his "Doggie Hat," an item of clothing that perhaps unlike any other seems to bring out the Big Guy's part-Russian ancestry.

Smothered in Love

Poor Blue Dog. That's one of Jonas' pals in his room and for some reason the one he chooses to smother with his hugs. Most of his other friends get a gentle, standing embrace, perhaps a peck on the cheek if Jonas is up to it. But Blue Dog seems to be the one Jonas reserves his most passionate affection for, an embrace that involves tackling Blue Dog to the ground and laying on top of him. He's in there somewhere. Poor Blue Dog.

Lying Around

Jonas has found a fun new way to read books of late, choosing to lie on his belly to turn the pages himself (provided, of course, that he has his car slippers on...) instead of sitting up and having Mom and Dad serve as narrator. Mom and Dad are just fine with this development.

Nooks and Crannies

It would appear that Jonas is getting more and more creative with his play spaces, to the point where Mom and Dad need to keep an ever vigilant eye.

Best in Show

Dad and Jonas were home the other day hanging out when Dad decided to see if there was anything interesting on TV that they could watch. And sure enough, the Westminster Dog Show provided more than enough entertainment for a little boy who enjoys himself the "woof woofs." Jonas seemed intrigued by the pointer group especially, watching in awe as they pranced about...

...but soon after that his thoughts turned to his own dog. And in an adorable move, he made sure to check out the tail just like the judges do as well as give him "nice pats" to show off his best attributes. We're not sure if the burpee in his mouth would count against him in the judging.

Step on the Step

In another of Jonas's many mini-milestones, recent weeks have seen him stand up on his own to brush his teeth, a process that formally involved Mom or Dad holding him while the brushing commenced. Now, Jonas seems to look forward to the moment he gets to "step on the step" as he says, which provides him just enough height to see what he's doing.

Study in Contrast

One day Jonas will likely ask why Mom and Dad moved from California to Colorado when he was just a baby. While we loved our time and the friends we made on the West Coast, it was a combination of our long commutes and our longing for the mountains that factored into our decision. Those ideals came to mind this morning for Dad, who flew to Los Angeles for a few days (as Jonas likes to say, on a "big, fast airplane!") for work and took these images from the sky. If Jonas ever asks, we'll just show him these shots to add some context.

Big Board

Jonas got a nice treat this weekend when his Uncle Dan and Aunt Tuesday came in from Utah for a visit. To take advantage of the trip, Jonas got to hang out Saturday night with his Colorado uncle, aunt and cousins, as well as his Mima, for a little family reunion for Mom's side of the family. The event wasn't without its drama. While Mom and Dad were making preparations for dinner, Mom accidentally stabbed herself while attempting to open a new jar of oregano with a steak knife (this plan actually made more sense to Mom than it sounds, although the result may not sound like it...) prompting an impromptu visit to the new emergency room that recently opened down the street...

...once Mom was treated and released, it was back to business. While the oregano incident may not be the best evidence, Mom's side of the family is generally quite handy when it comes to opening things, installing things and fixing things. So Dad (who is decidedly not handy at any of these tasks) used the opportunity for a little help with our latest house decor project, an idea that Mom and Dad dreamed up months ago but had yet to put to fruition. The vision: A living art exhibition in our dining room, whose walls have sat largely empty while we've figured out what to put on them. The result: An enormous new chalk board that Mom and Dad had commissioned from a factory in Illinois that will serve as a backdrop for dinners and events to come, not to mention a fantastic score sheet for the occasional game night. The board was so big that it took a special freight delivery to get here...

...with Uncle Dan and Uncle Char's help, the board and its substantial backing went up on the wall...

...once up, we started with a test mark on the board, which can take both chalk and erase markers...

...after the mark was deemed a success, the fun began. For Jonas' cousins Rachel and Ben, the board may have seemed less like a canvas for art than a chance to practice their math...

...but Uncle Dan saw the art possibilities, offering a realistic sketch of Ben's favorite pal, Funky the Tiger...

...the first of many, many creations to come...

On a Date

Dad had the day off from work and Jonas had the day off from daycare today, so they decided to pay Mom a visit at her work. And as a bonus, Dad played chaperone on a supervised date between Mom and her No. 1 son over lunch at a local deli. Despite his efforts, Jonas has a little bit of work to do as far as dating etiquette. Unfortunately, he started off just a little bit nervous...

...that nervousness led to a series of early blunders. For starters, he let Mom open the door for him on their way in. Then he let her pay for the meal. And then he let her make the first move when she tried to plant a kiss on his cheek...

But by the end, he figured out the most important thing, which was putting on the charm and entertaining his special lady throughout the meal. His performance wound up being so good that in the end he may very well have earned a shot at another date.