A Spring in His Step (That's Right, I Said Step!)

And let me just say right off that I think it was such a great birthday present from Franklin to save this for spring so we can go outside to play!

Obviously that was taken inside, but really the main advantage of putting a mobile baby in a small apartment is the ample video opportunities ;) ... Playground footage coming soon I'm sure.

Also had some fun while we were watching the Kansas game with the alumni group on Sunday, as Emily documented:


Speaking of, not to take this too far off topic, but how about that game? Woo! Rock Chalk!

Highlights are here.

As Wendy pointed out on Facebook, whatever Franklin and Roman said to each other during halftime really worked:

Meanwhile, we were lucky enough to be given tickets to a concert on the same night as some friends offered to hang out with Franklin. So, thanks again everyone!

Saw some very pretty Haydn trios and sonatas performed by the Seattle Baroque Orchestra.

I found a version of our favorite piece of the night on YouTube. Not the version we heard of course, but still not a bad way to spend fifteen minutes...

And although Franklin's at an age where us leaving is a little trickier than it used to be, he seemed to hit it off with Michael, which was awesome and a big relief:

All right, we're on our feet and off to cheer for KU in the Sweet 16!

Straight To The Top

Ever write a phrase down and then end up getting a song stuck in your head like all day? That's where I'm at right now. Damn Tom Waits and his catchy rhumba beat!

Anyway, seems like it's the perfect accompaniment for Franklin's favorite playground activity:

Kid's fast too!

But don't worry, he can also sit patiently, more or less, as Emily observed at daycare last week:

Just about snack time!

Meanwhile, amid the din and clamor of finals week, I'm staying comfy and relaxed thanks to some help from Franklin's Grandma Christine and from the awesome folks at Ten Thousand Waves:


Doesn't hurt that the weather keeps making steady progress on spring. Forgot how cool things look when it's bright enough for a tree to cast a shadow:

(Thanks to Emily for spotting that moment.)

Almost swimsuit weather, I suppose. Fortunately, Franklin's warming up to swim lessons a little:


Though he still gave the instructor a classic "skeptical Franklin" face:

Closeup here.

But all in all he did pretty well. Looking forward to next week's lesson!

The Bloom of Youth

Reader, it's been quite a week. End of the quarter at Seattle U, end of the regular season for college basketball (congrats on nine conference titles in a row, Jayhawks!). Meanwhile, Franklin's been out and about enjoying the beautiful weather as we inch toward spring.

Nice time practicing walking with Emily at the playground today.

Here they are in lovely, shaky video:


And he finally tried the swing:

I think he's saying "Not bad!" :)

Also trying a new trick out at home—first he empties the recycling onto the floor, then he puts it back:

Alas, then the cycle starts over again...

Speaking of the change of seasons, there's no time like the end of winter to get out and see live and lively music. Wendy was awesome enough to watch a surprisingly sleepy Franklin while we went to Town Hall to see Seattle Pro Musica's Fleur concert. Beautiful and even surprising at times.

Didn't hurt that it started out with a tasty (if also a little hasty—darn happy hour crowds!) dinner at 8oz Burger Bar:

Grass fed beef sliders with bacon jam: yum!

Luckily we had the chance to stretch a bit before the show on the short walk to the concert. Although it's of course too late to catch it, I thought you might enjoy this concert preview:

Definitely hope to see them again soon!

All right, before I head off toward Monday, here are two more photos. First, playing with the great car Sally brought:

Thanks again! Sorry we didn't get any pics from your visit, but glad we saw you!

And enjoying the kids area at the downtown library:

Already planning a return trip there soon!

A Spoonful of Cute

Getting pretty good with the spoon:

Though maybe he's not quite ready for soup? Can that bib really hold up under all the pressure??

He's been dancing a lot lately, including Monday when we were listening to the KEXP stream. But when I tried to record that, he got a little distracted by all those fun keys on the computer:


Finally, as some of you may know, he's been a little more confident about exploring the playground at Miller Playfield:




And he was maybe a little more enthusiastic than I was about the book club's last read, Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk:

All right, well, speaking of halftime, he's about to wake up from his nap, so this blogging break is about over. Cheers.