Cute Guys and Dark Skies

Not really sure that the little guy is teething, but he sure likes his new toy:

Cute wooden lasso made by Maple Landmark.

Although it hasn't always been easy, we've been getting a little better with naps and bedtimes, which recently gave Emily and I a chance to contemplate some of what we give up living in a wonderful city like Seattle. Warning: some of this show is a downer. Worth it, though, on the whole.


And we're hoping that our upcoming road trip will give us a chance to introduce the little guy to some perspective on just how little he really is...

I'm especially excited about the Night Sky Program at Badlands National Park, where we plan to camp for a night.

I mean, look at that sky: Can't wait!

Wondering how the plans are shaping up? Us too! But we have a rough route mapped out: View Larger Map
If you're curious, Google says that's about 5,162 miles. Glad I'll have such great company!

Speaking of, in our weekly roundup of what wound up on Facebook, here's Franklin keeping me company while I did a little research on Plato and akrasia (remember that? I can't seem to resist the temptation to revisit the topic...):

And look what a gracious host he was last week when we had some company over:

Smiles All Around

Of course the biggest thing to bring the biggest smile to my face came from the other Washington this morning. Who knew that I'd be here today saying Way to go, Supreme Court!? But hey, I'll take it. Huzzah!

But if you're looking for something else to smile about, how about Franklin's second (maybe it was third) real laugh:

He sure seems to like that zipper!

Also worth a smile or two: colorful produce from the Farmers Market!
Potatoes:


And some rainbow chard, appropriately purchased and eaten after the Pride Parade:


Speaking of Pride, Bria took some great photos, including a few of a handsome young man named Franklin: take a look.

There should also be one parade pic in this slideshow of some recent photos of said Franklin:

Having a Ball

I mentioned recently that Franklin has really been enjoying the "Busy Ball" that our friend Wai-Shun got for him... Take a look:


In other news, summer's here! That means blue Seattle skies, long days, and lots time for me to hang out with Franklin while Emily is at work. It's been pretty cool so far—he's getting stronger by the day, and we have a decent system going: he's even been a good sport about sitting in a chair in the bathroom while I shower.

The only tricky bit, so far, is napping. On the one hand, it's adorable and endearing that Franklin will only reliably nap if he's in the Ergo carrier or I'm holding him. On the other hand, well, it might be a long summer... But hey, like I said, totally adorable, so I'm sure we'll be fine :)

And finally, am I crazy, or is it completely awesome that Penguin made a trailer to announce that Thomas Pynchon's books are now available as ebooks?

Thomas Pynchon. The Complete Collection. from CHIPS on Vimeo.

Photo Finish

Sorry for the lack of posts here lately—been feeling pretty busy having fun while staying home with Franklin... plus I'm trying to finish up all of the final grading of the school year.

Fortunately (or maybe unfortunately for my students), Emily was able to watch Franklin while I gave my last exam of the year. They had some fun with Mom's camera:


And as I said, I am grading. Can you spot something different on my desk these days?