Jack and Cate Update -- July, 2007

Monday, July 2, 2007

Cate got her nails done at a salon for the first time. She immediately suggested "I should always get my nails done here!" Uhhhh, not so much.

Wednesday, July 4, 2007

Josh and Jack at the Lakewood Fourth of July parade. Given Jack's waning enthusiasm, Josh out-hustled him to most of the candy flung our way. Later at our house, Jack and Josh were playing roughly with two dolls, and Jack named them Tory Belleci and Grant Imahara. Did I also mention the dolls weren't wearing clothes? Creepy...

Wednesday, July 4, 2007

Cate with the Peaslee girls, Leah and Hannah. It was only in the mid-80s, but the humidity kept a lid on the festivities.

Thursday, July 5, 2007

We met Johnny, Grandma Mary Kay, and Aunt Linda in Atlanta on our way to Delray Beach. By shuffling our seat arrangements, the kids all shared a row on the flight. As we stepped off the plan in Fort Lauderdale, Jack immediately asked: "Why the heck is this place so hot?!?" Johnny enthusiastically responded: "You're in Florida, baby!"

Thursday, July 5, 2007

We spent five days together in Florida. The kids were inseparable.

Thursday, July 5, 2007

Take one: Johnny being a goof.

Thursday, July 5, 2007

Take two: Jack being a goof.

Thursday, July 5, 2007

Take three: Nobody being a goof. I've never seen Jack so excited to be in a photograph -- that's the kind of influence Johnny wields.

Friday, July 6, 2007

It might be her first trip to the ocean, but Cate looks like she'll fit right in.

Friday, July 6, 2007

Johnny Schurwan: athlete, muscle-man...

Friday, July 6, 2007

...chick-magnet.

Friday, July 6, 2007

Lisa is shocked to learn there are waves in the ocean. Again.

Friday, July 6, 2007

One day in and I can already tell I have two women who would rather vacation on the beach than on the slopes. Perfect. This was supposed to be a photo with Lisa and both kids, but...

Friday, July 6, 2007

...Jack was far too busy to participate.

Friday, July 6, 2007

Even after a lengthy nap, the morning of sun and ocean have taken their tiring toll.

Friday, July 6, 2007

While waiting for our ride to dinner, Jack proves (yet again) that he's a burgeoning party hound. Without doubt, it's the Leuchtmann in him.

Friday, July 6, 2007

Lisa with her God-Daughter (and bride-to-be), Tara.

Friday, July 6, 2007

Aunt Pat, Lisa, Tara, and Grandma Mary Kay. This definitely looks like trouble, so I took my photo and slowly backed away...

Saturday, July 7, 2007

We arrived at the hotel for the wedding long before the ceremony, so we had a lot of time to kill. My solution, as always, was to take some pictures to keep myself (if nobody else) entertained.

Saturday, July 7, 2007

Again with the kids...

Saturday, July 7, 2007

After five days of attention lavished upon her, I'm pretty sure she'll be disappointed with our post-vacation lavishing skills.

Saturday, July 7, 2007

Jack's repeated willingness to be photographed is a sure sign of cosmic imbalance. We'll be paying for this in the weeks and months to come...

Saturday, July 7, 2007

Whad'ya know? Lisa and I make it onto the family website together?!? Clearly our editors are falling down on the job. Aunt Linda told me my longer hair makes me look ten years younger. I may never cut it again...

Saturday, July 7, 2007

Three generations of Leuchtmann/Nelson women, and Aunt Linda ably demonstrates why I don't cross any of them. Cate was proud of her purse, and (like Lisa's) I filled it with camera equipment. Cate took personal responsibility for managing the replacement batteries for the flash.

Saturday, July 7, 2007

Johnny is just playing around, but it drives the women crazy.

Saturday, July 7, 2007

Cate could get used to ocean life.

Saturday, July 7, 2007

Uncle Joe, father of the bride, shortly before show-time.

Saturday, July 7, 2007

Aunt Linda and Johnny sat behind us during the ceremony.

Saturday, July 7, 2007

Walking down the aisle. After the night before, no one has the right to look this perky.

Saturday, July 7, 2007

Tara and Jay. Just married.

Saturday, July 7, 2007

What over-the-top wedding reception is complete without World Champion Flair Bartender, Rodrigo Delpech, all the way from Buenos Aires? The rumors couldn't agree whether he made $1,000 or a mere $500 an hour...

Saturday, July 7, 2007

I love that Jack and Cate share the same expression of ultimate shuffleboard concentration.

Saturday, July 7, 2007

Tara and Lisa at the reception. Dinner and dancing was in an air-conditioned tent in the hotel courtyard. Frankly, hotel management didn't fully appreciate the scale of the party until it was well underway.

Saturday, July 7, 2007

We're all looking at Jack and not incidental protuberances, right?

Saturday, July 7, 2007

I asked Cate if she would dance with me -- she said no. I asked Cate if she would dance with Johnny -- she said no. Helpfully, Jack said, "I'll dance with Johnny!" Only then did Cate agree to dance with me.

Saturday, July 7, 2007

After a dance with me, Johnny got a turn.

Saturday, July 7, 2007

The kids have serious moves. When they finished, Johnny exclaimed: "Cate's a great dancer!"

Saturday, July 7, 2007

Like his old-man, Johnny can work up a sweat on the dance floor. Johnny was three when he attended our wedding. As we were leaving the reception, John (Johnny's Dad) was so sweaty from dancing that we left on our honeymoon convinced he had fallen in one of the aquarium tanks.

Saturday, July 7, 2007

The couple's first dance.

Saturday, July 7, 2007

Our table was at the back of the tent (next to the bar; how did they know?!?), so we resorted to standing on chairs to get a better view of the toasts.

Saturday, July 7, 2007

Jack was sometimes less enthused about the evening's activities.

Saturday, July 7, 2007

Caught on film, Jack employs primal scream therapy.

Saturday, July 7, 2007

I have no idea what this means, but I'm hoping it can be successfully employed in various bar bets. Knowing they had watched the Mythbusters demonstrate the perils of combining tongues and frozen poles, Lisa asked Jack what would happen if he put his tongue on the Vodka Luge. He explained that it would stick and he would have to pee on his own tongue to free himself (more useful, if unwanted, Mythbusters information). She then asked how he would do that, and he replied boisterously: "I DO NOT KNOW!"

Saturday, July 7, 2007

Aunt Pat pole dances, and no one seems particularly surprised. It is my sincere hope that we can all pole dance in our seventies.

Saturday, July 7, 2007

It's hard to keep Lisa (and me) off the dance floor, but I think we did all our dancing with the kids rather than with each other!

Saturday, July 7, 2007

Sublime.

Saturday, July 7, 2007

It's official. She's a party-girl.

Saturday, July 7, 2007

This is completely unnecessary and completely in character.

Saturday, July 7, 2007

We were surprised to learn there would be fireworks over the ocean. Jack took the news badly.

Saturday, July 7, 2007

Uncle Joe with Jay's mother, Terry.

Sunday, July 8, 2007

Grandma Mary Kay surprised us with new bathing suits for the kids. Cate loved hers, but she thought showing her belly was a bit immodest.

Sunday, July 8, 2007

Johnny Schurwan, future California governor.

Sunday, July 8, 2007

Jack's bravery increased exponentially after a few days in the surf. Some of the bigger waves were about as tall as he was.

Sunday, July 8, 2007

On this and a few other waves, he was knocked off his feet and pulled completely under the waves. The first time it happened, it really scared him.

Sunday, July 8, 2007

After a few rough dunkings, however, getting sucked under was all part of the fun.

Sunday, July 8, 2007

After repeated underwater excursions, Jack successfully collected nearly four pounds of sand in his hair.

Monday, July 9, 2007

Cate disappeared while we packed our bags, and we found her sitting on the balcony taking in the Delray Beach sights. She obviously didn't want to leave.

Monday, July 9, 2007

Before we headed back to the airport, we had lunch at Tara and Jay's with Uncle Joe and Aunt Pat. For the kids, the highlight was playing with their dogs. Spending time with everyone was the perfect way to finish our Florida vacation.

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

It's been nearly two and a half years since Jack had tubes put in his ears, but they've since fallen out and he's been having ear problems again. Dr. Kirkham recommended that he go back under the knife to have new tubes inserted.

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Prior to receiving the "goofy juice", Jack was perky and in a good mood (especially for 6:30 in the morning).

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Despite only carrying a half-dozen channels, Jack loved the television mounted on a swing arm.

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

It didn't take long for the medication to take effect. Last time, Jack seemed genuinely drunk. This time, Jack seemed genuinely sleepy.

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

He wasn't too tired, however, to reposition the television about a foot from his face. I'm sure he'll soon demand such television convenience at home too.

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Jack was in surgery for just a few minutes and everything went fine. Dr. Kirkham brought us the old tube (still caked in what can only be described as ear cement), and we'll cherish it forever. Even after some recovery time and a couple of popsicles, we were leaving the hospital before 9 AM.

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

We've had our house torn apart for several weeks while we moved the dining room into the living room, moved the office into the dining room, and had the kids' rooms professionally repainted. Today was the day we finally disassembled the bunk beds and moved the kids into their own rooms.

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Jack is excited that his "new" dresser and armoire are from Grandpa Dick. They were Dick's bedroom furniture back in the mid-20s [Actually, it was the late-40s. Ed.]

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Both Jack and Cate have a desk in their new rooms. Note Jack's glove. It's no homage to 1980s fashion, rather it's our latest attempt to help Jack kick the thumb-sucking-habit. At least in theory, the glove discourages thumb sucking while he sleeps. Even though he was in a new bedroom and Cousin Johnny was visiting, Jack went right to sleep. He did, however, take off his glove and suck his thumb while he slept.

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Cate chose a rather suggestive pose. I'm opposed. Damn opposed. A week later, Lisa told Cate there are advantages to having her own room. Lisa explained that she could play in her room for a little while without keeping Jack awake. Lisa was a bit frustrated that she had to teach Cate how to cheat at bedtime.

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

That's much more appropriate for a family website. That first night alone, Cate went to bed right away, but she was still awake when I went to empty the trash nearly an hour later. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Sunday, July 22, 2007

Just a couple weeks after our vacation in Florida, both Grandma Mary Kay and Cousin Johnny came to Dallas to stay with us. As is her wont, Grandma helped us wrest control of our house from our bedroom reorg.