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Every year, in mid-June, Vogel State Park in north Georgia is taken over for an entire week by Burnses from all over the country. It’s the Burns Family Reunion, and this was Jackie’s second experience with Katie’s great uncles and aunts, second cousins, third cousins, sixth cousins twice removed, and so on. Jackie shared the spotlight with a few other children this year (including Henry, Audrey, Emilyn, and Emory), but she somehow managed to get plenty of attention and/or ice cream whenever she wanted either or both.
This was the first year of the BFR (of 44 years total) that Katie served as co-organizer and chief cabin coordinator. With her Uncle Robert’s tutelage, she did an outstanding job making sure that everyone had comfortable accommodations.
I brought a special non-Burns friend along to the BFR this year. Robah made the trip southwest, and I really appreciated him coming. He’s always been a true friend, but I was surprised to learn what a good hiking partner he is. You could say that Robah is a dog’s dog, except that he doesn’t really like other dogs. He does love people though.
Here’s a generalized schedule of the typical day during our week at Vogel State Park:
6:30 — Katie, Robah, and I wake up. Robah goes out to relieve himself, sees a deer in the woods, and takes off for about two minutes (the amount of time it takes for the deer to lose him)
7:15 — Katie heads up to her parents’ cabin, where Jackie is sleeping
7:15 – 8:00 — Robah and I listen to Tame Impala, Ariel Pink, The Arcade Fire, Tennis, and others as we get ready for the day
8:00 – 11:00 — Robah and I hike one of trails that head at VSP. Katie and Janet cook for the family members hanging around Janet and Ben’s cabin (at least 5 guest eaters total, maximum of 15). Jackie entertains, or is entertained, and then naps.
11:00 – 12:00 — Robah and I eat leftovers and snacks for lunch while we catch up with Jackie and Katie on the morning events
12:00 – 4:00 — The Joneses change into swim gear and enjoy the lake, except for Robah, who naps
4:00 – 7:00 — Jackie naps, and Katie, Robah, and I read and relax
7:00 – 9:00 — BFR dinner gathering (everyone), socializing or planned event (e.g. talent show) afterward
9:00 – After reading books with Nana and Papa, Jackie goes to bed in cabin #25
9:00 – 11:00 – Before bed Katie reads, Robah snoozes, and I play with my new phone
The schedule listed above shouldn’t leave you with the impression that every day at VSP is the same. Every day brings nuanced surprises, or in the case of our next-to-last day there, a fairly major event. Robah and I had a scary and exhilarating hike to wrap up our week, but I won’t go into details here.
Katie is lucky to have an amazing extended family (both paternal and maternal), and I’m lucky to be accepted by them (Robah was also accepted, except for the few isolated instances when he slobbered on someone).
Here are pictures from the week. Video will follow when I get around to editing and polishing.
Updated: I added several good pictures, including the Witkin family of Winston-Salem, horses, and a modified garden wagon.
I don’t have time right now to go into details about our weekend in Boone. Of course, Jackie’s time with her grandparents on Blue Knob is always post-worthy, and our most recent visit included feeding horses and the Cadillac of kids’ wagons (or maybe Humvee of kids’ wagons) — she rode in comfort and rugged style down the winding gravel road. Maybe after we return from holiday I’ll sort out the many videos and pictures from last weekend.
Our fun wasn’t limited to Watauga County. We also had a good time at a party thrown for the upcoming Halsey/Busick union. In fact, I would bet the ranch that no one at the party had a better time than Jackie.
Here she is running happily amok, as the band played on:
Updated: the following pics were added on July 13.
The JACKIE-LAC; a rugged, yet stylish mode of Blue Knob transportation
Cheers! (pronounced "Che-ouh-was")
Eustace's horses
Post-bubble blowing
Michael, Jackie, and Spencer enjoy story time
Sharon, arms full
Our baby turned into a little girl. I know it’s not exactly a revelation that a child grows up, but when it’s your child, and it happens before (and away from) your eyes, it is startling in a very gradual way.
Jackie at the Underwood Elementary playground down the street (photo credit: Andy Blair)
Believe me, Spring in North Carolina is magical when you experience it with Jackie. I will no longer take the combination of ideal weather, my family, and my neighborhood for granted; every minute spent outdoors, downtown, at the farmers market, in the backyard is precious. Anytime we stroll down White Oak Road, we get to know the people living around us.
One neighbor in particular is special. Drew lives down the street, and he already seems to have a bond with Jackie.
Jackie and Drew, Easter snacking at Fallon Park
Jackie and Drew, tandem sliding
April and May have bestowed halcyon days on our family. Jackie is developing in so many ways. Her vocabulary is expanding, she’s confident on her feet, and her personality is revealed a little more all the time. I love my girls more than anything. I am so grateful for my boys (Bax and Robah). And, come September, another boy will join us, even though when we ask Jackie if she wants a little brother, she responds with an emphatic NO.
Jackie at the playground, looking for McLain?
A couple of years ago, pregnant Katie and I went to see R.E.M., Modest Mouse, and The National at Walnut Creek (or whatever corporate name it has now); Jackie’s first prenatal concert experience showcased some of the best (R.E.M.), most innovative and raw (Modest Mouse), and worthwhile contemporary (The National) alt-rock.
A couple of weeks ago, pregnant Katie and I went to see My Morning Jacket with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band at Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Cary; McLain’s first prenatal concert featured the pre-eminent live experience of Jim James and company, preceded by the mostly-Dixieland style of a New Orleans jazz institution.
Pooch displays the set list from the Cary show
The show was also one of the biggest conventions of Triangle friends and family I’ve seen in years. My brother and his wife, Katie’s sister and her husband, as well as five college friends and other acquaintances. We really appreciate the baby sitting services of the Grandparents Jones.
Katie and Mindy
I’ve been waiting about six years to see MMJ, so my expectations were probably a bit inflated. As Katie and I walked to the car after the show, she asked me how I would grade it. I told her that I gave it a B for two reasons. First, the town of Cary has a noise ordinance that limits the volume (and therefore, limits the fun); there were four or five times when I was consciously irked that there wasn’t more output resulting from the band’s hard work. Second, they played too many songs from their most recent (and my least favorite) album. Even worse, the heart of the encore was the one MMJ song I detest: Highly Suspicious. So, count me among the curmudgeons who are old enough to complain about wanting to hear more of the “old stuff” from the “good old days.”
The end of Run Thru
Now that I have the negative out of the way, I want to say that the band was extremely tight considering that they didn’t really tour at all in 2009 or the beginning of 2010. The final song included the PHJB in a moving (literally for Rich and me) rendition of Curtis Mayfield’s Move on Up. What’s more, they played about six of the 15 or so songs that I really wanted to hear. That’s a pretty good batting average, and it included my Jim James favorite, The Way That He Sings. Why does my mind blow to bits every time they play that song? It’s just the way that he sings, not the words that he says or the band.
Dondante was one of several highlights
In one of my fantasies of the future, McLain will come to me one day and ask about the virtues of Southern Rock and who killed it (when it needed to die gracefully). Or maybe he’ll want to know how powerful a voice can be under the command of good songwriting. Perhaps he’ll just want to know what constitutes a great live rock and roll show. We’ll listen to It Still Moves or Z and I’ll remind him that he was in attendance, sort of, in Cary of all places.
For the first time since Katie’s been pregnant the second time, she predicted a boy, in a note she sent me this morning. Her prediction was validated with an image at 2:15 p.m. as Sarah, Katie, and I looked at the screen on the wall during an ultrasound. When we checked in with Katie’s OB today, the fetus was 15.2 cm with a 143 bpm heart rate. We’re thrilled of course, although Katie and I agreed last week that we would be every bit as excited for Jackie to have a little sister.
Jackie didn’t seem quite as giddy as we were today when we told her; she was much more interested in getting to the time after dinner when we allow her to give Baxter and Robah treats. If asked about the imminence of her brother, she replies, “No.”
Oh, and just as Jackie’s prenatal concert experience included R.E.M., Modest Mouse, and The National, McLain’s first live music in utero will be the My Morning Jacket show Friday night. The boys from Louisville will be joined for several songs by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band.
Here are a couple of ultrasound images of little McLain (Mamabea’s maiden name, and the little boy’s handle). He will go by the name McLain, but we still have to decide on his first name.
Last Saturday, Katie, Jackie, and I went to the mall. For the record, I dislike the mall. It’s actually worse than dislike — I’m not comfortable in the mall. When you combine Sbarro, Hot Topic, Cheesecake Factory, Brooks Brothers, Cinnabon, and kiosks peddling airbrushed hats with a lot of people walking around inside a huge building, it spurs anxiety for me. I feel this discomfort in every mall store except for Sears. Sears, I can deal with.
But, since JBJ came along, the mall has become a more enjoyable place. There’s something truly fun about seeing her reaction to all the different people and wall after wall lined with stuff.
On Saturday, we were browsing shoes and I found some fly pink Vans in a size 5. We secured Jackie’s little feet with the velcro straps and helped her to the floor so she could try them out. She walked directly to a handbag display, deliberately plucked a lavender purse from the rack, and proceeded to the floor-to-ceiling mirror. Katie and I watched on as she admired her couture for several minutes; we finally had to coax her away from her newly-accessorized reflection. Here are a couple of pictures.
Katie and I are baffled about the source of these designer genes. Neither of us care much about fashion. Granted, Katie is beautiful, as is Jackie, but that’s much different than being fashionable. My father (from whom I stole the title of this post) confirmed that my Granddaddy Buck liked tailored suits, but no other Jones would belong anywhere near a Milan runway unless an Alitalia 747 was involved. There isn’t an obvious high-fashion influence in Jackie’s daily life.
If she asks for a credit card for her second birthday, the answer will be “no.”
About a month ago, Katie and I left our daughter in the capable hands of Burns grandparents, Jones grandparents, and Uncle Ri and Aunt Mi, and went to Denver to see Steve, Ali, and Lex. A trip west to see the Savilles was long overdue.
Our hosts tour-guided us through Denver, hiked us around Rocky Mountain National Park, braved a treacherous I-70 to get us to Breckenridge for a short day of skiing, and treated us as hospitably as possible.
I also learned two new games while in Denver:
- the Ring Game, which tests the player’s motor skills and sanity as he pushes a ring on a chain steadily toward a target hook. For me, it was an exercise in futile calibration for the first two-and-a-half hours, followed by celebratory extrication when the ring finally found its mark.
- the Geo-interpretation of Moving License Plates game, a Steve Saville original, tests the player’s knowledge of places and letter sequences. For more details, and a set of official rules, contact Steve.
I think I can speak for Katie; we’re not more excited about any new baby, anywhere (except for under our own roof), than we are for the little guy arriving in May at Jasmine Street. Here are some pictures from our time with the Savilles.
Note: If I see this tag anytime soon, I’m going to run the other way…
I’m thrilled to announce a new addition — Katie and I are eagerly expecting our second child on September 20.
Our first child has really taken the news in stride. When we ask whether she wants a brother or sister, Jackie seems indecisive. Sometimes she answers brahna. On other occasions, her response is sahsuh, or something similar. But, most of the time she says she prefers to have a cahkah, which is her word for cracker.
The little cahkah in the womb was measuring 1.3 cm at 7.5 weeks and the heart rate was 154. A week later, during our check up today, the cahkah was already at 2.1 cm. The doctor reminded us that second children are usually larger, and I noticed Katie cringe a little (bless her heart).
Speaking of blessing her heart, the first couple of months of this second pregnancy have been rough for Katie. We’ll all be glad to reach that 12-week milestone when the some of the worst symptoms will probably start to dissipate.
Here are a couple of early ultrasound images from last week.
Jackie's little sibling, aka "cahkah"
Actually, she or he resembles an animal cahkah at this early stage
Jackie and her cohort Drew had their first real taste of snow after several inches fell in Raleigh last night and this morning. Of course, 20 minutes of getting the little ones ready led to only 15 minutes of good sledding before the youngsters got cold and ornery, but we really had a blast. I’m proud to say that Jackie and I held our own in head-to-head racing with the Blair duo from down the street.
Big thanks to Sarah B. for scoring sleds and snow boots for us to use — it wasn’t easy for new parents to find these high-demand items in the Triangle yesterday, but she came through for us.
Halloween weekend was a lot of fun for us. Nana arrived fairly late last Friday night from Georgia. Saturday, the family across the street invited us to their son’s birthday party. The spread of food was bountiful — our neighbors are Montagnards, part of an ethnic group from Vietnam,
and they prepared a feast for their friends and family. We were lucky to be invited, and even though we arrived only a couple of hours after we ate lunch, I couldn’t turn down the pho-like bowl of soup they prepared for me. While Jackie played with two other babies on the floor of their living room, Katie and I sampled items from the buffet in the kitchen.
One of the older men there explained that Montagnard/Degar people supported U.S. forces in the Vietnam war, and that outside of Vietnam, Raleigh has one of the largest Montagnard communities in the world. I don’t know much else about their culture, but they definitely have food figured out — rich meat flavors, aromatic ingredients added ad hoc to suit personal taste (cilantro, basil, lime), and plenty of heat from raw or semi-cooked peppers. Our sinuses cleared, we crossed the street to get ready for some sugar-free trick-or-treating.
Quick background: Just after Katie and I moved into our current house last summer, I discovered that a friendly neighbor down the street was actually my second cousin once removed. He informed me that another mutual cousin lives on our street, between our house and his. So, I have a second cousin once removed and a third cousin (neither of whom had I met before) who live within one city block of me on the same street.
Early Halloween evening we met up with the Blairs (my third cousin, her husband, and their son, who is about the same age as Jackie), and hauled the little ones (a monkey and a spider) down to Fallon Park for the neighborhood Halloween Parade & Potluck. We got there just in time to see some interesting costumes, and even a few families that showed costume solidarity — dad, mom, and kids had coordinated outfits. And, some of these kids looked like they were in middle school. I’m pretty sure I was enough of a brat as a teenager that I would have sneered/jeered at anyone who suggested that my family dress up with a unified Halloween theme.
We left the park and headed back to our street, where we stopped by neighbors’ houses to show off the babies and turn down candy offers. Of course, Katie and I weren’t counting on 75 degrees and sun when we ordered Jackie’s monkey suit, so she seemed relieved when we finished our tour up and down our street.
I think I spent the dog food money 