Loco Motion

We started out this morning with our thinking caps on. Well, Noah did. Headgear does not flatter your correspondent. Which is a shame, for neither does hair loss. No matter. It was the little man who had the pondering to do.

For weeks now, he has been the master of backward motion. Under the couch, beneath the dining table: whatever the destination, he'll be reaching it feet first. With improvements in balance it has become something of an art form. We're on the cusp of baby moonwalking. The kid knows retrogression.



His parents are ready for forward motion. Yesterday Noah wanted like nothing else in the world to insert the entire Flip video camera into his mouth. That led to an idea. And progress: a lunge.



Time to bump up the reward. The toy basket went onto its side. And there was the stiff yellow top of his blocks box, with which to pummel all the toys into submission. Irresistible.

Technology Tastes Good

Quinoa and amaranth cereal for breakfast: 30 cents

Lamb and carrot puree for dinner : $1

Knowing that you don't have to wait until dinner to put something else in your mouth: Priceless

Two for Two

On November 4th, Noah succeeded twice in doing something that his mother had done only once and his father not at all: push the green VOTE button for a winning presidential candidate.

At 10:30am the poll workers at Shiloh Baptist Church cooed, "He wasn't here with you last time!" and signed us in on line 156. "Usually we don't reach this number until three or four o'clock," one of them smiled.

He passed through the blue curtain a second time with Liz in the afternoon, exerting his moderating influence to cancel out dad's YES vote on city ballot initiative number four. Wise correction.

Then, showing the same knack for timing that allowed his parents watch the NCAA championship the night he was born, he didn't stir in his crib until Barack Obama had finished his victory speech. How can you not love this boy?

Trick or Treat