My Obsession ... Peanut Butter

Hello, my name is Jack and I'm an addict. My parents unwittingly let the beast out of its cage in giving me a taste of peanut butter. It was just a spoon-full, but it was enough. Now I want it on EVERYTHING. We're talking bread, waffles, my finger, anything I can get them to put it on ... I have to have it.

I can actually taste it right now; that smooth, smooth consistency, that rich, creamy taste. It's like God came down and placed that sweet nectar into that Jiff jar just for me. Who am I to deny divine intervention?

My parents said that after doing some soul-searching that they've come to the conclusion that they're enabling my addition. They say they're going to ween my off the PB slowly, a little bit at a time. Why should I be denied this sweet source of protein? If you haven't caught on, this isn't really the ramblings of an addict; it's actually a plea for help. Don't let them do this to me. Don't let them take away the one thing I'd trade a warm bottle of milk for.

Help me. My name's Jack and I love peanut butter.

This Night Was All Treats and No Tricks, Well Maybe One

OK, can every day be Trick or Treat? I got to wear a costume (Nemo, which if you were able to solve my riddle from a couple of weeks ago makes you the big winner), stay out late and eat candy, candy, candy.

Mommy, Daddy and my Grammie took me over to John and Elizabeth's house before Trick or Treat and they gave me a football and a $1 million dollar bill (and no, I'm not lending you and money). They loved my costume, so I knew it was going to be a classic night.

After that, we went over to Brian and Melissa's and had dinner before we went door-to-door for dessert. The first house I went to, I got Smarties and a sucker. I've never had a sucker before and Mommy let me have at it. Ladies and gentlemen, the kid's a natural. Without any prior training, I took the thing down.

I only made it to three different houses before I was cashed out. I mean when you people walk a few blocks with your long legs, it's nothing. But me? My legs are like a third as long as an adults, so I pretty much walked the equivalent of eight miles going to just a few houses. Talk about working for your candy.

Did I also mention I got to meet an actual cow, in a subdivision no less? Just as the night was getting started, this little cow walked up and was holding a candy bag. Everyone says it was a kid in a costume, but I know what I saw. That was a cow no bigger than me and it was walking on two legs. It was unbelievable.

While the night was all about candy, it wasn't without its creepy moment. It was dark and we were sitting in Brian and Melissa's driveway, me hanging out on Grammie's lap, when this man walks up and just looks at us for a moment before coming up to us and just stood there with a hood on that covered up his face. After a few seconds of silence, Mommy eventually tossed a couple of pieces of candy in his bad just to get the guy on his way. He then walked aimlessly up and down the street for a couple of minutes, just staring at houses in the dark. Needless to say, your boy needed a diaper change after that one.

All in all, I think my first Halloween going out Trick or Treating was a resounding success. I got candy, got to meet a cow and even got the bejesus scared out of me a little bit. What more could you ask for?

"Jack" O Lanterns

Not sure if you all knew this, but there is stuff inside of pumpkins. I just discovered this, and if you have yet to experience it, do yourself a favor: go out, by a pumpkin, get your Mommy or Daddy to cut the top off and have at it.

We went to the Shriners' pumpkin sale, which is located right next to Hooters (also, if you have yet to experience it, do yourself a favor). The Shriners gave me a little teddy bear and Mommy and Daddy bought five pumpkins and then we went home and carved them.

Mommy made a really cool pumpkin with curvy lines on it, one that looked like a kitty cat and one that was The Cat In the Hat. Daddy made a ghost and an Ohio State pumpkin (O-H anyone?). Me? I was resigned to smearing the pumpkin innards all over my jeans, hair and face. I didn't get as artistic as my parents, but who says what they did was art and what I wasn't?

It's The Great Pumpkin, Jack McCartney

So let me tell you about my Mommy and Daddy taking me to a pumpkin patch. I got to go on a hay ride, play with pumpkins and gourds, climb on a tractor, eat popcorn and ice cream and even see animals.

Oh, and to put an exclamation point on the day, I got my face painted. I told the lady I wanted a creepy specter that would render all other infants scared beyond imagination. Instead, I got a Casper-looking ghoul that's only slightly scarier than watching those old Dracula and Frankenstein movies. Seriously, how simple did people have to be back in the day to be scared by things like that? I've found creepier stuff in my diaper. My other complaint about the face painting: it's not permanent. How am I supposed to look cool if my ink can't make it through the weekend?

I gotta tell you, I'm getting even more excited about Halloween. Rumor has it that people actually hand out candy if you just knock on their doors. I was certain my people saw panhandling as a public nuisance, but hey, I'm not complaining. Jacky likes his candy.

I'm Walkin', Yes Indeed

Again, I've been away a while, but there's good reason: I've learned to walk. At this point, you all should consider yourselves lucky that I've stopped long enough to type this.

As you can see, I'm still a little wobbly. Mommy and Daddy said they're scared to take me out too late because they think if we see any police, they'll think I've been drinking. Of course, I am known to hit the bottle pretty hard, so point taken.

All in all, walking is pretty cool. Mommy took me to Stride Rite and bought me some new shoes. They're brown and black and they have velcro straps. I think they're pretty sweet and they're also fun to chew on when I'm not wearing them but since I get yelled at for doing that, please forget that you just read it.

Mommy said it's a good thing I'm walking now because that way they won't have to carry me for Trick Or Treat. I'm not at liberty to tell you who I'm going to be; I think I'm going to save it for a surprise post as we get closer to Halloween but I'll tell you this much: he's orange, lives in water and can't find his dad. Do you know who it is?

While you're all trying to figure it out, I'm off to do some more walking. That's right people, can't nobody hold me down, oh no, I've got to keep on moving.

Until next time, peace, love and diapers.

Wii Like To Play

You know that movie, The Wizard, where Fred Savage takes that video game savant on a cross-country trip for him to play in a tournament where they unveiled Super Mario Bros. 3? Well, I'm like the latter-day version of that video game wiz.

I know, that reference most definitely out dates a 15-month-old, but I'm worldly, dammit.

Back to the point, here: I can play me some Wii. My dad and John were playing NCAA Football '09 and I got in the mix. I can wield the Wii remote just as good as them. I'm thinking about becoming a pro gamer but I need a sponsor ... anyone willing to pay to have me sit in front of the TV all day playing video games?

My First Piece of Art

Behold, the first artistic renderings of Jack. With a mom who's an art teacher, it was only a matter of time before she tried to see what talent her womb had brought upon the world.

For my debut, I went with crayon as my medium of choice. You don't get quite the same rich colors as say with pastels or marker but hey, it's my first time and I'm 1 1/2, so just the fact that I even know the difference between a tonal drawing and a technical illustration should get me some slack.

As you can see, I decided to make something abstract. Me? I see a car hurtling toward an empty field, which of course, is supposed to signify our dependence on non-renewable energy sources. But if all you see are a bunch of squiggly lines, then that's your right. It's wrong, but it's your right.

I've been pondering my next piece and I'm thinking of doing some kind of installation work, preferably something where I can leave a lasting impression.

My Daddy suggests just leaving a dirty diaper in some public place, but I don't know. It seems a little too Matthew Ritchie for me, but I'm thinking about it.

Juice ... Not So Sure About That

Daddy had me try cranberry juice the other day. I'm not real sure about that. I think I like it but the bite at the end is killer. I think next time I'm going to drink it with an apple juice chaser or maybe I should remember to bite the lemon and lick the salt ... oh, wait, that's not this kind of juice, is it?

Colts In My Town? I'm There

I've been to so many baseball games it makes me dizzy trying to count them all. But football? It's on my bucketlist ... well, it was on my bucketlist.

Mommy, Daddy and I went to the Georgia Dome to see the Falcons play the Colts and despite Peyton Manning sitting out after having elbow surgery (what, exactly, is a burca sac?), Daddy and I wore our No. 18 jerseys. We didn't get too much heckling from the Falcons fans, because really, who are they to get on you about anything?

The Colts won, and despite it being a preseason game and not meaning anything, I had a blast. They did a pyrotechnic show during the pregame introductions and I couldn't take my eyes off that red-hot display.

We only had one complaint with the Dome: where's the milk? Mommy went out looking for some liquid sustenance for yours truly and all they had in the stadium was water, Coke and beer. Now, I'm not beyond tipping back a couple of cold ones, but I am a baby and nutrition comes first.

My Trip To Motown

For my Daddy's birthday, we went from the ATL to Detroit so we could go to Comerica Park and see the Tigers. My Grandpy tells me they don't play real baseball in Atlanta, so I had to come to Motown to see how it's done.

I got a new hat -- and I actually kept it on. If you've even seen a hat put on me, you know that's really saying something. To be honest, I just wanted to make my Grandpy proud, but let's keep that between you, me and the blogosphere.

We sat in left field and I got to see into the bullpen, meaning we got to watch Joel Zumaya warm up. That guy brings the heat. I thought I had a nice little arm, but seeing a guy who can hit triple digits on the gun makes you question your manhood, or in my case, babyhood.

The Tigers dismantled the A's 10-2 behind the strength of home runs by Miquel Cabrera, Gary Sheffield and Edgar Renteria.

After the game, there was an amazing firework show and we were close enough to the launching area, I almost singed my diaper!

It was a great time, though I spent much of the game sleeping on my Grandpy and had to be told about everything on the drive home, but I liked Detroit -- just so long as you stay close to the stadium area. Outside of that? A little scary.

Under The Sea ...

Sorry for the hiatus, but as that E*Trade baby proves: us little ones do have lives.

So my Grammy came down to the ATL to celebrate her birthday (call it a novel excuse to come see 20-some pounds of joy named Jack) and as part of the festivities, I got to go to the Georgia Aquarium with Grammy, Grandpy, Mommy, Daddy and my Uncle Tom. It was awesome.

I saw fish, fish and even more fish. My favorites were the Beluga whales and the seals, who make noises kind of like me. Can I get a URNT, URNT?

While we were there, I also got my picture taken with the aquarium's mascot, Deepo. Is it just me or does he look a lot like Nemo??? What's with that? Deepo was cool and I had to touch him -- because when I come in contact with fuzzy characters, its something I just gots to do -- but I'm a Nemo man at heart. I mean, Nemo had enough sense about him to escape a place like the aquarium and apparently Deepo's there each and every day. I like my clown fish feisty.

Baseball At The Break

This is the summer of my discontent ... at least discontent when it comes to the baseball season.

There's the Tigers, pimped as World Series shoo-ins, who head into the All-Star break at .500 and 7 games behind the White Sox in the AL Central. Mind you things have improved since that embarrassing start but the only way these guys are going to get to the World Series is if they pay their way in. We've got tickets for my dad's birthday, so I'm not giving up on the Tiggers yet.

Then there's the Braves, my hometown team, who are five games below .500 and trail the Phillies in the NL East by 6 1/2 games. But there's still Chipper Jones' flirtation with .400 (he's at .376 now), Skip Carey's nasally delivery and the Tomahawk Team. So they've got those things going for them, which is nice.

But I would be remiss if I didn't deliver my World Series prediction since we're halfway through a season that feels longer than watching a day of PBS' Sprout. I'm taking the Red Sox and the Mets.

By the way, don't I look great as a bobblehead? This is just foreshadowing Jack McCartney Bobblehead Day taking place at either Comerica Park (home of the Tigers) or Turner Field (the Braves' digs) in 2029.

Some More Things...

I forgot to tell you that I added my birthday pictures and travel pictures to shutterfly. If you look over to the left there is a link to click that says My Personal Photos...click it and you should be able to see more of me! After I left my cousins I spent some more time in Indiana. I went to stay for a few extra days at my Papau and Mamau's. While I was there I was able to visit more of my favorite people. I had a good visit with my Mimi. I had a good lunch at my Great Mamau and Papau's house. I also, as you can see, loved the simple life of swinging on the porch. It is so relaxing you can fall asleep on your Papau. I can't do that at my house. I went to a City Hall meeting with my Papau-in case you didn't know he's the President of City Council. I went to visit my Nana and Grandpa at their house. I went down to the house boat and met a lot of new friends. The gentle waves allowed my Papau and I to take a nap. Then, just when I thought I wasn't going to see my cousins until later they showed up! We went to see this train named Thomas-maybe you know him. In the summer he travels from town to town to visit the kids. Well, we rode him! I was in my moma's arms and the gentle rocking on Thomas made me fall asleep. I have a hard time staying awake-three hours pass and I'm like-Gosh, I need a nap! My Papau bought me a Thomas the Tank Engine and some track for my birthday. I need to learn to let the track stay on the floor but it tastes soooo good! When it was time to come home my Papau and Ashleigh came too. They spent a day here in Atlanta with me at my house. We had fun in downtown ATL. It was hot but I had a cool ride in my stroller.

A Zoo-ing We Will Go

While in Indiana we went to the Indianapolis Zoo. It was a good time. It was a fun filled family day. My Uncle Brian, Aunt Jes, cousins Xander and Jamasen, Nana Selkirk, Moma, and Dada all went with me to the zoo. I liked seeing the animals-especially the zebras and giraffes! We walked to the different parts but Moma made us stay out of the Desert-a mention of snakes and she flips out. Dada-as you can see- was a great tour guide and told me a lot about the animals. We had a good time and I can't wait to go again.

I'm Back!

Wow! I can't believe I 've been gone for so long. I took a trip up North to see the fam and next thing I know it's July! So, my trip-you could say it was jam packed with excitement. We first went to my Grandma and pa McCartney's. While we were there I was able to see my friend Ava-she is a little older than me-just like I like 'em. We played on her swing set, and we even went through a tunnel (of love). She could walk but I had to crawl-cuz that's all I know how to do right now. I also went to my Great G-ma and pa McCartney's. My parents took me to BGand we all got some new shirts. We spent Father's Day in B-town and ate breakfast-Moma and Grandma Mc made it for the boys-we had waffles and eggs. Um, mm good! Then we went to my Uncle Brian and Aunt Jes' house. Let the fun really begin. My cousins had my head spinning the first day but by the end of our stay with them I was keepin' up. They threw me a birthday party and I got to eat more cake! Did I forget to mention I ate cake at Grandma and pa Mc's. I got a fire truck that makes noise, a funshine care bear-which is my cousin Xander's favorite, and some kick butt maracas- i love to dance to the groovy sounds. My Papau Jobe was there to and it was a blast!

They Say It's My Birthday

I can't believe I'm typing this (I know, I know, the rest of you just can't believe I can even type) but I'm one. I am one year old. It's been 365 days since I entered the world and I am just stunned how fast this year has gone.

We celebrated the day by having a party at my house. My grandma and grandpa were there, along with mommy and daddy, Brian and Melissa, John and Elizabeth and Kelli. It was one for the books. The guys played Wii and drank beers while I got to have cake (though it wasn't my first time, I'm a bit of an expert on the subject). I got lots of great things, like a mower with bouncing balls in it, an inch worm that moves, a wagon full of building blocks, a Wonder Pets DVD and lots more. It was the best birthday party ever, though my frame of reference is understandably small.


My mommy had a cake made with The Very Hungry Caterpillar on it, which looked at the same time amazing and delectable. I was torn but later decided on delectable since I got to eat some of it.

Anyway, my first year has been filled of firsts: smiles, laughs, tears and a lot of great times with everybody that loves me. I can't wait to see what the next year and the next 100 have in store.

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

My golden locks are now just a distant memory. My mommy and daddy gave me my first haircut, because with my birthday coming up they figured I need a killer look. I felt like Samson, losing my biggest weapon. But it's gone now, no matter how much I fought it. Like Will Smith once said "Parents just don't understand."

It was hard to go through but after the reception my new haircut has received, I think you'll have to consider me one of the converted. The ladies love Jack's new 'do. So if you thought I was going to steal your girl before, this should serve as notice to lock up your women because this one-year-old Casanova is even more lethal than before. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

Also, I think my mom needs to get on board with me using some product in my hair. Sure it's cute, but think just how much of a step I can take up on the Awesome Scale if I could pull off a fauxhawk or a spike. I could reach a level normally reserved for the likes of Sponge Bob and the Wonder Pets. So, if you could put a bug in my mom's ear it would be greatly appreciated. There just might be an apple puff in it for you.

There Can Only Be One

You've seen the NBA Playoffs commercials, the ones with two guys on split screen saying the same thing, both pontificating about how they've always wanted a title and how it's all that matters to them. Well, I'm here to give LeBron James a glimpse as to what the future of the game holds. "There Can Only Be One?" How about "How Can I Only Be One?" because with game like this (we're talking fadeaway jumper, the ability to post-up anyone and a Houdini-like penchant for passing) and a low center of gravity that makes me a nightmare to defend, I'm going to take the Association by storm.

Play Ball

So mommy and daddy took me out to the ballgame for the first time ever as I watched the Braves take on the Reds at Turner Field in Atlanta. It was awesome! All these people were sitting around us so I had lots of people to talk to and they had this gigantic television (I didn't have the heart to tell my dad that it made our HDTV look wimpy). I really got into Jeff Francoeur's theme music (as you can see by my video).

This Little Piggy ...

My Grammie came down to Georgia to see me for a few days and she told me the story of five little piggies with my toes. Apparently, one of them had a hunkering for roast beef but was let out in the cold when it came down to handing out meat. What's that all about? It's called Arby's man. Anyway, the story made me laugh, and at this point in my life, what's more important than that? Well, aside from a nice, chilled bottle.

Ice Cream

Consider me enlightened. I have discovered a gift from God brought down to better the existence of mankind. I speak, of course, of ice cream. I was introduced to this savory cookie and ice cream combination and I can't keep thinking about its mouth-watering goodness. As you can see, this won't be the last one I scarf down.

One Small Step, err Crawl

After months and months of buildup, I have mastered the art of crawling ... a couple of steps in front of me at least. It isn't much but it already has my mommy and daddy freaking out that they need to go buy gates for the top and bottom of the stairs so from that end, mission accomplished!

If I can be perfectly frank, I've been doing this crawling thing for quite some time. It's just when they put so much pressure on you, you don't want to deliver when they're watching. What am I, some monkey that is here to entertain? I think not. I've been doing lots of things mommy and daddy don't' know about. Before they e-filed our taxes this year I checked over them. Luckily I caught a couple of more deductions and got them $250 more on their return. But if they want to be impressed with me taking a couple of crawls, I can live with that.

Movin' On Up

On the cusp of my first birthday, it was time to upgrade to a bigger, better and plushier car seat. My new ride even comes equipped with a cup holder, though mommy says she knows when I an actually use said cup holder, her and daddy are in big trouble.

It's funny to see how I could barely fit into the car seat that I came home from the hospital in. I was a little, little man. It's nice to see that I haven't lost any of my good looks as I've grown older.

I'd like to take this time to reflect on all the trips I made in my old car seat. There was Disney World (twice), Pine Hurst, N.C., Midwest Tour '07, countless treks to the gym, grocery store and other shopping adventures with my mommy. I'll miss you old seat, thanks the memories!

Tooth Be Told

A whole new world has been opened to me: one filled with foods that weren't pureed in a blender because as you can see, I have teeth. For now it's just two of them but you wouldn't believe what I can already do with them. I've eaten noodles, apple puffs, Cheerios and even an ice cream sandwich (though there was more licking than chewing involved there but a milestone is a milestone).

Call Me Jacquille

I've been away a while, mainly because my mommy and daddy were in Mexico and everyone in our house has been sick the last few days. But I'm ready to tap away at the keys again, though I've got a 2oz of Pedialyte in hand.

My dad and I spent Thursday and Friday watching the first round of the NCAA tournament and after seeing all those guys dunking, I thought I'd do my best imitation. I've got no hops, but at 10 months I've got a lot of upside to me. Anyway, after seeing the first weekend of the tournament, here's my Final Four prediction: UCLA, Kansas, North Carolina and Texas. In the final I like UCLA and Kansas with the Jayhawks cutting down the nets.

While my mommy and daddy were in Mexico, I got to spend four days with my Grandma McCartney and it was awesome. We went to the mall, played and made cookies. I also got away with more than I do with mommy and daddy here but don't tell anyone.

Well, in my still semi-sick condition my little fingers are getting tired so I'm out. Until next time: Peace, Love and Formula!

My Traveling Buddy

So by now I'm sure you've read up on my recent trip to Orlando. But here's the story you didn't know about ...

Back in September I was at my grandma and grandpa's house in Bellefontaine and my friend Brianna came to see me. She left one of her Little People (my mommy and daddy says they remember them but I can't imagine they had the capabilities to make such things back in they day when they were kids) and while Mommy and Daddy had it, they forgot to send it back to Brianna.

Anyway, Mommy and Daddy decided we should take the Little Person with us to Orlando. Brianna's dad calls him LeBron (after Mr. James) but we decided to call him Lamar (after Mr. Latrell) but regardless of what you call him, LeBron Lamar rocked O-town tell the wheels fell off. You can check out his exploits below. Also, make of note of that incredibly cute little boy holding on to LeBron Lamar in the first photo.

I'm Back from O-Town

So, you know I went to Orlando this past weekend to see my Nikki and my Mickey. There is a lot to tell so buckle down, grab a coke, and enjoy. We got there way past my bedtime so I went to sleep to wake up and see my Nikki-I just love her. Then we all got ready and decided to go to lunch and then to Nikki's work. She works for Hard Rock corporate and we got to see a bunch of cool memorabilia. We saw James Dean's bike from Rebel, a Keith Haring original, and Nikki's desk. It was fun to walk around and see her work. Then, we went to Universal Studios; Islands of Adventure and what an adventure it was. We saw Dr. Seuss land-which mom really liked but I felt it was too sissy for me. I did meet The Grinch, he was nice and I wanted to pet his fur. I saw Thing 1 and Thing 2, they wanted their picture taken with me. Then the cool stuff, we walked over to the Superheros side. I met the man-Spiderman! We flung web together it was awesome. I also met Wolverine, and the X-Men hotties Storm and Rogue. My parents thought I would be scared but they are no match for me. We then met Popeye and Olive Oil and I was told to eat my spinach. We walked over to the Studios side and it was fun too. We ate at Margaritaville and got to meet Amy and Marcelo, Nikki's friends. What a day!

Then we went home to wake up and go to the hap-hap-happiest place on earth-Disney's Magic Kingdom. This was my second time, you know I went with my Papau and cousins before. I saw some old friends. I got my picture taken with a few people like Timon and Rafiki, Donald, Goofy, and Pluto. I was kissed by Snow White! She said, "Can I kiss you like I kiss Dopey?" and my parents looked puzzeled and said yes then she took my face in her hands and planted a big red lipstick print on my forehead. I think I am in love. We waited in line to see Minnie but I was getting tired so I took a nap while Nikki and Daddy went on some rides. I did ride the Pirates of the Carribean-this was my second time on it-and I rode The Haunted Mansion. I was asleep through the whole line in the bjorn on my mommy and then all of a sudden I wake up in the middle of a dark and scary place but I didn't cry I just looked around. We were getting ready to go but my mommy wanted to go see if Mickey was in his tent and to everyone's surprise he was in the tent. The line was a little long and I was tired so I snuggled up to my mom and the next thing I know I am out. I can't wake up I am so tired. Well, it was our turn to see Mickey and my mom and dad say we walked in and Mickey gave me a little kiss and my mom tried to move me but I was asleep! So, I missed out on talking with Mickey but we got a picture of it. You can see my pictures from my trip at shutterfly or click the link right here. After Disney, we went to meet Emer, one of Nikki's other friends. She was funny and told us about her day at the Daytona 500. Then it was off to bed at Nikki's house. On Monday we woke up and met Nikki and Katie for lunch and then head back to the ATL. I had a blast and am excited to go back soon.

Off To See Mickey ... And Nikki

My mommy and daddy are taking me to Florida today to see Nikki and we're also going to go see Mickey Mouse. I've seen him before and I really hope he remembers me. I'm sure you've noticed I've dressed in my own Mickey garb in anticipation of the trip. I'm hoping to hand in my application to one day fill the mouse suit myself. I think I'm a natural. But I'm going to be sure not to tell him I'm putting the moves on his girlfriend.

Touched By An Angel

In anticipation of my first Valentine's Day, my mommy dressed me up like Cupid. I think I looked pretty cute if you ask me. Don't worry, you don't need a license to carry a bow and arrow, I checked with the local gaming commissioner, so it's cool. Anyway, hope your Valentine's Day was filled with love and someone as cute as me :)

They Say It's Mommy's Birthday

My mom got to celebrate her first birthday with me in the world. I tried to sleep in but I woke her up anyway (I guess I'm just to used to routine). Daddy and I got mommy some really pretty flowers and although dad wanted me to smell them, I just really wanted to touch them. My report? Flowers feel rubbery, at least the ones I got my hands on. My grammy also came down for mommy's birthday and she got to give me a bath and I splashed like a mer-man. We also got mommy a cake and she and daddy had me try some icing but I thought it was kind of yucky.

Speaking of trying things, at mommy's birthday lunch, daddy and grammy had the audacity to tell mommy to make me try lemons. Can you believe she did it? We'll be having a talk about this just as soon as I can form sentences. As you can see by my video, they rank right up there with bananas and icing on my list.

Mad About Beefs!

So mom got this big box for her birthday from her friend Mes in Chicago that said "Portillo's" on the side. For some reason she was just so happy. I don't know what the big deal was, it was just meat (me, I'm a pureed foods guy, so there's no chewing involved). However, there was a hat inside, so I guess it was kind of a present for me too. Mom said someday she and dad will take me there to eat. Hopefully by then I'll have some teeth but for the meantime I'm pretty certain I look good rockin' this hat.

No Joy In Mudville

So this, my dad tells me, is what it's like to be a sports fan. I've been a way a while, taking stock of my feelings after a week in which Ohio State lost the BCS National Championship Game (again), this time to LSU, while the Colts were knocked out of the playoffs by a shorthanded Chargers squad. As my man Stewie Griffin would say, "What the deuce?" It's a good thing I'm too young to remember this long term, I'm afraid it would scar me forever as far as sports go. I just feel a sense of loss, a feeling of uncertainty in all things ... ooh, what's that, something shiny? Sorry, I completely forgot where I was going, I am easily distracted.

I had a visit from my GM Nikki this weekend, which was awesome. She brought me a Winnie The Pooh safari bear and took me and my parents to the Hard Rock Cafe. She says she works there but I didn't see her cooking anything when I was there. Who knows? She has curly hair and I have to admit, I like to look at it.

A Whole Lot Of McCartneys

A few days after Christmas, mommy and daddy took me up to Bowling Green State University where they went to college and met. My (a)uncle Tom also came along and we met my mommy's friend Kari for lunch. They had chicken-and-cheese stuffed breadsticks. Me? Well, if you've been paying attention, you know I'm still sucking down bottles. We also went to my great grandma and grandpa McCartney's house and my grandma and grandpa drove up to meet us. We got a picture with four generations of McCartney men. Let me tell you, that's one fine looking picture.

My First Christmas

Even thought I traveled all the way from Kennesaw, Ga., to Peru, Ind., Santa Claus still knew where I was on Christmas Eve. That guy is something else, I tell you. He left me a lot of nice things, including light-up rubber duckies, a plush Spider-Man, a remote control Jeep Wrangler and lots and lots of clothes. I also got to spend Christmas with my big cousins Alexander and Jamasen. They got all kinds of cool toys and were able to run around the house. All I got to do was slobber. My nana and my mamau and papau also got to see me on Christmas. My dad made me watch A Christmas Story and just like in the movie, my mommy, daddy, uncle Brian and aunt Jes ate Chinese food on Christmas night!

Papau Says I'm In The Sports Capital Of The World

I made my first visit to Indianapolis with my mommy, daddy, papau, mamau and Chris. I can't believe I was in the home of Peyton Manning, the Pacers and a little track where they hold "The Biggest Spectacle In Racing." I got to check out Conseco Field House, where Jermaine O'Neal and the Pacers get busy on the hardwood and Circle Center Mall, where Hoosiers get their shop on and I also walked around the cirlce (at least strapped to my mommy) and saw horse-drawn carriages and a really neat Christmas tree. I think I'm in love. But don't tell anyone down here in Georgia, I am supposed to be a Southern Boy after all.

Giggles With My Great Mamau

I went to visit my Great Mamau and Papau in Indiana for Christmas and boy did I have fun! I played patty-cake with Mamau and she had me giggling so hard-I loved it! I thought I would post the video so you could see how much fun I had.