playing in the morning 

upon taking this picture, we realized that ben is officially spoiled. look at that mountain of toys. it's ridiculous. but, c'mon, he deserves it, right? look at that face! 

blowing raspberries 

making a stab at the camera 

what are you doing? 

beautiful boy--looks just like daddy here 

little smile 

on a baby mission 

the sneer 

thank you, r. kelly

R. Kelly is officially insane. But in a good way. On the Video Music Awards, he acted out one of his many music videos where he is hiding in the closet of the house of the woman he's just had sex with, brandishing a gun. This particular R. Kelly-hiding-in-the-closet video is actually titled "Trapped In the Closet," and holds an ingenius double-meaning. The married woman R. Kelly's had sex with, her husband is cheating on her with a man. He's gay...in the closet...get it? R. Kelly is inexplicably walking around with a gun, everyone's yelling at each other, it is utterly out of control. Then, then, R. Kelly comes out on stage alone and acts out the rest of the video. He is obviously lip-synching, but about halfway through, he gives up and simply pantomimes the plot. There's no way to keep track of who is who--he's acting out four different characters. I'm fairly sure there's a guy with a boombox who stands in the 42nd St. subway in New York and performs the same act for loose change. Is R. Kelly serious? Yes, he is. If I wanted R. Kelly to do something just to please me at his own expense, he couldn't have thunk up anything more delightful. So thank you, R. Kelly. I was feeling down, and you lifted me up. I believe I can fly.

some sort of crossroads...

Q: Hey! How are you!?

A: What I want to say: Today I was driving down the 30 and I saw rays of sunshine shooting from stout little clouds illuminating a dusty gravel pit below. It was gorgeous. It should have been photographed. I should have photographed it. I should quit driving to this ulcer-inducing job (the acid is literally burning from my esophagus straight through my rectum) and go home and pick up my 35mm and take this picture and subsequently become a famous photographer. But no, I keep driving and buy a chai latte because coffee burns so bad and make up a lesson plan and email hundreds of confused students and finish reading Hamlet and go and tell my bosses I simply love teaching online even though I want to teach in person, to connect with my students and it takes hours longer to explain one little concept online than it does in person and tell you I'm fine fine fine when really I'm tired and lonely and know you don't trust me and I want to hold my baby boy and smell his hair.

A: What I really say: Great. I'm great. Great.

surprise! 

weird smiles 

crossing his legs 

on the move 

pretty boy bartlett 

baby dj spinning his turntables 

kissing his new bear friend 

pat-a-cake with grandma 

bouncing 

intense 

smiling 

mama series 

mama series 

mama series 

mama series 

mama series