I set this picture as my new desktop wallpaper a few hours after I took it. I don't imagine that sounds like much to most of you, as most of the people I know change their wallpaper all the time. I've been using the same neutral background since I got my laptop in 2007, though, and this is the first time I've used a photograph as my wallpaper ever. But I think this might be the best picture I've ever taken, and I want to keep looking at it.

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Nikon D40, Nikkor 35mm f/1.8 DX
f/1.8, 1/100, ISO 200

Why, yes, Jason is wearing two nametags. Your guess is as good as mine as to why.

Nikon D40, Nikkor 55-200mm VR @ 55mm
f/4, 1/125, ISO 200

"N is for Niagara Falls. Hear the roar of the water..."

"Why did you say 'roar'?"

"Because the water makes a loud noise."

"Is there a lion in the water?"

"No, it's just that waterfalls are very loud and the noise they make kind of sounds like a roar."

"Oh..."

(I'm kind of disappointed, too. A lion in the water would be a much cooler explanation.)

This week at Jason's daycare they are learning about pets, as part of which they've asked us parents to bring in a picture of our kids with their family pets. That seems like it should be pretty easy, but let me tell you, Cooper has a black belt in looking away from the camera at the last second. It's some serious Remo Williams*-type stuff. Between that and trying to get Jason to sit still, this photo is nothing short of amazing.

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* For those of you who, unlike my brother and I, don't have an affinity for cheesy 80's action flicks, this is a reference to a 1985 movie about a super agent who learns, among other things, how to dodge bullets by watching the muscles in the shooter's trigger finger.

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Nikon D40, Nikkor 35mm f/1.8 DX
f/5.6, 1/125, ISO 200

We had some friends over on Saturday and when it was time to put the kids to bed* it turned out that Jason and his friend E had the same pajamas. This initially caused some consternation as Jason thought that E had taken his pajamas, but when it was revealed that there were actually two identical pairs, both boys became very excited. When we suggested taking their picture, they got even more excited. Which, as you can see, lasted about as long as it took me to retrieve my camera.

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* I always used to get so jealous of my parents and their friends when they got to stay up late and have fun. It's interesting being on the other side of that now.

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Nikon D40 and Nikkor 35mm f/1.8 DX
f/2.8, 1/125, ISO 200
On-camera Vivitar DF-383 @ TTL, bounced from ceiling

You see this face? This is the face of a boy who has gone an entire day without a potty accident.

Best. Day. Ever.

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Nikon D40, Nikkor 35mm f/1.8 DX
f/2, 1/60, ISO 200
On-camera Vivitar DF-383 @ TTL

"I'm Batman."

"You're Batman."

"Yeah. I'm Batman. You're Spiderman."

"I'm Spiderman?"

"And Mommy is... corn."

Usually when I think of Jason these days I think about how well he speaks or how much different he is from a year ago. I think about how he's not a baby anymore, and it makes me a little wistful. So I forget sometimes just how little he still is.

He had some trouble keeping up at his dance recital this weekend, but, perhaps because he's so little, he ended up getting the biggest cheers of any of the boys in his group. I got a little choked up at that, I admit.

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Nikon D40, Nikkor 55-200mm VR DX @ 70mm
f/4.2, 1/125, ISO 1600

Jason had his first big dance recital this weekend. He was pretty excited about it, as you can see.

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Nikon D40, Nikkor 35mm f/1.8 DX
f/1.8, 1/400, ISO 200

Where you been all my life?

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Nikon D40, Nikkor 55-200mm VR DX @ 92mm
f/5.6, 1/125, ISO 200