Birthday Jack

Jack likes birthdays, even when they're not his. He sees a candle -- like at Aunt Taffee's, where there might be a pre-dinner Jewish tradition -- and he starts singing "Happy ... Birthday ... to ... you."

So when it was his own birthday last week, he was plenty into it -- the streamers, the balloons, the presents, the cupcakes. It was funny seeing him open gifts: the stereotypical tossing of clothes over his shoulder, plus the "OH!" when he got a toy he liked. "OH! Pablo!" when he tore off the wrapping paper of his Pablo of the Backyardigans stuffed toy. His favorite gift during the party was Cowboy Tyrone, which sang songs ("Riding the Range," etc.). He'd then pick up Pablo, which didn't sing, and say, "Not working."

His favorite gift in subsequent days was probably what also happened to be our favorite gift, a Mr. Potato Head from Aunt Casey. It's funny; he has no use for the eyes, or ears, or anything, he just likes to put noses all over it. So Mr. Potato Head typically has two noses and no other features. And then Jack puts him into his silly suitcase and carries him around, and says he's going out "to the post office and the library," and says "Bye, Daddy. Bye, Mommy. I'm going to the post office and the library." He also calls him "Mr. Tater Head," which makes me wonder if the word "tater" for Potato came from somebody who had a two-year-old.