Severin Jacob: a mystery wrapped in an enigma and decorated with an attractive ribbon of deepest secrecy. Will this shadowy figure ever emerge from the obscuring mist and be revealed?

In short- who is he and what the heck does he look like?

It has come to BurkinaMom’s attention that there is dearth of pictorial evidence that her son even exists! While her charming female offspring appear with great regularity throughout this blog, Severin only appears fleetingly in the early years and then sort of disappears.

I hasten to assure the public that Severin is still with us and doing well. But you have to realize that the adolescent male is an elusive creature, not easy to photograph in his natural habitat. He boasts sophisticated camouflage techniques. For example, when Severin sits down in front of the television to enjoy a few hours of Kingdom Hearts on Playstation II he actually changes color, chameleon-like, to blend in with tone and pattern of the living-room rug. This prevents him from being interrupted at a critical point in his game. Isn’t nature amazing? And to think some folks don’t believe in evolution!

But here we have a rare photo of Severin taken just last month. In a break with his usual habits, he is clearly visible and taking time out to pass on vital mad Playstation skillz to the next generation of boy-kind.

But Severin realizes that there is a place for reading and literature in today’s hectic, electronics-obsessed world.

Small children are not the only creatures drawn by Severin's charm. Domestic animals are also susceptible, as we see in this recent photo.

And finally, here he is with his face fully visible. This particular portrait, taken at Easter, gives an accurate impression of the essence of Severin-ness: a deep-in-thought, sort of vaguely worried air. And his shirt is buttoned up wrong.