Jim & Aedan

This picture is priceless. Jim and Aedan checking out an "aht" installation in Belfast harbor, this fall. Neither one seems too impressed. Seems to be what passes for aht in Maine!

Solstice with an Ax to Grind?

Winter is here; about two feet of it sits outside the door.
How I was lulled all those years, when we wouldn't even get the first snow until after Xmas. How tired of the cold and snow I am already!
Check out the door's handle!
The kids LOVE it!
As "A" said to me when he was 3, after I put his plate of dinner in front of him at home, "This isn't what I ordered!"
I feel much the same way!

Ade Insists...

My youngest insists that we have no photos of me. Because
I am the one who takes all of the pictures, I'm rarely seen.
I told her that I was a vampire and that I wouldn't show up on film. She reminded me that digital photography doesn't use film, so we were all set!
She took this photo of me, and she did a good job of it,too. Maybe we have another photographer in the family!
GREAT!
Why don't we ever get the random dentist or a comedian? You know, something useful?

That time....again!

X-mas by the Sea 2008!
The Bonfire & carols, Santa & Elf arrive by fire engine, getting a fuzzy picture taken in front of the tree with your friend! ...And the snow!
'Tis the season, eh?
(I'm dreaming of a warm Christmas!)

Vocabulary

Ok. I just got through viewing my niece's Blog regarding her daughter's vocabulary, and it made me want to do the same for my
loving children!

My son's...(15 yr.old)

" #$%# you!
You, #$%&*#@#$%^%^))!!!!!!
I hate @#$%&%$ homework!
My &%$#@$% life sucks!
Get the #$@& off my #%^&$#@* back!
GRUNT! "

My daughter's...(almost 11 yr. old)

"MOM!!!!!!!!! He's bothering me!!!!!!
Mom!!!! Can I____(fill in the blank)? -IF I say NO, she then goes on to ask every 10 seconds:
How about NOW? How about NOW? How about NOW? HOW ABOUT NOW?"
AAWWWW! It's SO cute!
I despise ____(insert brother's name) greatly!
Can I have a pony? No, wait! I already have one...Can I have a kitten, a puppy, a hamster, ( insert anything that eats, poops, needs loads of attention & care, has to visit a vet, and that she will tire of quickly then I get all the responsibility!)?"


Yeah, there will come the day when you think to yourself, "Who taught them how to talk?", and you will regret it, but until then I guess it is pretty amazing!

Scary!

OK, I know I said once a month was the way to blog, and I've missed that deadline by one day, so shoot me!
I do believe that it was worth the delay to see this picture!
Now for the most scary part...
This wasn't even Halloween!!!! Just a another Monday at chez crazy. Heavens to Murgatroid, it's not Winter In Maine yet!
Now that's SCARY!!!!!

Still September...

Ok, it's still September, but my daughter wants equal blog time.
She and her best friend got themselves a pony! They have named her "Autumn" and she is a chestnut colored Morgan. She's 12 hands, which in pony speak is about 5 feet tall. She's 7 yrs. old and she's very lovable! This is a very memorable Autumn!

It's September...

Time for another post! Once a month seems about right! This picture is for my niece (Mo)
who called me today out of the blue! It was so nice to hear from her, and a great surprise! We talked briefly about my son, and I told her that he was in the "tall skinnies" right now, and that he reminded me of her brother. All except the mustache. She said,"But my brother doesn't have a mustache." I said, "I know, but Aedan does" !

Watch Out Below!

After seeing the photos of Madeline on this slide, I was reminded that I had one of her Grandma going for it!
(When will Molly learn not to ask me to post different photos?)

Only in Summer...

Can you ride the big blue fish in Belfast!!!!!
Because soon enough. it will snow again....
UHG! (And yes, my daughter is swilling beer!)

I'm still here.........

So is Summer! We had many family members visit from "away" this year, and I am too busy to blog!
But here are a couple of pictures that say it all!

"Country" Fair

Norway was the country my daughter had and she did a great job!She even made Sarina cakes for fair goers to sample...A boy in the class had to leave school early that day, so he had a picture of his head set up in one of his shirts, and taped his voice telling all about Mexico, his country. We agreed, my daughter and I, that it was pretty creative AND downright disturbing!

The Boy's 1st Bike

THIS IS THAT BIKE!
My son's first bike was a Razorback (pretty small - or the kid's pretty big?)that his paternal "Mum/Nanny/Nan/Anne" (grandmother) bought for him for his 3rd birthday, at the end of July. Came complete with training wheels, and by the end of that summer (Early September) this kid refused to ride that bike unless we removed the training wheels. My first child, what do I know? I tried to talk him out of it, saying that he should have more practice, but he steadfastly refused. Hesitantly, we took those wheels off and much to our surprise that boy took off on that bike like he'd been riding for years (he'd only been alive for 3)! I'll never forget my amazement at this new three year old, to just take off on a two-wheeler! He knew it was time.
Enter that same kid, almost 12 years later. Now it's a motorcycle. Doesn't care if he gets his driving permit for a car, and he's done his homework. He can get a motorcycle permit when he's 15 (end of July), he doesn't have to have a licensed driver with him (can't, it's a motorcycle!), the gas and insurance are much less than for a car, and he can go anywhere! You know, places a car can't get to! Oh, there's more-he's thought of everything! Now, it's up to me to remember that 1st bike, his resolve and readiness, and to let go and trust.
So, I told him, "If Paternal Grandmother (whatever her name is, today and that all depends on who's talking to her and how old you are!) buys you a motorcycle, I'll let you go! And, she'll have to pay insurance, too!"
Good luck with that!
In the meantime, watch the flick...

Back Kick to the Head

Ok, here's something new...
My daughter is now an orange belt, and this was taken during her test.
No more, no time!

Like I Have TIME to POST...

I don't. But that does not stop others from trying their damnedest to GOAT (or guilt) me into it!
I have loads of ideas and a ton of pictures to back me up, but I don't have the time to sit down, quietly and THINK this out...I have done what the EXPERTS have told me to do. I have put my computer in the living room , which is at the heart of the house. One must pass by it to get to any other space in house...where in lies the problem! At least the problem of being able to use my computer uninterrupted! People come out of the wood work to hinder my progress when I turn it on! So, if I get out one post a month, you can just count your lucky stars! Any more is BONUS! All depends on how one looks at it, EH?
P.S. My son is sitting here eating a gourmet lunch he has made for himself (he is becoming quite the chef, indeed!) and is asking me, "What are you doing? Blogging? What are you blogging about?
You always make me the BAD GUY in your blog! I've read it. Hey guess what Riley (grade school friend) and I used to do......".
Need I say more? No? OK, Check out the gourmet lunch, and note the 3 different drinks!
THE MENU:
Cajun Potato Wedges, fried in olive oil. Coupled by three individual drinks:
Milk - to take the spicey edge off
Water - to cleanse the palate
Soda - Because mom begrudgingly said yes, I could have one of her Dr. Peppers!
ENJOY!
I think it must also be said here that we are having another snow EVENT (as the weather casters have begun calling AWFUL WEATHER, as it seems to be more than a pattern lately) today, and STIR CRAZY just doesn't even come close to describing it!EEEEEEKKKKKKKK!

Winter is Tough!

Yes, winter is tough indeed! Where else can one find so much fun indoors?
(Note the 2 to the right craning necks to get in the picture)
Winter started very early this year, we had snow well before X-mas, and we can get snow, and frequently do, into April/May.
Many a Mother's Day with as-of-yet melted snow piles! HELP ME!!!!!!!!
(...and isn't that Marty & Bridget to the left?) I'm freakin'!!!!!!!!

Chocolate Soaked Silent Auction

Here's a snap of the Chocolate Fountain
that we set up for the auction last week.
YUM! The auction went as well as the weather allowed. First, it was a snow day for all of the schools snowing 6-9 inches of snow between 6am and about noon, then came the freezing rain till about 3pm, and then plain old downpouring rain the rest of the evening! Very few attendees because of this, but thank goodness for the email and telephone bids...we made almost a thousand bucks!
Chocolate was enjoyed by all!

Yellow Belt in Kempo

Last night my daughter received her yellow belt in Kempo. That is her in the first photo waving. She and her friend there had invited their 4thgrade teacher to attend the ceremony and both were surprised and pleased that she actually showed (now how pleased she'll be with this photo of herself with her eyes closed is another topic!). In the second photo, my girl is the first on the left (with pony tail, -next to the bald Sensei-he actually has hair, but shaves his head. {And a quick aside here, for those of you that remember my YURT days, he was an apprentice with Mike and lived on the land when we did, although he lived in the Octagon never having a yurt of his own. Poor Sensei!}. His 2 girls are on the right. A wonderful performance, and the whole group moved up into Yellow Belt status, and now my daughter can kick your ____! Watch out, and consider yourself warned!

Gus, what's down there?

So, I walk into the kitchen to find the dog and the boy both looking down the basement steps...and they're talking, see...and the boy says to the dog, "Gus, what's down there? What do you see?".
And Gus says, "Mike. And by the way, will you get off my foot?".
Nothing unusual here. Just another winter day in Northern New England! (RUFF!)

Snow Day # ? I've lost count!

It's a blizzard, again! Last week we had the "January Thaw", which happens here on the coast every year. The temperatures climb to balmy above freezing marks (which were in the mid to high 40's last week, diminishing our 3 ft of snow to about 6 inches in some places!) and the SUMP PUMP in the basement runs day and night trying to keep up with the thawing of the ground and the water it was producing.
Not any more! We're right back to winter and another SNOW DAY!! I hope the kids like going to school in July, because at this rate, that's where we'll be! I stepped outside at about 3pm to take these shots before the sun went down-HA! It never came out today- and the blizzard rages on. This is to continue through the night, and snow showers through the day tomorrow. Whatever that means... I have the feeling it means, "good luck shoveling your van out, as well as driving in this mess"!
Damn, I'm cold (and so is the weather)!

This COULD Happen in Church!

These clips from Church have actually happened.
If they happened more often, maybe I'd go! Probably not.... ENJOY!

Another Snow Day!

It's the first week of January and we've had 3 official snow days to date...this does not bode well for the rest of the winter, as the snow doesn't really come down until late January and February! There is no place to put the plowed snow right now (there are 4ft walls along streets), and I've heard tell that towns are already running low on salt/sand! SCARY!
But... on the lighter side...the video reminds us that it's not all bad! Why winter can even be fun...just keep telling yourself that! As I was filming this, it must be said, I was wearing slippers, no coat, (in denial you say?) and got 2 shoes FULL of snow! I don't even want to think about February!