Summer routine

Captain Callum drives the boat with Dana the Pirate on China Lake!!!

Uncle Jonathan and Callum take in the final day of the Tour de France....

I haven't written much about my day to day life this summer, and this thought just came to my mind this morning while I was feeding Callum his breakfast. I am lucky enough to be home with him this summer, and we're having a great time together; it is really tough--I won't lie--but I consider myself blessed to be able to spend so much quality time with my son each day. Amanda works from home on some Wednesdays, and sometimes grammy watches Callum for the day. But usually, Callum and I have our daily routine into which we've seemed to settle. My biggest fear is that, come the end of August when I am back in school, I'm going to have a hard time adjusting to not being with him! Almost like I'm going back from "paternity leave" or something. I notice this already when he does go to grammy's house; I really miss him and it doesnt make sense to have the house so quiet and empty.

People who know anything about me know of my horrific OCD tendencies, and my obsession with keeping a neat house. Just one of the hundreds of things Callum Stuart has done for me in the past year is exponetially mitigage these obsessions. Some of his favorite things to do are completely empty the tupperware cabinet, playing with all the bowls, take as many CDs as he can off the CD rack, and bang them on the floor, spread out all his toys all over the house, throw his mashed up peaches and chicken nuggets on the floor, rip up and chew my Bicycling magazines, and crash his walker thingy into all the walls. And, somehow, I am unbothered by this. Granted, I dont want him the drawers and cabinets that have batteries, cleaners, and all my loaded and un-safetied pistols in them, but I truly am, for the most part, unfluttered by his daily activities. I actually love watching him explore. And I am glad because this is one thing I was really worried about when we became pregnant.

He IS learning his boundaries, however (slowly but surely). He can't crawl past the wood stove, for example, without stopping, pointing, and repeating HOT HOT HOT over and over again. And it is funny to see his daily, repetitive routines. After Amanda leaves for work at around 7, we usually go and flip back between Martha Speaks on PBS, or TODAY so we can see hear about what kind of shuffle mix Michael Jackson had on his iPod when he died, or something like that. Then we eat breakfast, play trucks, read a few books, and take a nap (well, he usually does). This is usually the time I go on line and order most of my illegal guns from Colombia. We usually eat lunch, and then go out and do errands. He loves going to Joseph's market, Hannaford, and Agway....and the people there usually remember him!

For fun, we go on walks, splash around in his kiddy pool, and look at the bikes in the garage. His favorite thing in the world, lately, is a BIKE. He loves seeing people riding bikes, and he loves looking at my 2008 Specialized bicycle catalogue. In fact, that is one of his favorite nap/bedtime books lately! He just points and yells out BITT! BITT! (Callumish for "Bike"). We got him a Schwinn trailer for his birthday (actually just went to pick it up last week). But we had to order a special skewer at Mathieu's, and it isnt in yet. But he is going to LOVE riding around the neighborhood with mommy and daddy!

At around 4, he goes into his "destruction mode," which is usually the time when he REALLY starts tearing stuff apart--bowls, toys, DVDs, books, etc. So this is when he usually starts helping me get dinner going so we can eat as soon as mommy gets home. Since we are a "charcoal house" now, he loves watching the chimney starter on the BBQ billow with smoke. He also loves to munch on cheese or Elmo cookies while I cook vegetables or rice! When mommy gets home, we eat, bathe, go to bed, and then Amanda and I split our time (so one can be home while CS sleeps) enjoying a well earned, wonderful, stress reducing ride or run!!!!!!!

What a great day! Thanks Callum for exciting and unforgettable days! I know I will look back to this summer fondly when you are all grown up and out riding bitts with your friends all day!

(or, more often than not, on a day to day basis, I just strap Callum in front of Noggin all day while I text)

HAHA

Adirondacks 09 Pt2

Some more reflections on last week's trip (As a side note, I dont know how many of you watch TODAY with Matt Lauer, etc, but this week they are "on vacation" at Lake George, which is about 1.5 hours from where we were. The Adirondack State Park is HUGE!)

Everyone who reads this blog knows one of my favorite things in the world is the Atlantic cook stove the Smith's (Andrea!) have on the island. I've written about it before, but I never tire of talking about it (the stove, not the act of writing about it...again, that is for you Andrea). As "summerish" as it was in the Adirondacks--and we had pretty good weather actually--the fire went for most of the day. The first one up would build a fire for coffee, eggs, tea, and pandacakes. We'd resurrect it for lunch, run it through the afternoon to warm ourselves after being on the water, and then use it for dinner. I made my traditional "Adirondack Stew" for supper one night, using the ham bone from the delicious dinner Michael and Andrea prepared the night before....

As equally impressive as the stove is the cast iron skillets (last one Andrea), which are 100 year old "Griswolds." More non stick than any Rachel Ray piece of crap pan could ever hope to be--they are the product of years and years of careful cleaning, cooking, and seasoning.

I love this picture, because it is a candid shot of my two favorite people doing what they do best: Baking and eating. Callum enjoys some pieces of peach while Amanda makes her famous "Drop Biscuits" to go with my stew. To give you some perspective, the stove is right in back of Callum, off to the right. Looking out the windows in back of Amanda, you can see the porch, with the water in the background....
GET ME THE HELL OUT OF THE WATER!!!!!!!

Callum didnt like his floaty thing. Oh well. Poor little guy....

Brian pilots the Sweetwater while Amanda and Michael put enough sun screen on Callum to cause an eclipse. Does that even make sense? We were on our way to Sandy Beach to give Callum an opportunity to swim.

I really, really love this picture!

Andrea just seemed to have this amazingly calming presence with Callum. Andrea, a classical vocalist, has just as wonderful of a speaking voice as she does a singing voice, and maybe this affected Callum as she read him his books. As you can see, he is very relaxed. Actually, I was too! Andrea, you should read stories to kids as a side project!

Hope you enjoyed the aquaskipping video. Go check this link out of you want to see what it is SUPPOSED to look like!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHJHfcSAZ6I

Aquaskipper Fail

Aquaskip them off keyboard cat! (If you don't know the history of 'Play them off keyboard cat' it might be worth googling or checking out on wikipedia).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XESKaH5CNU0

Thanks Michael!

Adirondacks 09 Pt 1

A few photographs of our trip to hold people over while I still process the whole experience and think about what to write. Each time we go up to Seventh Lake in Inlet, NY, and spend time at "Camp Meenagha," as it is called, we undergo a truly spiritual experience (maybe that's because we're surrounded by so much clergy...haha). But I think it is so much more than that. As Brian's Aunt Patty explained to me in one of our several conversations, "The beauty of the Adirondacks lies in the inconvenience." How true and how wonderful! All the cooking is done on the Atlantic wood burning cook stove, there are old fashioned outhouses, there's no microwave or coffeemaker, the water we drink comes right from eleven feet down off the dock, from the lake, and out through the faucets, the shower is outside, and there's just this beautiful feeling of isolation as we spend time on "Smith Island," and watch people row Adirondack Guide Boats, and paddle "Gamps," kayaks, and canoes. There is still something inside waiting to come out in my writing, but I dont know what that is yet. But the above is merely a brief reflection.....

Here's this summer's island "crew." Starting in the front, from left to right, we have Mrs Sally Piles, Brian, Callum, Andrea, Michael, Aunt Patty, and some fat half Jew wearing socks with clogs. I mentioned being surrounded by clergy on the island: Brian is an Anglican priest, while Patty is a Lutheran pastor in Virginia. I now have the honor of saying that I've driven every vehicle on the island: Waterskiing motorboat, pontoon boat, canoe, kayak, Gamp (an Adirondack-style kayak thing created by an island hermit), sunfish (sailboat), Adirondack Guide Boat (more about that later), and "the mule," which is like a GATOR.....which is like a dune buggy that carries luggage, wood, and other stuff. Below, CS and I navigate the perilous waterways of Seventh Lake while driving the crew on the pontoon boat. Please take note of a) our matching Phillies hats (go Pedro....and soon Halladay), and b) the BEAUTIFUL yes/no shirt Frian gave me....

Callum hated some parts of the water, and loved others. He hated the "beach" with its shallow and warm little "tidepools," as he kept shouting NA NA NA NA (Callumish for NO) when we tried to put him there; he cried and struggled furiously. But, somehow, he didnt mind as much being dipped off the dock into the deep water whilst wearing his life jacket. Callum's aversion to the water is our fault....we need to be better about exposing him to swimming opportunities. He did not go off the diving board, but he kept crawling to the edge of it. He also loved lapping the water with his hands. As for me, I enjoyed some "true" triathlon style swimming, as I did some laps along the island in preparation for my next triathlon in September. This one will be a lake swim...which TERRIFIES me because I am petrified of not seeing what is underneath me (thats what she said).

Look at Callum's baby man-boobs! This was on "sandy beach," where Callum hated everything to do with the water. However, I was able to pacify him by surrounding him with pine cones. CALLUM LOVES PINECONES. For the rest of the week he enjoyed getting his hand on them. Below, he makes little piles. Also, he helped me collect some for kindling for the stove. And, once they were in the kindling box, he enjoyed stacking them on each other; I think he enjoys the smell and the way his hands get sticky (thats what....). Brian and Michael, who kept Callum entertained greatly, taught him about tadpoles, as Michael collected a few and cupped them in his hands to show Callum....

Pick a winner, Callum! Here's Callum and his "Uncle Fibbers" (the phonetic pronunciation of "Father Brian Smith" aka F.B.S.) We also call him "Frian." Uncle Fibbers just recently left his parish in Florida, and is heading north quite a bit to serve and Anglican church in Fairfax, VA. Aunt Patty also serves a church in VA. Callum really loved getting to meet Brian and spend time with Michael and Andrea! There will be more pictures forthcoming, but like I said, this is just a taste....

Wait until you see the "Aquaskipper." I think Nannie is going to hyperventilate from laughing at this one.....

Meanderings 53

First, a picture of last night's dinner. I've been having a blast with my Weber charcoal grill, and I actually roasted (not grilled) a chicken in my Weber. I took some maple chunks I had from splitting wood, and put them on top of the coals. I should do a whole blog on this cooking I've been doing. Anyway, it came out UNBELIEVABLE! I made some baked potatoes too. Good stuff. See how all the coals are on one side? I used indirect heating method. More of the beautiful blueberry barren from Hope....

Up to no good.....

1. If I pig gets sunburned, does that pig just become "walking" bacon? (pigs CAN get sunburned, you know!)

2. Callum really loves "Elmo in Grouchland," which is Elmo's first feature film. Manny Patakin (sp?) is in it, and he is hilarious! Also starring, as the "Queen of Trash," is Vanessa Williams. I know this sounds kind of sick, but Williams is actually really hot in this movie. What's always been interesting about Vanessa Williams is how she has the ability/skill/whatever to sometimes make herself look "whiter," and sometimes make herself look "blacker" (from what I understand, she is half and half). Good for her; all I can do to alter my appearance is grow a beard. But, anyway, she is "very" dark in this film, and I am just surprised the morons at the ACLU didnt make a big fuss for how, in her role as the "Queen of Trash," she seemed to purposely make herself look "blacker." Hey....dont be mad at me.....I'm just telling you what I saw...

3. Have you ever stopped to think about just how much commercial radio sucks. I mean, I know this isnt that funny or creative or original....but just think about radio for a second. There's NOTHING on. Boston had one of the best rock stations in history, but now its going to become a sports talk station. Up here in Maine, there's country, 92 commercials (what I call 92Moose, which is a teeny bopper station), or "construction worker" classic rock. Nothing progressive or enlightening. And I would imagine its like that where you live too. Commercial radio sucks. And XM isnt that much better, sorry to say. For all the diversity they advertise with their music stations, we found it to be pretty repetitive. Go for NPR's "World Cafe" if you want to hear some good stuff. Also, iTunes has great FREE stations.

4. You know what I hate? "Willow Tree." That stuff is stupid. Are we that arrogant (or insecure) that we need to be re-affirmed of our daily tasks and roles by faceless figures wearing ethereal, loose-fitting clothes? In fact, I get annoyed by any "fictional" figures depicting jobs, roles, hobbies, etc. With the exception of Smurfs, which are awesome, I think the rest are silly. "Oh...I'm a teacher....so I guess I'll get ANOTHER, much cuter, rounder, and more muted version of SOMEONE ELSE teaching. This way I wont forget I'm a teacher." Or, "Oh....I'm a mom....which is cool because that is such an original thing to be....I really want a faceless, chubby, molded figure of something ELSE being a mom too. This way I'll feel so much better!" Hey....I do a lot of stupid things too I guess....so to each his own. (sorry Nannie....I know you love Willow Tree).

5. Willow Tree should make a figure of someone vacuuming a Clubhouse. My mom would buy like 30 of them....

6. If we're all at a party and we're all drinking and then we all walk home, can my paraplegic friend in a wheelchair gets stopped for drunk driving? In Maine, usually every summer, you hear of some guy from Vassalboro who gets caught driving his lawnmower drunk. Seriously. So, this is a valid question.

7. At what point in history did we decide which animals would fall into the "cute" category and which ones would fall into the "not" or "pest" category? I mean, most "baby" things (except Eagles) are adorable. But for "adult" animals? I think raccoons and skunks get a bad rap....they ar really cute. Too bad they eat trash and spray people. Groundhogs dont fall into this cute category either. Basically any animal that refuses to be corrupted or tamed by "the man" is seen as our enemy. Cats and dogs and fish and parakeets sold out a long time ago. Keep on keepin' on, Mr Groundhog!! Interestingly, mice walk a very fine line. Some folks trap them and scream at the sight of them (my mom hates mice). Yet Amanda has these chachkas called "Charming Tales" which are all cute little mice doing stupid things like fishing. And why are mice seen as pests but gerbils (looks like a mouse to me!) seen as cute pets?

8. What, on earth, other than a giraffe and an armadillo, looks like a giraffe or an armadillo? Everything looks like "something." Where do these two fit in?

9. Here's something that annoys me: People who have pet turtles named "Shelly." Grow up.

10. Here's a pitch for a pathetic summer chick flick: A single guy becomes smitten with a hot toll collector working the Gardiner tolls off route 95. Every day, on his way home from work, he looks forward to going through her toll, only to be let down by the 1.4 seconds he gets to talk to her each day. The long traffic lines in back of him make it impossible for him to stop and converse with this girl, and thus he's faced with the quagmire of how to hit on this girl, flirt with her, and ultimately ask her out. Corey Feldman or Gary Coleman would be great for this!

Seriously, how do you ask out a toll collector? It is really sad actually, because I'm sure it has happened. I mean, if you like the barista at Fourbucks, you can go in, talk to her, see what she's into, etc. But toll collectors? I guess it would take a month's worth of these 1.4 second meetings to have a substantial conversation. And you can never pick her up at work. There are hundreds of reasons why a toll collector romance would never work.

A short one

Busy summer and busy last week. Here is a run down of what we've been doing. We went out to Hope where Grandpop had a camp on Hobbs Pond. Amanda and I took a great paddle last weekend across the lake, through a long marshy bog, and out to where the stream ended at a small backcountry road. We then got out of the canoe and did a bit of food exploration, where we came across these beautiful blueberry barrens; it was like being in Yorkshire, England!

A view of the camp from the shoreline. A nice deck with gates so Callum could crawl all around safely. You can see grandpop getting his tacklebox ready to go fishing. A nice, rustic "real" Maine camp. No adornments or bells or whistles.....

My little friend enjoying the nice summer weather we have been having lately. I think he has a strawberry in his mouth or something....

I took grandpop out for a few casts. I was his "guide" and paddler, and he got situation in a lawn chair we put in the boat. He had a good time and we had some good conversation. No fish were caught. But we saw lots of turtles.

My good friend and former UNH roommate Brian and his girlfriend Melissa were up in Maine for the weekend, staying on the beach. They took Bri's Harley, and they met us halfway between their hotel and our house for dinner. Callum looks good on a Harley, no?

The Goldsmith's are getting ready for our trip to the Adirondacks with Brian Smith and the Clauss's. Callum's longest car ride yet. Daddy better get the meds (for himself!! haha)

Going from Friday until next Wednesday.

Ta

Lake George Paddling....

Look at this kid!!! Since we have had a total of two non-rainy days this summer (seriously...) we decided to take advantage of one of them (Monday) and go canoeing. Amanda had Monday off as a mandatory state unpaid "shutdown day" so there is money to give all the irresponsible people the welfare they deserve, so we made good use of it. In all seriousness though, I actually love the mandatory shut down days (there are ten coming up). One day of unpaid wages pales in comparison to the time we get to spend together as a family during that day....that is my reasoning, anyway! The above picture is of Callum getting ready to paddle; his old high chair makes a perfect canoe-seat, and he is donning the new lifejacket Cindy and Dana got him for his birthday (the ones you got him, Papa, are too small now....Jackson can wear them in the kayaks!)

I've written about Lake George before. Its a beautiful spot in Canaan, and there is a little park, hiking trails, and a beach. Plus, its less than one mile away from Oak Pond Brewery. Below, Amanda takes a MUCH deserved break from all the paddling she had been doing, while CS points out Elmo, who happened to be swimming there that day. Seriously though, he was fascinated by the water, and, as we stayed close to the shore, he loved pointing out all the rocks and trees with his "ooooooohs" and "wasshas?" (Callumish for "what's that?")

He did very, very well in the canoe, and he seemed to like it very much. The only thing he hated, however, was the restriction of the lifejacket; it prevented him from sucking his thumb, putting cookies in his mouth, and drinking from his sippy cup. The reason we cut the trip short, in fact, was because he was getting really upset about this.....

We love this picture; look at that smile! And check out his "Mee-owwww," which came with him on the trip. Callum is obsessed with two things: Elmo, and this silly little cat. It is so funny....Look how Volvo-Cat just sits there on the yoke...priceless....

And what could be better after a good paddle on the water than some homemade Gifford's ice cream? Even if it did cost over 6 bucks for two dishes of ice cream, who cares? The counter girl asked us if we would want a "free infant cone" for Callum. We said "sure," and asked for blueberry. This is what we got....isnt it the funniest little thing ever??

I am marvelling at how cute the little cone is, while Callum eyes his treat. And he enjoyed every bit of this!

A great day, and we're looking forward to a lot more time on the water. We're a canoe family! We bought the Old Town Camper for this reason...it is roomy and very stable on the water. Maybe we'll tackle some of the Kennebec next time!

And maybe it will stop raining....

Independence Day '09

"
A photo to make my late Papa Goldsmith smile up in heaven; Callum enjoyed his first spare rib! I know this is a day my dad has waited for as well! Grandpop (or "Ba-Ba" as Callum calls him--it is so funny because he calls me "dada," he calls Amanda "mumma," but he doesnt call any of his other grandparents anything....but he calls his great-grandfather "Ba Ba") made his famous baby back ribs at our cookout, and we gave Callum a bone with just a bit of meat left on it. I took a video too that I might post. As you can see, he loved it, and he threw a fit when we tried to take it from him! Later that night, we found the bare bone at the bottom of his high chair.....



Here's Ba-Ba making his famous ribs--he marinates them in his special sauce, and then grills them to perfection. They were unbelievable....even for "his" ribs. The day itself was strange as far as the weather went. It rained in the morning, then it cleared up, and then just as we were about to cook, we got this raging thunderstorm....so we cooked in the garage--Ba-Ba on one bay, me on another.

As for me, I am DONE with gas grills. The Goldsmith house is now strictly a "charcoal house."
This merits its own blog all by itself....but I am fed up with gas grills....I dont really feel like I am BBQing. I know Hank Hill would be pissed at me, but there is just something primal about using "real" fire to cook our food. I know it takes longer for everything to get going...but that is part of the fun. Now, dinner is more of an "event" with Amanda and Callum, since lighting the charcoal, arranging the briquettes, and working the drafts are all part of the fun. Plus, everything tastes so good and we always feel like we're camping! And I figured if I was going to do this, I was going to do this as "purist" as possible, which is why I dont use any lighter fluid. I bought this chimney starter, pictured above, which uses plain old newspaper as the kindling to get your fire going. As you can see....the coals are almost ready. (I said "purist," and I realize I am using "pressed" charcoal and not "lump." I WILL use lump...but they had a killer deal on the Kingsford stuff at Agway!)

Here is the "prep table."
In addition to the ribs, we had hamburgers seasoned with this rub I found in my friend Wick's "Bon Appetit" magazine (it uses ground coffee, and it is awesome!), Bratwurst George got at Morse's the day before, Lynne's baked beans, a green salad with stuff from B&F Vegetables, and a blueberry/peach pie Amanda baked (she also baked some cookies). As usual, we had some delicious snacks before we ate (a fantastic cheese board, liverwurst, wine, and growlers from Oak Pond Brewery). People should come up to enjoy this stuff with us; we kick butt in Maine!

A future "Demotivational Poster" done by Timmy, John, or Jay.....
Here we are getting ready to light the grills. We didnt end up going to any fireworks, since Callum was asleep...but we did laugh our asses off watching some Arrested Development.....

Coming up next: Callum's weekend canoe trip!

Schnitzel, Babka, and Big Boy Seats

This afternoon, we took a ride with Lynne, George, and Ensign to Morse's Sauerkraut in Waldoboro (near the Rockland coast). There somehow began this tradition of doing "German" food on the 4th of July (dont ask me....) and Morse's is this amazing gem of midcoast Maine; they have a little German restaurant called "Little German Restaurant," as well as a huge spread of all imported goods from Europe (mostly Germany and Austria) like dips, cheeses, beverages, pastries, sausage, deli, and more. It is amazing actually, I could spend all day in there sampling stuff, and I am sure that come inventory time for the store, the staff is there for DAYS! Anyway, we were there to eat, peruse, and get some stuff for our "German" cookout tomorrow. Das Hut mer Shre henay! Above, Amanda is holding a loaf of Babka, a Jewish bread perfected by Ed's Poultry in Brockton Mass (haha). Traditionally, Babka is a cinnamon raisin bread coated with cinnamon and sugar. My sister used to kill for it when she was younger. This loaf, baked by the famous Green's Bakery in Brooklyn NY, is different...containing chocolate. I dont even like Babka, and we've eated almost the whole loaf. Eat your heart out Auntie KK!

Below, Handy-Pop and Lynne discuss the significance of the Weinerschnitzel's role in our current economic recession, while Amanda changes Callum's diaper, and George disappears back inside to, in his words, "pick up a few more things."


Our (suddenly medieval dungeon looking) lunch table, complete with our waitress who was IN LOVE with Callum. I didnt even think about this before, but now, looking at the photo, I cant help but thinking she looks (kind of) like a younger picture of my mom (well....EVERY picture of someone is a picture of when they were younger.....think about that!). Callum enjoyed some of Daddy's schnitzel, some of mommy's Reuben, and some of grammy's potato salad. Also, he indulged in some delicious pickles.
Callum's new car seat! His maiden voyage. A big (and sad!) day for us....but, as you can tell, he LOVES it. He looks out the window and can see everything. He is also happy because he is playing with the car keys, which are his favorite thing in the world!
After a long day of processed meat, Callum cuddles up with his good friend Curious George for a good night's sleep.......

With Age

You know the expression how "some things get better with age?" Well, some things suck as they age. But I was thinking about this idea of things getter "better" this morning while Callum and I were eating breakfast. We like to listen to CDs while we eat, and this morning we were checking out the album "Blues is my middle name" by Ray Charles. I began to think about how his voice became EXPONENTIALLY better as he got older. I got to thinking about other artists, things, etc that seem to be way better as they age. Feel free to add to this list....

1. the voice of Ray Charles
2. the voice of Van Morrison
3. the voice of Tom Waits
4. the voice of Elton John
5. pickled polish sausage
6. wine
7. NOT beer
8. teaching (my craft becomes better, and it seems easier too)
9. anything made my Carrhart
10. baseball caps (but I hate those "Abercrombie" hats that look like they've already been through the Khmer Rouge...I like "honestly aged" hats)
11. Katie Couric's looks....
12. Cast Iron skillets (well, most people's. Ours seems to get LESS stick resistant)
13, Sesame Street (the ones....the new ones cant hold a candle to the ones from my generation....and the old ones are as funny as heck!)
14. cheese
15. Birkenstocks
16. Trees (there is nothing quite like a mature oak tree)
17. confidence
18. dislike of people
19. maple or oak firewood (we have some oak that has been seasoning for three years...and is so dense that it STILL wasnt ready this past winter.....but look out this winter!)
20. the detective skills of gene parmesan