Happy Birthday Amanda!!

Amanda turns 31 today. What a hot mumma!! I hope she had a great day....although, I know she did not (not because of anything we did wrong, but because of the little biscuit giving her a hell of a time ever since he/she has been in her womb). I dont mean to make light of it, but it is kind of funny; Amanda will just randomly throw up at all hours of the day. Just randomly. No lead in. Kind of cool, actually. Well, not for her.

But yesterday we had dinner at the Willard's, and today I BBQed some cheeseburgers, boiled some corn, and put together the cucumber salad Amanda likes so much. Oh, and then there was the big chocolate cake....from Hillman's of course!

Amanda thinks she looks awful. But I think she looks beautiful. Did I mention how much Callum loved the cake? He loved it SO much that now, at 9:17 p.m., he is still up in his crib, jumping around, crying for us, probably about to crash from a sugar high....So we have that going for us....
Callum is getting more and more brave by the day; he used to be quite the little scaredy cat. Actually, he still is about a lot of things. For example, he used to be MORTIFIED of the lawn mower. But now he joins me in manicuring our little yard. He even wants to help push the mower, but only if the motor is off.
Those damn John Deere's (right Uncle KK??)!! You always have to check the oil, which is what Callum is doing. By the light post, you can see our trillions of chives about to flower. They look great this year. However, the lupines seem to have taken a vacation for a season. Right in back of Callum is the red oak Papa bought for us last year. It is doing so-so. But they are slow growers anyway. Writing about oak reminds me....I need to call about some firewood soon!!!

TRI-ing to get things in perspective....

As is always the case this time of year, things start spiraling out of control; May and June are always tremendously busy times of year (especially being a teacher!). I like the business though, since it makes the time go by fast, and it makes it real exciting. Here is what is going on!

• Amanda and I are involved in the planning of Vacation Bible School at our church. Although it doesnt start til late June,, there is still a ton to do right now. Amanda is teaching an elementary class, and I somehow got cajoled into dressing up like either a "bee" (which is the theme of VBS 'zip, zap, and zoom for Jesus.....) or a clown. Or both. Or something. Someday, I swear I will do something NOT self deprecating....
• Amanda's birthday is Monday. I wonder what she will get........
• I am in full training mode for the triathlon I have coming up on June 6--it is the Bath "Y-Tri" which is the one I ran last year. I love training for triathlons--it is almost more fun than actually doing the races--but it is intense, and I am exhausted! Lots of biking and running and swimming. Yet, I still look like Grimace from McDonalds. Why?
• Term Paper Season: The culminating experience for my seniors. And 8-10 page persuasive research paper. These are a BEAR to correct...especially because I save them to be done at the end of the year (can you say "carrot?") and I have to finish them in record time so the kids can graduate. When I first started, these papers would each take me about 40 minutes to correct. Now that I am such a "consummate professional," it isnt SOOOO bad....but it is still bad.....
• As part of our church's "Board For Youth," I am undertaking the leading of our church youth group--there are lots of meetings between our Pastor and I.....
• Graduation week: There is Baccalaureate, there is class night, and there is commencement at Colby College. June 9th, baby! (It is wicked late this year!!!) For the sixth year--in as many years as I have had the honor of teaching at WHS, I have been asked to write a graduation song for the seniors. I probably should start that. But it is hard to be inspired this year.
• The conclusion of--without question--THE worst and saddest year in my professional life. Period.
  

In other news, Amanda is starting to show early this time around. You knew you werent going to escape some early belly pictures, right?


Glowing, I think!
Karl Andresen made us these beautiful Adirondack style chairs out of old pallets. Callum--who always prefers to be outside--enjoys sitting in the chairs eating cookies, saying hi to Bill across the street, and playing with his bubbles.....

Meanderings 61-Vitamins

Here are a few pictures of Callum playing with Lexi last Friday--Eric, Lexi, and Jackson came over for a little BBQ supper. Lexi is a couple months younger than little Callum. They enjoyed playing on the slide, dancing in the kitchen, and rolling around in cars in the driveway. Good times!

Lexi liked to push Callum down the slide. And Callum liked the extra speed.
Nothing like burgers on the charcoal grill! I dont know if you can tell from the photo, but Ms Amanda is starting to show a bit!!

Only one simple meandering today, but it was something I was wondering about this morning. I got to thinking about vitamins, and how funny it is that with hundreds of years now of medical technology, science has only been able to come up with SIX solitary vitamins. Only six. There's Vitamins A, B, C, D, E.....and K. What happened to F, G, H, I, and J? Are they vitamins that are still yet to be invented? Is science stuck on those five? Why did they stop with "E" and go right to "K?" Why didnt they just continue?

And, I mean, you've got 26 letters of the alphabet to contend with, so why did they have to get all cute with Vitamin B--all this B6 this, and B12 that...? Why didnt they just make all the "B" vitamins different vitamins then? That is a classic bureaucratic
thing to do--just like with exits on the highway, how you have exit 124A, B, C, and so on. I'm not doing an outline for a term paper here...I just want to take my freakin' vitamin.

And what inherently "makes" something a "vitamin?" By that, I mean to ask why something like "glucosamine" isnt NOT called "glucosamine," but, rather, a vitamin. And why not things like calcium, iron, etc? Maybe being known as vitamin status is like being canonized by the church, or inducted into the "Nutrition Hall of Fame" or something. Maybe glucosamine has to prove itself over the next 20 years or so....and then we'll forever know it as "Vitamin J" or something.

I like vitamins. Every morning when I take mine, I feel all awesome. I'm protected now...I took my vitamin....

what makes vit?

And speaking of baby chickens.....

So, a few weeks ago now, Callum and Amanda went down to visit Andrea and Michael in Rochester, NH. I stayed home, since some of us have to work :) At any rate, Callum was ecstatic to see the Clauss-Veal's new addition: Baby chickens!! They were only like a week old or something, so they were still in their little box with the light and all the mumbo jumbo....Over the last two years, it has become pretty plain to see that Callum is a farmer boy at heart: This kid absolutely loves (toy AND real) cows, chickens, ducks, cats, dogs, and horses. Also, he loves carrying his watering can around, and he LOVES his little garden, where right now he is growing some peas--he checks on them every single day. In addition, his affinity for birds (and birdseed in particular) is mildly concerning for a kid his age; sometimes, upon waking up from a nap, he will speak in a panicked sort of manner about how he has to feed the birds, etc. Very funny. Oh, and he loves doing firewood. He has, technically, already split his first piece of wood. More on that another time....Here's Callum with the chicks.

You really need to click on each picture to blow they up. Yes, they.
One thing I really admire about my son is his respect for people, things, and animals. He understood the fragility of these chicks, and it shows here. He is gentle with babies and kittens and my emotions.....you know, all types of fragile things.
Paying attention as Uncle Michael explains how to clean the poop.....
I can almost hear Callum shouting: "Ooooooohhhhhhh.....baby neaks!!!"
Oh, and getting back to the title of this post--"And speaking of baby chickens"--we wanted to make it public on our blog (in case anyone still reads this) that we are indeed expecting our second child on December 6th. Amanda is doing AWFUL, in case you are wondering. Very sick. Very tired. Very dead-weight. But, I DO have her doing extra chores and workouts, so.....
Just kidding. But she is not having a good go of it thus far. But all is well, we heard a very healthy heartbeat, and we are so blessed to be expecting our second baby. Callum, too, is elated. He likes taking care of things. We are about 11 weeks along right now....

Let's play a game....

Can you guess which one of these is the Obama Supreme Court appointee Elena Kagan....and which one is that fat dude from the show "King of Queens?" Let's see how you do....

Elena Kagan, or Kevin James in drag??

hmmm......

Is Elena having nightmares about the grilling she'll get from the Senate??

I wanted to make sure to post this ASAP....so you can say you saw it here first, before SNL, The Daily Show, etc get ahold of this....

Hey Dad, if all goes well, we'll finally have one of our people on the bench!!! Mazel Tov!!

More stupid PC crap.....

Yesterday on NPR I heard a news story concerning the state of Wisconsin. Wisconsin, it appears, is the first state in the country to put a ban on team mascot names that are "racial" in origin and are "offensive" to certain groups. Come on. The school in question--the one NPR interviewed--involved a high school with the mascot of "The Indians." The school will need to change their mascot now. The big mural on the gymnasium wall (the same one that has been there for 65 years) that says "Welcome to Indian Country" will need to be redone....probably with a big painting of Obama or something. Kids have gotten in trouble at the school for wearing "war paint" on their faces on the days of big games. So, so, so silly.

But then I got to thinking that maybe the liberals are right....and maybe there are MORE team names that should be deemed offensive. Why stop with the obvious ones like the "Braves" and "Redskins?" I think all the following team names need to be changed......

YANKEES AND PATRIOTS: As my wife is part British, she takes offense to the Yankees and Patriots, because, in essence, all this is doing is hatemonging against the Brits and rubbing in the fact that they lost war over 200 years ago. I mean, you dont see "Bangor Talibans" or something...why should we honor and celebrate warmongers?

SAN DIEGO PADRES: As a Christian, I find it insulting that all priests are portrayed as Spanish origin AND are bald AND wear brown burlap robes. Plus, the Padres sucks. So does that mean all ministers suck too? What is the subliminal message?Can you imagine if there were a team called the "Philadelphia Clerics?"

MINNESOTA VIKINGS: Vikings raped, pillaged, and stole. They burned everything and killed what was left. Plus, they ate too much meat, which has led the American diet to be too high in cholesterol

MILWAUKEE BREWERS: Disrespectful against Amish and Baptists, who don't drink. Plus, it propagates the idea that beer is cool. Beer is NOT cool. It kills children. Almost 600 kids die every year from beer!

DALLAS COWBOYS: Are you kidding me? The Cowboys are called "America's team." Cowboys were drunken immoral men who were homeless settled disputes by shooting each other. Plus they cheated at cards.and stole money. So....I guess they ARE America's team.....

LA DODGERS: Glorifying all those hippy draft dodgers in the Vietnam war.....

OAKLAND RAIDERS and PITTSBURGH PIRATES: My ancestors were killed by pirates....and they still havent returned my doubloons. I find this offensive

This list is only from baseball and football.....and I think it barely scratches the surface.....

Being a bachelor

Hopefully Timmy's bud George doesnt get mad at this......

Right now I am taking a break from stacking some rock maple that I have been splitting over the past week or four....Amanda and Callum are safely arrived in Rochester, NH to visit Andrea and Michael. As I have already spoken to Amanda this afternoon, I know Callum is enamored with the Clauss's baby chickens they are raising for eggs. Callum just LOVES animals of all kinds. Perhaps he will grow up to be a James Herriot or a Calum Buchanan or a Siegfried Farnum, even...

I am enjoying the house all to myself. This morning, after church, I did a 20 mile ride through some beautiful country (I call it the RIVER ROAD LOOP). The only downside to this is that, whereas my ride takes me through some beautiful farmland, farmers are out in full force, dropping manure on their cornfields. This, in turn, means that the road is covered with dried up manure tracks from the big tires of the tractors. I got home, had lunch, and I have been out doing firewood ever since. Later, I will get a Ming Lee combination plate (which I will eat with a spoon) and watch some serious X-Files (well, I mean I will "seriously" watch several episodes....NOT that I will only watch X-Files individual episodes of a serious nature....)

Callum has been really loving building towers lately....



These things are taller than him, even. Amanda and I clash over blocks. She grew up as a Lego kid, and I grew up as Lincoln Logs kid. There were basically only three types of kids when we grew up: Lego kids (who are now all the left brain, sequential, logical thinkers who can, let's say, put together kid's toys, follow directions of manuals, etc), Lincoln Logs kids (who now are all grown up and plagued with a keen fascination for all things wood...particularly firewood), and Tinker Toys kids (these kids are all at WPI or MIT now, and probably will never marry)
Before I get back to my wood, I wanted to show what else Callum has been really into lately: Drawing. He loves crayons--but he particularly loves colored pencils. When I say he "loves drawing," what I really mean is that he loves to hold crayons and tell US to draw him things on demand. Like, for example, he'll hold three crayons and say "Cat!" and want me to draw him a cat. Then, he says "I did it!' and takes credit for the work I did. Hopefully, he grows out of this liberal-American phase.....
Have fun Amanda and Callum. Be careful. Dont get pecked by chicks. Get me a present!