Callum's New Friends

A few extra pictures for you today. This afternoon the Goldsmiths took a ride out to China to Meadowbrook Farm; Amanda's co-worker Lynne lives on this beautiful 350 acre farm right on China Lake. On the farm, they raise Angus cows, Rhode Island Red Hens, and lots of vegetables and hay. Lynne has been trying to get Callum out to the farm, since many of the cows have been calving left and right ("calving," since Nannnie will ask, is when cows have babies!) Lynne's father is a tractor aficionado (as I like to think I am!). I couldnt resist getting on some of the tractors....and neither could Callum.



Callum really liked this one.....in the background is a fenced in "pen" for the cows, on the right is the barn, and in the background is just some of their land.....
Oh yes....this post is called "Callum's new friends." I guess I should get to why that is. Well, here are some of his new chicken friends, whom he helped feed today with his mommy. They seem to like JJ Nissen hamburg rolls quite well. These were seriously the most social chickens I have ever seen!
And here is Callum's friend Jem! Jem is a baby Angus cow who was born just this past Wednesday. Weighing in at about 35 pounds, Lynne says this is one of the smallest calves she has ever seen. Sadly, Jem's mommy has "shunned" her and doesnt recognize Jem. Sooo.....Jem is bottle fed. Amanda and Callum helped out with this today, and Callum knew EXACTLY what the bottle was for...albeit this bottle is a little bigger than his
Total "biffles" hanging out. I need a framed copy of this for my desk at school....
We just could not BELIEVE how cool Callum was at the farm. Notwithstanding the fact that he wasnt AT ALL scared of the animals (like Lynne said most babies are), rather, Callum was totally interested and entertained with the animals! He pet the cows, "mooed" at them, "woofed" at the dogs, let the dogs lick his head and neck while he smiled, and tried to get Lynne's kitty cat through the window screen. I didnt picture any of the dogs, but Sebastian and Dakota--a chocolate lab and golden retriever, respectively, followed us around ALL day. Callum just loves animals, and I guess he should have a "farm" party next week instead of a Curious George one!

Meanderings 51 (?)

A whole new batch for you to enjoy!

1. There was an ad in the Sunday paper for this "Healthy Choice" microwave pasta thingy....the coupon was for a dollar off. The tagline said "Your co-workers will envy you. Your wallet will thank you." Apparently, your wallet will "thank" you because the microwave dinner is cheap. Like I give a crap about my wallet's feelings. Do you? I mean, a wallet's job is to hold money. That's all it has to do. And now its going to complain? But I guess if I had to sit in my back pocket all day I would complain too. If anything, the wallet should be pissed off when things are cheap, because it just means that they have to continue to hold lots of money which, I would imagine, could get pretty heavy for a wallet--that would be like us having to carry around folders and folders worth of files all day. Something like that. I'm sure the wallet gets tired. But, still, it should stop complaining and just be happy it has a job.

2. On the same "page" of this newspaper, there was a small ad accompanied by a "save $1.00" coupon for HUNT'S MANWICH SLOPPY JOE sauce. Here is just "some" of the "legalese" underwriting which was present under the logo: limit one coupon per purchase....void if sold, copied, transferred, altered, prohibited, or restricted....no other coupon will be used with this coupon....ConAgra foods maintains the reimbursement of this coupon to the retailer plus 8cents shipping and handling if used in compliance with the ConAgra coupon redemption policy...this has a cash value of 1/20 of a cent....blah blah blah.."

Seriously folks: Are there really that many people in the world scheming and plotting to get better deals on Manwich sauce? Is there really a black market for this kind of lawlessness? I mean, if I were a criminal, I'd go high stakes....like a bank, IT stuff, museums, etc. I wouldnt waste my time on supermarket coupons. Its sad that some law firm in the world is making millions writing the legal mumbo-jumbo that would prohibit someone from illegally getting TWO dollars off of Chef Boyardee ravioli, Stouffers stuffing, or Tyson chicken fingers. THE OTHER THING I find interesting about this is that the coupon as the cash value of 1/20 of a cent. That means if I had 20 I could cash them in? And if I had 2,000 I could make a dollar? Weird. Why does a coupon have any cash value?

3. We have an automatic paper towl dispenser in our bathrooms here at WHS, and the sound the dispenser makes when giving said paper towel sounds EXACTLY like the first note of that "Disturbia" song by Rhianna. Now I have that song in my head every time I go pee. So I have that going for me....

4. You can't spell demonstrate without "demon," and you can't spell management without "man." Just throwing that out there....someone can probably make good use of this at some point....

5. At some point in every young father's life, he is faced with the grueling question of this: Is he going to teach his kid how to "high 5." I have decided to impart all the knowledge I can to Callum, but I will not teach the high 5. I have made this decision after careful thought. He will undoubtedly learn it from his friends, and that will be great. I, however, will not teach him this skill....simply because its been done ad nauseum. The "high 5" is the "Bob Marley's Greatest Hits" of baby-tricks: Everyone has it in their "collection," and everyone thinks they are so unique, cute, and original because of it. The baby high-5 is the most overdone, unoriginal, and cliche thing a father can impart to his boy. I teach Callum how to do enough stupid tricks as it is...I wil keep the high 5 out of it.

6. Last week, flipping through the channels, we caught the end of the SCRIPPS NATIONAL SPELLING BEE and I thought to myself: What a bunch of geeky, loser kids for being involved in this. Then, I realized I was watching the end of the SCRIPPS NATIONAL SPELLING BEE. So I've got that goin' for me....

7. What ever happened to "Caramello" candy bars? Are they still around? And what about those "Bonkers" candy things? They werent quite gum but they werent quite Now And Laters....and while we're at it, does anyone have any Velamints?

8. All throughout the animal kingdom, when an animal "defecates," the end product is referred to "poop" or "feces." It doesnt really deviate much from those two terms. Why, then, do BATS of all things get a special name for what they poop out? Guano. What's the deal? I mean, as humans, we're at the top of the food chain and we dont get a special name for what we do....yet bats do? Seems pretty unfair actually. Its no wonder people arent trying to save the bats. Screw them.

9. Who the heck names these race horses? I mean, its bad enough we embarrass these noble animals by filling them full of water, not allowing them to pee, and making them chase a fake decoy. But now we give them these ridiculous names as well? Why not just "Gus" or "Jake" or"Scribbles" or something cute like that? Instead, I firmly believe that coming up with horse names is a "secret" contest of which the public is not aware....where a bunch of rich white dinks get together and try to outdo each other while they're drunk off of mint juleps. "CITRUS GETS THE EARLY WORM" or "CLIVE FORGETS DINNER ROLLS" or "MISS SALLY BUMPKIN" or some stupid crap like that

10. When I call you and you're not there and I get your voice mail, rest assured I know exactly what to do, okay? This whole idea of voicemail isn't anything new, so therefore I dont need to listen to your greeting which says something like "Hi, this is Clarice...I'm not here right now so leave a message after the beep," and then listen to the followup to that, where the little fairy who lives inside your phone gives me further instructions: "At the tone, please leave your message. When you are finished, you can either hang up or press POUND for more options." I KNOW WHAT TO DO!! And what the hell other options could there possibly be? I left my message. I said my piece. End of transaction. Call me back, idiot.

Wednesdays With Callum #5

Hi. Amanda here. Today I'm actually posting for two Wednesdays. Since our computer has been out of commission, even with Dad the master IT man himself working on it, I was unable to do a blog last week.

First of all, Callum now has a grand total of four teeth. I have been trying to get a picture of those top two elusive teeth, and last Wednesday I finally got a great shot. Check out those teeth and see if you can tell why we are now sometimes calling him "Mr. Big Tooth"!

Also last Wednesday we got a visit from P-Pop. He was in the area for a luncheon at the local Methodist Church and he came by to pay us a visit. Callum and I were just in the middle of lunch when he stopped. Callum had his first McDonald's cheeseburger, by the way! I did grind it up for him. He enjoyed it very much! Am I a bad Mom for giving an 11 month old a McDonald's cheeseburger????

Callum had a great time visiting with P-Pop, as you can tell...

This morning Callum started off the day by getting into our books. This kid LOVES books. Sometimes he won't even go down for a nap unless you read him a book first. And when he wakes up, the first thing he does is point to his books and say "Buh! Buh!" which is his way of saying "book". Callum loves balloons AND books.

Here is my little guy this afternoon while we were waiting for Daddy. He has his new sneakers on! Since she saw his first tooth first, Grammy bought him his very first pair of shoes, which are his classic white walkers from Stride Rite. I'll have to get a picture of those too - they're adorable. His Nannie bought him these cute sneakers. Doesn't he look like a little man?

Callum ate his own lunch today. Well, part of it. I fed him his fruit and yogurt, but he ate his macaroni all by himself. I pulled him right up to the table and let him go at it. I think he liked it, and he did a great job! When I went to get him cleaned up I only found 4 macaroni pieces in his lap, 3 on the chair, and 7 on the floor. Great job, Callum!

Callum loves his shoes more when they're off his feet. He is still getting used to wearing shoes and I think he prefers just playing with them than wearing them.

In just one and a half weeks my little guy is going to be 1. I can't even believe it. It seems like yesterday I was pregnant. Don't grow up too fast, Callum. Promise?

Fantastic Weekend Part 1: Triathlon

Hi. Jared here. I am on Amanda's computer while George works on ours. Hopefully we can get our problems figured out once and for all. Anyway, here are some pictures and details from the triathlon I did last weekend. It was sponsored by the Bath YMCA, and it was called the Y-Tri. Once again, it was awesome! I can't wait for next year, and I am considering training for some more that go on in Maine this summer, like the Colby triathlon, Maine State Tri, etc. The race consisted of 1/4 mile swim, a 12 mile bike ride, and a 5K run. The strangest part, for me, were the "transition" areas. I came out of the water and ran out to where my bike was "parked." Then, soaking wet, I had to put on my socks and shoes, helmet, gloves, and shirt, and start riding. Weird.

Here I am after coming out of the water and getting ready to embark on the bike portion.... And here I am leaving the "transition area" en route to riding around the coastal back roads of Bath, Maine. I thought it was a wicked hilly course...no real recovery time, as it was up one hill, down the next, and so on. Actually, the bike ride was the worst part!

Here I am with Milan and Kylian Babik after the race. Milan was the one who really encouraged me to sign up for this tri, so again I want to thank him for all his help! I dont want to embarrass Milan, but he's an exceptional athlete, finishing fourth overall in the race. The little guy he is holding (Kylian) is merely hours older than Callum; we were in the hospital with the Babik's when the babies were born!

The sweet taste of victory!

Callum and I enjoy a delicious (and only a dollar!) chocolate ice cream cone at the Red Barn after the race. I met Amanda, Callum, Lynne, and George for some world-class seafood stew, a haddock basket, and, of course, a tasty frozen treat. This was Callum's first "official" ice cream cone; suffice to say he enjoyed it! Our camera batteries died, but I would have loved to have gotten a picture of his hands, shirt, and pants after the dessert was gone.... Many thanks to Jane, for willing to be my "photographer" for the race. Here I am mere feet away from the finish line. We finished with the run. It was amazing to have fellow athletes and volunteers all cheering me on as I approached the gate....the whole spirit of the triathlon was wonderful, as we all supported one another on the road. There was no air of "arrogance" or attitude; it was great.

And who could forget the free massage after!!!

Don't Lose Hope....

Our computer has a virus again, and George is looking at it. So we havent been able to even get on our home computer. I will be bringing this (my school notebook) home so I can do some real blogs, upload pictures, etc. So much on which to report: Callum news, meanderings, 31st birthday celebration, triathlon, etc. It was an amazing and unforgettable weekend. Maybe as soon as I grade senior finals, write a graduation song, and tie up some other loose ends, I will elaborate. PLEASE continue to look for new entries. That's what she said.

Happy 30th Sally Piles!

Happy Birthday Amanda!


Sunday night's birthday dinner. Jon and Mel came over for some grub. Amanda is talking to New Jersey as I am taking this....
A nice family shot of us in Camden harbor. The "Mercantile" is pictured in the back left....the shorter of the two taller masts. I sailed on the Mercantile two summers in a row. A beautiful trip.

Callum LOVES citrus fruit. At "The Waterfront," Michael was feeding Callum pieces of lemon and orange. The kid loves sucking on lemons, which I find absolutely hilarious...but I hear babies like lemons and that is normal. Oh well. Here, he's trying to get the wedge back from Michael...

And here's Callum's impression of a Duckbilled Platypus....haha


Well, it was actually last Sunday....but with computer problems and all, I am just getting around to posting some photos from her big day. Amanda's birthday "weekend" started by me surprising her with planning a visit from Andrea and Michael Clauss from good ole' NH. They came up Friday and surprised Amanda at my softball game. She was freaked! They stayed on Friday night, and then on Saturday we went to Camden for a little day trip to the coast. We had lunch at "The Waterfront," which used to be good but now sucks, and then we did a quick walk around before heading back, as Andrea and Michael needed to be back in NH by Sunday afternoon/early evening.

For Amanda's "birthday dinner," she requested sausage, pepper, and onion subs (a la Fenway) and some oven fries to go along with them. I was happy to oblige, and grilled up some sweet Italians, as well as some green pepper and onion jobbies from Josephs. I am definitely NOT a baker, so Amanda's cake came from Hannaford. Some may ask: Why didnt you get it at Hillman's? Fair question. Although they are an OTHERWORLDLY bakery, they get a C- for cakes for some reason. I think its because they only do white cakes--no "yellow" ones, which contain egg yolks. White cakes, although low in cholesterol, are pretty dry and flavorless. So now you know.

I turn the big 31 on Sunday...in fact it is my "Golden Birthday," as I turn 31 on the "31st." I have the last possible golden birthday, and, as I have mentioned several times, I am celebrating by competing in my first ever triathlon, to be taking place in Bath, Maine. Very nervous, but very excited. I am most excited that CS and Sally will be there to cheer me on. That means the world to me.

Stuff and stuff...

Here is Callum with his "Great" Auntie Patty....my mom's sister. Aunt Patty and her husband Bob headed up to spend a week in Jackman (God's country) last week, and they stopped by to see us in Fairfield. Jackman is one of those "ya cant get theah from heah" kind of towns, and they had to pass through our little neck of the woods in order to get there. We were so happy to see them and their visit even coincided with Papa and Grammy Goldsmith's visit. They stopped at "The Chocolate Moose" on the way up (it is a famous general store) and they brought Callum a cool "kissing" moose. He loves it!

As if I wasnt already busy enough training for triathlons and bike races across the great state of Maine, splitting four cord of wood, putting in a front patio, and trying to be a good daddy, I've also taken on the role of "summer softball league player." My friends Glenn and Seth (they are brothers) from church are cousins with the woman sponsoring our team: SP4D (it stands for STAGE PRESENCE FOR DANCERS). 93.4% of all the female students at WHS dance for this studio. Basically, our team is amazing and I am having a great time! I have been playing 3rd base and right field. Here I am making some offensive contributions. I am number 9, and that is the number assigned to me. I would in NO WAY profess to wear the number of the great "kid."


Wow...look at those calves!!!


I am blessed to have a wife and a little boy who love baseball (and softball) and love to watch their daddy and husband play! Usually we take two cars to the games, which start at about 6:30, and then Callum and Amanda go home so the little man can go to bed. Its a good system.The games are twice a week and they go until mid August.

Callum brought his hammer so he could fix our defensive troubles. But it didnt work.


I love this picture of Amanda and Callum!

Well here we are, near the end of May, and things are as busy as they always are this time of year....school is winding down, projects are starting, summer plans are in the works, etc. I can't believe my seniors graduate in exactly one week! I am blessed to have been asked to write and perform a song again...this will be the fifth year in a row I have done so. So I guess I need to get writing! More to come on that--and Amanda's 30th birthday--tomorrow