Callum Loves Bikes!

Several folks have asked to see some pictures of Callum and his new "helmet." First of all, Dave at Mathieu's Cycle fitted Callum for a TREK "lil' dipper" helmet, complete with all kinds of cartoon helicopters, planes, etc painted on. Callum LOVES his helmet (or his "hat," as he calls it). He will actually go over and take it out of the bike trailer and try to put it on himself.

Yesterday, his new friend Brittany had him ride his other friend Madison's little "princess" bike. He LOVED it. So, this evening, we took out the tricycle his Papa got him, and let him go to town. Obviously, he can't even come close to touching the pedals yet, but that doesnt stop him from having a blast! IF you havent noticed, check out how he "holds on" with his feet in the second picture. Also, while he is being pushed around the driveway, he grabs the handlebars and makes "vrooom vrooom" sounds. Hopefully this doesnt mean he wants a motorcycle!

Best week ever......

Amanda was on vacation for the last ten days, and it was awesome. We spent fabulous family time together, just the three of us, and had no set agenda. Part of the fun was deciding what we were going to do on any given day. I'll explain the pictures first....

We decided, quite impulsively, to head up to Mt Desert Island (Acadia National Park) last weekend. Jon and Mel were camping up there, and we met up with them a couple of times. We opted to stay at the "Seawall Motel,"in which I stayed once when taking the Swiss girls on their sailing excursion. A wonderful place in, what we believe to be, the most beautiful part of the island--right by the (you guessed it) Seawall, and 2 miles from Bass Harbor. Ways and ways away from the overpopulation of Bar Harbor this time of year. On Saturday, we took a short trip over to Echo Lake for a quick dip. Echo lake is beautiful, not only for its peaceful serenity, but also for its "fjord" effect, whereas the Beech Cliffs and Beech Mountain seem to rise right out of the water on one side of the lake. Callum and I took a nice swim (we're trying to get him in the water as much as possible) while Amanda, Jon, and Mel watched and took pictures. I dont know what was cooler: Swimming with my son, or seeing all the awesome French Canadian bathing suits!!! (and the ones the women wore were nice too.....) Like I mentioned before, Jon and Mel camped at Bass Harbor, and in addition to them joining us at Echo Lake, they also had us over to the site for supper one night. Mel made some good chili! Callum greatly enjoyed the campfire, constantly pointing at it saying "hot hot hot hot hot hot hot hot hot hot hot." He also did awesome walking around the camp site, seeing as how it was only his third day of walking AND the site was all uneven with roots, rocks, and mounds. Also interesting about this photograph is that it is one of the only spans of more than 4 seconds where Uncle Jon wasnt tinkering with the fire .....hahaha

Amanda and I at "Wonderland." Wonderland is a short hike through the woods to get to a vast expanse of ledge, rock, seawall, Rugosa Roses, and waves. It is an easy hike--good for the stroller we have. We dont have a jogging stroller, and we're not sure if it is worth getting one of those backpack things for Callum to sit in....since he will probably outgrow that pretty fast. Any ideas on taking babies hiking? Anyone?

Amanda liked this picture of me and thought it would look good on the blog. Also, this is at Wonderland.


Another thing we did a few times last week was go over to Lake George Park in Canaan. In addition to being .25 of a mile from Oak Pond Brewery, it has quickly become one of our favorite places! An excellent sandy lake which is also very shallow. Lots of great nooks and crannies for exploring with the canoe, great picnic areas, beaches, and secluded coves from which to swim. Callum is really, really enjoying the water! The only thing he hates, however, is standing in the shallows; he very much dislikes the way the mud and sand feel on his little piggies.
Other things we did:

* Browsed around Fairfield Antique Mall, checking out Griswold Cast Iron Skillets, bottles, and glasses

*Amanda (finally!) test drove her Specialized Dolce, and in the ten years I've known her I have rarely seen her more excited about something (except when she found out she was pregnant)

* Enjoyed a few breakfasts at THE FLATLANDA' (our favorite diner)

*Watched enough "Hercule Poirot" mysteries to pacify even the most finicky 79 year old Brit.

*Had a great visit with the Garners, eating great food, catching up with Reid, and wiping up Callum's bloody lip....

*landscaping projects here and there

*Oak Pond Brewery Somerset Lager consuming

*Going out to eat at Pectic Seafood in Trenton, and Asian Cafe

*Buying the complete series of "Are you being served?"

An awesome week! Thanks Amanda and Callum for making it so great! After this week, I'll be calling it quits on my summer vacation and heading back to school! That was fast!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Callum walks!

I'll let the video speak for itself. But he is SOOOO excited to walk. Like MET commented a couple of posts ago....this kid is a HAM for the camera!! Two days ago, out in the breezeway, he took three steps, and then, about ten minutes later, he took four steps. Today, nothing is holding him back. A historic day for Callum Stuart

Moose Point State Park

Amanda donates from each paycheck to the Make-A-Wish foundation, and sometimes, as a thank you, they send her free passes to Maine's state parks. On Saturday, we took a trip to Moose Point, in Searsport (right by Belfast). A very pretty little park! There really isn't any swimming, there is no boat launch, and there is no camping....but it is more of a "day use" park where families can go to take nature walks, look at the beautiful Penobscot Bay, toss a frisbee, and have a picnic. So that is exactly what we did. Amanda made some sandwiches, we packed our picnic basket, and took off. We took about a two mile hike around the perimeter of the bay, and Callum loved pointing out all the trees and boats. Here are Amanda and Callum down by the bay. If you blow the picture up, you can see the lobster boat that was pulling up traps. Callum loved watching the boat, and imitating its throaty diesel engine....

In addition to there being TONS of driftwood washed up on the point, there were also a good amount of shells--crab, clam, and periwinkle. Here, Callum "pops a squat" on a perfect sitting rock, and explores some of the periwinkle shells with Amanda.....

I LOVE PICNIC!!!!!! says Callum. He's standing all the time now, and meandering around the rooms and spaces of his life by leaning on couches, walls, or whatever is available. He did, however, take four steps, unassisted, last night! So that is a big accomplishment!!!

Just a really happy little boy, which makes us the happiest parents on earth. He loved playing "bohhhhhhh" with us (Callumish for 'ball') in the big fields. I would throw a wiffleball at him, he'd crawl over to get it, and then he'd shout "bohhh," as he held it out for me to take from him, so we could begin again. A fun game.

On the way home, we stopped at Perry's Nut House and picked up some fudge and black licorice. We also picked up a set of "Roy's Toys" for Callum. Roy's Toys is a toy company from East Machias (WAYYYYY up Downeast) that has been around for over 30 years. We had never heard of them. Anyway, they make handmade "Lincoln Log" types of toy sets, made from hand-
cut and stained pine. We got him "Set #9: The Camp." Lincoln Logs were always my favorite, and I hope Callum enjoys this stuff too!

Lastly, here is a shot of the windmills out in Freedom, Maine....on the way to Belfast. I dont know how many of you are up with Maine news, but Maine is kicking butt in the realm of conversations/planning/construction of wind turbines. While the suits in DC talk, talk, and talk about how to decrease our reliance on dirka-dirka oil, Maine is doing something about it. These three wind mills are the first ones constructed, and you can see them from Fairfield, even (as long as you are at a high enough elevation)! We think they are beautiful to look at as we drive around...and it is soo cool to see them way off in the distance. The mills are HUGE (well over 100 feet high....or more) and spin surprisingly slow (but I guess they dont need to go fast, since they are so big. That's what she said).

English is a funny thing.....

Sometimes they make it so easy to be an English teacher...... This reminds me of the time I saw the bumper sticker that read "This is America....we dont press wone for English..."

For those of you who dont get this one: "Creatine" is a supplement weight lifters can take in order to help their bodies metabolize water more effectively (or something like that) so they can lift heavier things and build more body mass. Obviously, the combination of CREATINE and MASS did not work.....

The following was taken from Boston.com (Boston Globe online) two days ago. The author was reviewing Coldplay's recent concert at the Banknorth Garden:

"Coldplay reached deep into their vault for last night's playlist, performing tracks from long before they ruled the world--when they were just sewing the seeds for a new rock genre."

Anyone see the problem here? And this guy gets paid to write for the Boston Globe? Typos are one thing, but this is just a misuse of the language. Especially for this writer; if you read the rest of the article, you may feel like he is being condescending by throwing in all these 5 dollar words to try and seem all "above" you....

I won't name any names.....but there is a gentleman who is an English teacher (NOTTTTT at WHS) who is also on the "Governor's council on literacy" or some silly liberal program like that....PLUS he is a "Literacy Consultant" at the statehouse....PLUSSSSSSS he was contracted by our district to teach a mandatory multi-day literacy training for all the teachers in the building......PLUSSSSSSSSSSS he is writing a book on literacy. I am pretty sure this gentleman does not like me (just like most people who read this blog, apparently) as he always seemed annoyed at my questions. Anyway, this is his facebook status from yesterday:

"EDDIE McENGLISH feels kind of geeky, but he is working on his syllabi's for this year"

Call me a stuck up English snob, but this stuff really annoys me. I think people should be able to write and spell correctly. ESPECIALLY if you have the "resume" this person has. First of all, "syllabi" is already a plural word for "syllabus;" it already denotes there being more than one. Second of all, no apostrophe is needed....the syllabi doesnt "own" anything.

Amanda and I were talking, also, about the other funny nuances of English, and just communication in general. I minored in "Rhetoric and Public Address" in college, and one of our classes--"Interpersonal Communication"--focused on the "metamessages" many times hidden in our utterances. For example, the other night I asked Amanda if she was going for a bike ride. Her answer: "It is almost 8:00." If you think about language (like I do because I am a geek), this is pretty interesting. We do this all the time; Amanda did not in any way directly answer my question. Rather, her statement held a "metamessage," implying that because it is 8, it is too late. (Again, I am a total nerd who needs to get out more...but I think language is so cool!)

Some other common things we do to "hide" our direct responses....

"Do you want to go to the beach today?"--->I AM AFRAID OF HORSESHOE CRABS

"Do you want pizza for supper?"--->TOMATO SAUCE GIVES ME HEARTBURN

"Will you go on a date with Jared?"--->BALD IRISH GUYS GIVE ME THE CREEPS

your thoughts????

ps: Enjoy all my spelling errors too......

pps: "What an ego!!!!!"

Oh, Newfoundland....

This is "Seaside Restaurant," which I write about later....

A fjord on "Ten Mile Pond" in Gros Morne. Amanda and I hiked this. Guess why it is called ten mile pond? Yup. You got it.

This is "Bottle Cove," which is at the end of the Humber Arm river. This was very, very close to our condo and we hiked around here often....

Amanda and I have been thinking a lot about Newfoundland lately, mostly because our viewing of the movie "The Shipping News" has rekindled a love for a beautiful place. Have you seen the movie? If you have not, and want a strong, heartwarming, profound story, get the DVD and watch it! Kevin Spacey and Judy Dench star, and they are two of the best actors around, for my money!

When we got married, we took our honeymoon in Newfoundland, staying at a condo in Steady Brook, which is near the "city" of Cornerbrook--it is on the west coast, right on the Humber Arm river. We spent a marvelous week there, hiking, looking at some of the angriest seas I've ever seen, exploring Gros Morne Park, and eating the freshest seafood ever! At some point, I should take some of our honeymoon photos, scan them into our computer, and post them (we took our pictures on an "old fashioned" camera...haha

We are adamant about going back to Newfoundland someday--this time, we'd like to visit the east coast and the town of Saint John. The island is amazing and beautiful, and the people there are fantastic. You've got cultural music, a national rum (Screech...which you can now buy at Hannaford), fresh seafood, and kind people. They even have their own "time," which is called "Newfoundland Time," and is an hour later than Nova Scotia and PEI's "Atlantic Time."

"The Shipping News" is a Pulitzer Prize winning book, and I read it while we were on our honeymoon. I can't say I recommend the book: It is REALLY jumpy, vague, and confusing. The screenwriter did a fantastic job adapting the book, and most of the filming is even done in Cornerbrook!! Yeay!

I have so many great memories of the island, but a funny story is this: After hiking around Gros Morne Park one afternoon, we ate at a great restaurant called "Seaside Restaurant." Nothing could be more true; the restaurant was RIGHT on the water (on stilts, actually). I ordered "Wolf Fish," which has been popularized in the past few years due to the fact that Wolf Fish feed on lobsters--thus, their filets have a slight lobster flavor. The waitress, in her true Newfoundland laconic, apologized for the wait for our meal. "Sorry. It is 'really' fresh, so it will be right along." What she meant, we later found out, was that the fish was "so" fresh that it was just unloaded from the boat, alive, and had to be cut and filleted! People are funny there.....

Oh yeah, and I got a parking ticket with a notice that failure to pay would result in a summons before "The Queen's Court." Obviously I found this hilarious and didnt pay....but Enterprise Rental just charged my credit card. Too bad...I was really looking forward to seeing those judges with their powdered white wigs! HA!

Go see "The Shipping News."

The train from Maine.....

Is what Nannie took this past weekend, when she came up for a little visit. She took the Downeaster from Boston to Portland, and on Friday Callum and I went down to pick her up. We had to take the 295 detour, which sucked for a number of reasons. But I love how they still make you pay the toll....the toll for 295 south....even though you aren't ALLOWED on 295 south because Obama is fixing the (totally fine by the way) highway. He sucks, I've started to realize lately. But I think anyone would suck at being president right now. So I guess I'll have a little more patience with him....

At ANY RATE, we had a very nice visit. It was raining on Friday (big surprise, huh?) but we still drove up to Freeport, parked, and walked around a little bit. Callum got innumerable compliments on the "gentlemen's cap" he was wearing; he was a big hit with the ladies! Nannie also bought daddy a new gentlemen's cap at the British Goods store (I love that store!!), and she bought Sally a nice scarf with the "Stuart of Bute" (Callum and Amanda's Scottish clan) tartan adorning it. Very nice!!

Nannie got to spend some good quality time with Callum, which included reading him some of his favorite books of late, like "Goodnight Moon," "Elmo Peek-a-Boo," and the 2008 Specialized Bicycle factory catalog (I told you...the kid LOVES bikes!)For dinner on Friday, I made my (getting to be) famous pulled pork. I did it a little different this time, utilizing a different dry rub (including ground coffee) and beer instead of vinegar. I think I like the vinegar better....

We also had some delicious salad from stuff Amanda picked up at the farmer's market the day before. Maybe I'll have to have Amanda do a separate blog on the Waterville Farmer's Market. It is quite impressive!! After Callum wen to bed, I showed mom all the people on facebook that she wanted to see; she is the most addicted non--member I have ever seen. Haha. I think she should really get facebook. But I think she is too afraid. She then enlightened us with some interesting Catholic saint stories (inside joke), and we went to bed. On Saturday, we had breakfast at the Flatlanda' Diner (the favorite breakfast place of the GOldsmith's). When Callum took a nap, Nannie "napsat" while Amanda and I took a short bike ride together.

Here are Nannie and Callum playing "trucks and bottles" at the table. If you blow this picture up, it really looks like Callum has a ton of hair!

Even though it was a short little visit, it was still great to see my mom. Callum doesnt get to see his aunt, uncle, and grandparents in Masseticut very often, so every moment counts!!