The Cousins Are Here!

Here are a few pictures of our week so far. James is enjoying his cousins and we are having a great time!

Bum Deal

Alright. I know I do not normally blog about butts, or the President, but today I must digress. I just turned on the evening news to hear this evenings HEADLINES. 'Topping this evening's headlines,' President Bush will be getting a colonoscopy tomorrow. First of all, you have to feel sorry for anyone who has to get a camera threaded up their bum. That's just sick and wrong. I plan on staying 49 for as long as I can. Second, why, OH WHY, does it have to be broadcast on the nightly news???? Poor guy, can't even get a colonoscopy in peace. I understand he's the President but the guy deserves just a little privacy! And good luck with that, Mr. President. I, for one, am very happy to have plenty of years left before the dreaded FIVE-OH.

Flying By The Seats of Our Pants

I was pondering what to blog about, since its been a while. I realized that its been awhile because life has been HECTIC! In the past month, we have been in a total of 9 states. (PA, NJ, NY, CT, MA, ME, NH, MD, DE) As if that weren’t enough, Jeff managed to squeeze in trips to Montreal, Canada and Mexico City, Mexico. So, welcome to our crazy life. Here are a few random bits of info from the past month or so:

• James is learning new words constantly: hat, birds, blocks, bunny, doggy, up, down, boots, keys, etc.
• Jeff managed to evade being mugged/kidnapped/robbed while in Mexico by staying in his hotel and only leaving with his translator.
• Jeff brought back three whole bottles of Mexican vanilla, which made Mom, Rach and I very happy!
• Its been hotter than the blazes around here, as Grandma says. Its been in the upper 90’s with 80-90% humidity! Ugh!!!
• Less than ten weeks till the baby is due!
• The baby is a girl!
• We crossed the Mason-Dixon line when we went to visit our friends in MD. Didn’t realize it was so close.
• As if all that wasn’t enough, we have been working to update the big room upstairs, installing wood floor, trim, shelves, etc, etc, etc.

And there you have it, in a very abbreviated nutshell. In a week and a half two of our nephews and our niece are flying out for a visit, so don't think we've dropped off the face of the planet. Summer will be over soon and then things will slow down for about 3 days and then we'll have a new baby and then, well.....who knows!?

Jeffro's Adventures in Mexico

Who knew that a humble roll of toilet paper could be folded into such fanciness?!

Yummy...Here's the pig, right before they lit it on fire.

Jeff's Bathroom...marble from floor to ceiling

Last week, Jeff traveled to Mexico for business and had quite an experience. He stayed in a really ritzy hotel in Mexico City, and was told not to go anywhere without his trusty translator/guide. The hotel was in a very wealthy part of the city, and apparently the threat of kidnapping/muggings/etc. is very high there. While there, Jeff schmoozed with one of the most wealthy men in Mexico. His 'compound' was complete with a three-story library with glass ceiling and a rain forest in the backyard. While out and about, Jeff had the opportunity to see a suckling pig lit on fire and served up to four of the guys he was with. Now being from Colorado we are not opposed to whole roasted pigs, but, well, check out the picture and see for yourself. It was a little much even for Jeff. Other highlights of the trip included Mexican driving 'rules' and experiencing the lavishness of a five star hotel. I'm just glad he made it home in one piece!

Get Me Some Oxygen Please!

While in Maine, we climbed (with the assistance of the automobile) to the highest point on the Atlantic Coast north of Brazil. We took the last few staggering yards by foot, reaching the top gasping for air. At an altitude of 1530 feet above sea level, we managed to climb to the highest point on Cadillac Mountain. Victory! The view was beautiful, but seriously….1530 feet?! We thought that was pretty funny. That’s what we call a hill out west.

Just Got Back From Maine...

Here are a few pictures from our trip to Maine. We went with Mom and Dad. The rest of the clan was supposed to come but couldn't. We had a fun time seeing the sights up there.
We went to Camden, Rockland, Penobscot Bay, Acadia National Part, two lighthouses, and lots of other little places along the way.


Here we are at the Rockland Breakwater

At Pemaquid Point

Here we all are out on the granite seawall

Aw! So precious! (Jeff took this awesome picture)

Jeff and James aboard the Schooner Lazy Jack. We were going to take a ride, but it was canceled due to Thunderstorm Warnings. Bummer.

Jeff the Alpaca Rustler

On our trip to Maine, we stopped in at a quaint little alpaca farm store to have a look around. The owner of the farm was quite friendly and offered us a lot of interesting information on alpacas. It was quite obvious that he really enjoyed what he was doing and was quite proud of where himself for doing it. He used to be a high-powered executive and decided to retire early and raise alpacas. Those babies are expensive, let me tell you: $22,000 for one of his females. Anywho, I digress. Since Dad sprung for an alpaca sweater, we got a ‘free’ tour of the farm. We were all asking lots of questions because, well, its very interesting stuff if you are nerds like us. Jeff asked how they found proper vet care, and Dad even asked about the possibilities of artificial insemination. Leave it to Dad! The man was very informative and chatty about his highly valuable alpaca herd. Jeff then asked if he had any problems with alpaca theft. Well, that kind of took the guy off guard. He got a funny look on his face and asked if Jeff was thinking about stealing an alpaca! Jeff, kidding of course, said ‘No, I don’t think I could fit one in my car. They are a little too tall.’ I don’t think it helped that earlier the guy was talking about how he practices alternative farming and we asked him if he was growing some Maui Waui Bud on the back forty. As we were leaving, the guy very thoroughly scoped out our license plate, no doubt running inside to write it down after we left. You never young guy with a pregnant wife and small child might sneak up and stuff one of your alpacas into their Pontiac and drive away!

Weird Signs in Maine

Several places we saw spelled it "lobstah," which is how New Englanders say it.

This place was celebrating its 80th anniversary. The food-not so good, but its the only place in town.

Nothing like a bit of seafood and ice cream to take the edge off your hunger.

Make up your minds people! American? Japanese? Southern? Local? What exactly do you serve?

Here's the latest picture of the baby-bump, less than 14 weeks to go.

My, how the times have changed....

I will begin by quoting my sister in saying "This is totally random, but....." James' favorite book of the moment is Smokey the Bear, published in the 60's. He carries it around and has two favorite pages which he sticks with. He points to the different things in the picture and asks over and over, "Was-at?" (Translated=What's That?) While reading this book to him, I have had a chance to notice that if this book is ever published again, they will have to do some editing. Mr. Swift, as the father is referred to, is pictured on every page with a pipe hanging out of his mouth. Maybe since smoking is no longer cool, the illustrator can replace it with a piece of straw or something. Also, how is smoking in the forest supposed to 'help prevent forest fires'? That leads to the second irony I found in the book: Smokey's rules for fire safety. One of the rules was to encourage parents and other adults to 'be careful with their smokes.' I just thought that was hilarious. Why not tell kids to tell their parents NOT to smoke, at least in the woods. If the book is republished, they would have to say 'encourage your parents to join a smoking cessation program, and let them know that there is support out there when they need it.' Maybe Smokey could even be wearing a Phillip-Morris t-shirt. Its funny how times change, and the literature of our childhoods is no longer 'politically correct' or socially acceptable. Who knows? Maybe the book has been recalled by now, either because of the smoking references or perhaps if the child removes the spine from the book it could be considered a choking hazard?! At least James will know what a chipmunk is, but I doubt he will take up smoking as a result of his exposure to Mr. Swift's dirty habit.

Buh-eeeee!

We have quite a few rabbits running around here, making their home in our backyard. James loves to chase them around, and lucky for him they don't run too fast. They aren't very scared, so he can get relatively close to them. He sees one, points to it and says 'buh-eee!' So cute! He follows them till they go under the fence, and has gotten really good at spotting them on his own. We'll be eating breakfast and he'll yell 'buh-eee!' and point. Sure enough, there will be a bunny outside the window. Its so fun to watch him soak in all these new things!

Weekend Road Trip

This weekend, we packed it up and headed for Ocean City, Maryland to visit our friends. We had fun visiting, as well as checking out the boardwalk. We finished off our day with make-your-own sundaes, which involved an explosive hot fudge machine all over my white shirt, James and the surrounding area. Here are a few pictures of our trip. Should've taken one of the hot fudge explosion of '07!

Our trip home turned from what should have been a 3 hour drive into a 5 hour nightmare, thanks in part to a zillion and one redneck Nascar fans heading home from the Dover Speedway. We have never seen so many Nascar bumper stickers, Confederate flags, astroturf, Miller beer flags and other Redneck memorabilia in such concentration. We were so glad when traffic finally thinned out and we were able to make it home.

Here are my two littlest nephews posing in front of a monster truck. Aside from James, of course, two of the cutest little guys around! :)

Hot Summer Days

Here are the latest ways to keep James entertained during this warm weather we are having. First off, shaving cream! Yes, I AM my mother. (And NO, that doesn't bother me) James was pulling on my leg while I was making dinner and was obviously bored. I plopped him in his seat, gave the kid some shaving cream and viola! Instant fun! Another exciting pastime, which is becoming increasingly popular, is playing in the hose. James loves so spray himself with the hose, water my flowers, wash off his toys, etc. Looks like we'll be looking for a fun sprinkler here pretty soon. The third picture is of James and his little pal. Obviously, James got the better end of the deal!

Finally!

I've finally planted my garden! I really need to get a rototiller one of these years. The trusty Meg-zi-tiller (as Jeff calls me) is not exactly up for long hours of shoveling and tilling these days, so things move very slowly. This year I started seeds in the window for bell peppers, Ahaheim chilies and some other unpronounceable chilies. James didn't even eat them, knock them over, or do anything else to destroy them, so they have graduated into the garden virtually unscathed. I also planted squash, sunflowers and tomatoes. I can't wait for everything to hurry up and grow! In the meantime I will be looking for 501 new recipes for tomatoes. Any ideas???

The Carnival Is In Town

There was a carnival just down the road tonight so we decided to take James so he could experience all the lights and sounds. He was really intrigued and just a little overwhelmed by it all. We were watching the people on one of those spinning rides as they flew toward us. One guy looked like he was ready to lose his lunch, and it was funny to see him flying at us with such a funny look on his face. I, for one, can totally sympathize with him, as I DON'T DO rollercoasters/rides/ferris wheels/etc. I think I am going to die even on a ferris wheel, seriously! Anyway, Jeff decided that it would be hilarious if he acted like he was going to catch the guy as he came flying toward us. Poor guy. He was not impressed. He looked like he would have come out and strangled Jeff, if he hadn't been trying so hard not to barf. I was afraid he would come after us later on, but fortunately he didn't. On the way out, we spotted a goofy statue of a hot dog in a tuxedo coat and had to stop and take a picture or two.

Future Blackmail Picture

Here is James with his "I'm really not happy" face.

The Best Mother's Day (Belated Post)

This year, Jeff and James went all out for Mother's Day. As Jeff informed me, he used 275% of his creative/mental/crafty capabilities to come up with my gift. All week, Jeff worked hard at something on the computer each night. I was given strict instructions not to go poking around where I didn't belong. Saturday, he and James went out to procure whatever was needed for their secret endeavors. Saturday night, I was banished from my own kitchen....now what is up with that? What was this man up to? Sunday morning, Jeff and James presented me with a beautiful pot of flowers, decorated with handmade clay letters and a picture of James and I. Its says "I love my mommy." If that wasn't enough to melt my heart, Jeff (with James' help of course!) made me a video of James' pictures, along with a letter from James. The movie even had the FBI warning at the beginning. Now hows that for fancy?! What a fabulous day! So, thanks Jeff and James, my two favorite men, for making my day so special!

Look What I Found in the Trash!!!

We went for a walk this morning and look what we found! A toy wheelbarrow, a metal Radio Flyer ride-on, and a toy lawn mower...all they needed was to be hosed off and tah-dah! Cool new stuff to entertain James.

I was introduced to the sport of 'trash-picking' when we moved here, and boy, is it a sport. Some people drive up and down every street before the trash-men come, looking for certain things. There is a guy who picks up metal, another picks up appliances, and some people get very territorial about the whole thing. I saw couple people once loading half of someones trash into their truck once without even looking at it, because there was another trash picker coming. They looked through it and put what they didn't want back on the street. I am not that crazy about it; I am just glad to have found some cool toys for James to play with!

Watching the Boats Go By

Last week after supper, Jeff took us to Maple Beach on the Delaware River. James got to watch the boats, throw rocks into the waves and splash around in his little irrigation boots. It was so much fun to watch Jeff and James together!

Too bad that Maple Beach is also a haven for drug dealers and teenagers up to no good. Why can't any place around here be left to enjoy without a WaWa next door or a drug dealer scoping out your car!?! Argh!!