32

Happy Birthday Jamie!! This past Sunday, the 5th was Jamie's birthday. We got an ice cream cake, of course, and celebrated with my folks. We had chicken wings and watched sports all day, I think it was a good one :o)

Haiku for Paul Newman

An amazing man,
a humanitarian,
actor, car racer.

With baby blue eyes,
You will be forever missed,
Thanks for all you gave.

Paul Newman is one of my favorite actors and I have always highly admired his efforts off camera. His personal humanitarian efforts that have raised over 200 million dollars is amazing and is quite an inspiration. I love the salsa and I love the idea behind it. Plus those eyes!!

Summer Mourning / Fall Afternoon

The last day of Summer has passed by and I'm a little down about it. Summer had treated us so good and we enjoyed its great weather this year as well as the time at the beach. Maybe I'm being a little childish about it all but I wanted more... more beach time, more sunshine weekends, more walks in the neighborhood with friends and more laughs in the pool with my son.

Part of the secret to a happy life is to be appreciative of what you have. I have some great memories with family and friends and they were the key to the Summer joy. Thanks everyone for making this Summer a fun one!!

Every turn of a season I seem to have this strange split of emotions. Longing for the one that has passed and anticipation for the approaching one. I feel guilty for my excitement for the start of Fall, as though I've abandoned Summer already. I will miss you Summer, see you next year!

I started getting my decorations in order for Fall, though I haven't put them out yet. I'm going all out this year! It's going to be a Fall extravaganza! Apple picking, watching the leaves change, Thanksgiving, wind storms that drop leaves everywhere, cool mornings, pumpkins, apple cider, crazy looking gourds ... I really could go on and on but I think you get the idea. I'm ready to enjoy this Fall, please don't tell Summer! :0)

High Five!

Jamie has taught Ajax how to high five now, its pretty funny. He hits your hand then laughs hysterically at it. I will try and get some video of it to share.

The weather has been great out and I can't wait to enjoy this weekend! My girlfriend and her husband are coming down on Sat. and we are going to explore Newport. It should be a fun time since the last time I saw her I was pregnant and at her wedding!

Have a great weekend and enjoy it before the winter swoops in! High Five!

New Blogger Feature

Blogger has a new feature where you can follow this blog! Seemed pretty interesting so I set it up to the right here --->

Sign up and get the latest and greatest. Plus don't forget to check out the wicked cool links right above and below this post.

Ajax learned the word No

Yesterday we went out as a family to Fieldstone's for dinner. The food is terrific and it has a comfortable atmosphere. Ajax was a ham and smiled and flirted with all the ladies there, they couldn't get enough of him. He's really good at reeling them in with the half smile and making them work for a full one! I think we are going to have a pretty hard time when our little man gets to be a teenager. I can't even picture what Ajax will look like when he's a teen, its amazing just to think about it!

As I was getting ready to go out Ajax was hanging out with me in our bedroom. There was a cord for the fan on the ground and he went over to pull/bite it. He was sitting on the floor and his hand is on it and I said " Ajax, No" not yelling just in a not playing around tone. He scoots around to face me, looks up at me, takes a deep breath, waits a beat and then starts BAWLING his eyes out. The word No had caused him to cry! He cried hard too, like he had hurt himself and if I didn't see the whole thing unfold I would have though he had. I stood there and watch him to see if this was one of his cry for 5 seconds then stop ones. It wasn't. Jamie came in to see what was going on and asked what happened. "I said No to him"

I picked him up and he had a tiny tear on the side of his face. He stopped crying and snuggled in. It was pretty darn cute. I can't believe my little man understands the word No. I wonder which other words he understands that we say?

My parents have said that its still amazing to them that their baby has a baby of her own. It seems impossible that my little Ajax will some day be a husband, a father, even a grand-father. The little baby I brought home on Halloween will be turning 1 soon, he understands words that we say, he laughs at our smiles, and he is comforted by our hugs. I'm scared that he will be riding a bike and going to the prom in another blink of the eye.

I laughed, I cried, I played Guitar Hero till 11pm

I had a great birthday, thank you everyone who called and emailed me :o) You made my day super special.

Jamie got me Guitar Hero Aerosmith with a wireless guitar! I had been wanting this for so long but never thought we'd actually get it. I've been playing it when ever I have some free time.
My folks got me some new workout cloths that I needed and a gravy boat. Seems like a strange gift and it got a big laugh out of me. I've needed one now a few times but never had one and had to improvise each time. It will come in very handy come Thanksgiving! My mom also made me a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting that was Yum-O as Rachel Ray would say.
Ajax gave me a card (with my mom's help) and it got me a little choked up reading it. He also gave me a big hug and a chuckle. Jamie and I went out for dinner at Ching Tao and shared a Scorpion bowl to celebrate. It was a terrific birthday and I can't think of anything else I would have wanted to do instead! Thank you to all my friends and family!!

Happy Birthday to Me!!

29 today! Wow.

Turns out Newport is on the list of great American beach towns!!

http://information.travel.aol.com/across-america/beach-towns?photo=4

Here is the whole list of them: (This seems like a great to do sometime in my life list for me)

Ogunquit, Maine Sand: Three and a half miles of white-sand beaches on a long hook of land.
Things To See: To avoid the traffic of crustacean-seeking crowds, you'll want to ditch the car. Snag a parking spot at Footbridge Bridge early in the morning ($15 for the day) and take the trolley back into town for blueberry pancakes at Bessie's. Then stroll with a cup of coffee through the galleries and too-cute shops. Cross back over at Ogunquit Beach to find the spot you've staked in the sand.

Mexico Beach, Florida Sand: Three miles of confectioners'-sugar sands, you'll see bald eagles, sea turtles, dolphins -- and only a few footprints.
Things To See: The 1,200 residents focus is on small-town fun, with gumbo cook-offs, kingfish tournaments, and fireworks fundraisers. You can kill two beach birds with one stone at the souvenirs-and-seafood shop Shell Shack. If you want to get off the beach, take a scuba dive through a sunken oil tanker just offshore.

Newport, Rhode Island Sand: Exclusive clubs beaches to free, secluded spots on Aquidneck Island.
Things To See: Newport has a dramatic, ocean-crashing-on-rocks side facing the Atlantic; a cutesy, colonial side facing Narragansett Bay; and a third, Rhode Island Sound?oriented side that's swept with beaches. Easton's Beach (better known as First Beach) is the classic Americana spot, with a carousel, snack bar, and cabanas; Sachuset (Second) Beach is a 1.25-mile stretch below St. George's prep school that catches the crowd runoff. Third Beach is a quiet spot for kiteboarding, kayaking, and bird-watching.

Folly Beach, South Carolina Sand: Six-mile barrier island with surfers, beachcombers, and shellfish aficionados.
Things To See: Communing with nature is more common than commuting to the office, honking is what the birds do, and a board meeting is a bunch of surfers hanging out at the Washout. Newcomers' first stop should be McKevlin's Surf Shop, here since 1965. They'll set you up with a rental and one-hour lesson for $40. Folly Beach County Park is quieter than busy Center Street beach, but still has boogie boards, umbrellas, and bikes for rent. At Folly Beach Crab Shack, grab a hammock chair, and munch on buckets of seafood.

Saugatuck, Michigan Sand: Dunes that will remind you of Cape Cod, and beaches that mimic Malibu -- right in the heart of the Midwest.
Things To See: The historic, gallery-lined town has long drawn visitors. Beachgoers can cross the bridge or board a 1913 hand-cranked ferry. The ride costs a $1 and rewards passengers with the unspoiled stretch of Oval Beach, which frequently finds itself listed as one of the world's best -- despite being miles from any ocean. The nearby Saugatuck Dunes State Park has two miles of Lake Michigan shoreline, 200-foot-tall dunes, and 1,000 acres of hiking terrain.

Coral Bay, St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands Sand: More than 40 beaches on the island -- many protected by a national park.
Things To See: Long a hippie-ish hideout for old salts and new beach bums, the funky little town has none of the bling and bustle of sister islands St. Thomas and St. Croix. Here, the economy depends on the sale of tropical trinkets from rickety shacks and bikinis from a VW bus. The unofficial town hall is Skinny Legs, a beachfront bar where the burger selections are scrawled on an old windsurfing board and an old sail serves as the awning.

Port Aransas, Texas Sand: An 18-mile stretch of beaches, marinas, and seafood shacks on the Gulf of Mexico.
Things To See: Port A has a Sandcastle Guy, who can whip up intricate turrets, archways, moats, and stairways faster than you can whip out your towel. (Mark Landrum also offers lessons.) Afterwards, surf the swells off the town jetty, kiteboard off the beginner-friendly sandbars, and cast the bays and flats for trophy tuna and tarpon. Fishing tournaments nearly every weekend in July and August add to the competitive spirit, but everybody's chummy over burgers and beers back at the oceanfront Beach Lodge.

Santa Cruz, California Sand: 29 miles of beaches.
Things To See: Eat cotton candy and ride the roller coasters at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. At this college town on Monterey Bay, bookish students and buff Laird Hamilton types spend their downtime mountain biking, long-boarding, and refueling on organic, farm-fresh fare (or at least a great fish taco). Rookie surfers should head to Cowell Beach, while volleyball players can pick up a game -- or maybe a new friend -- at Main Beach.

Jekyll Island, Georgia Sand: A barrier island with ten miles of dune-swept beaches.
Things To See: You can go horseback riding on the beach, kayak and canoe through salt marshes, bike along 20 miles of trails along the sands, or visit a water park. This bounty of outdoors options is matched by the historic district, a 240-acre compound on Jekyll Creek. Named in 1734 for a financial backer of the Georgia colony, the island long belonged to co-owners J.P. Morgan, Joseph Pulitzer, and William Rockefeller, and their moneyed manners still linger in elegant boutiques.

Cannon Beach, Oregon Sand: Four miles of Pacific Northwest grandeur, with towering rocks, tidal pools, forests, and waterfalls, all connected by soft stretches of sand.
Things To See: Picket fences, surf shops, and glassworks boutiques have helped tame Cannon Beach, a town of 1,700 artsy and outdoorsy souls, into a perfectly stroll-worthy seaside escape. Born of volcanoes and still constantly smashed by the sea, the Oregon outpost overspills with fascinating formations, from the 235-foot basalt Haystack Rock and the forest-shrouded waves of Indian Beach to calmer spots at Arcadia Beach and the Tolovana Wayside.

Haleiwa, Hawaii Sand: 40 surf breaks -- known as the Seven-Mile Miracle.
Things To See: Haleiwa inspires with tumbling turquoise waves that swell to 25 feet, pineapple plantations, and dozens of hip little eateries, shops, and studios. Surf N Sea, one of the island's oldest surf shops, has rentals and lessons, plus scuba diving. The Haleiwa Arts Festival takes place in mid-July and exhibits sculptures, watercolors, photos, and jewelry by local artists.

Komen Maine Race 2008

My buddy Matt is participating in a race on Sept. 21 to help cure Breast Cancer and I would love it if you could check it out and help support the cause. I've donated to Devin Rautio, his son, already and just wanted to pass along this chance to make a difference. Thanks so much everyone!!! Go Team Groundpounder!

From the Komen Maine Race website:
Our Vision: A World Without Breast Cancer Our Promise: The Susan G. Komen for the Cure Promise is to save lives and end breast cancer forever by empowering people, ensuring quality care for all and energizing science to find the cures. Our Story: Nancy G. Brinker promised her dying sister, Susan G. Komen, she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer forever. In 1982, that promise became Susan G. Komen for the Cure and launched the global breast cancer movement. Thanks to events like the Komen Race for the Cure series, we have invested $1 billion to fulfill our promise, becoming the largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to the fight to breast cancer in the world. Our Local Story: The Komen Maine Race for the Cure began in 1997 with a small group of women working out of their homes, trying to make a difference. We've grown from our humble beginnings to be the largest 5K in the State of Maine, drawing over 3,800 participants last year. Still locally driven, the Maine Affiliate has granted out over $1.3 Million Dollars in the State of Maine since 1997, funding education, screening and treatment programs throughout the state. We have also contributed well over $350,000 to national breast cancer research programs.

https://www.kintera.org/faf/search/searchTeamPart.asp?ievent=250633&lis=1&kntae250633=9F10D3F5F37B4431A43E055BABBF8FF2&supId=0&team=3155671&cj=Y

10 Months Already

Who Knew!!

So who the heck knew that paint could go bad??! Turns out it can and we learned it the hard way. Last Sunday my mom watched the baby for a little bit for us. So we considered going out for dinner but I said I was happy just hanging out with Jamie so lets do something around the house instead of spending money on dinner. Sometimes it doesn't pay to try and get ahead though.

We decide that we'll paint our bedroom closet, we never got to it since we've moved into our house. We had our clothes in there and it was something that just got put off for later. So 2 years later we were both ready to go to get that finished up and done with.

We whip out the painting job and clean up in an about an hour and a half. Sweet, job done! Jamie says it smells funny and if paint can go bad. I tell him he's just being crazy its just a paint smell.

The smell gets worse and worse as the days go by. Its clearly not just a paint smell, it was some where between a moldy towel in the summer and a wet dog smell. Freaking gross. Do some research online and yes paint can go moldy and its a pain to fix.

Since then we haven't slept in the room, our house has been a mess with the contents of our closet in every other room of the house and we've had to apply 2 coats of Kilz. It's been a horror show with all this.

So this 'quick' project that we started over a week ago has turned into a forever type of project. Just last night we got the clothes back in the closet after the second coat of paint aired out.

Moral of the story is that oh yes paint can go bad, real bad. If it goes bad, don't use it, thats bad too.

Jamie still thinks it smells funny.... we'll see :oP

Bath Time

Sunday night at Nana K's house. Ajax like to try and eat the bubbles and ended up with this bubble beard! He also liked to try and eat the water, there seems to be a theme here...

This Past Month

Ok, Ok I know its been forever and I apologize for taking so much time off. I don't know what happened there but time is flying by!! Something about the summer makes me feel like I'm going through a time warp. Here is what's been going on. Ajax turned 9 months old at the end of July, which I know is about a month ago but here are his pictures from that.

He is smiling and laughing all the time still, his Papa is a big part of all the laughter! Ajax is crawling as fast as can be now. He is also climbing all over everything and stands by himself against the furniture.

I don't understand why he likes the bathroom so much, he is always racing for it if the door is left open. So one day I'm like "fine kid lets go check out all the wonders it may hold" and we go in there to see what we can see, he just ended up sitting on the floor and looking around and touching the floor tiles, nothing to interesting. So I'm thinking I've solved this problem and he'll be done with it, nope, he still races towards it when ever he can make a break for it. Luckly he is like his father in the fact that he can not tread softly, I know you can walk loudly but how the heck do you crawl loudly ?!!

This past month I also went to my girlfriend Barb's wedding in South Carolina on August 9th. It was a great time and I had such a fun time hanging out with her and seeing some buddies from down there as well. It was a back yard wedding at their house and there were 16 people all together. I'm not bragging or anything but, I was the Maid of Honor!! :o) I was very excited about that! The day turned out beautiful even though the few days before there were extreme thunderstorms going through the area. Here are some of the pictures of their big day:

It was such a beautiful wedding and I am very happy to have been a part of it. Congrats to Barb & John!!

July 30th was Ajax' first time in the pool. He loved it and kicked his legs like a frog the whole time he was in it. Turns out he also likes to lick the water, I tried to keep him from it but he thought it was awesome and kept doing it. He was laughing the whole time and his diaper got filled up and super huge!

Jamie's cousin Melissa came up from Florida with her baby girl Maya and we got to all hang out the first weekend in August. The babies got along great and had a fun time seeing someone else in the world their own size!

Also we went to Ajax' good friend Ridley's 1st Birthday party on Aug. 5th. It was a fun time for kids and adults. Ajax loved checking out her new toys, especially the wheels of the new toys!

We also got a new TV, Jamie is very very excited about it. Jamie's cousins Mike and Greg had come over and helped us out hanging it out and checking out the picture. It looks great and now I'm told we 'need' to get DirecTV with the NFL Sunday ticket. :o) It does make my cartoons look really amazing I must say!

This past weekend we went to my girlfriend Lindsay's house for a BBQ/ 30th Birthday party for Brandon. It was a fun time and good to see them. The food was tasty and just kept coming!!

So it's been a very busy month with everything going on!!! Hopefully this is a quick catch up for everyone who still checks out this blog, again sorry for it taking me so long! I can't believe it's already the end of August next week, Ajax will be 10 months old and fall will be on us quickly. The mornings are already starting to feel chilly and the sun has been setting earlier on our evening walks.

8 Months !!

Here is the little man enjoying being 8 months old! In the top picture you can see his top front teeth that have come in.

Lindsay & Brandon 6-22-08

Here are some pictures of Lindsay & Brandon's wedding that I was in this past weekend. We had a blast and the ceremony was beautiful!

Happy Father's Day!

This was Jamie's first Father's Day and we had a great time. Jamie went golfing in the morning and later in the day my folks came out and we celebrated together. Later Jamie and Ajax went up to Nana Jeanne's to watch the Celtics game and slept over. Overall it was a busy Father's Day but it turned out to also be a good one!

Happy Father's Day :o)

So what are the chances of getting the same exact card from different people on your first Father's Day?? Guess we all agreed that the guy in the picture resembled Jamie!

Jamie and I went to Portsmouth Abbey for the Wind Turbine Tour and Presentation on Tues. night and here are some pictures from it. It was a great place to visit and learn about wind power. Turns out this wind turbine will end up paying for itself in only 3 years!! I am so glad that Portsmouth has this here and that we were able to learn all about it. The above pictures are ones that I took during the tour. We were able to go right up to it and check it out.
And here is the picture that Jamie took during the tour....




Cousin Greg came through like a champ and babysat Ajax while we went on the tour. He did a great job but was pretty wiped out from the 2 hours we were gone. It was pretty fun to hear the stories from Greg when we got home.

It was a great evening to be able to check out the turbine and also have a night out with Jamie.

Ajax enjoying his new chair

These pictures say it all for me!

Happy 2 years!

Here are the Adirondack chairs that Jamie and I got as a gift for our second anniversary. They are super comfy and nice. We also got little Ajax a chair as well that he really loves. He is able to sit in it by himself with out toppling over and he likes to slide his foot off the side and touch the grass with his toes. He loves the outdoors so much that just sitting out there can keep him pretty entertained for awhile.

Almost 2 years!

Tomorrow is Jamie and my 2nd wedding anniversary! I can't believe that's its been 2 years already :o) We are planning on going out to dinner at Candleworks Restaurant , it looks like a great place and my parents gave us a gift certificate to use there.

The little man got his first tooth on Saturday this past weekend! It's sharp as could be and is just poking through his gums right now. The second front tooth is right there too. He's been more fussy but overall handling it pretty good. It's hard to get a good look in there though, every time you pull his lip down his tongue shoots out! He keeps thinking that food might magically appear that he might be getting. He is still smiling and laughing most the time which is great.