Smolaks

Smolaks is the farm where we went apple and pumpkin picking last month. Click on the Elmo boy to get the bigger photo.

We went on the hay ride, had ice cream, fed the swans, toured the petting zoo (Purell® dispensers at every corner), watched the older kids riding the pony, and walked through the pumpkin patch to find the couple o' beauties that we took with us.

Wednesday was Henry's 18 month check-up. He cranked above the 50th percentile on everything. He is right between 50 - 60 on weight and a bit more on height. And that cranium is still off the chart, around 110 percentile. Fortunately the hockey-stick line dropped its angle. If he had continued at his old growth rate, his head would have been in the 150 percentile this visit. That's a lot of noggin.

He behaved very differently during this visit. He started crying when we were getting him undressed for the weight and measurement. He stopped after the nurse left. When doc Baumel came in, he asked if Henry had cried and we answered in the affirmative. He explained that Henry's long term memory has developed to the point where he could recall his last visit (and the array of inoculations). He (Henry, not doctor Baumel) started crying again as the exam started. He was not scheduled for any shots, but the flu vaccine was ready and there is also now a recommendation for Hep-A (thanks to the dearth of fast food infections), so he got one in each little arm. Poor fellow - I can see that long term memory can be a blessing and a curse. Since mine is starting to fade as his as starting to develop, I guess it balances out.

We have a fellow from H*me Dep*t coming tomorrow to measure the kitchen and dining areas in Reading. This is the start of the kitchen planning process. We need to start looking at layout and function. We kind of know what we want to be able to do (an area to pay bills and keep recipes, be able to fit a large table for extended family gatherings, have a door from the kitchen into the garage, a comfortable sitting area for coffee & tea & reading, a work area or island) but we need help firming these things into a vision. We will probably take down the wall between the dining room and kitchen. I already took out the swinging door, which Henry used to pinch his fingers.

I worked in Ashland yesterday evening, putting the wainscoting along the base wall of the tub. Then I did a dry-fitting of the floor tiles to see how much cutting would have to be done. Fortunately the width from the tub wall to the entry wall is perfect for 3 uncut tiles. The only cutting will be done behind the toilet and in front of the wall closet. Plus the nipping around the drains and sink pipes. I will probably take a day off to do this work as I have to pull the sink and toilet. I should also plan on putting the wainscoting on the wall behind the toilet as long as the toilet is out.

Joni and Henry are up in Newburyport today. I spoke to them mid-morning and they were on the way to Stephen's restaurant.

Here are more Smolak Farms photos. Pop - I hope you don't have tractor envy - the McCormick Super-M Farm-All is a new addition this year and had just been painted. And just so you know we are bringing the boy up right, he has 2 tractor books, one of which is shaped like a tractor and has rolling wheels.

Topsfield Retrospective

Here are the photos from the trip to the Topsfield Fair 3 few weeks ago. Sand carving, sheep trimming, pigs, cows, bees, birds, plants, first merry-go-round ride, carnival games, and cavies. Ah, good times, good times indeed.

We got to and back from Martha's Vineyard without a problem, although we made the outbound ferry with about 5 minutes to spare. If it had been a busier day we might have lost our reserved spot! I have the photos from MV and will post them soon. Good camera work by both photographers. Like most "vacations" we were exhausted when it was over. We all dozed on the ferry trip back, never leaving the car to go topside. It was overcast anyway.

Martha

By this time tomorrow we should be checked in to the Light Keeper's Inn on Martha's Vineyard. Welcome to our anniversary vacation, 4 days on the island in Edgartown. We have passage for us and the Mitsu at 12:30 tomorrow on the Nantucket. Confusing - the ferry is named Nantucket, but sails to Martha's Vineyard. I checked - there is a ferry named "Marthas Vineyard" that sails to Nantucket. At least they are consistent in their inconsistency.

I am on the last chapter of "The Last of the Tin Can Sailors", recommended to me by a Dr. Hambuli. Next up is "Our Endangered Values", by Jimmy Carter. Then I think it is back to Jasper Fforde's series on Nursery Crimes and Thursday Next.

Check out the guest photo of Ben and Julia from August 2005. I still have to get the camera and download the photos from the last month.

Chris "3 Day Weekend" Columbus

Ah, a 3 day weekend ahead and no strong plans. We did go to the Topsfield Fair last weekend and a good time was had by all. We spent some time sitting in traffic before being re-directed to the alternate parking area. It was the Topsfield high school lot. A couple school buses and a funky double-decker bus shuttled fare goers to the entrance. We got to travel down a restricted access road, avoiding all the traffic! AND the parking at the alternate lot was only $5 instead of $8.

The highlight of the trip was . . . the Dolphin Drop arcade game. Joni showed her natural ability to calculate spatial and kinetic forces by launching a toy dolphin from a catapult lever across the open space, over the water, and plunk into a salad bowl that was spinning in an arc. I gave it a try and flubbed my dolphin into the row of dolphins waiting to be launched. I didn't even make it to the edge of the pool. Joni won a 2-foot long stuffed "Nemo" clown fish that Henry clutched tightly the rest of the day. He has named it "Fishy". Stay tuned for the pictures, including his first carousel ride.

I start my Tai Chi class next Tuesday night. Joni has her 3rd improvisation class (The Harold) on Sunday at Improv Boston. Henry has no class.

Looking for updates from the folks who are in North Carolina this week and next. They have already left the Biltmore in Asheville after 3-1/2 days of pampering and deluxe accomodations.

I have not downloaded any more photos from our camera, so I will share some that were recently circulated. The first 2 are old ones that came from John and Joan. The next 2 are current ones of Dave with Julia and Ben.