"Daddy, Did Santa Come Yet?"

So at 7:50 a.m. Boy 1 yells out from his room "Daddy, did Santa come yet?" I thought it was much earlier than it was. I did get my Christmas wish that the boys would sleep til 7:30, which would be about 40 minutes longer than a normal day off. Boy 1 came into our room to force us up, thank god we have a gate at the top of the stairs that trapped him in while we got Boy 2's diaper changed before heading down.

I'm gonna take the easy way out and not describe everything that happened Christmas morning, just think back to when you were a kid. Everything started so nice and organized and then blew-up! You can write your own stories from the pictures. Though I will tell you, the train table was the biggest hit..............not the lite saber.

The Stocking Were Hung by the Chimney with Care

So everything was in place to mark that Santa had arrived. The cookies had been eaten, milk was finished, ash was sprinkled outside the hearth, the fireplace doors were left open, Santa hung candy canes on the tree, all the gifts were placed, stocking filled and to take it that extra mile. I gnawed on the ends of the carrot we left out for Santa's deer and placed them outside to be found on Christmas by the boys.

Christmas Eve at Aunt Sheila's

Well it all kicked off last night about 4 o'clock at Aunt Sheila's house........the present parade! By Christmas night I suspect we will have crammed more stuff into our house than we know what to do with. Most of this weekend will be transferring old toys from the living room to the basement and then waiting for our yard sale in spring/summer.

Boy 1 has been engorged in Star Wars talk for quite some time now, in fact the only thing he asked Santa for was a Lite Saber, blue in color. We will have to see what Santa brings.

Everyone appeared to have made out very well in gifts, televisions, DVR recorder, luggage, Sea Dog tickets, gift cards, Root Beer (that's an inside story) and toys, toys and more toys. It became very apparent that Boy 1 is just go, go, go..... playing, running, screaming and in your face. Boy 2 on the other hand is just content to lay on the floor playing with new trucks nice and quiet.


There is nothing suttle when you get 3 boys together. Grampy Dave is fending off 2 of them pretty well, but the 3rd is coming up quick.














So somewhere between leaving our house and getting to Sheila's I seemed to have lost a gift card for Kevin to a video game store, so all he opened from us was a couple pairs of socks and a shirt, not the most exciting things to a 12 year old boy.

It's Begining to Look Alot Like Christmas

Well last Saturday we got the apple tree decorated and thank goodness we did.

About 3 hours after finishing we got our first snowstorm of the year. Something happens in the mind of Boy 1 when it snows, it is just like Christmas morning. A few weeks ago we got about an inch of snow one night and that next morning Boy 1 went bizerk!! He flew out of bed and got himself dressed in a hurry. He remembered from last year that he wore long-johns before going out. Apparently he didn't remember what order his clothes went. He ended-up putting them on over his clothes and would not slow down to fix it...........he just had to get outside. Although that first snow melted by 9am he wore his snow pants, boots and all other winter items to daycare. The snow was melting so fast he had more wet leaves on his clothes than snow.

This is a great picture. Carey says it is one of those that we will look back at one day and realize how small they once were.

Sorry, no pics of Boy 2 yet!!! His first adventure in the snow did nothing but piss him off. He's not moving so well in the snow yet. He wasn't in a very photogenic mood!!!

Last One Out, Shut Off the Lights

Well Saturday the last two P-3 Orions left the Brunswick Naval Air Station (BNAS) and I gotta say it makes Carey and I sick to our stomachs to think of the base closing. Though it doesnt officially close until May 2011, the runways close down January 2010 and Saturday VP26 was the last squadron to leave.

I just keep thinking back to when the BRAC process was happening and all of our State and Local officials kept saying they would rather see it closed than re-alligned to another military function. I wonder what everyones thought would be now that the economy has tanked. The area economy is losing hundreds of millions of dollars from those working on the base, an uncountable amount of volunteer time given by military members and some great memories we had as kids.


Now all that is left is the various failures of base redevelopment and god knows what to the 700 empty military housing units. Though it will be fun to watch the social elite liberals of Brunswick squirm when the lower class move into the housing. Because liberals care so much about helping others, but just don't move them into their backyard.

When we were kids the Blue Angels were always a highlight and treat. I can recall many times either going out on the base or watching from somewhere that gave a great view. I always remember watching from Hunters field here on Foreside Road, which to this day has great views of the base.

We were lucky in the last few years the Blue Angels were here, so we do have some pictures of Boy 1 and Boy 2 at the airshows. That will be their only memories of the base and the many different aircraft that used to fly in the area.

I was able to get two pictures of the last P-3's as they took off yesterday. I almost forgot about them until Boy 2 was looking out the living room window and started howling like he does when he sees them in the sky.

Douglass Child Labor Camps

Here at the Douglass Child Labor Camps we pride ourselves in having one of the earliest age groups of any Child Labor Camp in the world. We don't wait until they are five years old to work in the sneaker sweat shops like they do in China.

In our 18 months old program we allow them to believe they are having fun, but we really know the truth. You wanna fling peas at the supper table you gotta clean it up. Some kids in sweat shops don't get to eat vegetables, Boy 2 needs to know how lucky he is.

If you would like to sign-up your little darling for our labor camp, tough!!! We can't handle anymore..............they're your problem!

Trick-or-Treat

Finally, after several costume changes in the prior weeks for Boy 1 Halloween night has finally arrived. Boy 1 since the beginning wanted to be a robot and Boy 2, well he just wears what we tell him. Carey put alot of work into the robot costume. The body is a box wrapped in duct tape with various cut-outs from the Internet for the computer functions. The helmet is a spray painted plastic container with headlights (Dollar Store specials) on top with Dixie cups for ears. I must say it was quite a hit!! Boy 2, since his nick name is Grady Monster was an obvious choice to be dressed as a monster. Great find on clearance from Macy's. The perfect topper for the costume were the red Chuck Connors Converse sneakers. What made the outfit really nice was you could simply unzip it for a diaper change and keep moving on as if nothing happened.

Boy 1 had been very excited to go Trick-or-Treating right up to the moment of actually having to do it. That all changed when he quickly remembered that you get treats when you do it. Aunt Darcy brought her treats to the house, he refused to do it at first and after the first treat was given he kept going back for more.

The classic moment of the night was when Boy 1 was climbing a set of stairs and fell over like a stiff rod. Apparently, Carey didn't care for me busting out laughing..............god I wish we had video of that. No tears were shed and Boy 1 just slid out the bottom and kept moving on.

Although I am incredibly biased, I don't think you will find cuter Trick-or-Treaters out there.

When we get pics sent to us from our various stops I will include some more. We were lucky to get the ones we got.

Toil and Trouble

Tomorrow is Halloween so over the past few weeks we have been doing the normal things, getting pumpkins, deciding on costumes, buying costumes, changing our minds and returning costumes, cleaning out pumpkins, making costumes and carving pumpkins. You know the everyday adventures.

We started the whole adventure at Rocky Ridge Orchards in Bowdoin. They have plenty of things for the kids to do, ride toy tractors, a big swing in the barn and the treat for the boys is the wagon ride around the orchard. Oh did I mention they make their own donuts and pastries.

I really thought Boy 1 would dig right into the pumpkins when we were cleaning them out...........no way. He reached in once and that was it until all of the guts were out! Boy 2 on the other hand, the one that will eat anything kept picking at the guts and putting them in his mouth. The amazing thing with him is he would have a look of disgust on his face when tasting it, but that wouldn't stop him from doing it again a minute later, what a rocket scientist!

Monkey See Monkey Do......Part II

At supper the other night Boy 2 decided to be funny......................so that means Boy 1 would quickly follow right behind.

Get Lost Kid

So Saturday we went to Pumpkin Valley Farm in Dayton (West of Saco) with Grampy Dave, Becky, Aunt Sheila and Kevin. They have a six acre Corn Maize. At various spots you were given trivia questions, if you answered it correctly it would give you the answer whether to turn left or right. If you guessed wrong you do a big circle and come back to re-answer the question. This place was very cool, the theme of the maize was cut out to be "Under the Sea". It had a lobster, octopus and the title all cut into the corn stalks. They also had an entire playground, "Corn Gun" and petting area for the kids. We planned on taking a wagon ride to pick pumpkins from their patch but the skies turned pretty threatening and their snack bar did not have much to offer so we had to leave for food before any meltdowns.

This was a big sand box made of corn kernals...............the boys loved it!!

Social Experiment

Well tonight we moved Boy 2's crib into Boy 1's room to see how well they will sleep together in the same room. We are taking out the wall that seperates their rooms (the one behind Boy 2's crib in the pic) so that they can share 1 big bedroom. Right now each of their rooms are rather small, especially Boy 2's. We figure its better to test this out before we tear a wall down and find they are not ready.

So right now we are 12 minutes into the experiment and all we hear is giggling on the monitor...........we are kicking ourselves for not placing a video camera in the room!!!

Monkey See, Monkey Do!

It is amazing how much Boy 2 is watching and learning from Boy 1......good and bad! Boy 1 likes to watch himself brush his teeth in the Mirror. I guess we all do that, but at his height the only options are the full length mirrrors. So now Boy 2 has to be right in front of big brother and do the same. It is amazing how Boy 2 is scrubbing back and forth so quickly after watching Boy 1 for awhile.

Now for the bad. These two are like bats screeching out for each other in the dark. They have their own language, as soon as one yelps out the other replys. It's funny when they are in different rooms and one screeches and the other simply replys without missing a beat of what they were doing. This video shows how they can play off each other in close proximity.................all the while Boy 1 manages to get his foot stuck in his short bus helmet.

Just Some Funny Pics

Boy 2 is into exploring anywhere he can get into. I was sitting in the living room yesterday after his short 30 minute nap and the next thing I knew he had himself in the tray of Boy 1's work Bench.

It took boy 1 more than an hour the other night to fall asleep! When we went to bed this is how we found him......................just like hanging from a cross with his new Knights helmet by his side. It was my fault for leaving the helmet with him at bed time, which is why he stayed up playing so much.

Boy 1's First Sea Dogs Game

Today Carey and Boy 1 took me to a Portland Sea Dog's (Boston Red Sox Double A affiliate) game. This was my Fathers Day gift. I figured Boy 1 was old enough to try a game. Carey and I never figured he would survive all 9 innings...........but he did. He almost didn't though, in the bottom of the 8th he said that he was ready to go home. So we packed up and started going, only to get to the bottom of the grandstand and he said he was only kidding. So we marched back-up to our seats and watched the rest of the game. We were very happy with how well he did at the game. As expected many trips up and down to the bathrooms, concessions and souvenir stand but we could not have been happier with how well he watched and tried to learn the game.

The Sea Dogs lost the game 8-3.

Sharon's (Grammy) 60th Birthday

Thursday was Grammy's 60 Birthday, so on Saturday Carey and Aunt Darcy put together a birthday party for her at our house. The weather was great and everyone came over to celebrate.

Boy 1 and Cousin Evan playing in the swing set fort

Careful where you swing that knife mom. These are the tactics she uses to keep dad in line!!

Happy 12th Birthday Kevin

Last Sunday we went to Aunt Sheila's house for Kevins 12th birthday. The highlight is always time on the trampolene.

Here is the older boys circling their prey............Boy 2 and Grampy Dave!!

We were lucky any candles was left to blow out, kevin's wish took about a minute-and-a-half!!

Oh god..........now Boy 1 will want to try flips!!!

Much Better Time

Earlier this year we went to Boston for a visit to the New England Aquarium and Children's Museum as many of you know our visit to the aquarium was pure hell! We never thought about being there on a Friday in June....................the week that every school plans a field trip to Boston!!!!! We knew we were screwed when there were lines of school buses at the aquarium with every imaginable state license plate. $60.00 entrance fee and we ran away in less than an hour.

So today we tried our luck in Boothbay at the Maine State Aquarium. At least here the kids could touch different sea life in their tanks and the fee was only $10.00. There was a shark tank that Boy 1 and Boy 2 was able to touch and watch sharks. There was another tank that we could pick-up Star Fish, Sea Cucumbers (not me, Carey), Crabs, Snails, Oysters and Sea Urchins. Boy 1 really liked it, it gave him a chance to touch things he hadn't before.

Even though today was rainy and every tourist with kids in Boothbay was there, we still had plenty of room to move around and check things out. It didn't hurt that the aquarium had some lobster presentation that every out-a-stater ran to, that place just emptied right out.

Boy 1 Mug Shot

Well if we ever see a mug shot of Boy 1 on the news this is what it may look like. Guilty, Guilty, Guilty.

Finally, Some Summer Fun!

The weather only took two extra months to get here, but at least its here. I took some time off at the end of this week so we could enjoy the weather while its here. We hung around the house this morning, mowing the lawn, going to the dump (Solid Waste Facility...............stupid liberals........its a dump), playing in the sprinkler and kiddie pool. Then I got a brilliant idea, well it was really given to me by KB, but I can still take credit. I hooked-up one of the plastic cars the boys have (Thanks to the Breeds) to the lawn mower and gave Boy 1 and Boy 2 a ride.

After naps it was time for the ever shrinking Topsham Fair. Boy 1 has been talking about going on a Ferris Wheel for about eight months. It was in his Go Dog! Go! book. Carey kept saying I shouldn't get his hopes up for a Ferris Wheel in case it wasn't there. He also has been talking about going on the Carousel. Again, Carey saying we shouldn't get his hopes up. Who is she kidding..........a fair without a Ferris Wheel or Carousel!!! Wouldn't you know it neither one was there. Are you kidding me, are they freakin' Communists!!! They should have their entertainment license taken away. We did go on the closest thing to a Ferris Wheel, the parachute ride.