Shameless plug

The Harbor Children's Center in Boothbay Harbor is in the middle of a major fundraiser to try to raise enough money to install a sprinkler system in their building. If enough money is not raised, the center with be forced to close. I am begging, pleading for people's help by purchasing a raffle ticket or ten. The prize list is extensive and impressive.

Buying a ticket will change your life, not only will you be in my good graces but you will also be the recipient of good karma. Surely your wildest dreams will come true. Here are three testimonials from happy customers.

Marcus G.: "Since buying my ticket last week, not only has my wife's black eye gone away but I've suddenly been able to grow facial hair. Thanks Harbor Children's Center!"

Terri M.: "Ever since trying your fabulous raffle tickets, my husband has started eating vegetable that aren't fried in bacon grease. Harbor Children's Center has saved our marriage!"

Sue M.: "I used the HCC raffle tickets to train my dog to not eat $100 worth of vitamins while I'm away at work. So really, the tickets paid for themselves."

As you can see, by buying HCC raffle tickets, your not only helping the cute little kids, you're also helping yourself. At the end of the day you need to ask yourself one simple question "Do I HATE children?" . If your answer is yes, than by all means, don't buy a ticket. If the answer is "No, I love children, especially in a hollandaise sauce" than see me, I've got what you're looking for.

"Please mister, don't leave me out in the cold."

Tickets are 1 for a buck or 6 for $5. If you want to help, shoot me an e-mail at chiddong@hotmail.com

Thanks

Play date

On Monday, while Tina was at work, Kevin brought Calia up so that the girls could get together. B was a bit shy and fussy while Calia was there (we later found out she had a raging ear infection and just wasn't showing the signs yet) but the girls did have a good time together and only once did tempers flare. I had put apples and animal crackers out for the girls to snack on and since animal crackers are the closest thing to red meat that Brynna eats, she quickly grabbed them all, clutching them in both hands and between her arms and chest and refused to let Calia have any. The girl has such a grip that I even had a hard time prying a few away for Calia. Who says toddlers don't share well?


Playing with the ball machine together. They worked together to gather the balls before firing it up each time.


Meeting of the minds.



Snack time - pre animal crackers.


Calia taking interest in B's talking broom. Funny, before Monday, Brynna didn't pay much attention to it but after Calia played with it, B has had it out daily since.

Brynna's new face

Do you ever wonder whats going on in your little one's mind? Like when B spends 20 minutes taking crayons out of and then putting them back into the box or when she stops everything if she happens to see a clump of dirt on the floor, picks it up and holds it in the air as if to say "mimi jo wouldn't approve of how you keep your house!" until we take it and dispose of it. She will then, of course, go about destroying the rest of the house as if THAT is ok as long as the small piece of paper is taken care of. Well, B often whips out a new funny face to put on display for a week or two before moving on to the next. The current face is what I like to call "What you talking bout Willis?" To be clear, this is not a shot in the middle of her saying something, she'll actually hold this pose for a few minutes. Jeff says she's goofy like her father, I say she's a creative genius who can entertain herself with funny faces and noises like her father. Genius and insanity are easily confused.

I'm a little pony

Marcy and I keep Brynna's rocking horse over next to the fireplace hearth because we just can handle having yet one more freaking toy in the middle of the living room floor. You have to draw the line somewhere. When Brynna wants to use it though, she wants it in the middle of the room. Instead of either pushing or pulling it into place, she prefers to pick it up all He-Man-Baby style and carry it to the middle of the room. Strangely enough, she also does this with her Dora car and Elmo car. She'll carry it to where she wants to use them and then sit on it and ride around. She's a smart one.

Lift with the knees

From Feb 2007

Here are a couple pics from Marcy while playing with her new camera.

From Feb 2007

From Feb 2007

Sled at your own risk!

Here are some pics from this weekend of Chancy "helping" Darren get off of his tube after sledding. (If you click on the "my pictures" caption below the photos you can go to the web album and if you scoot through them fast enough its sort of like a video)

Step one: establish contact.

Step two: go for the groin.

From My Pictures

Step three: fight off all defenses.

From My Pictures

The victor.

From My Pictures

First time sliding

"We're going sledding as soon as mommy blows up the tube."

"Here, let me do it. You're too slow!"

Success!

From My Pictures

Too much sugar maybe?

From My Pictures

Dancing with the stars.

Brynna shows her moves. Junior high dances here she comes.

sea smoke

Another sea smoke pic from Marcy. Personally, I like the composition.

 

National Toboggan Championships

Every year, the Camden Snow Bowl holds the National Toboggan Championships. How is it that they have the national championships you ask? Simple, they were the first to name it that. Clever bastards those Camden folk. Anyway, for one weekend each winter people get liquored up, stuff themselves onto a wooden toboggan and plummet down a wooded, ice filled chute onto the pond below where they almost always flip and cartwheel before coming to rest. Sometimes taking out a druken spectator or two in the process. This year in the two hours that Marcy and I were there, we witnessed two such events. Survival of the fittest if you ask me. If you're dumb enough to get in the way of a 500lb wooden rocket traveling at 30 mph, you deserve to be taken out at the knees.

Anyway, my buddy JMA Joe was "competing" again this year on a four man team. Unfortunately, B got cold before Joe did his first run but I'm sure it was 10 seconds of spectating delight. It seemed to me though that it was the other festivities that drew the most people. Based on the shanty town that had sprouted up on the ice, many people were there mostly for the drinking and the racing was simply a momentary diversion.

Here be the pics.

Stupid blogger dumped most of our pics from the event but here are some that survived.

Shanty town.

B, JMA Joe and myself. Apparently I've been working out because my jaw is jacked.The finish chute on the pond.

The naked dancing beauties.

A cracked open skull.

Airborn!

Elvis