42 Words of Wisdom: #13

"He hoped and prayed that there wasn't an afterlife. Then he realized there was a contradiction involved here and merely hoped that there wasn't an afterlife."

- Douglas Adams

Lori has recently joined me in watching the first season of Battlestar Galactica. I'm noticing that it's got a lot of religious themes in it. Which is a bit mind-boggling, when you really think of it - robots that believe in God? I find this quote to be particularly appropriate. We're both enjoying the show quite a bit, by the way. I didn't originally ask Lori to join me, as I didn't think it would appeal to her much. But after accidentally watching an episode or two while waiting for Carter to fall asleep, it's piqued her interest. The depth of the characters on the show is really pulling us in.

I Win!

The other day the kids were riding bikes in the driveway, and Sean suddenly got it into his head that he wanted to run. At not just run, but race. So he set up the cones, and talked his sister into running with him. Although in all honesty, she didn't need much convincing. The best part is when he wins a race - he sings "I win! I win!", all which doing some kind of little dance. In one of the shots below, you can see part of that dance.

Grampy-Big-Red-Truck

Here's a cute picture of Carter with Grampy-Big-Red-Truck. He came to visit the other day, and Carter was ecstatic. When I see pictures like this, it reminds me why we moved back to New England. I could live without the power outages all winter, the snow-shoveling, the sticky summer heat (without central A/C), and all of that - but family makes it all worthwhile.

Cuties

This is just a cute photo I found on my computer last night, and had forgotten to post when it actually happened. I think it is one that Lori took the week before our vacation.

Saco River

While we were on vacation, we told the kids that we were going to rent a canoe and take a ride on the Saco River. We also told them that along the way, we were going to find a nice sandy spot to have our lunch and a little swim. While we were driving to the canoe rental place, Sean kept asking if we could just go swimming without the canoe. So that's what we ended up doing. Both kids did great, but I especially loved Sean's goggles - doesn't he look hilarious? Those were his idea. I also love the photo of Sean trying to carry about five rocks at once. I was cringing the whole time, expecting one of them to end up on his toes. But he didn't drop them. Now as to why those particular rocks were so important - especially considering that the entire beach was covered in rocks - I really couldn't say. :)


Storyland

We went to Storyland while we were up north. The last time we were there, Sean was still pretty small, and Carter was still in the womb. It's amazing the difference a couple of years can make. Sean tried -everything-. He was happy and enthusiastic the whole time, which was a very welcome surprise. Sean even went on the flume ride and the roller coaster. We've got a picture from the flume ride that I will scan and post soon. It's a hilarious shot - Sean is happy, Lori is happy, Carter is indifferent - but Daddy's eyes are shut tight, and his knuckles are white as he grips the rails.


Black Cap

While we were up north, we took the kids on a hike. I wanted to give them their first taste of the mountains, but I also wanted to make sure they could actually -do- the hike. So we settled on Black Cap. It's a little over a mile to the top, with a relatively easy grade. We had to carry them off and on as their legs got tired - or they got bored. :) But once we got to the top, they had a great time. Sean and I explored the summit, and he was climbing rocks, running around, jumping in puddles, and just thoroughly enjoying himself. The only downside is that the whole region was packed tight with fog, so we couldn't see anything from the summit. I would really have liked to see what the kids thought of the view.

Condo Pool

While we were up north, we spent a lot of time at the pool. The first day, Sean was too nervous to go in, even though he really wanted to - so this led to the kind of breakdown we've come to expect whenever we try something new. It makes us sad though, because we know he'd have a blast if he could just get over his initial anxiety and go in. But the second day (and every day after that), he did just fine. By the time we finished our vacation, he was swimming all over the pool in his lifejacket - including the deep end. He tried some swimming in the shallow end without his lifejacket, too. Carter played on the pool stairs, and was more than happy to just climb in and out of the pool for hours at a time.

Condo Playground

We were up north on vacation earlier this month. It's nearly a three-hour drive for us, so once we got there we took the kids right over to the playground to burn off the pent-up energy they had after the drive. Last year, Sean was afraid to go more than a couple of feet up the climbing wall. But this year, he shot straight up the wall with no hesitation. Unfortunately, Carter had a harder time. She was incredibly concerned about all the bugs - she couldn't have any fun, because every time a bug came anywhere near her, she would freak out. So Daddy pulled her into his coat, which seemed to cheer her up.

Extra Extra!

Read all about it! Twice in the last couple of months, Lori and the kids have shown up in the newspaper. Once (in the left-hand photo) while Lori and Carter were at the library for story time (Carter is the left-most child in the photo), and another time while Lori, the kids, her Dad, and her little brother were all at the beach.