Company Holiday Party

My wife and I finally got a chance to get out of the house for a couple of hours without the kids. They stayed home with Granny and Papa while we went to the company holiday party.

Louis Ventre a Terre

Rest in peace old friend.

Symposium Time

I made it onto the front page of The West Michigan Coastal Kayaker Association's web page. This is a picture that was taken at the 2006 symposium. I'm the good looking guy in the middle with the blue ball cap and sun glasses. That's Simon Osborne on the right.

I just got the OK from my wife yesterday to go again this year. She was scheduled to work on Sunday night to Monday, but was over-staffed. I don't know how many times I will get to go in the next few years with the little ones under foot, so I am going to make the best of this year. The kids program at this symposium is one of the best, but only for kids between 7 and 12 years of age, so it will be at least six years before Maddie is ready, and seven before Claire is ready. I say under foot with tongue in cheek, I do love my kids and really enjoy spending time with them.

Here is a photo of Maddie and myself on the bike tonight. Finally got the seat, and a helmet that fits, and then some warm temps, so that we could try it out. Now all we need is a small kayak and a short paddle.

No GORP for you!

There is only one real way to find out if a kid is allergic to peanuts. Just make sure you have benadryl on hand and several hours available to spend at the local ER. Ah... the joys and terror of being a parent.

The sample next to the "N" (for nuts) is a positive for peanut allergy.

Finally Home

This is Claire just before we loaded-up to go home. She sure is a lot cuter without all of the wires and tubes.

Ready for her first car ride. It's good to have everybody home together.

Claire Elise

OK, here is some good news. This is our new baby Claire Elise. She was born 29 December 2007. She is 18.5 inches long, and 6lbs 5oz. She wasn't doing very well inside mommy, so she needed to come out about a month early. Because she was born early, her breathing is not as good as the doctors would like on her own, so she is spending a few days in the NICU on O2. Otherwise, she and mommy are doing great, and we hope to bring Claire home soon.

Daddy and Maddie Day

Mommy had to work today, so it was a stay at home, and do nothing kind of day.

Chicken Little

I took this just before we left to go to the grandparents houses for Trick-or-Treat.

Claire

It's a girl. We are going to call her Claire Elise when she is born sometime in January.

Long Overdue Update

Short list:
New baby on the way.
Just got back from vacation.
Photography is not a substitute for kayaking.
Zooomr rocks.

Details:
Yep, we have a new baby on the way. Due in January.
More details to follow as they become available. I know it is quick after the last baby, but we aren't getting any younger, we want two kids only, and might as well get through the diaper changing stage as quick as possible.

Vacation was a learning experience. We chose to rent a cottage for a week, only a couple of hours drive away, to make it as easy as possible with a little one. The cottage was a quaint little affair.Clean with lots of great amenities, short walk to the beach, access to an association swimming pool, what more could you ask for? How about air conditioning on the hottest week of the year. Temps every day were in the low 90F. This made for a very cranky baby. She did better than we expected at the pool. She didn't freak out, but was still only good for about twenty minutes tops. Probably just as well, we wouldn't want to have to deal with her getting sun-burnt.


I just got a new super-wide lens for my Canon 10D. A Sigma 10-20mm. I have been learning how to take some wide angle shots, and finding it to be a real challenge sometimes.


I did get out an paddle a little bit on vacation as well.


I think that I have made up my mind on the Zooomr vs Flickr debate. I like Zooomr a lot. I have formed a large group of contacts and some of my photos have found a little notoriety.

I Saw My Father in my Reflection

I was standing in the back yard, and I caught a glimpse of my father in my reflection in the sliding glass window. I had been mowing the lawn, a job that I don't particularly like, when my wife yelled at me that she needed some help. So then she handed me the leash with the dog attached and I got to do another little job that I dislike. As I was standing by the dog's favorite tree, I felt a little like the fool that closes the barn door after the horse has gotten out. Anyway, my wife was in the house cleaning up the dog's "deliberate", lately they have not been accidents, but deliberates, because he is jealous of the baby. So its hot and humid, I'm sweaty and tired, I have a grumpy scowl on my face, wearing my tired old worn-out boots, my jeans that are baggy in the butt, and my denim shirt is untucked, and the blurry reflection in the sliding glass door looks just like my dad, twenty five years ago. Only difference is he had a smart-alack teenager to put up with, I on the other hand have a teenage dog to put up with.

See My Feet

I have been taking more pictures lately than kayaking, so check out my Zooomr pics to see what I've been up to.

After Dinner Walk

Bright Eyes

Another picture for granny.

Baptism

Maddie was baptised on 25 Feb 2007 at Immanuel Lutheran Church. Aunt Cindy (my sister) and Uncle Josh (Yvette's brother) were sponsors. Family photo...look at that red hair and those blue eyes.

Photo with Granny and Papa.

Photo with Grandma and Grandpa.

I have been busy with lots of non-kayaking aspects to life. Good thing too, it has been cold and nasty outside this winter, and the lakes are frozen over, so no kayaking. I get to look at my lonesome Gulfstream hang on the garage wall every day as leave for work, and then again when I return. About one month to go with the cold weather yet. April is always better, although today is March 1st, and it came in like a lion, with thunder and lightening even, so maybe March will go out like a lamb. Keeping my hopes up for an early spring.

Here's Looking at You, Kid

Sorry that I have not posted very much lately. The water is much too cold to kayak, frozen in places. My daughter is now taking up much of my free time.

You'll shoot your eye out!

One of my favorite holiday movies was running for 24 hours straight on TBS yesterday: A Christmas Story. The really cool part is the Christmas gift that my parents gave me yesterday. A .36 caliber flint-lock muzzle-loader rifle. One of the first things my mom said to me was: "You be careful with that." I had to laugh.

You see, the cool part is that about 17 years ago, I purchased all of the required parts to build this little beauty myself. The problem only became apparent to me after I attempted and subsiquently broke the "high figure curly maple stock with tiger-stripes" It was then that my stomach became upset, and my energy level for this task took a nose dive. I put all the parts back into the box and slid it back between the floor joists at my parents house just above the basement work bench. I had thought about the rifle a few times since, but recently it had faded from memory.

My father sought out the expertise and craftsmanship of a local muzzle-loader builder, and had him finish the job for me. In retrospect, I could not have done this rifle justice. It now is a real work of art, that I am told performs wonderfully.

Just like in the movie, my parents let everyone open all of the gifts, and then after the last one was opened, they said that there was still one gift left, and sent me around the corner to get it. I was really surprised. I had not expected to ever see this rifle finished, let alone get it for a gift this Christmas. It is a really special gift for me.

Tummy Time

Here is a picture for granny.

Who's Your Daddy?

Here is a little side-by-side comparison of baby pictures. That's me on the left in 1967, and my new baby girl is on the right.

I Like to Watch the Discovery Channel

This totally fascinated me.



A more sublime picture of Mommy and Maddie.
Madeline Fay, born by caesarian-section, 24 October 2006 at 4:35pm, 8 lbs 10 1/2 oz, 20 1/4 inches long. Everyone is doing great.