Friday started with the kids going to daycare for the morning and Erin going to work as she swapped a day for the home home trip. I used the morning to get my bills caught up and some paperwork done. After lunch I got the kids and we came home and played. When Erin got home we loaded up the van and went to trade in our old cell phones. We got them right before Liam was born and they were having trouble holding charges. We went to the Verizon at B. J. s and it wasn’t very busy. I walked Liam around to look at the fountains in the store. He wanted one for his room LOL. We ended up getting new phones and 700 minutes of long distance. The trade in cost us $52 of which with mail in rebate we will get back $50. I had to laugh they didn’t even want our old phones. We will clear their memory and probably donate them.  After that we picked up some staples at the grocery and had Crab and Sushi.  Then we helped Liam make his Batman poster for the Monster Truck event.

 

On Saturday we were up early and I made a pancake breakfast as we were going to the Monster Truck show in Baltimore at 1^st Mariner Arena. This was a combined birthday present from Erin to Liam and I.  We had to stop by Ricks Jewelers as I had bought a little sterling silver necklace for Erin as a just because surprise. Well it had a little kink in it. The replaced it with no problem. We then headed over to our friend Janet’s house. She is Rosie’s Mom from our Playgroup. She volunteered to watch Jaxson all day Saturday. We will return the favor in a month or so when Bill and Janet attend a wedding.  He was sleeping so we headed on up the road. Erin drove up and I played with my new phone and helped Liam with his lunch as we stopped at KFC to avoid those expensive vending foods at the Arena.

 

We were not totally sure where to go. I had been by the Arena and knew it was near the inner harbor. We used our Yahoo directions and lucked into a parking garage for ten bucks. It turns out we were only a block from the Arena. Liam got excited when we got in. We went for a Potty Break and he was yelling “Monster Trucks” in the bathroom. We took a souvenir break. Liam got a T-Shirt, we got a Ninja Turtle Monster Truck shirt for Rosie and I got a program. We then settled into our seat. Liam loved looking down on the floor at all the dirt and the course. He wore his Batman T-shirt proudly and helped up his Batman Monster Truck sign a few times. We waited for a bit but then the earplugs went in and the trucks came loudly out into the arena. It was a sellout and the crowd (especially the kids) loved it.

 

In the first competition they did wheelies. Three members from the audience were the judges and they did a good job judging the trucks. The Eradicator won when he almost stood it up vertical on top of a pile of cars. After this the races began and they were on a very short course. Basically they lined up and jumped a dirt mound. The Black Stallion truck was from Hagerstown and besides Gravedigger he was a crowd favorite. Randy Brown drove the Digger. He is one of several of the Digger drivers besides the original Dennis Anderson. The Stallion had not lost a race competition in the arena in 5 times spanning over 3 years.

 

He met up with the Digger in the Semis and hole shotted the Digger in an impressive win. We were close enough to the floor to really see inside at the engine and the blower of the trucks. Liam kept looking for the Batman Monster Truck. That is his favorite and he had brought along his little Hot Wheels version. In the final it was American Guardian (who we rooted for as it was from Perkasie Pa right north of Doylestown). Alas he was not as quick as the Black Stallion who kept up his streak. The arena was getting pretty smoky and our eyes even watered.

 

They brought on a 3-person Mexican motorcycle team who were family and they rode in this steel ball of death. The climax of the part of the show was being all three in it at once. That was amazing. Then the motocross guys came out.  They leaped up this ramp and onto a big dirt hill. Before landing though they skied some sick air and did all kinds of tricks and sometimes no-handed. They were really cool to watch and I am glad they all completed every jump 100%.

 

With the arena smoke down the Monster Trucks revved them up for my favorite event. The freestyle. Sort of like Ice Skating but in big Trucks doing insane things. They brought a van out for this and by the end of the show it was pretty flat from the jumps. I thought the Guardian did great but alas only a 24. The Turtle looked cool too. Alas the Digger was the sentimental favorite of the three judges banging out a perfect 30 score with a sick donut in the middle off the floor.

 

We were going to get autographs but the line was way too long so we headed back to the garage. I took over driving and we made it out really quickly and were on the road to get Jaxson making great time home.

 

On Saturday night we made pizza and then after the kids were in bed watched For Your Consideration. We love Christopher Guest movies like Best In Show and A Might Wind and the same cast was back together again. Although funny at times this was not as good as the others.

 

On Sunday we awoke to a drizzly day as Erin returned the favor of breakfast. We were going to go grocery shopping and get some pictures of our recent home home trip made a CVS. While we were plating games with the kids in the living room and talking to Gramma and Grandpa on the phone the drizzle changed to snow. By mid day it was snowing hard and sticking. We got about three inches in a couple of hours. We decided to light a fire and be lazy. I watched the NASCAR race off and on, played with the kids and on the computer. Erin cut the prints on Liams new shirt which was huge and sewed them to a T-Shirt which he wore proudly to daycare Monday. We had soup and grill cheese for dinner as it was warm.  I went out and brushed the snow off my truck. I brought in a ball of it for Liam. He commenced to making something for the rabbits. His Mom gave him some blue food dye and sprinkles and I helped him take it to the outside door for the rabbits.

 

After dinner Erin got the kids ready for bed while I put diapers together. We then watched an excellent movie we both loved and raved to each other over called Little Miss Sunshine. Being Oscar night it was fitting since this had been nominated for a few. It was about an eclectic family on a cross-country trip in a VW van. After the movie Erin stayed up late with me and we watched the end of the Oscars. We are both tired for it today.

 

I celebrate my 43^rd birthday Tuesday and Liam’s and Erin’s are right around the corner.

Thursday, 2/15/07

I rose out of bed early so the packing could be finished.  With a bit of grumbling, and a request that Russ only help when needed (snicker), we got the van loaded with our cold weather supplies, kids entertainment for the long trip, and comfort accessories for the two dogs, as well as an empty cooler for oysters.

 

We took a short diversion from our planned route to deliver a loaf of Amish Friendship bread (and starter/recipe) to our babysitter, Miss Anna.  I’d left another loaf for the cleaning lady, and brought the third loaf along.

 

Once heading North, we watched as the recent bad weather had taken its toll.  In our county, there was little to see as we got only cold rain.  As we drove out of our county we saw more and more evidence of ice and ice damage.  Though the trees were pretty with their glistening branches, it was sad to see many of them toppled over.  Street signs hung with long icicles and proved that there were probably many homes without power.  Even when we stopped for oysters, we were told that the establishment was only running on generator power.  Knowing that we just might have a use for it up Home Home, Liam and I purchased a snow saucer at the Oyster place. As we headed out of Maryland, the ice turned to snow like we expected.  For the most part, the roads were pretty clear.  Only a few streets of Harrisburg needed additional attention.  We saw one minor accident along the way, but thanks to a quick thinking bystander waving his hands in warning, we avoided the same ice patch under an overpass. Heading up RT 15 along the Susquehanna River revealed inches to feet of snow!  Good thing we bought the saucer!

 

The trip took us a bit longer than expected, but right around 5:00 we pulled in the plowed driveway.  Mom had the table all set for dinner, and we were happy to provide an appetizer of oysters!  Liam was delighted to see his grandparents, but Jaxson was a bit overwhelmed at first and needed a little reassurance from Mommy for a few minutes before settling in. 

 

We didn’t expect Liam to settle down for the night too quickly, but when 8:00 rolled around, we lured him to his NEW bed in the basement!  Mom and Dad had purchased a set of bunk beds for the boys.  Dad had put together the top part, and just set it on the floor.  It was VERY cozy and Liam was thrilled with the sports oriented bedding. 

 

After Liam drifted off, we watched The Full Monty.  Dad had gotten it through Netflix, and Russ and I knew that it was a good flick, so we were happy to watch it again.  I managed to stay awake through the whole thing, but as soon as it was over, I wasn’t the only one who was happy to follow Liam’s lead and crawl in bed.

 

Friday, 2/16/07

We missed Mom during the day, as she had to work at the doctor’s office.  It gave us time to settle in though.  After breakfast, I figured it’d be a good time to try out the snow saucer.  We figured we might as well don all the warm gear before getting a shower for the day.  So it took a little effort to get the kids and ourselves dressed warm, but eventually we made it outside, and Grandpa set to work shoveling out a snow cave for Liam, while Russ made a bit of a luge off the left of the driveway. 

 

 

 

Unfortunately, the snow cave collapsed, but by then Liam was ready to give the saucer a try.  Despite a bit of snow in his face, and faulty mittens, he ended up at the bottom with a smile on his face.  Since I had Jaxson in a sling, we both gave the trail a try.

 

 

After a few trips down the side yard, I couldn’t resist considering my childhood favorite of sliding “down over the bank” in the back yard.  Russ beat me to it, and soon Dad was banking the bottom so we’d not hit the tree.  Before we knew it, we were all taking a turn down the hill. 

 

 

Eventually, Liam’s mittens were really becoming a bother, and the wind was picking up a little, so we decided to call it a day.  We went inside, got showers and a little lunch. 

 

After lunch, it didn’t take much to coerce Liam into Grandpa’s lap, for a nap.  When Russ, Jaxson and I left, they were both snuggled in the chair with the classical music on.  We headed to Mansfield because Russ wanted to go to Walmart to try to find an adapter for our camera.  We forgot the cord used to download pictures.  Unfortunately, the adapters we got didn’t work.  After Mansfield, we went to a couple of Thrift Shops in Wellsboro.  I was looking for a booster seat for Liam for Grandma’s table.  I didn’t find a seat at first, but did pick up a couple of cute shirts for the boys.  At the second thrift store, I asked the saleslady if there were any other thrift stores around, and she mentioned the Northern Tier Children’s Home over by the Whitneyville fairgrounds.  So, we took the long way home, and paid the place a visit.  Well, it was the usual Flea Market dump, but lo and behold, Russ and I were both rewarded with good finds!  He had the choice of two joysticks for Dad’s computer (to go with the Red Baron Game), and I had the choice of two booster seats!  A five-spot took both items, and we headed back home. 

 

Once home, it was good to hear that both Liam and Grandpa had a good nap together.  A little while later, Aunt Evelyn came by for a visit.  We shared pictures and talked about toys.  Cousin Seth is getting big, and we wished he could have visited, but we later found out that he had pink-eye.  Before Evelyn left, Mom came home, and we all enjoyed playing with the boys and catching up on some family gossip.

 

Mom made a tasty pot roast in the crock pot, and we had a nice dinner together.  That night we just watched some shows on TV.

 

 

Saturday, 2/17/07

We were early to rise on Saturday, because we were anxious to get to the Winter Carnival over at Hills Creek Lake.  Mom and Jaxson stayed warm at home, but Dad, Liam, Russ and I all got our warmest clothes on, grabbed the saucer and geocaching gear, and headed over to the lake.

 

Wow, were we impressed!  We headed straight for the lonely gal at the Geocaching station.  Poor thing.  She was all alone there, but seemed relieved to see us coming.  We tried not to bombard her with our enthusiasm, but gave her lots of kudos for planning the presentation.  She even had a dozen GPSs for participants to use! 

 

 

We had our own, so we headed out to find her “dummy” geocache, which we did with no trouble.  Liam was happy to find some candy inside (normally food is not allowed in caches). 

 

 

Then, I went to the van to get the saucer, while the guys checked out the ice fishing station. We took a few turns down the hill (and WHAT A HILL!!).  Liam complained that the snow got in his face, but was still smiling.  When I later ventured down the slope in front of Russ, I learned just how terrible that “snow-in-the-face” felt!! Poor kid! 

 

 

After sledding (going back UP that hill, was a challenge!), we investigated the ice skating station.  A guy had brought his huge supply of ice skates, so Grandpa helped Liam lace up while Russ and I found our own pair.  Russ was a great sport for giving it a try, and managed to stay upright!  Liam had his share of bounces, but Grandpa was never far away.  It was fantastic fun! 

 

   

 

Then we headed back up the hill for our free hot dog and hot chocolate.  By this time, Liam was getting tired, so even though we could have cross country skied or snow shoed, we decided to check out the bird feeder making station (bagel with peanut butter and bird seed) and call it a day.  The weather couldn’t have provided a more perfect event!!

 

 

Before going home, and since we were halfway to Mansfield anyway, Russ wanted to see if he could return the adapters that didn’t work for the camera.  We stopped at Radio Shack and he got an alternative storage disk for our media.  Works well!  Then we returned home before Grandma ran out of milk for Jaxson. 

 

As we got showered and warmed up, we were just getting Liam down for a nap when Barry and Willie came over.  I got Liam up and he gave Barry the biggest smile and was quick to show him their favorite “Mini Cooper.”  Willie held Jaxson for the longest time, as he fell asleep on her lap.  We had the nicest conversation, and got a couple of nice pictures.

 

 

That night, after a hamburger dinner, Russ and I left the boys with the Grandparents, and went to a BlueGrass concert.  We heard a local band, and then got to know the Hillbilly Gypsies.  They were great, and even though we had to sit in the bleachers of the middle school gym, we really enjoyed the concert.  We even bought their CD!  We thought about grabbing a drink or two at the Gaslight before heading home, but a light snow was beginning to fall, and we didn’t want to have a rough trip back, so we skipped the drinks.  The kids were pretty much asleep when we got home.  Liam was even curled up in bed with Grandpa.  We stayed up a little to watch Saturday Night Live, but then went to bed.

 

Sunday, 2/18/07

Let it be known that we usually go to church when we visit.  However, Mom mentioned that the usual pastor wasn’t going to be there, and I got the impression that she’d prefer to play in the snow with the boys, so we didn’t go.  Therefore, we enjoyed God’s nature.  We’d gotten the track down over the bank working pretty well, and I promised Liam that I wouldn’t let the snow get in his face this time. 

 

 

So, we ALL (yes, even Grandma and Grandpa) took a turn going down the slope.  Ironically, Jaxson, all snuggled in a sling and wrapped in my coat, decided that it was the perfect time to take a nap.  But I was having SO much fun!  Thankfully, Grandma and Grandpa offered to take the boys in so Russ and I could relive our childhood just a little longer. 

 

 

Our quest for adventure was soon to get the best of us though because we tried experimenting with other more rock & tree filled slopes, must to our demise.  It ain’t fun until you have the bumps and bruises to prove it, right?  Well, after we’d gotten our share, the wind began to pick up again, so we went back inside.  Who knows when we’ll get to sled again?

 

After lunch, we succeeded in getting the boys down for naps, so Mom and I made pies (I am SO proud of the crusts I made with the new recipe!!). 

 

 

Dad and Russ played the Red Baron game on the computer.  Shortly after Liam and Jaxson got up, Uncle Wally and Aunt Pat dropped in for a visit.  Again, it was great for the boys to meet them and get a chance to play a little bit. 

 

 

 

I told Uncle Wally that he couldn’t have pie without staying for supper, so they did.  Mom made some wonderful Mac & Cheese, and Russ learned how to prepare some venison steak. 

 

Once we’d had our fill of pie, and Russ and Aunt Pat shared in the triumph of the Daytona 500 on TV, Uncle Wally said they had to “head over the hill.” 

 

Since Jaxson had a bit of diaper rash, Mom and I gave him an Aveeno Oatmeal bath in the sink.  He loved splashing around in the water with Grandma. 

 

 

Monday, 2/19/07

I think we’d had our fill of sledding (although the thought did occur to us to go back to Hills Creek Lake).  We had a leisurly morning and just enjoyed playing with the boys and visiting.  I couldn’t take Liam’s mop top any longer, so I called and made an appointment at the Hair Stylist for the both of us.  Russ longed for a slice of OIP pizza, so we made the plan to go into town for Pizza and a haircut.  Once again, Jaxson stayed home with the grands.  Liam was very patient with the stylist as he got his hair trimmed up.  As a reward, Daddy took him to Dunhams where he got a fire truck and a squishy lizard.  I got a good 4 inches taken off of my hair, and I really like the look. 

 

When we got back home, Grandpa had promised to take Liam for a tractor ride, and I wanted him to see some dairy cows, so the boys, Russ, Dad (and Ash the dog) and I took a little field trip.  We went up to the farmhouse, so Liam could play around on the tractor with Grandpa.  HE WAS THRILLED!!  He got to raise/lower the bucket, drive, and push some snow around. 

 

 

 

Then, he got to ride on the four wheeler with Grandpa, and then Daddy.  He said he wanted a four wheeler when he got bigger!  No doubt!  After playing around on the farm, we got in the van and went to the Miles farm in Little Marsh.  I was a little sad to hear that all the local families that I new as dairy farmers as a kid are no longer farming.  Guess dairy farming is becoming a thing of the past, and I find that really sad.  Nonetheless, we arrived at the Miles’ farm, and we went in the barn just as they were milking.  So Liam really got to see the cows close up (one even licked his boot, which gave him a bit of a scare) and learn about where milk comes from.  We didn’t stay long.  Liam said he wanted to go back to Grandma’s house.  On the way home, Dad explained to me the Miles’ new method of compost farming.  It sounds really interesting and is much healthier for the cows.  There were some snowmobilers up on the hills too, and Liam thought they were pretty neat.

 

We decided to just warm up some leftovers for dinner.  We watched the Illusionist on TV, and Liam fell asleep in Grandpa’s lap, and Jaxson fell asleep in Grandma’s arms.  The movie was pretty good with a neat twist at the end. 

 

Tuesday, 2/20/07

All good vacations must come to an end.  Though we probably could have settled in for another few weeks, our work beckoned us, and we hated to delay the inevitable.  So, I got us packed up, and Mom made us all a great pancake breakfast.  We got on the road about 9:30.  I drove the first leg into Harrisburg.  We stopped at the Trading Post store and stretched our legs a bit.  Then we stopped at the Dairy Queen for lunch.  Dang – they have GREAT onion rings!!  Russ, drove the rest of the way home, and I dozed a couple of times.  Liam fell asleep about an hour before we got home – go figure.  Jaxson got really restless about an hour from home too, but we made good time, and our return trip was only 7 hours.

 

It was nice to arrive home and have a little time to relax and unpack before returning to work.  The cleaning lady had come too, so the house was neat and tidy too.  Can’t beat that!

Erin and I both worked Friday. She just worked half a day. She was making up time for a Doctor’s appointment for Jaxson this past Monday. I was swapping my Friday’s off for our trip up to see Erin’s parents this coming weekend.  Erin and I had lunch together and drove out and had it by the bay, as we tend to do about once a month. She then got the kids sweat pants outfits at the Dollar Store. When she arrived home Liam and her got busy making Valentine’s Day cookies. By the time I got home there was a mountain of cookies. She had also ordered us tickets to see the Monster Trucks in Baltimore later this month. It is a combined birthday present to Liam and I. Friday night we just watched TV by the fire.

 

It has been so cold lately that it hasn’t really been feeling like going out weather. We all ate breakfast in bed as I took a turn getting breakfast together.  Erin ran an errand to the post office on Saturday and then I ran out quickly with Liam to go to the bank. Liam and Erin worked on Valentine cards to give out. I did the taxes which took the afternoon and then we decided to use our Internet coupon to try a new restaurant  for us. It is called Scheible’s and is down in the southern part of the county on Smith Creek just off the Potomac. It is a typical restaurant down here. Most are small with good seafood and boat access. We had the coupon for $25 off. Actually it was $21 as you pay $4 for the service. Only one restaurant in our county recognizes them. We were lucky the one restaurant turned out to have outstanding food.  Liam got a hot dog and fries, which he enjoyed. Erin got Stuffed rockfish with Crab Imperial on it. I got the all you can eat Snow Crab and Shrimp special. The waitress laughed as I guess my eating prowess was underwhelming compared to others who come down. I got my monies worth and felt full. It only costs us $36, which was outstanding for the food we got. We can use the coupon once a month so we will certainly return.

 

When we returned home we got the kids off to bed and watched the Grudge 2. Lucky for us the original was on TV the night before so we were in good shape to watch the sequel. It was really good with good suspense and equaled if not bettered the original, which doesn’t happen that often.

 

On Sunday Erin hopped up early and made us all a big breakfast. Liam and I played Monster Trucks after breakfast. We then all watched the original Batman movie as Liam is going into a Batman thing because of his favorite monster truck. He just got a Batman T-Short in the mail, which he loves.  Erin planned for the trip up home home and talked with her Mom. Her Mom just got the boys bunk beds for up home home. It was very sweet of her to do that and plan for when the boys get bigger. Liam will use it now. I played on the computer while Erin read the paper and got diapers around. We ordered a pizza and the watched a bit of TV and some of the Grammy Awards.

 

The coming week will be short and we are all looking forward to a long weekend trip up to home home. There is some questionable nasty weather for the middle of this week but nobody seems to be able to predict what it will be. What usually happens here is that the temp goes up a little and we get freezing cold rain. We shall see. Erin’s says we should just rely on a weather rock as the forecasting for our little peninsula of a county never matches D.C.

A little late in the week for a weekly blog entry, but finding a discrete time to log in was difficult.

So, to remember back to last weekend, Friday morning started out with a bit of a challenge. I was at work, and Russ called me about 8:15 to tell me that Jaxson had fluid running out of his ear. Knowing this couldn't be a good thing (and remembering Liam's nasty ear infection last year), I called the Doctor's office, and they were happy to take him in right away. Russ dropped of Liam at Anna's, and brought Jaxson to me here at work. I then headed for the doctor. Yep, sure enough, Jaxson had a hum-dinger of an ear infection - both ears. So, we upped the anti with a stronger dose of amoxicillian and some ear drops. It was apparent that his ear drum had ruptured, and all the pus was draining out. He'd been shaking his head a lot over the past few days, so now we knew why. We thought it was just his teeth.

So, after getting his meds at CVS, I took him to Anna's because he wasn't running a fever and wasn't contagious. I needed to get back to work for a few hours.

Saturday, we enjoyed some family time together, and I helped Russ cut up the rest of the wood in the garage. Liam played and played with his monster trucks and we had a great time jumping match box cars, and crashing into each other. Jaxson's meds were kicking in, so he was getting back to his usual playful self again. Good thing we got the wood cut up, because we discovered that on Sunday - we really needed it!

 

Sunday morning, I was getting the boys their breakfast when I heard the heat kick on. This would have been normal, but it seemed much louder than normal, so I went to the basement to investigate. To my surprise, there was smoke coming from the vent, and the smell was terrible. So I quickly opened the basement door. I couldn't see anything else that seemed out of place, and the smoke seemed to be subsiding a little. I woke up Russ, and he came down and double checked my suspicions. Neither of us could really figure out what might have caused the puffs. It was making heat, but still had a bit of smoke. We made sure the dogs got an outside potty break, and then shut the door to the basement with a fan running to work on getting rid of the smell. A while later, the heat kicked on again with the same results, so it was then that we decided to shut off the heat entirely, and just stay warm by the fireplace for the day. This didn't work out to badly, and it was convenient that we had a stack of wood right in the garage.

Since it was Superbowl Sunday, we knew we weren't going to be to far from the den anyway.  In the afternoon, I went to the grocery store for a few items, and some crabs for a special Superbowl dinner.  The game was pretty good, and the Colts won over the Bears.

Later that evening, the temperature in the house, despite the fire in the fireplace, began to dip below 60. I'd bundled up the boys really well, and put them to bed. I had a little electric heater going in Liam's room, and Jax was still on the couch in the den. I finally couldn’t stand it anymore, and when the thermostat said 57, I flipped on the switch and said a little prayer. God figured we'd been cold long enough, so he let the furnace work as it should - no smoke or smell all night long. I was still afraid to leave the dogs in the basement on Monday without someone coming from the oil company to come and look at it. So, I called them, and they said for me to go to work, and they'd call me when it was our turn for service that afternoon. Worked well, and around 2:30 I was letting the guy in the basement to take a look at it.

Though our unit is old, it is still running at 80% efficiency, which is pretty good. He changed the oil filter, and cleaned the igniter. He said that probably some dirt had clogged things up a little, and that is why we got the smoke. So all in all, it was a minor fix, but reminded us to get an annual service plan. We'd like to get a few more years out of the current furnace, before purchasing a new one, and if it's working as well as it is now, that should be an achieveable goal.