Cally Tours the North Country

It's been well over a week since Spring Break adventures with Cally. The sixth week of my parenting leave was spent in the best way possible...family road trip. In the past two years together, we've spent Katy's April vacation mountain biking and climbing in beautiful, warm, dry and funky Asheville, NC. Camping at night, biking and running all day, climbing at Looking Glass and topping all with a two day visit to the Merle Watson Bluegrass Festival, near Doc's home in Deep Gap. North Carolina. This year with the arrival of our little peanut, two 16-hour drives seemed inhumane for all. So instead, we did the tour of CT and NY to visit...


My parents, Art & Peg a.k.a. Cally's Nana and Grampa in Farmington. We arrived on Saturday night and on Sunday had a great gathering with my Aunt Lynda and my sister Lynn and the Jones clan. My brother in law Mark is a luthier starting his own guitar company and brought one of his five soon to be signature models for the Jones Guitar Company. My mom crocheted Cally another incredible sweater and prepared a world class brunch for the crew.


Our friends Tim, Sophia and their one-year-old son Beckett invited us to visit their new home in Rosendale, NY between New Paltz and Woodstock. They moved onto an incredible 800 acre resort that Tim and a group of partners are redeveloping as an eco adventure type place with a hotel, spa and two lakes for swimming and paddling. Great mountain biking and nordic skiing to boot. We spent two great days cooking meals, playing with the kids and exploring all the trails and abandoned lime kilns on the property. While Sophia was in NYC teaching for an afternoon, Tim took us to Kingston to explore. There was incredible architecture and old Victorians stacked in the downtown of a small waterfront city struggling to revive. Before leaving Katy, Cally and I had a great visit to the Shawangunks on a rainy morning and hiked to see the abundant rock routes...for another day.

On Wednesday we headed for New York City to visit my friend Michael and his wife Elizabeth in Brooklyn. They just had a son named Dean and he made Cally seem old at 4 months. Michael and I have known each other for almost 20 years. We met playing on an ultimate frisbee team here in Burlington and have seen lots of music over the years. Katy's friend Pixie and hr son Jasper. Pixie is 7 months pregnant and she and Katy have been friends since they were students together at Middlebury College. We had a relaxing afternoon catching up, introducing her to Cally and hearing them catch up on their old friends looking ahead to their 15th reunion here in VT this summer...

The finale' of our week was our visit to Katy's parents Phil and Mary Lou, Cally's Grandma and Grandpa in Darien...we got in late from the city but of course they had to greet Cally with her always wide smile for the grandparents! We had a great a super relaxing visit, our usual long breakfasts (I always get to eat bacon with Phil:), and a great walk on the ocean around Long Neck Point. In the afternoon, Katy, Cally and Mary Lou went shopping, Phil took me to one of his reknowned lunches at Mario's in Westport with his long time buddies. It was nice to be included and the food is unsurpassed.

As our week together waned, we loaded Cally into her little seat with the giraffes on the shoulder straps and headed back up the road to Vermont and the real start of Spring together...

Spring Has Sprung in the Green Mountains...

Today was one of those extraordinary spring days that makes me happy I live in Vermont. It was sunny, clear and warm and Cally and I were on a mission. After having breakfast with Katy, I loaded our friend Spencer's truck for a dump run, clicked Peanut into her seat & pulled down the sun shade, loaded Zephyr (our dog) into the back (always takes longer than I'd like) and rolled down the driveway toward the Lee River. It was bright and sunny at 8:30, the birds were active and green was struggling to appear everywhere. I slid on the sun glasses, checked Cally in the rearview and took a nice long swig from the thermal mug...the world was seeming super bright this morning and I'm pretty sure it wasn't just the coffee.


It seemed like everywhere Cal and I went today we saw someone we knew...and everyone was excited to be soaking the sun and warmth. We started at the bakery in Richmond, the go to for cup #2. Cally and I saw Brendan working the counter...he's my friend Angies' son and i've known him since he was a wee lad. He had the late Fela Kuti pumping through the speakers and made Cally smile and squeak...I took a picture of her on the front stoop.

Next we spotted activity in Catherine and Tyler's front yard and decided to investigate. Turned out it was Kathy Hill doing some gardening as a barter for Cath's web design help for her business. She is a knitter who gave Cally a beautiful sweater & hat from her collection last week. Cally was kind of sleeping, but Zephy was active. We talked about how nice the sun was and doggie development. Cathy and her husband Chris have a challenging dog too...his name is Cruiser.

Up the road into the village I had to drop off the rear wheel of my mountain bike at Richmond Bikes...Gene Bell's shop. Gene's shop is the center of the local biking universe and he's the mechanic in demand. He was sitting on his stoop soaking the sun. It looked like he was opening a paint can from a distance... it turned out he was opening a quart of yogurt (he swear it lasts three days). The local lawyer, David Sunshine, walked by and gave a "good day". Not shitting here folks, it's his real name... A good omen or what?


Next we were off to the dump. Zephy was psyched for the dog bones the man in the cashier kiosk always gives her. I humped everything into the crusher dumpsters then dropped over to the recycled goods shed while Cally slept. The old man with the ever weekend yard sale in jericho center was there, hawking anything of interest as usual.


Finally we off on the open road for Huntington, the place I once called home and the town I love the most in Vermont. Cally was, well, napping the whole time. We passed the kids from the Youth Conservation Corps doing projects in the sun at the Monitor Barn, some folks from Fish and Wildlife doing fish samples in the lower Huntington River, saw geese passing through on Gillette Pond and noticed the syrup had all been made for this sugaring season at Purinton's (a good one it's been)!

We pulled into Huntington and topped off the tank at Beaudry's store. Linda always catches me up on her son's coaching accomplishments and Terry and I always talk a little Red Sox. He's been suffering from Alzheimer's disease the past 2 years and not as animated recently. The drive up the Huntington River Valley is just beautiful and brings back great memories of the thousands of times in all seasons I made this drive...but never with Cally in the backseat.


My friend David Reynolds is an English teacher and poet who lives in Colorado Springs Colorado. We went to college together, studied English Literatue together and had the same thesis advisor. He sent me a poem of his the other day about the arrival of spring and I thought of it while looking up to the still snowy peak of Camel's Hump:

Crocus

The crocus stuck their heads up last week,
little baseball mitts of yellow.

So delicate with their papery
petals and petite height (no taller than a jar of baby food)

Yet also hardy, these first ones,
the pioneers in the flower world,

to brave March’s chill and snow.

I remember planting the bulbs,
acorn sized nuggets of promise.

A fall day of family and low sun
as we dug can-sized holes in the dirt

and placed each bulb, just so,
delicately and facing heaven.

What nourished them? November
and December with their rough, bare winds?

Leaves and needles fell; holiday music faded,
and the wars raged on without protest.

Little moisture fell, the earth cracked,
yet the bulbs stirred, the bulbs stirred.

And soon the autumnal eggs shot forth runners
Who reached for the light, for the warmth of hope.

And now these petals of blue and yellow and red
Brighten even the most somber of March moods.

Einstein & The Easter Bunny

Monday 4/13/09:
weather: sunny, cool and windy high low 40's.
projects: wrote some of my book review for class, went to chiropractor (felt great), returned the damn milk foamer for our coffee that broke over the weekend (what do you mean you can drink coffee without hot foamed milk? what are you a Luddite?) and got the galvanized pipe we're using for a shower curtain cut to length and threaded...looks sweet:) Can finally take showers in our new bathroom!


Einstein & The Office
One of the most fun things to do these days is to observe Cally's fascination with her "exersaucer", this large, plastic, spaceship with seat and full of sensory fun for babies. Katy found on Craig's List. It really is an impressive "developmental toy". As far as I can tell, "developmental toys" fall under the classification of any apparatus that is safe, immobile and will keep babies engaged long enough for you to go to the bathroom, do a few dishes or clean her room a bit (okay, so I occasionally check e-mail and the Sox scores too... so shoot me already!). Anyway, this thing is called Baby Einstein and we're pretty much convinced it is Cally's ticket into MIT. I mean come on, if she can hit one of the animal sound buttons 3 times in a row and cull the extended version of a nursery rhyme, Cally is clearly going places. It also has a stuffed dragon to chew on, a little stuffed sun to chew on, some spinning wheels to manipulate (then try chew on) and her favorite, a little rubber book with animals and a mirror (that she inevitably tries to chew on). Somehow, I doubt that Einstein had this much fun...

The truth is that Cally has a love hate relationship with this thing. When we first drop her into it she kind of peruses her options and smiles, squeaks and coos until she settles into her objective activity. Katy has come to call it "The Office". Cally really seems as if she's kind of going to work. She checks-in, takes off her coat, punches the clock and it's game on! As with most office jobs, either boredom or overload sets in and Cally starts screaming and getting frustrated...thats when we know it's time for "lunch hour".


The Easter Bunny 4/12/09...
weather: sunny and 32 degrees, NW winds 20-30 (that's right, below O degrees with wind chill in April!)
projects: c'mon even a house husband gets a holiday off once in a while...

Must have froze his little as off when he came to Vermont yesterday morning! It was snowing and hovered around freezing all day in the mountains. Cally is still too young to believe in the Easter Bunny (or anything else for that matter)... she has however come to understand via longitudinal survey that the milk and diaper changing fairy are likely to come multiple times a day. Our Easter tradition over the past few years has been to throw an 80's ski party in the parking lot at Stowe, typically giving our community of friends a chance to ski corn, soak some spring sun and attempt to party like we were young...again.

Anyway the cruel, sketchy Vermont weather goddess duped us good this year. While most of our friends knew the skiing would suck and opted out this year, Katy and I were determined...not to get stuck with unused tickets we'd pre-purchased! Bless their hearts, Mary & Elizabeth came with their kiddos to support the cause and help avoid the "party that never happened syndrome". Cally was on her game as usual, lounging in the old car seat and working all the people in the lodge (all 15 of them. I did mention we were at Stowe right? and on a spring weekend, right?) The skiing was, well, a little stiff and the corn never materialized. not to be defeated, we had some great freezing cold runs and some of the finest Chicken salad ever, made with love by the Homesteading Hussy.

In an effort to be the best dad possible, I decided it was time to learn more about Cally's developmental needs at baby.com. Here's what I found I should be thinking about today:

3 questions about: Chubby babies (or...what would Oprah say if?)

What if my baby looks fat?
Some babies are born plump, others grow that way — but not because they have an unhealthy diet and don't exercise. It's because they haven't developed much muscle yet. This kind of baby fat isn't likely to stay with your child as she grows. When placed on her stomach, your baby will probably lift her head and shoulders high, using her arms for support. This mini push-up helps strengthen her muscles and gives her a better view of what's going on. She may even amaze you (and herself!) by rolling from her back to her front, or vice versa. Cally does all of this!

Should my baby go on a diet?
No. First, your baby's doctor will check to see whether your baby's weight and height are within the guidelines for her age. If she's too heavy, it's likely your doctor will simply watch to see how she grows. It's pretty rare for a doctor to be very concerned at this age, especially before solids have been added to a baby's diet.

Does this mean my baby will always have weight trouble?
No. A plump baby does not foreshadow an overweight teenager or adult. Many big babies slim down once they begin crawling and walking. They simply store their baby fat differently. As your baby grows, you can keep her fit and healthy by encouraging floor play. Feed her only when she's hungry, and avoid using a bottle to calm her when she's upset or stressed. Instead, offer her a toy or love and kisses.

UVM Ice Cats Shut Down...

Well folks, the dream of winning the NCAA Division I Hockey title ended abruptly last night as the UVM men's hockey team lost to the top ranked team in the country, BU and their deep crop of overly WASPy, assuredly NHL bound players. Cally's first experience viewing the Frozen Four semifinal was rather uneventful...she witnessed a lot of ambient, unintelligible screaming as UVM pulled into the lead with an incredible second period push to take the lead at 3-2. She saw some new ceiling and dogs peering into her Moses basket, and generally seemed to enjoy the viewing atmosphere of the Ganzenmueller's living room. Awakened numerous times by her not so bright and overly emotive father, when Cally was asked for her insight into UVM's heartbreaking loss, she offered no comment...

See official report below. It was one of those nights folks, where the title was at times so close we could taste here in the hills of VT. Big thanks to the Homesteading Hussy for hostessing. We'll see you next year, BU!

WASHINGTON - No. 1 Boston University overcame a 4-3 deficit with less than seven minutes remaining in regulation to defeat No. 3 Vermont, 5-4, at the Frozen Four in front of a sellout crowd of 18,427 at the Verizon Center on Thursday night. Hobey Baker finalist Colin Wilson scored the game winner with 5:41 left in regulation, to send BU to its 10th national championship game in program history. The Terriers (34-6-4) will face No. 4 Miami on Saturday at 7 p.m. in the NCAA title game while the Catamounts end their season at 22-12-5.

Cally, John & Katy's Excellent Adventures...

weather report today: snowing and mid 30's, four inches over night.
house projects: laundry, dishes, installed slider in cabinets, assembled shower rod for bathroom. need more parts....

Ever get the feeling that you've lived a lifetime in a week? Last week with Cally was it. Katy and I have watched her seemingly transition from small, passive, happy baby who needs us to provide everything, to an active, engaged, rowdy baby who is starting to splash, grab and jump in her bungee bouncer...all in a a matter of days! At times she seems as surprised as we are at the things her body is able to do now.

The only thing that has changed as fast as Cally this week is the VT spring weather. The old saying, "if you want the weather to change in VT just wait an hour," has rung true here in the Green Mountain State. Since my last post, it's gone from cold and snowy, to warm and muddy, to rainy, cold and raw. Yesterday we reverted back to snow once gain.

If you were here last week, these are a few of things you'd have done with us...

Trip to the Golden Dome 4/2/09:
On Thursday, Cally & I went to Montpelier for a rally outside the statehouse in support of the Gay Marriage Bill. As working life rarely allows for free afternoons with no projects or agendas (never mind a protest), we hit the road after her nap. As it turned out, the rally never happened but we had a very social and educational afternoon. We were able to sit in the state legislative chamber and hear emotional testimony live from both sides of the aisle...Cally was excited to see all the people and hear all the sounds. Me, I was proud to live in a state where public democracy for the people is alive and well. We sat in the lobby alongside the "one man, one woman crowd" and during a break, were visited by the senate leader, Peter Shumlin. Everyone likes babies and he was fascinated by how happy Cally was...and oh that red hair!

An unexpected highlight was seeing our friends Sarah and Caroline and their new baby. Katy and I met them originally in our birthing class last fall. We live only one town away and will be getting our babies together soon. We also saw another friend from our class, Dave. He was a bit busier than us for two reasons. 1) In addition to their new baby he and Katie have 2 other kids under five at home and 2) he is legal council to the legislature and helps shape the legally binding language of bills and policy. We also saw our friend Alden who's been working hard in support of Vt. Freedom to Marry...when not logging the 1,000 or so miles he's already put on his road bike this season.

Prologue: After the Gay Marriage Bill passed in both the VT Senate and the House by wide margins, Governor Douglas vetoed the legislation for ideological reasons. Justice and the beauty of small state democracy prevailed however on Monday. The Governor's veto was overridden with the Democrats scuttling exactly 100 votes...the magic number needed to win a 2/3 majority. Vermont has again made history by becoming the first state in the US to legislate for legalizing gay marriage and not having it constitutionally decided in the courts. Way to go Vermont!

Here's Milk in Your Eye 4/4/09:
One of our new favorite past times has been playing with Cally in her bungee bouncer and watch her feel her legs and walk around supported. On Saturday night I prepared to take advantage of my "dad pass" (thanks Katy!) and spent a night out in Burlington with our friend Macmo. We went to Higher Ground to see Dinosaur Jr.and waded the sea of hipsters. It felt like 1992 all over again... J Mascis is definitely not God, but getting closer every year. Now back to our story...

Before I left, Katy was practicing some "mommy calisthenics" she'd read about in a magazine. Most of these require using Cally's weight as resistance, sitting up with her on your chest repeatedly or repeatedly pushing her up over your head while reclining on your back. Just as Katy was embracing this exercise and the joy of Cal pal's smiles over head, I heard a little "Blorp!" followed by Katy's scream for me to come quick. When I looked over the from the bathroom, Katy was on the floor, intentionally still, with Cally suspended above her looking down toward her mom's eye socket smiling...now filled with a pool of cottage cheesy, regurgitated breast milk!

When we discovered Katy was pregnant, she was emphatic about one thing looking forward to parenthood. " I don't do throw-up," she explained. Not grossed out by much, I foolishly agreed to do puke patrol when necessary. After swiping the spit-up from her eye and washing up, Katy agreed that baby puke is pretty innocuous compared to the normal adult variety....well, you get the picture.

Running Back to Winter 4/7/09:
One of the challenges we've been facing is how to get exercise in a way that both satisfies our needs, has minimal impact and maximizes fun for Cally. Our Chariot has been just the tool. My parent's, Art & Peg, generously gifted us one upon Cally's arrival. We've been chomping at the bit for her to get big enough to use it. Warning: Not intended for use by children 3 months or younger...

Anyway, if the logistics of getting a run or ski in with a baby this time of year don't wear you down, the weather definitely will. With all the rain and cold of late it's been hard to motivate to get out. Yesterday Katy and I decided that even if it was raining, we had to pack up Peanut (one of our nicknames for Cally who hangs tough in the 25% for weight in kids her age) in the Chariot and run. We are sorely undertrained for the VT City Marathon we registered to run on Memorial Day weekend, now only 6ish weeks away! So, with rain coming down and temps hovering near freezing yesterday, we packed Cally into her little fleece suit, belted her into the Chariot (she hates this part) and headed up Lee River Rd. toward the Mtn. Warfare School...our typical short loop from home.

Katy and I caught up on our day and chugged up the road with Cally, taking it all in from her seat. We often wonder what the heck she is thinking as the landscape shifts around corners, cars pass, and the Chariot suspension compresses while on the shoulder or blasting over pot holes. Today the rain started getting kind of thick out of the gate and soon turned to snow. We were a couple miles from home at this point and had no choice but to keep going. Our friend Mary and her kids (who had dropped in to see us but found the house empty) stopped when they saw us on the road. Glad as always to see Claire and her and Austin's twins Augie and Timmy, we pulled up to the van window to say hi. When I looked down to check on Cally in her little weather proof pod, there was about an inch of slush on her windshield. When I wiped it away, I saw her little smiling face peeking out of her fuzzy suit and the gleaming gums of her widest smile. It's been the moments like these that have put all the little nagging things and minor inconveniences (unfinished house, dog that likes to pee in our new bathroom) of life into perspective. When we arrived back home with the snow driving, we took a family photo (above).