spolay 2.0

How we spent our February vacation

2010-02-21T14:16:00.000-05:00

First half of the week:

The cherry on the vacation sundae, courtesy of LEGO:

There will be more to come over on Commuter Daddy....

January 2010 is the Month of Sam

2010-01-27T21:38:00.002-05:00

January still has a few days to go, but already Sam has accomplished quite a lot. In this video clip, he's on his way to a second place finish in the Wing School Geography Bee, answering what dammed river forms Lake Havasu on the California-Arizona border.

He followed that up with two separate performances with the concert and jazz bands, the latter culminating in a solo during one of the numbers.

By day, for a class project he was building a house from balsa wood and tissue paper that could withstand a massive earthquake, but still had time to defeat me in Risk for the first time. Look out, everyone. I can testify directly that he is ready to take over the world.

If only he'd remember to bring his lunch box home from school.... It's tough being a super genius!

See no evil

2010-01-16T14:09:00.001-05:00

Couple of interesting things to note about one of the rare group photos taken of our clan at Sam's winter band concert the other night:

Sam is wearing my tie. He is growing up so fast, which of course means so am I.
Mason still hates having his photo taken, which is funny because he really enjoys being the center of attention, too. Such a dichotomy!
You almost can't tell from the photo that Benjamin is in a complete meltdown. Brandy and I don't even look stressed by it. I assure you the situation was completely opposite.

Best of 2009, Animoto-style

2010-01-02T20:50:00.002-05:00

Here is the second annual slideshow showcasing much of the fun and laughter we had in 2009.

(Those using feed readers or reading this on Facebook may need to click through to watch the video.)

While you're in the mood for memories, here was the video we put together last year for 2008.

More holiday fun

2009-12-28T07:00:00.001-05:00

Spied a version of this JibJab piece of fun on a former neighbor's Facebook news feed. Thanks, Wendy!

The boys were quite amused by the finished product. I think I had as much fun making it as I did watching it.

Make sure to hit the green play button, and keep an eye on Mason:

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Christmas Card - 2009

2009-12-26T17:45:00.001-05:00

DSCN1289
Originally uploaded by spolay

How many pictures does it take to get one Christmas-card-worthy photo of three rambunctious boys? Dozens, and sometimes it requires more than one shoot.

This year, though, we got lucky on the first try. Brandy captured this photo during the only purposeful Christmas card shoot we attempted. It was similar in motif to one we used a few years ago, so we decided an every-other-year, brothers-walking-near-the-shore tradition should be born.

I was on vacation the week this was taken, so I rode my bike to Cataumet while Brandy drove the boys by car to meet up for a letterboxing adventure at the Red Brook Harbor Road conservation area. The intent was to meet at Twin Acres for ice cream (photos at the end of this set, along with some other pretty funny outtakes) on the way back, but I got there just as they had finished. It's just as well. I really didn't need the ice cream.

More current, Christmas-like photos have also been snapped. Happy Holidays to all!

Ruby is amused by the start of the Christmas season

2009-12-04T23:37:00.001-05:00

Brandy's caption: "They got a table-top tree... like that's going to stop me...."

My best shot of 2009

2009-12-03T00:51:00.001-05:00

DSCN1589
Originally uploaded by spolay

Flickr has posted details on its third annual "Your Best Shot..." photo group. This will be my first year as a contributor.

This shot was taken at Sally's Adventure Playground in Campbell Hall, NY, when the family accompanied me this past summer on one of my biweekly trips to the New York office. During our few days there, the kids spent much of the time in the hotel pool, but on our way out of town, we stopped at the playground for an hour. Brandy and I took turns on the camera, and we even let Mason turn the lens back on us.

For this shot, there were a number of outtakes with Mason half in the frame and others with only half a shadow, but this one was timed just right. It's now my desktop wallpaper, and is always a conversation starter whenever anyone is looking over my shoulder.

Some folks are now convinced I'm a Star Trek fan, though that was not my intent. I guess I'm simply developing a flare for shadow shots.

Sporty Summer

2009-09-06T12:29:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was the first day of the fall soccer for Sam and Mason, culminating the Summer of Sports for Mason. The season included two soccer camps, a tennis camp and countless Whiffle ball games in the back yard.

Though Mason's team lost its game, the soccer camp dividends were evident. Mason played some great defense and when playing forward ripped off some length-of-the-field dribbles and some crossing passes to attempt to set up his teammates for scores.

You might also have called this the Summer of Face Paint. The finale of each of the two soccer camps was a World Cup tournament, with the instructors at Paul Turner encouraging the kids to show their international spirit.

Benjamin joined in the face-paint festivities, too, simultaneously honoring the Tour de France, which was happening around the same time.

For those keeping score at home, Sam's team won its first game. Sam had a hand in the victory, too, tossing the throw-in that led to the pass that set up the game-winning kick.

Benjamin still has one more year before he can join in the fall soccer fun and mayhem. He was pretty disappointed at the start of the day. "Dad, I don't want to sit around for two hours!" Like me, he'd much rather be playing than watching.

Provided that Sam and Mason stick with soccer -- and there's no reason to presume they won't, as they both seemed to be thoroughly enjoying themselves yesterday -- next year will be the first time all three boys will be playing the same sport in the same season. We'll likely dispense with the pretense of carting chairs around town and simply pitch a tent at the Wing School fields, calling them our second home. Feel free to stop by. No appointment necessary!

Benjamin and the Lobster Hat

2009-09-04T22:03:00.004-04:00

Benjamin and the Lobster Hat
Originally uploaded by spolay
At this very moment, Benjamin is talking
in a pirate voice, wearing his new lobster hat,
and yelling to the thunderstorm, "I'm going
to pinch you!"

Holy dying embers of summer, Batman! I've really not been keeping up with the family blog this summer. The Flickr photos and YouTube videos are plentiful... the words, not so much. So as we head into the kids' first week of school, allow me to play a little catch up, one blog post at a time.

Not only does this photo showcase Benjamin's crafting skills, but you can also see the remnants of the home addition/renovation project that had begin in February and finished up in July. Note the entertainment center still residing next to the refrigerator, and pay no attention to the BJs-powered restock of toilet paper and paper towels on the stairs.

At the point this photo was taken, we were days away from moving into the addition. Was so nice to get a large chunk of our house back! There's still a lot of work remaining: Painting and re-arranging upstairs bedrooms, re-installing a portion of the fence that had to come down during construction and removal of some trees to protect our investment (not to mention restock the wood pile). The downstairs, though, is completely reclaimed. More to come on that!

The Unknown Rock Star

2009-07-25T11:52:00.001-04:00

The rock star gene has been successfully passed.

Garden mittens

2009-07-18T12:05:00.001-04:00

DSCN1076
Originally uploaded by spolay

Benjamin was helping Brandy in the garden, and when he saw that she was wearing garden gloves he decided he needed to follow suit. Introducing garden mittens!

Brandy did shortly thereafter buy Ben his own set of kids-sized garden gloves, so that he could have use of all of his fingers. They are sure to make it into a future picture, though I doubt the Vogue-like pose in this picture can ever be exactly replicated.

Sam solos at the Sandwich Grade 5 Jazz Band Spring Concert

2009-05-06T21:00:00.001-04:00

Tequila! And a surprise "Sammy" Joy solo!

We had no idea the solo was coming. So glad I had the camera rolling! We asked Sam about it later, and he said he had simply wanted to keep it a surprise.

The conductor announced him as Sammy Joy, and ordinarily Sam does not like to be called Sammy. He later confessed, though, that he didn't mind, likely because he was so excited that he had successfully completed the solo. I told him it would simply have to become his new jazzy stage name, which he seemed to think was a good idea.

Apologies for the jerkiness of the camera. Benjamin was crawling on me a couple of times during the performance. Next time I'll bring the tripod.

We all love a parade!

2009-05-03T21:00:00.000-04:00

DSCN0738
Originally uploaded by spolay

The 2009 edition of the Sandwich Little League Parade inched closer to being an all-family affair. Sam marched with the band, and I joined Mason's team as the assistant coach. Another couple of years remain, though, before Benjamin can join in. Meanwhile, he is taking batting practice almost daily in the backyard to get ready.

April Fools Day 2009 recap

2009-04-02T13:50:00.005-04:00

We had a little April Fools Day mirth on the homefront, starting with a prank Mason had plotted a couple of days in advance to get the jump on his older brother. Inspired by something he had seen on television, Mason asked me if I'd help him switch the innards of two of our cereal boxes so when Sam thought he was pouring Honey Bunches of Oats, he instead would be surprised by the Cinnamon Toast Crunch that landed in his bowl.

Of course I was all too happy to be the accomplice, making sure to make the switcheroo after the kids had gone to bed the night before. I took it a step further in the morning by doing some suggestive selling, strategically placing the breakfast options out on the butcher block table that acts as our kitchen island so that Sam would be sure to choose cereal over his other favorite, bagels.

Worked like a charm. Sam, still sleepy and a bit bleary eyed, grabbed the cereal, poured it into his bowl, paused, and realized that he had been fooled. Mason and I let out a couple of belly laughs, and Sam gave himself the I-should-have-had-a-V8 forehead slap.

Later, after reading Velma's post about her family's April Fools Day exploits, I was inspired to try a version of kitchen magnet chicanery. While Brandy and Benjamin were at the library, I cleaned off of the refrigerator, and placed all of the magnets on the back of my car so that they would be the first thing Brandy saw when she pulled into the driveway.

Brandy is not a big fan of stickers on cars. Even the dump and beach stickers are an aesthetic struggle for her. Sure, she likes getting rid of the household trash and taking the kids to the beach, but if it could be done using some sort of E-Z Pass-like system or by flashing an ID, she'd be so much happier.

So I knew there would be some shock value in seeing all of those magnets on the back of the newest car in the family, but the ruse was more successful than I could have anticipated. Brandy couldn't stop laughing, and was doubled over so much she couldn't get out of her car for a few minutes. Benjamin, not quite sure what was going on, laughed along with her for a bit, but after a few minutes asked Brandy why she was crying. She explained she wasn't crying, just laughing too hard.

Success!

Later, during dinner, we were asking Sam and Mason about their days at school. Mason said he and his classmates had tried to play a trick on their teacher, by hiding under their desks after she had left the room. As we understand it, one of the classmates wasn't so sure about playing along, so the trick was not a complete success, but the students had fun. Brandy and I surmised that April Fools Day must be the worst day of the year for teachers far and wide.

The wheels were turning in Sam's head throughout dinner. How was he going to get his revenge on Mason? He confessed he had been making a mental list all day of tricks that he was going to play on Mason the following year. I reminded him in a whisper that he still had a few hours left. That sealed it: He decided to tie knots in the pant legs of Mason's pajamas. While Mason excused himself to go to the bathroom, Sam excused himself to head upstairs to prepare his ruse.

At the end of the night, as I was helping Benjamin into his pajamas, Sam came in to show me what he had done. He had only tied off one leg, so I recommended he do the same to the other leg.

I'm such a troublemaker. Any wonder from whom they got that gene?

Later, Mason entered the room to change his clothes. I almost ruined it for Sam, as I could barely keep a straight face. I had to look away from Mason, so he wouldn't think anything was amiss. Sure enough, Mason started to pull on his pajama pants, and for a few moments kept jamming his foot into the pant leg when the foot wouldn't go all the way through, oblivious to what was causing the impediment. I finally could bust out some laughter, and revenge was sweet for Sam.

May the rest of the April Fools Days that lay ahead be as fun -- and as harmless -- as this year's! I am sure they are all plotting their revenge on me for next year.

Benjamin Riding at the Cape Cod Canal

2009-03-28T21:36:00.001-04:00

Benjamin, on his second bicycle ride ever, heads for home along the Cape Cod Canal bike path.

Pay close attention to his countdown, which is a little out of sequence, but the intent is clear. He then takes a slight spill, bounces right back up, and then rides away from me. I had to run after him after I stopped filming.

He wanted to know why I didn't bring my bike. I told him I thought he needed more practice, and I wanted to be able to help him. Now, however, I think I must bring my bike next time just to keep up with him!

Da Buff Macho Cheese Hamsters

2009-03-28T21:32:00.002-04:00

Sam's Destination Imagination team, Da Buff Macho Cheese Hamsters, perform their original "Astronauts vs. Aliens" skit as part of their 2009 entry in the regional competition at Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School.

Not only does Sam play the part of a rocket ship and a shooting star, but he was the time keeper and stage manager too. He tells us he had a whole signal system worked out with his teammates to let them know whether they should speed up or slow down. You'll catch glimpse of him a couple of times flashing signals and checking his watch while behind the curtain.

Rock to the Max, Mr. Sax - Part II

2009-03-28T21:26:00.001-04:00

I had to split the performance into two videos, because I realized halfway through that I ought not to hold the camera vertically. So this is the second half, with the camera held correctly.

I'll get the hang of this video thing yet....

Part I is here.

Rock to the Max, Mr. Sax - Part I

2009-03-28T21:23:00.002-04:00

This post is a bit tardy. I accompanied Sam a few weeks ago to the Pasta and Jazz Supper at Sandwich High School, where the Fifth Grade Jazz Band helped out with raising money for the high school band to attend a national competition.

Not only did Sam have a great time playing in the concert, but I traded him my cookie for his salad, so he got a double bonus that night!

Update: Part II is here.

Night with the Polays

2009-03-06T22:31:00.001-05:00

Just another sedate evening in Sandwich with the Polays...

Farewell, Pearl

2009-02-28T13:12:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was a sad day at the homestead as we had to put our cat, Pearl, to sleep. We had discovered a tumor around her shoulder blade about a month ago, and it became clear the other night that it was becoming uncomfortable and affecting her behavior.

This photo was taken this past December as she was supervising the boys decorating the tree. It is emblematic of how far she had come in terms of adjusting to life as a timid cat among a houseful of boys -- and how much she loved my chair!

Brandy had rescued her and her brothers and sisters from a feral litter before we met. She and her roommate had found homes for most, except for Pippen and Pearl, the two sisters who stuck around. When Pearl moved with Brandy to Mashpee after Brandy and I had first met, Pearl hid for three days behind the water heater in Brandy's new apartment.

I've joked in the past that the dowry for Brandy's and my marriage was comprised of Pearl and Sammie, Brandy's other cat who was on the scene before Pearl. I'd always been a dog person, but Sammie and Pearl thankfully seemed to have approved of Brandy's choice of me. Had they not, Brandy and I might have had a much more uphill climb at the beginning of our relationship. Sure, I was allergic to them, but that was nothing a little Zyrtec couldn't cure. The things we do for love....

Pearl was a unique kitty. She had a little bit of dog in her, especially when she would drool when you pet her for more than a minute. Her nickname became Pearly-Bum, in large part due to the fact that when you were petting her she would eventually arch her back and make you scratch her bum -- also just like a dog.

When Sammie went missing five years ago, it was incredibly sad, but we had also thought it had been for the best -- and even may have been elective on Sammie's part.

Pearl really came into her own once she became the only cat in the house. She was much less timid around the boys' thumping feet as the years went by, and within the last year would great each with a meow and a "come-hither-and-pet-me" dance as they came downstairs each morning. It was Benjamin's chore to feed Pearl daily, and Mason often took it upon himself to spend a little time with her, whether it was playing with a string or a ball -- or simply petting her. And Sam's ritual was to call her over to him each night during prayers, when he would pet her until everyone was done talking about the best parts of their day. It was very likely one of Sam's unspoken favorite parts of his day.

So yesterday clearly had an impact on all of us, but most of all on Brandy, who took Pearl to the vet and said goodbye face-to-face during her final moments. Sam handled the bad news in his usual stoic fashion. Mason, who still mourns Sammie's disappearance, cried for a bit last night and I am sure we'll see the emotional after-effects for a while.

Most heart-breaking for me, though, was Benjamin's reaction. As Brandy was driving away with Pearl, he asked me, "Pearl is coming back, right?" When I tried to explain that wasn't likely, he said, "But the doctor has a car. He can bring her home." When Brandy got home, he asked her if she brought Pearl home. It's all I can do to stop from crying now as I recall it.

He spent the rest of the day periodically asking Brandy not to cry. When Brandy and Mason were crying at the same time last night, Brandy later told me that Benjamin said, "Great. Now you're both crying."

So while he understands now that Pearl is not coming home, his primary mission was to make everyone smile and laugh again. There's something to be appreciated in his naivete.

The boys have been asking for a dog for some time, but Brandy and I had insisted to the boys that we would not do so while Pearl was still with us. Now a dog is surely in our future, but for now we are savoring the memory of Pearl.

The house definitely seems a lot more empty without her.

Sam's Band Concert - Jan. 28, 2009

2009-02-13T13:18:00.005-05:00

The Henry T. Wing School Grade 5 Band does a song-and-dance number at its Winter Concert on Jan. 28, 2009. Sam is right in the center of things (watch for the identifying ballon at about the 20-second mark), but we were in the Sandwich High School balcony to compensate for a fidgety Benjamin, so it's a little hard to tell. That, and Daddy the Videographer did not have a very steady hand with his first Blackberry Storm video shoot....

The good news -- or bad news depending on your tolerance for video quality -- is I finally figured out how to transfer the video from the phone to the laptop via Bluetooth, and then convert it to a format for worldwide consumption. Lucky you, dear viewer!

----------------
Now playing: Rusted Root - Send Me on My Way
via FoxyTunes

Toothless Mason

2009-02-07T15:42:00.002-05:00

Toothless Mason 3
Originally uploaded by spolay

Mason lost both of his two front teeth within the last two weeks, with the second departing in the middle of the night after the Super Bowl while I was on the road this week. Took a few photos today to capture the look, as the big teeth are already emerging to take their rightful place in his smile.

Speaking of photo catch-up... here's the Best of 2008

2009-01-04T10:35:00.003-05:00

Clearly, we were having a good time in 2008. Video made with some help from Animoto.

Catching up on holiday photos

2009-01-03T10:10:00.007-05:00

The camera has been firing away throughout the holiday season. The blogging fingers, though, are a little behind. So here's a roundup of some of the camera's output:

I happened to be working from the home office during the week prior to Christmas, and that afforded me the opportunity to join Brandy in helping Mason in his classroom as they put the finishing touches on hand-made gingerbread houses. Wouldn't you know I forgot to bring my camera? Bad Daddy! The good news was we got to bring home the finished product ahead of Mason, so I could photograph it in my ~~studio~~ atop the butcher block table before the boys had a chance to tear into it (which I also captured as part of this set).

A week later, I also was able to attend Benjamin's first Christmas concert, as he and his preschool class put on a multi-song exhibition for the parents. Benjamin spent the rest of the week regaling us with is crescendoed version of "Jingle Bells." Ask him to sing it for you sometime. His enthusiasm is priceless and infectious.

A couple of weeks before Christmas, after we visited with Santa, the boys and I went Christmas shopping while Brandy babysat for some friends. Perfect opportunity to shop for Mom! When I asked the boys what they wanted to get Mom for Christmas, Benjamin said, "A shooting star!" Hmm.... Luckily, we were near Michael's, where I figured we'd get inspired to include something approaching a shooting star. We settled on making mosaic flower pots, with some stars added in as tiles. So on Christmas Eve, we sent Mom shopping so we could create. Of course, Daddy didn't plan enough time to completely finish the project before Mom got home, and Mom had to help apply the mortar the next morning, but the boys did most of the work themselves and did so with just the right dose of love. Note how serious they look in applying the tiles. Might have been the hardest I've ever seen them work on a project!

This shot was from Christmas Eve, when we attend a traditional gathering with some friends. It captures Mason being a helpful big brother to Benjamin, something we've been working very hard to influence throughout the holiday season. The effort has not been without its challenges, but the best part of this moment the completely spontaneous gesture on Mason's part. Bravo!

When the boys go back to school on Monday, and they are asked about their Christmas vacation, I would bet a lot of money on them leading the conversation with the Wii Santa brought. So this photo becomes the image that represents our 2008 Christmas Day. That said, there were a few other favorites in the set:

The festivities extended well past Christmas, as the annual holiday brunch gathering of Benoit, Booth and Polay children convened at our home. As everyone was readying to leave, we actually managed to get all of the kids to sit still long enough for a group photo. Planets or stars must have been aligned somewhere.

Finally, Mason had a friend sleep over and join us for New Year's Eve frivolity. Mason tells us he was awake at midnight, and he might have been, but when I checked on them at 11:30, they appeared to be out.

Happy holidays to all!