In the midwest

We're about 1/3 of the way across the country, and we've stopped in to visit Yeye and Nainai in Rockford, Ill. The weather has cooled off considerably, making it very pleasant for local outings.

Here with Yeye at the Boone County Fair:



Then with Nainai at the Anderson Japanese-style gardens:

Got Moxie?

Last weekend, Lisbon put on its annual Moxie festival, celebrating the state's favorite soft drink. Saturday morning started bright and early with the kids fun run! At 7 am, the race began. Here we are milling around at the start.



And, they're off! Binbin a blur of Moxie orange.



He's into the home stretch...



Finishing at a blistering pace. 3:11

wee weekend warrior

This weekend, we had our annual Moxie party, celebrating along with our little town the soft drink that tastes like root beer with an edge. That means, as I can hardly believe, that 2011 is already half over! Where does the time go?

Yeye and Nainai are visiting, and while Moxie isn't their favorite beverage (a nice Pinot or a sauvignon blank from Marlborough is preferable), they joined the fun. This morning, Jack and Jack and Binbin paddled down the mighty Androscoggin in the annual chief Worumbo canoe and kayak race. We had excellent weather with a nice downriver breeze. They finished the 6 mile course in 67:10, which we hoped would be good enough to take 3rd in the 100+ category (ages of the folks in the boat added together is greater than 100), but it seems that there are many spry couples in their 50s, and a trio in their 40s make better time, too. Still, we all had a good time.

Three generations of Klines in a boat:



Crossing the finish line:



Binbin has started swim lessons at the Y. With much enthusiastic encouragement from friend Coco, he was lured away from the wall. Here, the two take oodles of noodles to make a makeshift floatie:



Way back in the merry month of May, we marked Mother's Day with a day with the local minor league team, the Seadogs. Afterwards, kids were invited to run the bases. Binbin waits with pal Cam for their turn:



Way, way back in the depths of winter, Binbin picked up some B-ball skills. Not the best photo, but that's him with back to the camera.

Summer Days Are Here Again

Binbin's summer vacation began just over a week ago, and while it's taken us awhile to get used to the new routine, he didn't miss a beat. Yesterday, the first day of summer, was in his words, "a busy day." Yup. It began with climbing camp at the Maine Rock Gym in Portland. He and his pal Emma have been bouldering and traversing and crab walking their way up and around the walls. I think that we may have convinced him that "camp" isn't a bad word.

Yesterday also marked the kick-off for the library's summer reading program. The kiddies laughed and squealed to the hilarious antics of a juggler-unicyclist-magician. They had so much fun that, unfortunately from the mom's perspective, the whole idea of books got pushed to the sidelines. Well, there's always next Tuesday to get us off to a second start.

Finally, Binbin's t-ball team, the Slovaks, played Bard's. It was a beautiful warm afternoon, and after the usual three innings, his team's record stands at 0-0-12, or thereabouts. He had one solid hit, and his defensive play is improved, especially when he and Danny aren't just goofing off in the in-field.

We look forward to our first taste of strawberry season later this week. Happy Summer!

fun runner

On May 1, Binbin ran his first fun run. Sponsored by Coastal Youth Orchestra, the fun run was a full mile. Here's our budding runner headed to the finish with speed and determination written on his face.



Yes, that's me in bright pink, running back-up, just in case of emergency. After all, thought I, this is the first time that Binbin has ever run so far! No emergencies, fortunately. For running, Binbin received:

a coastal youth orchestra t-shirt
a coupon for free Ben and Jerry's cone
two juices
a cereal bar
a plush toy, a little grey kitty, which he has named Scurry
a boost of pride and confidence

iPad iPhotos

Not long before my birthday, way back in March, apple computer announced opening day sales for the iPad. We all zipped down to the mall after school, and got in line. Lots of conversations with our neighboring apple enthusiasts and an hour and a half later, I received the gizmo for my birthday.

Since then, Binbin (more than anyone else, naturally) has effortlessly embraced the technology and joyfully experimented with its photographic possibilities. First, the straightforward, old technology. Portrait of Binbin on St. Patrick's Day...



Now, the fun stuff. Kaleidoscopic Binbin...



This, and many others like it were taken one afternoon with Baba. Since the iPad has two cameras, you can choose your expressions and capture them accurately. Monkey see, monkey do, monkey snaps a picture.

More light

Days are longer, trees are deepening their green, and flowers are blooming. There are times, though, when I still find myself wearing two layers of fleece, and the thick fur Laplander hat around the house to stay warm. Binbin, though, is transitioning to T-shirts and sandals. And, after he picked out a new wind-breaker (medium blue, no patterns thank you), he has let go of his puffy jacket.

Yesterday was "opening day," for the Lisbon Junior Athletic League, which runs T-ball and softball in our area. Although we had hoped to place Binbin on the same team as Chase and Aidan, he is as happy as a clam being on the Slovaks team. Coaches Kevin and Ben provide good direction (little Owen is apt to bat and run to the pitcher's mound), and Kevin's wife Amanda makes sure that the team huddles up and cheers before and after games. Also, I should add that, in terms of fashion, the Slovak colors, black and white, are among Binbin's favorite, and Jack liked the crest motif on their T-shirts.

On the baseball front, we attending our first Seadogs game of the season. Though they lost to New Britain, Binbin and his buddy Cam and his sister Sarah were rewarded for their 9-innings' of patience with an invitation to run the bases. They and about 500 other kids ran their hearts out, from left field down the third baseline, then around the bases and back out to their phone-camera bearing parents. Although the clouds rolled in around the 7th inning, there was no rain. From left field, we beheld perfectly thick green grass and very happy kids.

Last Monday, kindergarten wasn't in session, but Binbin went to chess club after school. He came home, with an enormous grin on his face, reporting that he beat a fifth-grader! He used the classic four-move checkmate on the unsuspecting upperclassman. Apart from that, he won some and he lost some, and he'll be back for more.

He's got a new set of wheels, bicycle wheels with trainers, for the season. Binbin has always been wary of speed, and he is slowly building up confidence. Fortunately, the kitty-korner store has slushies, which are a good incentive for getting out there again when the sun returns.

One more month of school. I can hardly believe how quickly the time has passed. Where did it go?