Babysitter's secret weapon

As long as one doesn't worry too much about fingerprints on one's lenses, one's camera is a great babysitting tool. Ben can entertain himself endlessly when allowed to roam the house snapping photos. He actually gets some pretty good ones.

After this session, I posted my selections from his production on Facebook. You can see them by clicking here.

TKO: Decision, Grandma.

That little black dot near the top left of the screen above is my grandson's head. After a session of crying in my arms, he finally "laid his little heady down" on my chest and fell asleep. I waited till I was sure he was solidly asleep before attempting to carry him to his bed. Jen's video monitor lets me look right at him even though he's in the other room behind a closed door. Being the out-of-town Grandma means I don't have as much practice with bedtime but I'm pleased with the way it went tonight.

When Adam was tiny like this, I had a little audio monitor that allowed me to step outside and still be able to hear what was going on in his room. I remember sitting in the backyard of the little Cape Cod on Fairfax, looking up at the stars and holding that monitor up to my ear. I loved the sound of his breathing, in and out, my little boy peacefully asleep. It was a precious moment for me.

Boat Ride on a Quiet Day in July

After being away for more than a week, I arrived back at the cottage today. The weather is perfect.

When the family goes out on the boat, it takes an average of 45 minutes to get from "let's go out on the boat" to "cast off, matey." With just the two of us here, it only took about five minutes.

Clouds reflected in the lake as we set out.

Two damselflies ensuring next year's hatch.

Color coordinated garments and beverage cozy.

Up a lazy river.

Caution: Ugly duckling crossing.

Seen clinging to the inside of the pontoon. Actual size = 1/2 inch.

The shallow lake bottom as we exited the river.

A look back from whence we came.

Home again. Such a treat to have that pontoon - thanks for the loan, Pa.

The week in a nutshell...er....slideshow

Our 25th anniversary week--also the 2013 Independence Day holiday--was so packed with family action I didn't have time to post much to the blog. But before everyone left, I took time to upload all their photos to my computer.

Out of nearly 1,000 photos taken on multiple cameras, iPads, and smart phones over the course of the week, I selected some highlights for this slideshow. It's over 12 minutes long, so grab a cup of coffee.

Even though we had to say good-bye to Joe, Ash, Tomi, Jonna, and Adam on Saturday morning, the Balcoms stayed on for another day and were on hand when Colin Patrick Schneider visited with his entourage.

This week was judged by all to be the best SFBC week ever, which is high praise coming from a family that has been to Aruba together. We'll have another great week when we all go to Aruba in November with an even larger Stock Family by Choice.

We've been running....

This week has been such a mad dash that I haven't been a very good blogger. Stay tuned!

Day of our 25th Anniversary

Our anniversary day started out with breakfast prepared by Executive Chef Adam with his team of crack sous chefs. We waited for breakfast impatiently, forks and spoons in hand.

The kids took dozens (maybe hundreds) of pictures of us on our anniversary. It was a bona fide photo shoot, with posed and candid shots on the dock at home, on the channel at the Hack-Ma-Tack, and in the restaurant (mostly on their iPads). We're going to collect them somewhere--maybe on the Flickr page.

All day it felt as if we were in a place called 25th Anniversary, the stars-for-a-day of a show that only couples lucky enough to make it 25 years (and want to brag about it) can inhabit. It felt almost like a wedding.

Here are the kids, all gussied up for dinner at the Hack-Ma-Tack. Representing themselves and the other kids, they hosted our anniversary dinner, made the first toast (25 years....WOW), and made us feel special in every way possible. Our meals were wonderful - Adam, Tomi, and Dad had the Diamond Jim Rib Eye (22 oz.) and as I am typing this my online editor Ashley is thinking "I wish I had been there." Grandpa Woodruff picked up the tab for dinner, and we made a video to thank him. 

Our anniversary gift: a beautiful wind chime, personalized for us. Each tube on the chime says, "All because two people fell in love..." And the implied end of the sentence: "...we have this wonderful blended family known as the Stock Family by Choice."

When I talked to Grandpa, he said, "tell Ken I'm glad he was such an easy pick-up." (Hee hee, me too.)

The whole day was wonderful, and little did we know there was more to come when all the other kids arrived.

More photos of our BIG day 25 years ago

With this ring....

I thee wed.

Grandpa's assignment: Wrangle the six-year olds.

Grandma looks on lovingly (probably glad she doesn't have to control the boys).

The two lovely moms. They were younger here than Ken is now.

Stock Family By Choice: Origins.

25th Anniversary Slide Show

On the occasion of our 25th wedding anniversary, which we are celebrating at the cottage with Jonna, Tomi, and Adam, a slideshow of pictures of Ken and me. These are all from the digital camera years (2000 - present), with a few scanned shots of the wedding and the infamous Marine Ball photo.

Twenty five years have flown by, and we are having more and more fun every day.

What's at the cottage for Ben?

Fourth of July Week, 2013, Part I

First arrivals on Saturday: Jonna, Tomi, and Adam. Adam's Friday night flight was cancelled due to weather (storms in Detroit), so Saturday turned into a marathon airport journey for Jonna. First to Detroit to pick up Adam, then to Flint to pick up Tomi. The whole group visited Jon in Dewitt, then drove north with Adam at the wheel. They got here about 8 p.m.

Doesn't this look like a celebrity papparazzi shot? Relative to past trips, this is a very small wardrobe for   Jonna.

Hugs for Poppa Kenny on the way to greet the lake.

Adam and Jonna have been working out regularly. Adam is in the lead, explaining the exercises and timing the sets. "Beast mode," he says, repeatedly.

The first pontoon trip of the year for Adam. He has established a new tradition: Playing "I'm on a Boat," a rather profane song written and performed by two Saturday Night Live cast members, on each year's maiden voyage. "I'm on a boat...." up the river--Tomi had never been that way before.

Speaking of on a boat....Adam and I took a kayak trip up the north end of the lake. We paddled past the first point and up to the next one. There are a couple of interesting cottages up that way. We spooked a family of ducks and watched with amusement as the mother duck "hid" the babies in plain sight. No bald eagle sightings.