Summer Vacation

(this is just a selection of photos, see them all here)

The First Ever Family Vacation Roadtrip (FEFVR)
Included in this installment: Pictures and a Movie!

The goal: Relax in Maine
The route: Via Vermont & New Hampshire, Returning Through Boston.

New Hampshire

Our first stop was in New Hampshire at the Mount Washington Hotel. This was an old hotel that my Great Papa and Nana the Great stayed at many years ago. In fact, the hotel was built in 1902. My Dad booked it as a stop on the drive to Maine. When we pulled up, my Dad sighed and said to my Mom: "Faded Grandeur, You Love Faded Grandeur." "Yes," she sighed in return, "its true, I do." This was a cool old hotel that was also famous as the place where the modern international monetary order began in 1944 at the Bretton Woods Conference. More importantly, there was a Moose Head in the awesome Lobby.

I saw numerous Moose Heads on the trip and the Meese are now my favorite animal, after dogs, cats, ducks and frogs. And dogs, did I say dogs?

We also took a nature hike with an AMC guide named Jedidiah. And I thought my name was biblical!

Maine
Kawanhee Inn in Weld, Maine. We did reach the goal, traveling the back way into Maine through Route 2. Dad was looking for a mellow lakeside retreat by a crystal clear lake - that's what we found at this rustic retreat. Of course, my parents kept saying things like: "Well, I guess we have ten minutes now to read since Ezra is finally napping." Heh, heh. I wasn't really napping, I was just eavesdropping. I think they used to relax more before I came around. While we were in the area, we went out a lot to a really local bakery and had Whoopie Pies. We also did a short hike on the Mount Blue State Park. It was very cozy and a little chilly. Its a good thing that I had a sweatshirt and jean-jacket with me. They even made fires for us to sit by and fires are neat to stare at if you're six months or sixty years.

After the lakes, we longed for the Maine Coast. We headed east -- but on the way, we made an unscheduled stop. My dad couldn't stop talking about something called a camp. Turns out, its a Kamp, Kamp Kohut, where my Dad spent 6 summers when he was a boy. I don't want to bore you like he bored Mom, suffice it to say there are some more photos of us at Dad's camp here. One of Dad's counselors was still there after 27 years!

Well, we eventually stopped listening to Dad reminisce and got to the area around Brunswick, including Bailey's Island and Orr's Island. I pretty much stayed in the car here, even though it was really evocative of Martha's Vineyard where I was when I was but a young fetus, perhaps even an embryo.... Where does the time go? Oh, sorry about that, I get wistful sometimes. Anyhow it was beautiful, maybe we'll go there next time, Dad said. We did have a delicious meal with fresh Haddock, Allagash wheatbeer and wild blueberry pie at the Middlebay Lobster Store. Here I am trying to get some of that Allagash beer...



My parents also hit Freeport where they purchased some duds for me at LL Bean. More importantly, this undisclosed location in Maine was also the scene of my latest taste of Video Stardom, here I am in the title role of

Oh Vanity, You Cruel Mistress

Dad wanted to show Mom Portland on the way South so we stopped for lunch in the Olde Port and had some more fried Haddock. That's the royal We, I sample some Haddock qua Breast Milk shortly thereafter.



Then, my parent's embarrassed me in front of all Portland:



I can't even watch....

Well, after leaving Portland, we headed down I-95 towards Boston sampling some of the region's finest traffic and forcing us to detour on Route 1 to stop in Downtown Portsmouth, NH. We stopped to give me some fresh dipes and get my parents some Iced Coffee, they love that. It was a really, really neat downtown, if I may say so in my 6 months of experience.

Massachusetts

We planned to round out the trip with a visit to my Great Uncle Richard and Great Aunt's Debbie's house in Brookline, Mass. We got to see them and my cousins Hannah and Aleks -- and my dog cousin Basil. As you may have heard, I am all about the dogs:



We had a fun visit with them in Chestnut Hill. Excellent food and relaxation was had by all, as usual.

And, finally, what has to be the most remarkable thing about the whole journey was that I was able to record this fabulous travel journal reclined in my throne in the car, as this is how I spent a lot of the trip:



Now we're all back in Brooklyn. Brooklyn, that's right, Fuhgeddabouttit baby !!

6 Months

The Checkup

Faithful readers who have followed my prodigious weight gain and towering demeanor have been waiting for this update, I am sure. Today, I went to my doctor where -- after charming me with her smiles and baby talk -- proceeded to stick me with needles all in my legs again. I was so surprised and felt hoodwinked. I have got to remind myself not to fall for her shenanigans next time. Anyway, it didn't hurt that much. I'm tough, you know. I just suffer from little to no short term memory. Next time, I will remember not to fall for her smiles.

So, anyway, the market is closed and the numbers are in:

19 pounds, 9 ounces
30 inches long .........
Big Ezzie!

Indeed, as of August 24, 2007 , I am in the 9oth percentile for weight and I am off the chart in my length.

Dad

On a more sober note, today is my last day home full-time with Dad who has to go back to work on Monday. I think he is feeling a little down. I am doing my best to try and cheer him up mostly by throwing up on him. Through that gesture, I hope that my Dad knows how much I love him and I how I would give up everything for his love, even my lunch. Very metaphorical, I know, but metaphors are all you've got when you lack audio language.

I guess I'm a pretty lucky kid. Three months of Mom, Three months of Dad and now back to (mostly) Mom. I love my Mom and Dad. They are like, seriously, the best. Especially how they always keep on their "happy" faces when changing me and my feces. Its true that although us little guys can't talk, I can hear. I hear Mom reminding Dad "Don't look disgusted, keep a smile on your face." Then Mom would continue, "I'm getting out of here, though, that stanks!!" I coo and pretend not to notice but I am taking notes, in my head. I know that for them to keep their smiles on in light of everything that I've put them through is quite a feat. I know that they drop everything when I need them. They feed me (a lot) and read me lots of books. They bathe me and put on moisturizing cream (I'm a sucker for Kiehl's). I may be 6 months but I am no idiot. They love me.

I'm going to miss Dad during the days too. He's funny. We dance around the apartment. We sing to CDs. We give each other Schnarfels on bellies and cheeks. I grab his hair and his nose. I drool all over him, I love that one. He has no idea that I'm doing it on purpose. My Dad is not so good on picking up on subtleties or even obvious things like, the other day, I accidentally started talking before I realized that I wasn't supposed to let Big People know that I could talk yet. I was sleeping during that day in the womb during class, Big People 101: Intro to Their Ways and Manners. He stuck a dog in front of my face and said "Woof!" so I said "Woof!" then I was like, shit, I wasn't supposed to do that yet. Let me check my timetable - I've got a few more months before making noises like that. Anyhow, like I said, its a good thing that my Dad is so dense.

Now with Mom watching me, I will have to be more careful, more studious. I will have to be mindful of these little slip-ups because, being smarter and more observant than my Dad, she will probably catch me. I am sure that being with Milk-Truck, er, I mean Mom, is going to be awesome too. She also sings to me and reads A LOT to me. She makes all these funny voices for the protagonist and all the different characters and the animals. She also does this great Shel Silverstein one with an crocodile and a dentist. We are going to paint this town Red, as long as I do it before my 7 p.m. bedtime.

Dad and I at V-Ball tourney at Coney Island!

Dad amd I at V-Ball tourney at Coney Island!, originally uploaded by bintele.

Dad and I went out of the qualifying rounds of the AVP Beach Volleyball Tour in Coney Island. Check out the parachute jump in the background. It was pretty cool. Everyone was tall, like me. Everyone was also tan, not like me. Everyone could jump really high, like my dad can. My dad is, like, the best athlete ever. Did you know that?

Cellphone Ez Photo

Cellphone Ez Photo, originally uploaded by bintele.

In park with dad today

Distant Milestone Number One: First Time in the Pool

Originally uploaded by bintele

Okay, okay, I know I look nervous here. Its true, its true, I was a tad apprehensive. But you will see that mom suited me up in my special pool diaper, spread some white lathery stuff on my moist, tender and supple epidermis. You will see if you look at me here

Just follow the other pictures on Flickr and you can see my little toesies tryng out that fine NJ water. Yes, even though one set of grandparents lives in Florida, my first pool was in Edison NJ at Aunt Jane's and Uncle Bill's. It was pretty sweet.

"Ooooooooh, you're gonna love what's coming!!"

IMG_3602.JPG
Originally uploaded by bintele

That's right, faithful readers, after a lengthy hiatus of mind-blowing milestones and travels to distant US states, I am back and ready to blog....

Are you ready????

Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.