Hidden treasures

Yesterday when I got home from the office the kids and I strapped on our cross country skis and hit our backyard trail for a late afternoon run.



The blanket of white was beautiful and L. found her own special hidden treasure...



... a "snow heart."

It's times like these when I don't mind my 40 minute commute to the office because I live in the sticks...

We climbed the walls...

... and I lived to tell the story. Check out my monthly column - with video clips, kids' review and photo gallery - about my family's rock climbing adventure.

Hot weather skiing

The Portland area hit a record high temperature of 52 degrees yesterday so it made me laugh to read today's story about warming up cold feet. We certainly didn't need any of the suggested remedies at our cross country ski club meeting yesterday.

Even with the balmy temperatures, the ski club still chose to hold their meeting. The group has had to cancel so many times this winter for lack of snow that the fact that there was at least enough white stuff to cover a portion of the field where the club's meetings are held, we went for it.

After a few ski games, the kids (and adults) started sweating and lots of us ditched our coats. And the snowman the kids had made before the ski games started was nearly headless by the end of the meeting. The snow was melting that fast.



After playing games and skiing around the field for an hour most of the kids were down to their t-shirts. G. said that although she got really wet, she didn't mind falling down. "I'm hot. The snow cools me down mom."

I never thought we'd have to worry about rolling around in the snow to cool down in January....

No ice, no village on Sebago this year

We stopped by Sebago Lake boat launch in Standish earlier this week to take a couple of photos of the lake with a Flat Stanley the kids are hosting. It's the second biggest lake in the state so when we drive by it, we usually stop to take a quick photo with our flat friends.

But usually by this time in January, the lake is looking like a little village with ice fishing shacks. This year, there's only a very, very thin layer of ice and some of that was cracking at the shore the day we saw it.

So it's no wonder that Maine's largest ice fishing derby on the lake is changing the rules this year.

I guess this isn't the year for us to try ice fishing. Actually, we're thankful that our cross country ski club can hold another meeting this weekend since there's finally some snow on the ground again.

What a difference....

... one day can make during a Maine winter.

Geocaching while waiting for snow

Our 4-H cross country ski club has been disappointed for two weeks with the lack of snow. But it looks like some is FINALLY on the way this afternoon. Hopefully it will stick around until next Sunday.

In an attempt to keep our weekly ski club meetings going, yesterday afternoon we decided to do a little geocaching on the Mountain Division Trail. Other than some patches of ice, there wasn't a lick of snow on the trail that we hope to — at some point this winter — ski on.

We found the geocache with a bunch of goodies inside and taught a few of our ski club members about GPS units. And it was good news that the geocache wasn't frozen to the ground, something that happened to a cache we found last winter. But then again, that was when it actually was a winter.....

Almeida family on the rocks

January 2006 in Maine = NO SNOW.

That meant I had to come up with a new idea for my column this month because snow boarding on ice and packed "snow" (really just bumpy ice) isn't my idea of a good time.

After some discussion the family decided to try out an indoor rock climbing gym instead.

L. showed no fear about climbing at the gym. G. was a little more timid but thoughtful about where she put her hands and feet on the wall. Definitely her mother's daughter.





My climb up the wall with Fino as my belayer (rock climbing talk for the person who takes care of the climber's rope and makes sure it's secure and not slack) was a little nerve-racking. And I should note here, I've always been a bit nervous about heights.




After several quick grabs for the wall when my rope went loose, I decided the couple of climbs I did were plenty for my 6-foot tall, not-so-thin body. And it was a conscious decision to stop climbing to save my marriage to a wonderful (but not a terribly talented belayer) husband. I left Fino to belay for L. And G. and I paired together, which G. seemed grateful for.



And of course we got a little goofy with Bunny, who climbed to the top of the wall a couple of times.


It turned out L. wore her monkey pants in honor of the activity. She's always thinking, that kid...

I'll take a scrambled Supersize

The Almeida chickens are in egg-laying overdrive right now. Not being a chicken expert (not even close), I would have thought the cold weather and shorter days would not have made our poultry friends very happy or productive.

But it turns out they are more than content. As a matter of fact, today the kids collected the biggest eggs I've ever seen. Thanks to the kids' 4-H poultry notebook, we were able to size them based on eggs people buy in the supermarket.


The egg farthest right is a Small (18 oz), the one next to it is a Large (24 oz) and the other two on the left are more than the 30oz Jumbos listed on the information sheet so we dubbed them Supersize. We're pretty sure our Comet breed hens shot those out.

Holy cow!

Or should I say ... Holy Chicken!

Learning something new everyday

As I mentioned this weekend, Flat Blossom is in Texas. I got an email from the hosts' mom about a photo she had taken because she wasn't sure we would want to see it.

Apparently there has been a pack of coyotes near the host family's house and they've killed some of their ranch animals, attempted to attack their dog several times and have been causing ongoing issues for them. So during Texas' youth hunting season this past week, our host and her dad when out hunting for a couple of the problematic coyotes.

I told the mom to send the dead coyote photo along even though my family doesn't hunt, we're familiar enough with the typical trophy shots. Plus, our Flat Stanley exchange is a way for my kids to learn about the lives of kids who live in other places.

She agreed to send it.

In the meantime, her email prompted us to look up hunting season in Texas (suddenly realizing that of course fall wouldn't be the only time to hunt larger game). It turns out the kinds of animals hunted in Texas are quite a bit different (and the timetables more complex) than that of Maine.

After looking at the Texas animal hunting list, my kids have decided to research some of the animals to see what they look like. There were a lot they didn't recognize.

Then the email photo arrived...

G: "The poor coyotes. But they shouldn't have eaten their pets or tried to hurt their dog!"
L: "Oooh that's gross. I like the picture of Blossom with the cute horse a lot better."

Kindred spirits

Flat Blossom (another flat character L. drew to have adventures like Stanley) is in Texas. We just got an update on Flat Blossom from her hosts and the pictures were somehow... familiar.

 According to the email, this photo was taken on the freeway in Houston.

"... she took pics of the sky/clouds (from the car window). She thought they were pretty that day."


Yup, L. has a fellow car photographer kindred spirit in Texas.

Oh... she's so cute

It feels like every week (OK I'm exaggerating a bit here), that we have to stop by the lobster tank in the seafood department at Hannaford to "visit" with the lobsters. And it's usually under the guise of, "We have to take a picture of Flat Stanley with the lobsters mom."

The seafood manager is very indulgent with the kids and usually pulls one out of the tank.

"Oh, isn't the lobster soooo cute! And it's a girl!"

The kids know which claws to look for that indicate gender thanks to the helpful seafood manager.

My kids used to eat lobster until their visit to the Oceanarium in Bar Harbor this past summer. The educational tour taught them a lot about the sea creatures and they've been enamored every since.

So I don't think there is a question as to which side of the lobster debate they are on....

Falling down is easier than getting back up

Our cross country ski club started yesterday and the snow conditions weren't great in the open field where we held our meeting. The light coating of powder only disguised frozen/ice ruts from snowmobiles so it was a bit like being on a mini-mogul course. But the kids didn't seem to mind because they had a great time playing tag and relay games on their skis.

We played a relay game that required hitting a ball down the course with a small racket. It was a good way to teach the kids to bend their knees.

And although we all did our share of falling down (me included), the hardest part for most of us was getting back up -- so we did a lot of practicing...

Kids, cars and cameras

Heading home from G's violin concert yesterday (I know Mom, there's another one in June), we decided to make a quick stop at the grocery store in Standish for some milk.

But whoa... there was a lot of hoopla in Standish when we pulled into Colonial Marketplace. About 5 police cars - and some unmarked Crown Vics (a clear give-away that there's something big going on) - surrounded the Gorham Savings Bank there.

As we drove by....

Me: Silently thinking about what was going on and deducing it was likely some sort of bank robbery.

L.: "Look at all those police cars mom! I didn't know there were so many in Standish."

Me: Thinking the same thing....

"Well honey, I think maybe someone tried to rob the bank."

Click. Click. (from the back seat)

"What are you doing?"

L.: "Taking a picture of the bank. (pause) Mom, did he steal my money too?!"

Click. Click.

Me: "Well the bank has insurance so if he did, you don't have to worry about your money."

G. "Well he better not have taken MY money. I'll have to kick him if he did."

Ah yes, outrage at the prospect of someone stealing their money from the bank. And I know, G.'s tactics need a little work - she clearly has a real desire to kick someone.

But what is most interesting is the fact that the first thing L. did was reach for the camera in my backpack to take a picture (well about 10 actually). Clearly our Flat Stanley project has taken on a whole new dimension. Now it seems the kids are documenting our local news....

Photos take by L.

Outdoor/indoor fun, depends on the weather

My family spent a busy week enjoying typically outdoor-type activities, indoors.

On Wednesday we went swimming during a public swim time. There are several pools open that offer "open swim" in the Portland area including, St. Joseph's College in Standish, Cape Elizabeth's community pool and Riverton School community pool . The Maine Masters Swim Club has a list of pools in various towns around the state.

On Thursday we went ice skating at USM's ice arena.

L., not an accomplished skater, was trying out a knee slide. Her friends with more skating experience were doing some tricks but L. came home with a sore knee and a plan to, "work on standing up stuff next time."

On both "outings" we took our various Flat Stanleys and it's amazing the silliness that can come out of having a couple of flats around.

Not to mention the fact that now the kids have a new way to entertain themselves. It seems we're educating the world of flat people about Maine's variable winter weather via the car window...

Kid Tracks Column: Climbing the walls

"We can pretend we're monkeys! Or maybe we can pretend we're saving kitties," said my 8-year-old.

"I think it would be really fun mom," said my 9-year-old.

"Yeah, it would be pretty cool, especially since the snow conditions aren't good right now," said my husband.
Whatever the motivation, my family agreed that rock climbing at an indoor gym was something we all wanted to do. The fact that we didn't have any snow to play in made the decision that much easier.

I contacted the Maine Rock Gym (MRG) in Portland to ask how a family of four with no knowledge of, or experience with, rock climbing should go about learning.

It was suggested that we try the "Discover Climbing Package," which includes basic instruction, gear rentals (shoes and harness) and climbing passes. No appointment was needed, but it was suggested that we choose to visit at a time that wasn't very busy in case we needed some extra help from the staff.

We arrived at the gym early on a weekday afternoon, paid for our gear and climbing pass and suited up in our special shoes and harness with the assistance of a helpful MRG instructor. Basic safety issues for climbers, especially the importance of communication between the climber and belayer while on the wall, were explained.

The kids were eager to climb but my husband and I still needed to learn how to actually serve as a belayer -- the anchor -- for our climbers.

At an indoor gym, the belayer is secured to the floor with a strap attached to their harness along with the climber's rope and carabiner. As the climber ascends, the belayer pulls in the slack rope to keep the climber secure should he/she lose their footing and slip. With a taught rope, the climber has less chance of falling too far, or too fast, and hurting themselves - or their belayer.

When the time comes to descend, the climber sits back and the belayer loosens the carabiner to let the rope out at a steady pace. The steady part is key because if a climber is given too much slack, they will fall faster and harder and therefore make it more difficult for the belayer to help the climber keep control of the descent.

We took in all this information in about 15 minutes. Which, according to my pouting 8-year-old, was too much time. "Aren't you ready yet, Mom? Let's go!"

My 8-year-old took to rock climbing easily and with a lot of enthusiasm. After her first few climbs, she decided to pick up speed. She started to look like one of the monkeys on her pants - which she wore especially for the outing.

But without question, her favorite part of the climb was going down.

"Yippy! This is fun! I can do it faster, you know."

I tempered her inner speed demon by reminding her that she didn't need any more broken arms; she's broken her arm three times with her spunky ways.

"But mom it is sooooo fun! And hey, I haven't broken my arm in a loooong time." It's been two years.

My 9-year-old, the more cautious of my daughters, climbed more slowly. She did not always choose to climb to the top if she was unsure where a foot- or hand-hold was. But then she started to figure out that she could backtrack a foot-hold or two and try a different path to reach the top. She was thoughtful about her climbing and I found it a great problem-solving activity for her.

The climbing went on without stopping for over 45 minutes. As soon as they touched the ground, the kids were climbing back up. So it didn't go over well when my husband decided he wanted to give the wall a try.

One of the safety rules at the gym is that no one under 12 years old can serve as belayer. That meant that the kids had to sit out for a few minutes while I worked with their dad.

As my husband started his climb, his cheering squad started up.

"Go daddy, go!"

But after a few minutes on the wall, which he was taking slowly and methodically, his cheerleaders turned to hecklers.

"What's taking you so long daddy?"

"Just get to the top daddy and then come back down so I can have my turn!"

"Come on daddy. It's not that hard!"

I realized with his climb that serving as belayer to an adult was a lot harder. There was a lot more weight to manage and his descent took more physical strength than I had anticipated. But I compensated and got him down fairly steadily, albeit a little slowly.

The kids were so anxious to climb again that I put off my turn to climb for a while.

When my turn came around, things got real interesting.

I've got a couple of inches on my husband in the height department with my 6-foot-tall frame. And then there's the extra 20 pounds I've been meaning to lose. But my husband was unconcerned about my size and told me to just start climbing.

"Alright honey but it was a lot harder to belay for you than the kids. I'm a lot bigger than them so I just want you to be ready for that."

"Wendy," he said, "don't worry about it."

So after a bit of advice to the kids about not heckling me about how fast I climbed (did I mention I'm not a big fan of heights to begin with?), I got started.

But after a few foot-holds up, I got nervous.

"Honey," I said, "you have to pull the slack. I don't feel like you've got me secure."

"It's OK Wendy, you're fine."

I muttered to myself as I watched the slack rope follow me up the wall but I climbed to the top without another comment.

Then it was time to come down.

"Honey, you have got to pull the slack. I can't sit back without falling and jolting you."

"I got it!"

So I sat back only to fall a little father than I anticipated and grabbed for the wall. After a second or two of holding the wall in a death grip, I calmly (and I must note here I am very proud of myself for not cussing him out) said, "No honey, you do NOT have the slack. Pleeeease, pull the slack so I can sit back."

"OK" he said in a quiet monotone. After 13 years of marriage, I knew that tone and it meant that he was nervous. And that, of course, made me even more nervous.

I gave myself a minute while he pulled the slack then sat back and felt secure. "Great" I thought, "I can do this."

But on the way down the rope went slack again and I started to feel more like I was falling than descending. Again, I was very pleased with myself that I did not yell.

Once my feet were firmly on the ground my first question (to avoid an argument) was, "Who wants to climb next?"

My 9-year-old quickly chimed in, "Mom, I want to go next. But I want you to be my anchor person."

And that, I thought, was most telling about what was going on down on the ground while I was on the wall.

My husband and I spent another 45 minutes belaying for the kids until he decided he wanted another turn at climbing. I belayed for him again and once he got down he said, "Try climbing again. I'll be steadier this time."

I thought about it for a solid minute before deciding to try it again. But, I couldn't completely bite my tongue.
"Please honey, don't let the rope slack."

A man of few words, and I believed, feeling badly about my last climb he simply said, "OK."

I felt a little calmer on the wall that time. My descent was slightly better than the first but still bumpy. I calmly told my husband once I was back on the ground that I didn't want to do it again.

"Let's just let the kids climb now OK?"

"Yeah, maybe that's a good idea," he said.

We spent another hour at the gym and I finally called it a day when my arms started to get a little shaky. Even with 60 and 90 pound kids, it still takes a fair amount of upper body strength to belay for more than two hours. Of course the kids didn't want to leave. It seemed they weren't tired at all.

But I prevailed with my argument about the safety issues of tired belayers. As we turned in our gear, the gym started to fill up with a group of kids of varying ages (the youngest looked about 5). I was told they came in every week.

So our day at the rock climbing gym confirmed what I had been told: Rock climbing is a sport that everyone in the family can enjoy. As for me, I will happily take up belaying again on our next visit.

Originally published in the Maine Sunday Telegram January 2006