More Glover Day

Glover Day is such a big event around these parts that it takes two blog entries to do it justice. Here are some more photos, most of which Chris was kind enough to e-mail to me. He got a lot of the people I missed. Thanks Chris.


See Dan? I don't crop you out of the photos. I think Joan told me one that she would kill me if I ever put her on the blog. Hope she was just kidding because here she is. It's kind of a goofy photo of you, Joan, but you have to blame Chris for that. I notice that Dan is wearing the 2001 edition of the Glover Day t-shirt which fondly remembers Wayne H.

Paul finishing the 5.5 mile run.

Katie looking good. Knee seems to be holding up.


Jeanne and Lesley look like they're having a great time.



Lisa power walking down to the finish.

Martha, Rachel, and Alex look so fresh you'd never guess they just ran a race.



Now for more of my own pictures that I didn't have room or time for the other day. The Bread and Puppet play about Runaway Pond.

Mary, Grammie, Danny and Jacob on the edge of their seats watching the play.

How can you blame them?

Back at the camp, Paul and Heather horsing around.

Glover Day

For those of you on my side of the family in Maine who don't know the whole history of Glover and Run Away Pond, this plaque (sorry for the glare) gives a brief but accurate account of what happened one day a long time ago.

One Glover Day tradition is the 5 mile road race to commemorate Spencer Chamberlain's famous run.
Racers start at Run Away Pond Park. This monument and picnic area was created by the Glover Historical Society, with Wayne H. Alexander being their driving force. Runners start here and finish in Glover village.

Today's passengers. Tomorrow's runners.

This will be known as the Race of the Dueling Strollers. Oldest brother against youngest brother. Heather has no intention of sticking around for this.

Tyler and Matt with their friend, Will in the center.

Glover Day has become an Alexander family tradition. It's great to have Grammie here for it. Lauren and Wayne are bibbed up for the kids' race.

Cole finds his friend, Fintan, at Glover Day.


Eliza and Chris enjoy some of the treats on the green.

Cole is delighted that Eliza and Chris share their cotton candy with him.


Tyler flat out wins the whole race.

The Bread and Puppet band played peppy music to give racers that extra boost to cross the finish line.

Matt, not far behind his brother.

Rachel, second woman runner. Can you believe that?

In the race of the dueling strollers, oldest brother comes in ahead of youngest brother. We figure it's because they have a better stroller. That's our story and we're sticking to it.

Great job Alex.

Heather wakes from a restful nap to sounds of the crowd and Bread and Puppet.


Sandy hammers the pavement.


Martha is looking strong.



Wayne and I ran the kids race. Since I was running, Mary took pictures of him finishing with my camera, but it came out kind of far away and blurry. So here's Lizzy finishing with style. No picture availalable, but Lauren was the overall winner of the kid's race.


And Jacob pounding down the homestretch.


After the race we all went back to Shadow Lake where Mary and Danny are renting Stuart and Emile's camp for the week. Lots of food and lots of fun.

This is the way to spend the afternoon after a long run. All three of these girls ran the race. Nice showing ladies!


For dessert there was your choice of ice cream in a cone, or ice cream sandwiches with Martha's homemade m&m chocolate chip cookies.

Alex helps Wayne and Cole build sand castles and hunt for frogs.

Heather plays peek-a-boo through these trees.


Adults relax on the lawn and watch the kids play in the water.

I have to say, I tried to include pictures of as many runners as possible, but missed some of course. I think I only got a picture of Paul's foot, and I missed the mountain bike racers altogether.

What a great Glover Day.

Wayne Makes Raspberry Pie

Wayne has been busy picking raspberries, both here at our house and up at Grammie's. Mostly up at Grammie's. Then he announced that he wanted to make pies with the miniature pie tins Joanie had gotten him a couple of years ago. So I had to dig them out of a box, as they had already been packed and moved up to Grammie's. By the way, Wayne has informed me that we have to stop calling it Grammie's and start calling it our house. That takes some getting used to.


We made four little pies. I say we, but actually Wayne is getting to the point where he can almost do it all by himself with just a little guidance and advice. When I had boys, I was determined to make sure they knew how to cook for themselves. Wayne is on the right track. Cole on the other hand, claims to want to help cook, when what he really wants to do is taste.

Raspberry pie. Summer is well under way.

Soccer

Wayne and Cole have started the local summer soccer program. Wayne has been doing it for several years now, since he was four. This is Cole's first time. I wasn't sure how he would do. I mean whether or not he would like it, be cooperative, that kind of thing. Wayne was a little difficult about it back when he first started. Funny how kids from the same gene pool can be so different. Cole just went out there on the field, paid close attention to the coach and followed directions. I think he's going to be a pretty good soccer player someday.

Now that Wayne is a little older, he's also doing a great job. And of course, his long legs carry him around the field a lot faster than the other kids.





Just had to include this picture of the superheros that have been protecting our house from bad guys lately. That's Cole's friend, Fintan, in the Spiderman costume.

Thank You, Julie

No one dives into a project like an Alexander.


Wes's sister Julie came to Vermont from France for two weeks, and spent the better part of her time here getting our household ready to move. She called me a few weeks ago and said,"When I'm in Vermont, I'm going to avail myself to you to and do whatever needs to be done to get you guys ready to move, because I won't be able to be there when the BIG move really happens." I figured she'd spend a couple of afternoons here helping box things up, and maybe watch the kids once in awhile so I could go through things and pack things away. That wasn't exactly how it went.

It was a dusty, unglamorous job, but Julie threw herself into it like no one else could. She shoveled her way into every closet in the house and sorted through 10 years worth of memories. The advantage of having someone besides me do this is that it offers perspective and objectivity. She's hold up a drawing Cole made when he was three and say, "Do you need to keep this?" I'd say, "Yes." She'd put it in the "keep" pile. She'd hold up the tattered Goodnight Moon board book that Wayne had chewed apart when he was 9 months and say, "C'mon. You really need to keep this?" I'd say, "Yes. Look at those little teeth marks." She'd put it in the throw away pile.

Eyes watering, and sneezing Julie would haul things out from under beds. She found lots of socks that had been missing. Books, clothes and baby toys to be sorted, donated and packed. She bravely spent a day in Wayne and Cole's room discarding broken toys and convincing Wayne that she could pack the pumpkin carving kit because he wouldn't need it for several more months. She somehow convinced them to pare down their overflowing toy box and decide which things they really wanted to keep and which things they could donate to Salvation Army or the local library. She even bulldozed through the dumptrucks, tractors, wiffle balls, fishing poles, water toys, and God only knows what else in the garage.

Our house looks so good now, I almost want to stay here. (Just kidding)

Thank you, Julie. I couldn't have done any of this without you.

Caitrin and Michael's Wedding

Just thought I'd share some photos that Wes and Wayne took at Caitrin and Michael's wedding last weekend. It looks like it was beatiful event and everyone was having a great time.

Congratulations to the newly married couple. You look very happy.

As I was, regretably, not at the wedding, please all feel free to add your own comments about what may or may not have been happening in the pictures.