Smiles from Alex

Here are some photos of Alex smiling, and even a video! It's a little long, though. I wish I had a photo of him smiling at Ben like he did yesterday morning. He even laughed at his brother -- it was wonderful.

Pumpkin Carving at the Campbells

Last Wednesday, we carved pumpkins!

I put Alex in what was going to be his Halloween outfit. Note how snug -- he will not be wearing it on Halloween! I thought he'd still be in 0-3 month clothes at the time I bought it, since Halloween comes before he hits three months. Ha!

Ben needed some encouragement in order to dig the yucky stuff out of his pumpkin. We told him it needed to be excavated -- that did the trick!

After Ben dictated what he wanted his pumpkin to look like (it needed be a mad face, with "mad chomp ups," or teeth, in other words), he took to running laps around the dining table while Andy and I worked on the pumpkins (one for each of us).

Ben with the pumpkins: from left, mine, Alex's (both carved by me), Ben's (it looks a little bit feline), and Andy's (both carved by Andy).

Alex wasn't terribly interested in taking this photo, so it's not the best!

Pumpkins displayed in the window... Spooooky!

More like, "so chubby it's scary!" No, Alex -- you're adorable!!!

"Kiss Me Kate" article

The following is from the Odessa File. I'm not sure at one point in the show the photo of me was snapped. but it's prior to me tearing up the note that you can see peeking out of my shirt! The scarf is my new accessory -- keeping the throat safe and warm. Performance info is contained within the article -- I'd love to see you there! It's really taking shape, and such a fun show.

'Kiss Me Kate' is fast approaching

WATKINS GLEN, Oct. 24 -- The Lake Country Players will present "Kiss Me Kate" on November 7th & 8th at 8 p.m. and on November 9th at 2:30 p.m. in the Watkins Glen High School Auditorium.

The photos here were snapped on Oct. 23 during a rehearsal.

Ticket prices for adults are $12 at the door and $10 in advance. Seniors and students will pay $10 at the door and $8 for advanced sale tickets, available from cast members.

Questions concerning tickets or the performance can be directed to Tim Benjamin at 607-351-9260 or to lakecountryplayers@gmail.com

The cast list for the play is as follows:

Holly Campbell -- Lilli Vanessi / Katherine
Steve Hovis -- Fred Graham/Petruchio
Kelsey Olafson -- Lois Lane/Bianca
Robert Cornelius -- Bill Calhoun/Lucentio
Mike Truesdail -- Harry Trevor/Baptista
David Scott -- General Harrison Howell
Bill Cornelius -- 2nd Gangster
Andy Parker -- 1st Gangster
Jane Daum -- Hattie – Ms. Vanessi’s Dresser
Khaya Makhubu -- Paul – Mr. Graham’s Valet
Anthony Curren -- Ralph – Stage Manager
Beth Clark -- Wardrobe/Ensemble/Women's Quartet
Gene Holleran -- Pops/Priest/Men’s Quartet
Andy Blanchard -- Gremio/Riley
Jacq Goehner -- Hortensio/Flynt
Sam Capozzi -- Stagehand/Core Dancer
Chuck Luppe -- Stagehand/Philip/Men’s Quartet
Charlie Cole -- Stagehand/Haberdasher/Gen. Howell’s Driver
Adam Zimmer -- Dance Captain/Gregory/Core Dancer
Sarah Calk -- Core Dancer/Ensemble/Women's Quartet
Hannah Capozi -- Core Dancer/Ensemble
Tesha Carrigan -- Core Dancer/Ensemble
Deanne Combs -- Core Dancer/Ensemble
Hasniyah Larayos -- Core Dancer/Ensemble
Amy Moore -- Core Dancer/Ensemble
Meghan Moore -- Core Dancer/Ensemble
Grace Terry -- Core Dancer/Ensemble
Martin Eccleston -- Core Dancer/Ensemble
Nancy Cole -- Ensemble
Zandra Lewis -- Serving Wench /Ensemble
Barbra Lavelle -- Ensemble/Women's Quartet
Michelle L. Benjamin -- Ensemble/Women's Quartet

Photos in text:

Top to bottom: Holly Campbell; Steve Hovis; (L to R) Sam Capozzi, Adam Zimmer, Martin Eccleston and Chuck Luppe; (L to R) Robert Cornelius, Jacq Goehner and Kelsey Olafson.

Trip to the Iron Kettle Farm, 10/14/2008

Updates

Alex is now about two months and two weeks old. He had his two month check up on the 9th. He weighed in at 13 pounds, 8 ounces, and 22 and 3/4 inches long. That put him in the 50th percentile for height... and the 90th percentile for weight! In fact, I started putting him in 3-6 month clothing last week; I was having too much difficulty getting some of his sleepers and his little jeans on him! So now he's in a mix of 0-3 and 3-6 month clothes.

Alex is developing quite the personality. His favorite things in the world are diaper changes (unless he's just woken up and is really hungry!!), baths, and looking in the mirror. Those all illicit huge smiles. We had three nights in a row of nearly 7 hours of sleep -- but we have since gone back to 3-4 hour stretches. Oh well, I know we'll get there eventually! And last night he laughed at us! It was adorable. If only I had it on video... There's no way to describe the way he laughs. It's so cute.

Ben has been quite a ham lately (okay, so what's different?). Recently there was an ice skater on the Today show, and he informed me, "I will do that when I'm four, but not three. It's too hard for three." He is also in love with the song "John Deere Green" (ha, go figure!) and has been singing it all the time. He started out singing a lot of it with nonsense words, but gradually he's more and more accurate! He's going to be a JD tractor w/ crawler tracks this year, assuming his daddy can execute it!

Here are some new photos...

Apple picking at the Alasa Farms, the same day we went to the donor recognition ceremony...


A playdate with Michael and Max! Alex even got in on the action -- note the fabulous propping done by Lois!

Haha, I love these two photos! Ben passed out on the way home from Grandpa Larry and Grandma Cathy's after a long day of playing with his cousins. We didn't bother trying to change his shirt. He was OUT!
Happy tummy time for Alex!
And a great big smile!!!!!!

Evidence of the chubby belly... He's about ready to bust out of that 0-3 month onesie!!!
I love how ridiculous Ben looks in this photo -- PJs and work boots!
And last but not least, a couple photos of the brothers together. This was Ben's first time holding Alex w/o any help! He did great. And Alex was even smiling (well, at first... The smile waned as the session went on).

My new favorite recipe!

Chicken Salsa Verde Bake

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 1/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2 16-oz. jars salsa verde
1 15-oz. can kidney beans, rinsed and drained*
1 onion, finely chopped
1 cup sour cream
3 cups crushed tortilla chips
1 8-oz. bag shredded Mexican cheese blend

1. Preheat oven to 375. In large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Cook chicken, turning once, until cooked through, 10-12 min. Let stand to cool, then shred into large bowl. Stir in salsa, beans, onion, sour cream.
2. Grease a 9" x 11" baking dish, scatter 1 cup tortilla chips on the bottom and top w/ half the chicken mixture, then half the cheese. Repeat layers and top with final cup of chips. Bake until the cheese is bubbly, about 30 minutes.

* If you're weird like me and don't like beans, you can substitute one chopped bell pepper! I LOVED this recipe!!!

"Kiss Me Kate" Press Release

'Kiss Me Kate' curtain goes up soon

The Lake Country Players are readying their presentation of "Kiss Me Kate," set for Nov. 7th, 8th and 9th at the Watkins Glen High School auditorium. Director Tim Benjamin reports on its progress.

By Tim Benjamin

Here it is mid October, and the Lake Country Players production of "Kiss Me Kate" is 11 rehearsals from show week. Though the production is behind on a few backstage tasks, the action on stage is coming along quite nicely.

Steve Hovis -- whose credits include the Russian Dancer in the Keuka Lake Players' "Fiddler on the Roof," and roles in "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" and "The Full Monty" for Elmira Little Theater -- is a new talent to the LCP and one of the strongest male leads I’ve had the pleasure of directing. In portraying Frederick C. Graham, not only does Steve have the strong, dominant voice necessary to do justice to a Cole Porter song, his approach to acting is open and intelligent. His portrayal will be a most enjoyable experience.

Holly Campbell -- who played Belle in the Players' "Beauty and the Beast" in 2006, and Tup Tim in "The King & I" in 2004 -- returns to the LCP stage as Lilli Vanessi, the headstrong star of stage and film. While I was duly impressed with Holly’s ability as a singer and an actor in "Beauty," I’m blown away by her voice and how well it fits Cole Porter's musical style. Her rendition of the song "So in Love" is, even at this early stage, one of the finest things I’ve heard in a long time. As the romantic leads in the show, Steve and Holly’s chemistry on stage is strong and clearly demonstrates the strength of their characters' feelings for each other, as they stray from one side to the other side of the fine line between love and hate.

The supporting roles of Lois Lane and Bill Calhoun are played by Kelsey Olafson -- who portrayed Queen Aggravaine in "Once upon a Mattress" for WGHS’ 2006 Spring Musical -- and Robert Cornelius, a WGHS grad in 2005. Robert is back on stage after playing "Moonface Martin" in "Anything Goes" as a Watkins Glen High School senior. Kelsey’s Lois Lane is a vivacious night club dancer pursuing a dubiously obtained opportunity for her and her beau (Bill Calhoun) to break away from the night club scene in order to become legitimate stage actors. Robert’s street-wise hoofer, although not in any way nefarious, is as adept at getting into trouble as he at getting out of trouble. Kelsey and Robert’s long-time friendship helps these two talented actors pull the best out of their characters and makes the fractious, dysfunctional relationship sparkle with humor and sincerity, or as much sincerity as the street fighting Lois and Bill can manage at any one time.

Robert’s father, Chef William Cornelius, who played Fagin in the LCP production "Oliver," and Andy Parker, Evil Eye Fleagle in "Li’l Abner," play Man 1 and 2 -- the quiet, unassuming, oddly sophisticated mob muscle out to collect on an IOU for a gambling debt Bill Calhoun signed with Fred Graham’s name. Unfortunately, Fred was never made aware of the arrangement. William and Andy’s long history of doing everything from cooking demonstrations on TV and at the NYS Fair to innumerable dinner theaters together dovetails nicely with their natural sense of comic timing to create a comic duo capable of drawing out all of the nuances of their quirky characters.

Although a small cast, from top to bottom it is loaded with the right kind of talent to make this production jump off the stage and into your memory.

The Lake Country Players will present "Kiss Me Kate" on November 7th & 8th at 8 p.m. and on November 9th at 2:30 p.m. in the Watkins Glen High School Auditorium. Ticket prices for adults are $12 at the door and $10 in advance. Seniors and students will pay $10 at the door and $8 for advanced sale tickets, available from cast members. Questions concerning tickets or the performance can be directed to Tim Benjamin at 607-351-9260 or to lakecountryplayers@gmail.com

A Day of Donor Recognition

On Sunday, October 5th, Andy, Ben, Alex and I traveled to Rochester for the Finger Lakes Donor Recovery Network and Rochester Eye and Tissue Bank's Donor Recognition Ceremony. This is something we had been looking forward to for some time, and it was a very touching afternoon.

The gathering was held in a hotel ballroom. When we arrived we were quickly greeted by Rob, the Donor Network's executive director, who we met at the hockey game this past February. There were hugs all around and introductions to Alex (who woke up and made his presence known as soon as we arrived!). Rob told us that Joe, the coordinator who took care of us at Strong as we made decisions about Jake's donation, had been waiting for us and would want to see us. Rob got us our name tags (they were all the same, and read "Family of Jacob Rian Campbell") and helped us find a table to sit at. Then he found Joe and sent him over to see us. It was so great to see him. He introduced us to his daughter, who was helping to run a children's table. Then he told us he would like us to be part of a candle lighting ceremony during the afternoon's events. We were very honored and immediately said yes. Then we took some time to look at the donor quilts that were there, composed of patches honoring all kinds of people that have donated organs or tissues. This is something we eventually would like to do, as well.

They started the afternoon by introducing everyone from the donor organizations that were there, as well as representatives from area hospitals, and the organ recipients that were in attendance. Then the recipients helped passed out certificates to the donor families from the surgeon general, recognizing the donor for his or her sacrifice. Next there was a slide show of all the donors whose families were there that day. Id I had to guess I'd say there were at least 50. It was kind of overwhelming to see Jake's photo up there with all these other people who have helped save lives through their own passing, and comforting to know we were surrounded by families who had been through this experience as well. It made me feel like it was completely okay to cry around all these strangers, to know you weren't being judged or considered weak. Ben sat on my lap and kept touching my face and saying, "No tears, Mommy, it's okay." At one point he said, "We miss Jake, but it's okay. And now we have Alex." What a boy.

Then they did the candle lighting. There were five candles: one for our grief, one for our courage, one for our memories, one for our love, and one for our hope. We lit the first candle. Two women from the donor organization read the following:
This candle represents our grief. The pain of losing you is intense. It reminds us of the depth of our love for you.
This candle represents our courage -- to confront our sorrow, to comfort each other, to change our lives.
This candle is in your memory-- the times we laughed, the times we cried, the times were were angry with each other, the silly things you did, and the caring and joy you gave us.
This candle is the light of love. We cherish the special place in our hearts that will always be reserved for you. We thank you for the gift your living brought to each of us.
And this candle is the light of hope. It reminds us of love and memories of you that are ours forever. May the glow of the flame be our source of hopefulness now and forever. We love you.

After the candle lighting there were three donor recipients who spoke about their experiences. The first was a cornea recipient who brought examples of something her vision had made possible -- absolutely beautiful quilts. The next had received an ACL transplant -- something that I didn't know was possible, which has allowed him to carry on with an active lifestyle. Finally, a college freshman who received a liver transplant earlier this year explained how, without a new liver, he wouldn't be here today (his doctors estimated that he had one to five days left at the time of transplant). It was so comforting to hear these individuals share their stories, knowing just what a difference organ donation can make.

Ben provided a bit of comic relief on two occasions, when he introduced himself by saying, "Hi, I'm three, and I'm Benjamin Thomas Campbell." He was so good the whole time. Andy and I are infinitely proud of him. Alex was a great comfort too -- how nice to have a little one to snuggle with on such a powerful day.

It was a wonderful afternoon -- one we will remember for many years to come.

Another installment of "The Latest and the Greatest"

Alex isn't so sure how he feels about this "tummy time."

Ben posed for this photo -- my little model!

Reading our morning paper...

Ben makes a train out of "Cars" cars.

Alex as "Super Baby!"

Ben gets a turn, too.

To close, a smile. This one was directed at Ben.

The king of water babies!

Ben has been doing water babies for over two and a half years now. That's 5/6 of his life! When we started back up a few weeks ago after the summer hiatus, he really showed signs of wanting some independence, so the instructor brought in a life jacket for him so that he could do more on his own. He is doing such an awesome job!!! Last night I was in the pool with him while Andy hung out with Alex, and he took this video. I was so impressed with how he can target something and swim to it. Now, if I took the jacket off I'm sure he'd sink like a stone, but he's definitely getting the hang of it!!



Before we left the house, Ben was talking about seeing Katerina and Michael at water babies. Michael is known for saying, "Uh-oh, p'skettios!" Ben informed me, "Michael will be there, and we can say uh-oh, p'skettios together!" As it turned out, Michael wasn't there -- hope you're feeling better, Michael!

My time at home with the boys

Being a stay at home mom, albeit temporarily, is definitely one of the best experiences I've ever had. I can't believe I've only got a little more than a month before I have to go back to work. There are days where I don't get much done because just caring for the boys and trying to stay awake after being up all night with Alex (which certainly isn't all the time anymore, thankfully!!) is all I can manage. Other days we really get to have fun though. The following pictures are from last Thursday, which may be the last day we get to spend time outdoors this year. In the morning we went to story time at the library with our friend Lori and her two boys, Jackson and Mason. Ben left his sippy cup there, so in the afternoon we got out the stroller and Ben rode in that while I put Alex in the baby backpack and walked back to the library. When we got home it was so nice I put a blanket in the shade out back and we had a good hour with Alex being perfectly content, and I finally caught that elusive smile!!

Ben and Alex waving their arms around.

Ben reads while Alex lounges.

There it is!!!

And that one's even better!!!

More evidence that Ben loves his brother...

Yesterday was not such a nice day (really, none of them have been since last Thursday!!!). I decided to make some beer bread. Ben "helped." Okay, I did most of the work, but aren't the pictures cute?

Ben did pour the beer (but did NOT taste it!!)

And he did the preliminary mixing, too!!