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Claire Wins - Friday afternoons at ARC are interrupted by a bit of fun as we informally celebrate "Wild Shirt Fridays". I, unfortunately, am a terrible competitor in this domain. Like my age, I'm a perfect square. That didn't stop Claire from competing in the competition. Michelle brought all the kids by the office this afternoon because she knew it would be the last chance before Claire started school next week. Claire took first prize for coming to the event in this dress. The prize was gift certificates to Haywards Ice Cream stand -- what a perfect gift for Claire!

Fun day off - As I mentioned a couple of days ago, I took yesterday off from work. Summer is rolling to an end and soon Claire will be tied up in school obligations. Michelle and I took all the kids to Greenfield State Park for sun, sand, and swimming. The kids all had a great time. If you've ever seen the opening sequence to CBS' "Yes, Dear" sitcom, I felt a little like that trying to bring our supplies to and from the van. We were happily surprised once we got setup that Mr. Russell came by to join us. It certainly helped ease the grownup to kid ratio, which is important when you're near the water. The lake at the park has a very shallow walkout and was quite warm. I have to agree with my mom when she said it's the warmest lake she's ever been in. It was almost like a pool.

Grandpa Bob nirvana - When we got home from the park, I decided to try a new eatery with the girls. This is a definite must see for my parents when they visit this fall, especially my dad. It is a coffee and ice cream shop with an early aviation theme on the inside. About the only thing better for dad would be an Anheuser-Busch tour in the middle of the Wright-Patt Air Force Museum. The place is called Santos Dumont, named after an early aviation pioneer. It's in a restored 1911 Milford schoolhouse near the Milford-Wilton line about 1/2 mile west of us. Very cool! And the ice cream bar lets you add your own toppings in a buffet style. "Want more sprinkles Abby? No problem." It got a definite two thumbs up from the girls and I.

Pitcher Mountain - In the early evening Will and Russell came by to help me take Claire on her first hike up a small nearby mountain about an hour away just outside of Stoddard, NH. Admittedly Pitcher Mountain is not the closest mountain, but the hike itself only takes about 20 minutes or so. It was a good benchmark to determine whether Claire would like hiking up a mountain. Once we got to the top, the view was great, the air was cool, dry, and breezy. To top it all off, the fiery orange-yellow sun was setting into a layer of clouds. I didn't get any good pictures of the sunset, but did get some nice shots of Claire which I hope to publish soon when I extract the images building up in the camera. Overall Claire had a wonderful time. I think she felt extra special with three grown ups getting together solely to take her hiking. And she got to stay up late! Always important to a kid!