BENJAMIN WILLIAM ADAMS

BENJAMIN WILLIAM ADAMS
Born 12 May 2010, Honolulu Hawaii

Friday, July 30, 2010

We're back in Rhode Island after a week's trip to the FARM! We brought Benjamin to Grandma and Grandpa's Farm in Cummington Mass to see Auntie's Heather and Jennifer, pick out a Christmas tree, and play trains with Grandpa. Coveralls and hay motif to prove it:
Best Buds! Auntie Heather and Benjamin in their matching coveralls.
"Grandpa, this train is pretty cool - I wonder if we could do this everyday?""Auntie Heather, look at Grandpa's tractor!!", Benjamin exclaims.
"Auntie Jennifer, did you know I flew in a plane from Hawaii to Rhode Island, and then took a car from there to here, and did you see Grandpa's tractor? What's a cow?..." Benjamin tells stories.
"...boy, I'm tired - you're a very good pillow Auntie Jennifer."
"Geesh, Auntie Heather, that's a lot of love"
"Auntie Heather! We have Sunflowers like this in Rhode Island, but I've never seen one so close! You're the coolest."
And then Benjamin took a trip south from the Farm to Canaan Connecticut to visit the Adams' Family Matriarch, Great Grammie Adams and the rest of the Adams Gang. (Pictured here: Karmela and Kristopher - Benjamin's 2nd cousins, with Great Grammie Adams).
"Dad, did you know I had so many cousins!? OH MY GOSH!"
"Grandpa, the knee movement is making me queasy. Whoa horsey!"
"Grandma, did you know I flew in a plane from Hawaii to Rhode Island, and then a car to the Farm, and now I have two cousins in Connecticut.... I mean, what else is Mom and Dad not telling me? I can keep a secret... huh Grandma"
"Now I know why they call you 'Great' Grandma, you've got this down to a science - you're good lady. You must have had lots of practice. Tell me about my Grandpa, I can keep a secret"

Friday, July 23, 2010

Benjamin Blog Relapse

As of 16 July, the Adams' have arrived in Newport Rhode Island to a large cheering family horde at the T.F. Green Airport (in case anybody is keeping track, Auntie Katie and Uncle Jimmy were the first relatives to lay eyes on target; Dad Silva and Monica were parking cars) and for all you's guys who have missed checking up on the blog, here is an insulin shot of Benjamin to cure those shakes - chew slowly, this is a big one.

Before we left Hawaii, Dad was conferred two awards. The only award worth mentioning was the austere "# 1 Burper Award" signed by none other than Benjamin William Adams himself (The humbled recipient with his lei of burp cloths):

We did find time in Benjamin's busy social calendar to visit the Kailua-town 4th of July parade:

Benjamin's buddy Wyatt Korth checks up on a sleeping Benjamin:

A visit by Erika's childhood friend Jessica Chaloupka:

A farewell stop at Bill and Mary Kearns' house:

One last stop on the Kaneohe Lanai - ALOHA!... and then a move downtown Waikiki for a 5-day 'staycation' (like a vacation, just in the town you live in). View from our swanky hotel room at the Marriott:

Benjamin after one too many white-Russians (hold the kalua, vodka, and ice):

Working it off at the pool with Mom and Auntie Tiffany:

... Then begins the travel whirlwind. There are no pictures of the actual act of traveling, because it consisted of lifting 10 pieces of checked baggage, 3 carry-ons, a stroller, car seat, and baby - on and off carts, buses, trolleys, planes, and cars... But! there is a story worth telling. The Navy Football bag below (yes, 1 of the 18 items of people and STUFF) caught the eye of a West Point football player. None other than USMA Class of '61 and retired General, George A. Joulwan. After some friendly Army-Navy banter back and forth, he introduced himself and invited the 3 of us in to the United business lounge at LAX. For once I was glad I got to the airport 3 hours before my flight. Erika, Benjamin, and I sat and ate yogurt covered raisins for 2 and a half hours. It was glorious! By the way, I found the following excerpt about General Joulwan on the internet:

"A distinguished soldier whose extraordinary achievements as Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, were instrumental in building post-Cold War security structure, a Commander-in-Chief of Southern Command who made significant contribution to bringing peace to El Salvador and democracy to Panama, and a Commander-in-Chief, Europe, who conducted over twenty successful operations in the Balkans, Africa, and the Middle East wihtout loss of a single soldier to hostile fire, George Alfred Joulwan has served his country with distinction in a military career for over thirty-six years. In every assignment, from platoon leader to four-star general, George Joulwan has lived by the motto of the United States Militaqry Academy: Duty, Honor, Country."

... But has he ever been awarded the # 1 Burper Award?

We stopped over in LA to break up the long trip. We had the opportunity to escape the airport hotel and visit with some friends from Hawaii. Low and behold at a random Starbucks in Laguna Niguel we ran in to Cara Henry, former Boston University Women's Ice Hockey Captain (2006-07).

Casey and JoAnn Hughes (expecting their first daughter in September; Haillee), invited us to their newly opened (6 weeks) Chik-Fik-A. Pictured here is the proud Owner/Operator Casey Hughes and JoAnn's sister RoseAnn: ***I say again, this is RoseAnn, not JoAnn***

The Parents-to-be, Casey and JoAnn Hughes, taking Benjamin for a test drive. All smiles - that's a good sign!

And the arrival at 8 Circle Drive to the open arms of both Mimi and Pop-pop Silva and Grandpa and Grammie Adams:

The Proud Grandpa:

The Re-incarnation of "Mr. Tuff" - who's got the moco?:

There's enough Benjamin to go around... who's next? Somebody loves his Grammie:

There's something that makes a new parent gravitate towards their Mothers. Maybe it's the 7 hours of labor that does the trick:

Grandpa Adams breaks it to Benjamin that the monkies in Zamboanga have no tails. The look on Benjamin's face says it all... what are monkey's?

Benjamin meets his Auntie Alana... they have the same size head:

Benjamin gets a front row seat to cheer on his Aunties Alicia at her Wednesday YMCA workout sessions. Go Auntie Alecia!:

This picture belongs in the outtakes file:

Friday, July 9, 2010

HOMELESS

Friends and Family,

Such is the life of a Sailor; to pack up all of one's belongings and move them halfway across the World. And so, Team Adams is once again mobile, homeless, and on the move! Regret the lack of updates over the next week or so. But we promise to take lots of pictures and download them when we moor in Middletown Rhode Island. We depart Hawaii on 14 July, and after a brief layover in LAX, we'll be PVD-bound on the 16th of July. See you there - and check back soon!

Love, Greg, Erika, and Benjamin (aka Fussy Bussy Banana-man)

Monday, July 5, 2010

Happy July 4th.. errrrr 5th!
Spent some time at the pool this holiday weekend working on Benjamin's backstroke.
Step 1: Dip toe in and immediately start crying.
Step 2: Wait.... okay, not so bad - I might like this
Step 3: Kick feet, splash.... and we're done - Okay, hit the showers. Good workout.

Disclaimer: this is still photography (courtesy of Dan McManus - Valerie and Dan were our Sunday pool mates), so you won't be able to see the blurring speed at which Benjamin is kicking his feet to tread water. Amazing!!!

Sunday, July 4, 2010

JULY 4th 5K RUNWAY RUN (Kaneohe)

My wife continues to amaze me. Is this the same lady that was giving birth to our first child 7 weeks ago, and today ran a 5K run in under 30 minutes?!?! ERIKA - YOU ROCK!
Move those legs faster Benjamin!

Don't look a the camera - keep running!

VICTORIOUSIt takes a lot of energy to sit in this stroller and look so cute. Benjamin helped Mom and Dad run by yelling - RUN FASTER! Bi-annual exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) is now taking place in Hawaii. Today we saw Japanese, Australian, South Korean, Canadian, and U.S. P-3C planes parked on the runway! Benjamin was impressed - I could tell.





Such a tiring morning, this is how Benjamin recovered - more resting.