The Boy is 3

Paul turned the big three years old a week or so ago. He’s almost over the hill, contemplating retirement and what to do in his golden years. He has trouble getting out of bed in the morning, he keeps forgetting where he left his cars, he’s getting my bald spot, his hearing is almost gone… every time I ask him to do something he says, “What?? What dad??” He’s an old man, that Paul Sellers. Here are a few pictures from his birthday.

A huge thanks to everyone who sent cards, gift cards, and cold hard cash! Paul's been going to Target and spending it all to fill the house full of even more toys that he can scatter around.

We're sorry Paul, you can't spend it all at once, and you can't use it all to buy cars... due to the fact that you already own more vehicles than GM.

And a big thanks to Aunt Kelly for buying the creepy looking tarantula. She can always be counted on for wonderful gifts. We're excited that Paul's cousin Brooke is having a birthday next month.

It's time for some serious 3D chalk drawing! Paul had me cover the back patio with sharks, crabs, whales, and a race track for the cars.

Sporting the Big Brother/Little Brother shirts. Adam was not too keen for taking family photos.

A family of four, and the boys are growing up already! Next thing we know it will be Adam's birthday... but hopefully not too soon. So thanks again to everybody who sent a card, sent a present, sent an e-mail, sent a telegram or a fax, made a phone call, or just thought of Paul on his big third birthday!

Just a day at the beach...

Monday marked Adam’s first trip to the beach! Paul, of course, has actually been to a few beaches in his time, but it’s been a while. We headed up past Annapolis to Sandy Point Park on the Chesapeake Bay. It wasn’t exactly the ocean, but the water was warm, the sun was shining, and the sand was burning hot, so it felt like the beach!

Laid back... does it get any better than this? Probably not.

Ahh... bring some of that sand over here so I can eat it and rub it in my eyes!

A natural born Floridian... still and always.

The water was not exactly crystal clear, but it was warm... and full of Maryland Blue Crabs!

Oh yeah, well that's not so bad, is it?

Wait no!! No it's bad!! It's real bad!! Get me out of here!!

It was definitely not Jacksonville Beach, but it was as close as it gets up in these parts. Paul had a great time digging in the sand, splashing in the water, looking for sharks, and just enjoying the sun. Summertime is here!

Gettysburg, PA

Last weekend, after leaving Hershey we stopped by the battlefield at Gettysburg on the way back home. We’d been there a few years ago, but they had built a brand new visitor’s center since then and it was pretty impressive. If you’ve followed this blog for any time then you know that we’ve visited pretty much every Civil War battlefield in the area, which has been a few. Gettysburg, being the most important battle in the war, is by far the best one to visit. Here you can see the High Water Mark of the Confederacy, a stone marker that displays where the war turned around, and the farthest point the rebellion made toward success and a new nation. Lee is still a hero in the south, sometimes referred to as Washington without the reward, but it was here that his army that had always fought outnumbered and against the odds, ran out of luck. It’s been almost 150 years, but it’s still powerful to stand here and see where so many people marched across these fields under fire, knowing they were going to die. If you ever get the chance, even if you don't have any interest in the Civil War, there are plenty of interesting stories and things to see here.


Maybe someday they'll want to visit this place again, or all of the other places we've taken them when they're too young to remember it. But when they're old enough to appreciate it, we won't be able to afford it.

Paul got this Bee hat thing at the Pennsylvania welcome center. I'm still not sure what the bee has to do with Pennsylvania, but here he is looking over the monument at Devil's Den, a bunch of large boulders where some heavy fighting took place.

A short distance from here General Pickett launched his infamous assault on the Union line across this field. When you see how far it is, you have to wonder whether you'd be able to do it. Almost a mile of open ground, under heavy artillary fire and bullets raining down.

This marker denotes where Lee rode out to meet his returning troops after the failed assault.

We had to inform this Southern boy that this is where the Confederacy ultimately lost the war. He didn't take it well. He still gets upset about his state's rights and the dirty Yankees interfering with his way of life.

Adam Michael, being a Northerner, was satisfied with the outcome. The Union was preserved!

We stopped to reflect with Honest Abe about the famous speech he gave here. I could have easily spent an entire day riding around and reading all of the signs, but a quick drive around the battlefield was all we had time for today. It was a beautiful evening though, perfect weather and all. And there's definitely some beautiful country up there, open fields and farm land. I'm sure we'll be back sometime, maybe when the boys really are old enough to be excited about it. If that's something they get excited about someday... but hey, I would be!

Mmm... Chocolate.

Becky convinced me last Sunday to take a drive up to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania near the capital city of Harrisburg (which I wouldn’t have known was the capital of PA), and to the town of Hershey. Back in the day, Mr. Hershey thought it would be a good idea to make chocolate out of cocoa beans like they were doing in Europe, and he built this factory in Pennsylvania and then built the town around it for all of his workers. It was similar to being near Disneyworld, where Disney owns everything and Mickey Mouse is everywhere. In Hershey, even the street lights are shaped like Hershey Kisses. The factory is still there, along with Hershey Park and Chocolate World, with a bunch of chocolate themed things to do. We took the free tour, and got some stuff in the gift shop. Paul enjoyed himself, Adam mostly just slept. As usual.

Inside they had a chocolate tasting tour, some 3D show, the "factory" tour (which wasn't the real factory, but still fun), and Paul got a chance to be a factory worker.

Everybody needs a little chocolate bar every now and then, like this!

Times are tough in this economy, we gotta put this kid to work. He looks thrilled about it. Now that he's got experience, we're filling out applications for him at Nike and Reebok working on the assembly line.

What Mom? What? How do you want me to pose? I already did what you wanted. I'm standing here. Just take the picture. Just take it and let's go.

Well, I guess you're never too young to have a chocolate Hershey bar.

Overall it was worth driving up for. I've gotta say the Coca-Cola plant in Atlanta was a bit more fun, since you actually got to see real Coke being made, but it also was $15 a piece, and this one was free (or at least the things we did were free). So we had a good time anyway. Now, if only I could find out where the Mountain Dew plant is...

The Indians win it!! Well, this one at least...

Last Sunday was a perfect day for a ballgame, 72 degrees, sunny, and beautiful… so we took the boys to their first major league baseball game! We made the drive up to Camden Yards, home of the Baltimore Orioles, to see them take on… yes, the Cleveland Indians. Unfortunately, I should be doing my best to keep them from one day becoming Indians fans, and not pass on this curse that my father passed on to his sons, so I shouldn’t be taking them to these games. I should really just be buying them Yankees hats and save them the lifetime of disappointment that comes with cheering for any other baseball team.


Just hanging outside the gates waiting for game time, and Paul, as usual, running around and amusing himself.

It's no Indians jersey, but I guess it's all he's got.

And this is what dreams are made of. If nothing else, the ticket prices, the parking, the outrageous food prices... it's all worth it for that ballpark hot dog.


But no hot dog for Adam Michael, or at least not yet. He was great the whole game, but I doubt he'll have any memories of it, since he slept the entire time.


I think they call these the nose bleeds. But the country band Alabama said there's nothing like the view from the cheap seats! We could kind of see the players from up here!

Overall, it was a great time! Paul's favorite was the Oriole's mascot, who did the usual mascot thing, running around and falling down. I was of course happy to see the Indians win, even if the Orioles happen to be the worst team in the league right now, but hey, a win is a win. We'll have to try to go to another game again this summer, always a good time.

The Sellers Boys

Just wanted to post a few pictures that Becky took this last week around the house of the Sellers boys. It appears in the photo at the top of the blog that Paul has inherited my skin, while Adam may have gotten lucky and gotten his mothers. If it stays that way, then Paul has a long road of burning and peeling ahead of him, while Adam will be tan the first time someone even mentions Summer. But maybe Paul will get lucky and have the Unbehend hair, whereas Adam will start losing his at 20 (or the day he gets married, like what happened to his dad). Only time will tell for these kids.

A special thanks to Adam's Great-Aunt Anna for making this quilt he's laying on! He seems to be enjoying it... but what better gift for a boy who's favorite hobby is sleeping in a blanket??

And then there's Paul. Hold still for just two seconds. Just two seconds for a picture, Paul. Just for a single second, stop moving. Please? Forget it.

All is well for these boys. Just enjoying the arrival of warm weather. Time flies by faster than we realize it. Adam is already five weeks old and growing by the minute!

And again... another new cousin!

We just wanted to take a second to congratulate Uncle Chris and Aunt Kelly on the arrival of Paul and Adam’s newest cousin. Sophie Marie Clayburn was born a few days ago, May 5, 2010 and (to the best of my knowledge) weighed 8 pounds 8 ounces, and was 21 inches long. Her big sister Brooke will be two years old this July, so it’s going to be a busy house around there in the years to come with those girls! Best of luck to them!