Agriculture Day at the Blaine House with Chef Chris Hart

Of course Baxter was showing students from Farrington Elementary School in Augusta around the yard at the Blaine House!!

Blaine House YouTube Video

Check it out – the Maine Arts Commission has just completed a video about the Blaine House!  Click on the link below and let me know what you think of it!

http://youtu.be/nSR5jLKm5Yk

 

First Lady reads to students at West Gardiner school

I visited Helen Thompson Elementary School in West Gardiner yesterday with First Lady (my human mom) and Paula Benoit.  First Lady read the book Paula wrote titled, Baxter in the Blaine House.  It’s about me of course and I was the star of the show once again!!  I loved meeting the classrooms of kids ranging from grades K – 3.  They were great!

 

 

It’s time to Skype with classrooms again!

First Lady and I love to Skype with classrooms.  She holds me in her lap and lets me look into the screen/camera while she talks about the Blaine House and being First Lady.  The kids love me!!!

Meet my new friend, Miss MacInnes.  It was a blast visiting with her classroom.  I think we are going to be visiting again soon – can’t wait!!

“Baxter in the Blaine House” by Paula Benoit

Here are a couple of illustrations from the newly published book about me, Baxter, First Dog of Maine!!  A few words about the book taken from the back cover follow the illustrations.

If you’re interested in buying a book you can call the Blaine House and order a copy or go to www.blainehouse.org and order from the Friends of Blaine House web site.  All proceeds from the book go directly to them!!

Hope you like it!

In Baxter in the Blaine House, the lively Jack Russell terrier mix offers young readers a tour of the mansion that has been home to Maine’s governors and their families since 1920.  Baxter guides children through his daily schedule as supervisor of the rooms, while pointing out historic objects and his own favorite places – including, of course, his special spot in the kitchen.  Many fourth-grade classes tour the Blaine House while studying Maine history, and meeting Baxter is often  a highlight of their visit.

Open House at the Blaine House – Saturday, Oct. 22nd

Hi folks, Baxter here!  Just wanted to let you know the Governor and First Lady are hosting an open house here at the Blaine House for anyone who brings a canned good.  We are collecting the canned goods and  they’ll be donated to the local food pantry.  The doors will be open at 11:00 – 2:00. 

FYI – snacks are being served and I’ll be here to help answer the door and greet guests. 

School bus safety poster contest winners at the Blaine House

Winners of the School Bus Safety Poster Contest were visiting at the Blaine House for their annual reception.  Students from all over Maine arrived with their parents and grandparents to receive their trophy and certificate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Boothby family visits the Blaine House

Robert and Denise Boothby from Livermore brought fresh picked apples to the Governor and First Lady.  Two of their four children were able to make the visit with them, Adney and baby Ruth.  Robert is a 6th generation farmer and hoping his children will carry on the family tradition.  Thanks for the apples and come back to visit again sometime.

Family Day – A Day to Eat Dinner with Your Children

Hi folks, Baxter here again with another update from the Blaine House.  Today we hosted a group of students and parents from  the Helen Thompson Elementary PTA and West Gardner – MSAD II.  First Lady of the house read a proclamation, signed by the Governor, declaring every fourth Monday of every September as Family Day – A Day to Eat Dinner with Your Children.  Seems funny to have a proclamation for something so natural as eating meals with your family, but there are lots of kids who seldom have meals with their parents or other family members. 

The proclamation says that after 14 years of studies (conducted by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University) it’s been found that the more often children and teens eat dinner with their families, the less likely they are to smoke, drink and use drugs!  I’m glad I get a chance to eat my meals with my family.

Meet my new friends from the West Gardner Elementary School!!

Can you see the little mouse created from a grape in his hand?  We had a table full of fun food like this!!

Baxter’s in the dog house (again)!

Here is am – First Dog of Maine – in the naughty chair taking a time out for leaving the yard.  I can’t believe they won’t let me cross the highway!  Everyone was in a stir worried I was going to get hit by a car.  Well I guess I’ll just have to sit here and think about another way to have fun without going under the fence.  This is not the glamorous side of my job here but it is what it is.

I’ve tried my darndest to remind the gang here at the Blaine House that I AM the First Dog and should not be sent to the time out chair.  They just don’t listen to me.