Traditional Gender Role Reinforcement

Nata LOVES ballet and the Nutcracker. She is learning/inventing new positions all the time. Also, contrary to popular sentiment, the animated Nutcracker is one of the best films ever made.

Lincoln Park Zoo Lights

A little cold for this tonight (20 degrees or so) but we had fun. Snowball fights and snow angels at the zoo is pretty cool.

Hoth

We had to bail out on a Schuerr family get together today around Des Plaines due to road conditions.

On the plus side, we got Natalie an essential and epic nap. E.B. and I went for a hike to Johnny Merc's park. We tried out his binoculars and the "snow speeder" at the park.

Finally, Fondue Party

First time having cheese fondue with the kids. Elliot LOVED the game where, if you drop your bread in the cheese, you have to do truth, dare or a trick.

We focused on tricks. Dad had to do a somersault, Mom had to do 5 Jedi Jumps, E.B. did about 10 different tricks and began dropping his bread on purpose, I think. A dinner where you can get up and do jumping jacks every 3 minutes is like a dream come true for him. Nata was a bit more reserved and focused on eating a half ton of edamame.

Nata took the spooky pic of Deb menacing her with a fondue fork.

Joy Yee for Lunch

After
the Nutcracker, we hit Joy Yee at UIC South Campus. Spicy Vietnamese calamari were awesome. Long tentacles.

Nutcracker on Horseback

This was today's big event at the Noble Horse Theater. Freaking awesome indoor riding arena a mile from our house. The building dates from the 1870s. Natalie sat transfixed for the first 45 minutes. Dead still mouth open. When the man on a horse jumped through a ring of fire, I thought Elliot's head might pop off.

When Nata had her chance to ride a pony she lept at it and rode ridiculously comfortably for a city kid.

2 More Walnut Room

OK. Moving on. We spent damn near 5 hours getting to and through this lunch so pics must be shown.

More Walnut Room Pics

From Grandma Bonnie's camera. The tree was pretty spectacular. We were lucky to get seated right next to it.

Red Moon Winter Pagent

Hit the Red Moon on Sunday. Larry and Sue, Bonnie, and Debbie joined us. Spectacular again this year. Giant baby head like the one in Spirited Away was a creepy highlight.

This was Debbie's second consecutive event in an old warehouse. Funky cool urban stuff for the kid from Montana (or anybody, really).

Wolf Spirit

Grandma Sue and Grandpa Owie got Elliot a book about Native Americans on a recent trip to Arizona. Since then he's taken to dressing as the "Wolf Spirit" at bedtime. Prior to this book we couldn't get him into these jammies with a crowbar.

More Walnut Room

A couple more from Grandma Sue.

Walnut Room Marathon

We revisited Christmases from Grandma Bonnie and Sue's youths. Lunch at the Walnut Room at Marshall Fields. This may be the most bourgeois event in the history of the world.

E.B. and Nata made some great drawings while we waited for our table. Nata, Bonnie and Dad browsed for ornaments and Auntie Debbie, Grandma Sue and E.B. shopped for cool stuff at Borders across the street. More pics to come from the Grandmas' cameras I suspect. We got a great table next to the tree.

Storytime with Debbie on the new couch

They were reading The Math Curse. Nata says "the new couch is cozy." She also says "we were reading the story of the plum pie."

Auntie Debbie is here!!

We even got a new mattress for the pull out couch in honor of her visit. The kids gave it a quick test spin. Nata seemed to like it. E.B., not so much.

Hope it works out for Deb.

Sugar cookies with Grandma Bonnie

Grandma Bonnie took the kids overnight Saturday. She was formally sainted at a ceremony on Sunday. To celebrate her outstandingness, we made sugar cookies with Audrey.

The capes were party favors from Will and Angus' cool birthday party on Saturday.

First snow

Natalie says her hat makes her look like Han Solo.

Holiday Block Party at Rainbo Club

Potluck party at the local tavern.

Elliot was chatting up the girl in white by asking her if she wanted him to read to her in Elvish.

Nerdy playa.

Big boy time

E. B. D. lost his first two teeth on the same day. He knocked one out with aggressive tooth brushing and yanked the second out by hand.

He will not be leaving them for the Tooth Fairy because he wants to start a collection. "They don't rot, do they?"

Elliot plays Darth Vader Theme music

Grandma Sue left her synthesizer after T-day. Elliot picked up the Darth Vader theme music after seeing it played twice. Pretty cool.

One more at the field of dreams

E.B. took this between soccer drills. Nata really likes to lie on the fake grass.

Got a shot of the new historic district sign on the way home just for the heck of it.

Lincoln Park Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool + Zoo

On the way into the Zoo, we stopped in to the Lily Pool. Beautiful even in late fall.