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.

LP Zoo after a night out in the club

Turkey's done

Field turf on Augusta.

Love the year round soccer field.

No sleeves and a picnic in her pack

Recent art

Nata is showing some big skills lately. Elliot's got her in his school. Her most recent drawing of Julie, complete with running shoes, eyes and mouth caught our attention.

E.B.'s drawing of a Tomten was also pretty cool. Of course, he has the distinct advantage coming from a long line of pointy-capped Scandinavian dwarves.

Elliot's drawings from the Art Institute

All ball point pen on wide ruled spiral bound paper.

Among many others, he drew a suit of armor dating from between 1550 and 1560, Sanctuary by Martin Puryear, and created an original piece. He's hidden various letters in this piece. Which can you find?

Art Institute

First trip since Elliot was a baby. Gotta love getting a cheap family membership.

E. B. was obsessed with sculptures. He loved the ancient pieces but came around a little on the modern stuff after a while.

Wearing a piece of armor was very cool as well. We also played hide a seek in the courtyard. It was surprisingly hard to find him.

Nata made some art of her own holding up her fairy wand in front of a video installation in the new Modern wing.

Also, there were sweet treats in the cafe.

Sunday Fun Day

Natalie wrote her name today while wearing a green fairy costume (a gift from Katie, beautiful Katie).

Later, the kids tested Dad's patience as we planted bulbs for the spring. Note the frown lines deepening.

Octoberfest in November

The Mercs threw a great sausagefest at their house today.

We seized the opportunity to dress Elliot and Nata in the super cool Bavarian clothes given to them by the Hahns.

Darth Vader Theme Music transcribed by EBD

Elliot got very excited about sheet music the other day when I was playing my guitar. He really wanted to write down the notes to Darth Vader's Theme Music, and he did today. I told him Aunt Deb would be proud and he wanted her to see it. Here you go Aunt Deb. Maybe it's time to think about piano lessons.

Headed to boo palooza

Nata refused her coat despite the chilly wind.