Dad's birthday

Jules and Mom brought the late 1970s/early 1980s to our house on Wednesday night. Beef fondue with dipping sauces made from Heinz 57 sauce, ketchup and other things adults seldom eat any more. It was a ton of fun.

Elliot loved it while Nata opted for a warm hot dog.

The Leaper

This will have to end soon. The boy feels like he's made of stone lately.

The Holiday Season continues to ramp up.

Cruised downtown to enjoy sunny, slightly less cold weather. Hit the Christkindlmarket. Then headed over to Millennium Park and the Modern wing of the Art Institute.

We ended the adventure with a stop at La Pasadita for tacos.

Highlights: our thermos of hot chocolate, horsies, getting to look out of the front window of the El train headed downtown.

Thanksgiving #2 - Chez Schuerr

Nata helped Grandma Sue make cranberry relish. Then, the cousins and their kids came over. It was a fun crazy zoo.

Elliot had his first pistachio, Cool Whip, Jello salad. It was HUGE hit. Nata, as always, crushed the ham.

The basement was home to lots of art projects, soccer games, foosball matches, etc. Fiddler on the Roof was sung and Elliot made his musical debut playing a couple of songs in the traditional family performance-fest that is Thanksgiving dinner.

Thanksgiving

It ends with the traditional Feats of Strength contest pitting E.B. against Grandpa.

Nata's First School pic

Some shoddy Photoshop work by Dad and the photo company's watermark vanishes (sort of).

Natter Batter takes a mean pic regardless.

Nov thunderstorms.

Cats at Wrigley

The game went badly but the event was awesome. We brought the kids to check out some of the pre-game stuff. Then Grandma Bonnie took them and we got to hang out with adults (sort of) for 10 straight hours.

Lots of friends came in from all over the country. Fun.

Go cats!

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Elliot school pic

Not sure what happened with Natalie's school picture. The boy looks sharp though.

Garfield park - new path

Zoo goofs

Lincoln Park Zoo. We've missed you.

More smores

Owie and Sue got the soccer Saturday indoctrination today. We finished up the day with smores in the back garden.

The Schuerrs are PI boosters too!

Birthday Cake

On top of bags of candy, Elliot had a chocolate cake.

Elliot's Birthday & Trick or Treating

Birthday craziness today. Took our band of locusts around the neighborhood wiping out candy bowls for blocks in every direction.

The McMahons won the family costume contest with the Rats (Toy Story) in a close second. After seeing Nata and Elliot in ties, we are considering sending them off to boarding school.

EBD birthday. Beet pasta redux

Grandma B's first game + FIREPIT!!!!

Grandma Bonnie made her first Poison Ivy game. Conditions were ideal. We gave her the full experience - beautiful fall day, victory, E.B. goal and assist, pho.

Then, in keeping with the Harry Potter costume theme, we bought a cauldron of fire for Elliot's birthday party. Julie cemented her title of Fire Queen by somehow scrounging up enough deadfall firewood on the block for a hour plus test run.

Halloween Party for Elliot's class

Julie and a crew of other parents organized a big Halloween fest today.

Picking a good pumpkin takes time and expertise

75 and sunny. Tot tote in effect.

Nice paseo. No boy. Headlamp in effect.

To the victor goes the spring roll

Halloween is a comin'

Julie and the kids put up spider webs and orange lights tonight. Also, as a result of a pre-Halloween game called Booing, the kids have marshmellow hamburgers and severed fingers to eat.

Truly vile stuff.

Miracles Do Happen

After the hike, Dad made Jiffy Pop and didn't burn a single kernel. Should have stopped at a casino on the way home.