Audrey visit

Audrey is cool. She has a big bike with training wheels. She and Elliot like doing puppet shows too.

More Door

The Gram kids were super with the wee ones. Dawn and Natalie were joined at the hip. The big boys played with Elliot and set off cool fireworks. We even saw a phone booth in Bailey's Harbor.

Natalie insisted on dressing herself for one of our after dinner strolls in the orchard. Thus we get her wearing

1) Elliot's spiderman pajama pants
2) Her rain coat with hood up
3) Her sun hat

The Door for the 4th

Huge trip. Lots of action. Matthew, Jamie and Dawn Gram plus their buddy Vill and parentals were all up in Fish Creek with us. Big kids are the coolest.

We spent a lot of time in Nicolet Bay. Natalie liked walking in the water and floating on a small boat. E.B. was obsessed with finding sea animal. We found lots of clam shells and possible mussels. Some snail shells too. We did a bit of hiking in Peninsula State Park too.

The cherry orchard behind Bill and Jean's house is having an awful year for cherries but Elliot discovered that chamomile is doing GREAT. He made many cups of homemade tea that he was far more interested in than the rest of us.

We went to Bailey's Harbor for their 4th of July Parade. The candy was a big hit with Elliot.

Of course, we hit the inflatable pool in theyard.

Zoe's Birthday

It was Zoe's 4th birthday Saturday at Pied Piper. The kids made cookies and hot pockets. Also, cupcakes. Clearly, it was a big hit.

Art boy

On the 12 hour (each way) drive to the Smokies, Elliot drew for three quarters of the time. He's moving into pen and ink. Crayons are so limiting.

1) One is the storyboard version of Jurassic Park. Upper left, the airplane. Lower right the Daddy Paleontologist and his two kids. Left to right in cages: triceratops, long neck, velociraptor, T-rex (all with eggs).
2) The pen one includes numerous angler fish. (Note, this was drawn sitting in a car seat in Grandpa's pickup truck going 70 miler per hour on the highway).
3) Purple fish. Really cool looking (note the eyebrows).

Smoky Mountains Trip

Jules and the kids went on a big camping trip to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park last week with Grandpa Owie and Grandma Sue. Everybody got to sleep in the camper (with only limited success).

Lots of highlights:

1) S'mores
2) Natalie discovered the joys of throwing rocks into a creek while in the buff.
3) A visit from parrots while in downtown Gatlinburg. TN - the tourist town to end all tourist towns.
4) S'mores
5) Gathering rocks, sticks and other vital things while going on big hikes (E. B. made it 4 miles out of a 4.5 mile trail.) Jenny got special fanny packs to hold all of the crucial stuff they found along the way.

Geoff's cooking Johnsonville Brats, Brats. Brats

Got a big ole gas grill. Approaching suburban Dad-dom at a high rate of speed. Brats and Grandma Bonnie's homemade potato salad, caprese salad with backyard basil

Recent highlights

As we battle on with the house, Julie keeps other irons in the fire. She helped organize a "meet and greet" at Pritzker School last saturday. New pre-schoolers and parents came by, played games, toured the school, ate ice cream, and drew on a big poster. Soon after the event the plywood backing was used (as we had planned) as sub-flooring for the upstairs kitchen.

Also, Auntie Lynelle made a super cute new sun hat for Nata.

Last Sunday, Elliot helped Dad cook dinner. After we sat down to eat he said,"I don't really like muchrooms but I'll eat them because they are on my plate." Proud Dad almost exempted him from mushrooms but thought it might be seen as self serving since they were so tasty.

Summer is here

Memorial Day weekend included a visit from Lipi and Rahul. Lipi even read the kids a bedtime story. Elliot was smitten by Lipi. She "looks like Snow White."

We also got the garden in some semblance of order. It is now 95% rusty nail and tree stump free. Unfortunately, it is also currently 100% grass free but we're working on that.

The little picnic table from Ikea rocks.

Kids obsessions

Paper dinosaurs litter our life. Julie recently bought a dinosaur encyclopedia for Elliot. He's doing his best to draw every one in the book, I think.

Natalie loves her robe and is as silly as she can be.

Key discoveries this weekend:
1) 2 robins eggs
2) 2 earthworms
3) 2 bumblebees
4) some bugs
5) some old chestnuts
6) one piece of coal (dino rock)

All items are stored in Elliot's "keeper pile" for future evaluation.

Sunday Elliot helped Grandma Bonnie make a special mother's day soup with white beans and truffle oil. Very high brow for a boy who eats about 20% of his meals with no pants on.

Grandmas keep coming

Another Sunday another Grandma visit. Bonnie watched the kids and made mac and cheese and hot dogs (using the old family recipe not the box). It tasted like 1976.

Spring arrives

And the little people get sillier (if that is possible).

Zoe came by to do some sidewalk chalking in front of the new house. The neighbors love it (they say).

Also visible in the background are Elliot's green bean plants.

Greatest Monday Ever

Hit the Field Museum and the Shedd today. Took the CTA so we got to ride in a "passenger train" per Isaak.

Beyond exhausted by the end of the day. Plus, Natalie pooped on the carpet. Big fun.

Porch shot

Daddy Hobbit and Valerie TOO!!

Crazy weekend. D and Valerie are here too. Elliot used Valerie as a sticker book for Dinos. She and D also led the charge on baba and books at the end of the day.