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Breakfast guest


Take a bow


On the first day, we lost count at 147 (number of times Kola used the words jet ski)


Our guide and cap'n


Lap 2


Not wet...yet


Cracking the whip


All in


Thanking our lucky stars (about :45 minutes early)


We're fresh from one of our favorite annual summer traditions - a visit to Lori/Werner/Adriane's Michigan cottage. From tubing to raft diving, and cocktails to campfires, it's the quintessential getaway weekend. The boys squealed as we pulled in the driveway next to the boat trailer, and I squealed and held on for dear life as Lori drove our age on the jet ski. Highlights included great conversations, DJ'ing (by Werner), baby turtles, fresh summer produce, boat cruises, swim lessons, a great blue heron on the swim platform, and a deep, rich sky teeming with stars.

up, up and away

Awaiting the blue line (note my vintage, BKF-initialled Lands' End duffel, circa 1981)


Paula and me on Brady Street


"Before," 9:57 a.m.


Watching it unfold


With wings outstretched


MAM entrance skylight peppered with a Calder


Ethan and I thoroughly enjoyed our hop up to Milwaukee two weekends ago, to visit our friends Paula and Marie. Paula and I met nearly seven years ago, in a prenatal yoga class when we lived in Chicago, and I'm thrilled we became friends and are still in touch. Since her 6 y-old and husband were away camping, Ethan and I had the pleasure of setting up camp in Shorewood for a couple days. The weekend whizzed by as swiftly as the Amtrak that took us there. Ethan absorbed as much about the train trip as he could, flipping the tray table, testing the bathroom, admiring the luggage rack, following the schedule, and enjoying (or enduring, he's such a sweet kid) my string of train stories from my previous travels.

Within an hour or so of arriving in WI, we were at the beach, stripping the the fair city of its rock specimens. Later, Paula and I enjoyed a wonderful night out of catch-up, local flavor and a late-night chat. Milwaukee is such a great city, if you haven't been, I highly encourage it.

Ethan is fascinated by the variety of mint box packaging on store shelves, with the seemingly endless combinations of shapes, colors, sliding doors, panels, flip tops, and boxes with multiple openings. So I was itching to show him the impressive opening of the Milwaukee Art Museum, an addition designed by Calatrava featuring huge wing-like panels that gracefully unfold over a 3.5 minute timespan. Ethan was just as impressed with the interior and art -- the museum is very kid-friendly with thin crowds, bite-sized introductions to a variety of forms and time periods, two kids' project studios, kids' sketch kits you can check out for the day - tailored to specific exhibits/areas of interest, mac-and-cheese al fresco, and an unmanned coat closet where you can run through passageways for a quick game of hide and chase. The Amtrak tickets in our pockets limited our MAM visit to 3 1/2 hours.

On our return ride, I asked Ethan his favorite part of the trip, expecting his usual, diplomatic answer "all of it." But was touched to hear him say, "Spending time with Paula and Marie." I second that emotion. We're lucky to have them and you as friends. We'll be back! xo b/s/e/k

Dunescape

Always beckoning


Toe henge


Running with reckless abandon (and yes, Kola did a faceplant for year 3 of 3)


Beach baby


Calm water rafting


Dances with waves


Runs with sticks


Big dig - under budget and no timeline


We all enjoy our annual pilgrammage to "the sawyer cottage." The weather these last couple months has been cool and rainy, so I was grinning ear-to-ear the first few days where we had full warm sun, a gentle lake breeze and a refreshingly cool lake to float in. The beach house flags were green - a welcome greeting for our first days there.

I don't think Kola truly remembered much of sawyer from last year, most of his anticipation was built from legends and previous years' photo albums. When we drove up to the cottage, our car loaded to the windows, he said, "mommy, would you please show me where the bathroom is?" In minutes, he considered it his home away from home. "Great cottage mommy. Good choice. Are we here lots and lots of days?" Once he saw the beach, he was hooked. "Mommy, who put all this sand here to make the big sandbox?!" By then my eyes were closed, my toes in the sand. Theological or geological answer? "Well Kola, someone sure had a good idea." The first day, Kola was a whirling dervish - cutting off his own questions with newer questions, sniffing around in fast motion. It was almost like watching a video on fast forward. He eventually settled in, but for a couple nights after the trip, he slept for 15 hours.

Kola's favorite activities included running about 25' across the sand and jumping off a small hill into the shallow river water, proclaiming himself a diver. He also found the speedboats very exciting, but (for year 3 of 3) did not feel comfortable going in the big lake and was very hesitant to go near waves of any size. He was suspicious of the waves lapping the shore and was a bit worried to see me swim in the lake. I asked him how he would be able to ride jet skis and speed boats if he doesn't like big water and waves, and he reassured me that he'll be fine with all that once he's old enough to drive.

Ethan really seemed to slip quickly into mellow mode, spending a lot of time with science experiments, quietly wondering and soaking it all in. We did lots of collecting and constructing and low-motion activities. E is a water-lover and was happy to play raft-rescue with me in the big lake, jump waves and splash around. Beach hopscotch and sand drawings were an all-around favorite. Ethan was also interested in doing more of the food gathering with me. I have about 3 local hangouts I check out each year - falatic's butcher shop for my beef jerky fix and daily grilling, froelich's to see colleen and get homemade canned jelly & juice, and dinges farm to chat it up with the farmer, see his animals, and get fresh produce. Oh and the blueberry stand on red arrow with the colorful umbrella. And the harbert swedish bakery for the cardomom coffee cake and fresh bread....It's a bit more driving around to shop local, but so great to see the slower pace, have conversations, pay cash!, and eat the tastiest, freshest food. It was fun to see Ethan find the zen in the experience.

"Go ahead, son - grab the blade"


Crammed in a caboose


Enjoying the ride


Grandma and Grandpa joined our merry band at Redamak's on day 3 and we all headed to the Hesston Steam museum for train rides and a civil war day. Kola was not a fan of the shoulders (read: soldiers) and when our train was stopped and surrounded by an armed calvary looking for gold, he almost reached a panic, "I don't have gold - I don't have any pockets!" We had to assure him the next trains we rode did not go through the forest, gunfire, or cannons and he steered very clear of the shoulders.

Poking and stoking


Toasty toes


Testing centrifugal force


When the weather cooled, we enjoyed bonfires, hammock rides, and Ethan and G'pa had a great night of camping on the back 40. Without the beach as a temptation, we all hit Captain Mike's for a fun afternoon of go carts, water bugs and bumper cars.

Finally, some decent wheels


No mercy


Plotting his next move...


The sawyer trip kicks off my midwest tour. Ethan and I take the Amtrak to Milwaukee this weekend to visit my friend paula, we all descend on lori, werner, and adriane's MI cottage in late july, and kola and I visit friends in Indy in August. Let the road trips begin! xo b/s/e/k

sound/garden

if it were below 90 degrees, I probably would have caught them....


don't stick your hand in there!


discovering a gypsy moth caterpillar:(


toads off roading


children chillin'


Last night I had a dream I was skiing in south america. I guess it kept me cool enough to sleep through the wave of heat and humidity we're "enjoying." I'm looking forward to our annual pilgrammage to the sawyer cottage and taking a long swim in the cool lake. Not to mention the fresh blueberries, grilling, reading books, daily beach trips, climbing the dune (but mostly running down at full speed hoping Kola doesn't bite the dust.)

The boys have tolerated the heat pretty well. I was impressed that they clocked 7 (sweltering) hours at the arb the other day. The excursion was facilitated by our resident environmental educator - grandma - who gave them lots to observe and think about. She also brought a handful of baby toads from her home's driveway, which were relocated in a beautiful, shady, damp spot in the woods. The lucky buggers probably thought their doomed fate was sealed in the tupperware and honda they travelled in, but they hit greener pastures just before their soggy paper towel dried up.

"Monster" took new variations as I chased the boys throught the animal houses on exhibit there. Usually, I was a fox chasing squirrels and beavers, but they seemed to like it best when I was a skunk, go figure.

We've been on a sound kick here lately. I've been subjecting, er exposing, the boys to my music collection and it's fun to see what they latch on to. Most people would think brainwashing is involved, but they were truly drawn to English Beat (several tracks), Smashing Pumpkins (rhino.), Pearl Jam (black), some of my all-time favorites. We zip through radio stations, too, and have compiled a list of about a dozen songs I'll put on CD for them, ranging from Rush (spirit of the radio) to Led Zepp (over the hills and far away) to the violent femmes (blister...). "Mom, do you have this one?" Several selections are in the boxes of cassette tapes stowed in the basement. iTunes here we come. Kola is drawn to the drums and guitars and organized beats with hooks. Ethan seems to like abstract sounds, time changes, and I think might appreciate some of my dad's jazz fusion CDs like weather report - we'll see.

E is interested in making his own sounds, mostly for the sake of making train announcements as we drive beside a track. He's able to name upcoming train stations correctly (Next Stop...) and uses his empty stainless water bottle in the car to imitate the pre-recorded messages, right down to the tinniness and attitude (Doors Open on the Left at LaSalle. Transfer to...) He uses a sound maker we have to ID different signals for his train layout and Kola is supposed to follow the sounds to make the trains back up or switch or slow down, with mixed results. Maybe if the foreman paid his employee, we'd have a better hit rate on that.

Ethan asked for details on how songs on the radio are made. Kola asked for details on why we can't watch it. We discussed sound engineers and sound boards, levels, base and treble. Does anyone have an 8-track recorder I can borrow??

We're hitting the yellow brick road soon, and will post our vacation journal upon our return! xo b/s/e/k

summer, anyone?

Sweet backhand

 

Walking the dog

 

Forehand as a lefty

 

Football: the holy grail

 

His favorite new skill - the snap

 

We're getting into the swing with summer camps, even tho it still feels like mid spring around here. The boyz are in the perfect storm of park district age groupings, 4-6. They're able to do just about everything together, except football (Kola, ages 3-5) and junior naturalist (ethan, 6-8). They both seem just dandy about not having to share those two activities. Ethan said nervously, "I don't have to do football do I?" While Kola has been waiting for this moment for approximately two years. His reward for a dry night diaper (TMI?) is earning jersey shirts, which are handed down from cousins andrew and jennifer. He would wear them 24/7 if he could.

The boys are also getting some great tennis instruction, and it's good for me to watch all these activities to figure out how to practice with them and give them pointers. I can show them how to be social chairman or how to efficiently multi-task, but throw or catch a ball, they'll have to teach me that some day. xo b/s/e/k

jumping into june

girls getaway in galena


thelma, louise, and her other sister louise


met upon my return...


a hit!


a single becomes a double with an overthrow to 1st


april: weeding the field...june: shagging with zeal


ta da! a happy gym kids 1 graduate.


First off, I definitely want to make note of tomorrow being Kola's two-year anniversary at home with us. It's sometimes hard to see from one day to the next the changes our family, and especially the kids, go through. It's great to step back and see what a difference 20, 100 or 730 days can make. We've all learned, loved, laughed a lot in those 730 days...

A robin has been nesting on our front porch for a couple weeks. Kola and I walked out one day and saw mama Robin on the lawn and I asked Kola, "what do you think she's doing over there?" He said, "looking for her babies. She's going to find them and bring them to her nest to live." That's as good an explanation of it all as I've heard;)

I was lucky to be invited and able to go on a girrrrrls weekend in Galena. I realized there's been only one night in the last 730 I was without both of the kids. Now, affectionately I say, I was out with 3! We had a great time, and at the ripe age of 45, I took my first crack at karaoke with Blister in the Sun by the Violent Femmes (had to be at least 2 hours from home for that to happen!) I was surprised to learn that you actually do need to be able to carry a tune in register to pull that one off - thought I picked an easy one! It was such a fun time and a group of ez to travel with friends, I had a smile that lasted a few days after the trip.

School's been out for Kola for two weeks already, but he'll be going back to the same teacher, M/W/F mornings in the fall, so it really just feels like a hiatus for him. Ethan wrapped up a great kindergarten year and we were both very sad to see it end. He had a terrific class and a wonderful teacher who really helped him spread his wings. The first day I dropped him off for KG, I wore sunglasses and expected security to be showing me off the property, hysterical, but that day was surprisingly easy. Picking him up on the last day though I was pretty weepy. Thanks to Shelley for sharing some wine on the porch that night. Ethan has stopped crying, too, and now we're all thankful for a great school year and hope they remember how sad they were to leave it when it's time to go back...

Only two weeks left of t-ball, and the playoffs are looming. This means crunch time for some teams who are battling for the top spots. It means crunch team for our Blue Jays as we only have a few games left to socialize, remember to bring the video cameras, and see if we can catch our 6th fly ball of the season. Shots I missed: Ethan's turn to bat - as the coaches are calling his name and looking for him in the dugout and near the parents' area, the porta-potty door flies open and Ethan strolls on up to the plate to grab the bat...Patrick in the infield filling his cap with sand - when he's busted, dumps about 80% of the sand out before he flips it on letting the rest drizzle onto his shoulders...Ethan picking dandelions in the outfield, failing to notice a fly ball sailing over his head...the base runners who are left on base, not noticing or not sure why the other players have returned to their dugouts, and are eventually retrieved by a coach...We've actually made a lot of progress in two short months, but most importantly a good time is had by all.

The boyz start their summer schedule this coming week, including a camp together two 1/2 days a week, tennis, kola's doing pee wee football and t-ball, ethan's doing junior naturalist at the conservatory and gymnastics camp. Our block is doing a stay-on Wednesday afternoon where we pull up the lawnchairs and lemonade...hope it's warm enough for the slip-n-slide soon!!! And we're planning a few weekends away, and a one-week lake vacation. I'm looking forward to a great summer! And the boyz keep asking - is it here yet? The pool's open, when can we go in it? keep in touch;)xo b/s/e/k