Talent in the family

I always look forward to summer laziness...and then summer always ends up being busy! Mostly because we take time to visit people or they take time to visit us. And that is the best kind of busy-ness, but it doesn't lend itself to spending time on the computer (not such a bad thing, in my case!!). So herewith, I will take a few days to try to get up-to-date with some of our summer highlights.

Up first, our first trip to Music in the Park all summer was to see cousin Aaron play!! How cool is that? He played acoustic guitar in a an Irish (Scottish?) music trio. It was possibly the first rain-free, truly beautiful Thursday night we've had, so it was extra special to be able to sit with Gina and Mitch and listen to Aaron. The kids had fun running amok with their friends, and then we all went to La Cabana for dinner. We rode the bikes home after dark trying not to get fireflies in our teeth.
Sadly, I didn't get a picture of Aaron playing because he was behind the music stand. I didn't want to make him nervous by stalking around the gazebo trying to get a good shot!

Ring around the rosy!
M4's hair's a-flyin'!!

Chicago

Three weekends ago now (sheesh!), we went to Chicago for Mark's 20th college reunion. 20th!! We stayed with the fabulous Navarro clan. Yes, Mark's fraternity brother was Dave Navarro. Just kidding!!! Not THAT Dave Navarro. A much better one! So here are the collective kids in the cool stone bench circle on campus. It echoes your voice back at you if you stand in the right spot. We also went to the Museum of Science and Industry, which so rocks!! The highlight of our trip was the German U-boat tour, but there is so much to see. It would take a few days to really fully experience everything. Sadly, I forgot my camera. But that didn't keep us from having lots of fun.

By the way, M3 wants to live in Chicago when she grows up. She also wants to go to Grinnell, U of Wisconsin, or U of Chicago. Guess we're brain-washing her right!! But, um, I think only the first choice is affordable. And that's only cuz we get a MAJOR break. She and M4 were having a big discussion in the car yesterday, because she thinks she is a city girl and M4 thinks he is a country boy, and M4 couldn't understand why M3 wouldn't want to live on a farm with animals?! It was settled that she would be OK living on an "animal farm" but not a "crop farm." Wait 'til she meets George Orwell.

Again with the busy!

So it's been almost a month since I put anything on here. You gotta problem wit' dat??! Two weekends in a row out-of-town: one in KC with the whole family as you can see from the sweet pictures here:




(I love this last pic; it truly displays the cousins' personalities! V doesn't want to be contained...she's always on the go, and O is just chillin'.)

And one in Chicago for Mark's 20th college reunion, hanging with the fantastic Navarro family and getting to see old friends and their children all grown up. Of course, I forgot my camera for that outing. Then we hosted two parties for new Chemistry babies and friends who are moving away (boo!). So now it really feels like summer! M3 is swimming in the mornings, and we have some art and science camp activities coming up. But mostly we're just hanging out...especially at our amazing new aquatic center!! I'll try to get better at posting!

New friend...

There's a new friend in the house! M4 was selected to bring home an African clawed frog. And I actually said yes. M4 transported it home but he wasn't interested in transferring it to its new home, so M3 took over:



Apparently, its name is Maxibo. Don't worry, we gave it some clean water.

Busy, busy!

Ack...sorry for not posting lately! Too busy, but feeling somewhat proud of myself for putting together this workshop at Studio Z in less than a week! I'm looking forward to it! What a cool opportunity that just popped up because his mom is a professor here! And I'm kinda getting the bug to arrange more workshops in the future. It's so cool that my friend Jenny has made this space where we can actually have these kinds of workshops!

On the kid news front, M and M took a tae kwon do class Monday night and LOVED it! They want to go back. I'm hoping it's something that will give M4 a bit more confidence. We shall see...

More after this workshop and my May yoga training weekend (this weekend) are done. Lots of family fun coming up in the next few weeks! Can't wait to see everybody Memorial Day weekend!

Eeeples and Beneenees

M4's spring concert was a couple weeks ago...here is one of his moments of glory:

Yeah, that's a box of doughnuts on the right

P.S. One was more honestly earned than the other, i.e. I was one of only two? entries.