Marla August 15, 2012

Busy day today. We went to the West Chicago pool (used my Groupon), Locker set up and then Eric and I went to Chicago to see "The Handcuffs".

Maureen August 15, 2012

We've been pretty much ignoring our community garden plot since we planted everything at the beginning of the summer. We watered a few times during those really dry weeks, but otherwise haven't been there in ages. I stopped there today on the way to work & was pleasantly surprised to see things growing, including these beets that we started from seed.

Marla August 14, 2012

Cole and I went shopping tonight for some school clothes.

Miranda August 14, 2012

Maureen August 14, 2012

New haircuts for school!

Miranda August 13, 2012

Maureen August 13, 2012

Beginners summer band began today. Annie decided to try out the drums this year. She'll still be doing cello in orchestra, too!

Miranda August 12, 2012

Marla August 12, 2012

We got Cole a cell phone today.

Maureen August 12, 2012

Waiting for some more of the water to drain out of the waterslide before we try to fold it up & roll it up the hill.

Miranda August 11, 2012

Marla August 11, 2012

Maddie slept over last night and went with us to a block party in Chicago (Secret Colours was playing at it). She joined in with the neighborhood kids and played games. Duck, Duck, Goose-here she sits in the cookie jar.

Maureen August 11, 2012

Happy, happy, happy birthday

Miranda August 10, 2012

SO sleepy!

Marla August 10, 2012

We headed up to Lake Geneva to visit Miranda and her family while they were on vacation up there.

Maureen August 10, 2012

We did more rowboating today. We got two boats this time, so that the kids would each have more rowing time (and because Shel & I were a little nervous about 5 people in a boat that size)

Miranda August 9, 2012

Beach time!

Maureen August 9, 2012

Annie & Jim went out to Kline Creek to help with the farm chores today. I got there just as they were leaving.

Miranda August 8, 2012

Waking up in the TOP bunk!

Miranda August 16, 2012

Maureen August 8, 2012

These flowers are growing in a crack in the cement right under the gate to the dumpsters behind the building that I'm cleaning regularly. They make me smile every time I see them.

Miranda August 7, 2012

Vacation mode - they think bunk beds are the coolest things ever!

Marla August 7, 2012

Cole decided to clean his room and rearrange his furniture today.

Maureen August 7, 2012

Annie & I volunteered at the Girl Scout booth at National Night Out tonight. The rest of the family came out to enjoy the event.

Miranda August 6, 2012

Marla August 6, 2012

Got my check from the "Pitch in for Charity" from the Cougars game (when you throw the tennis balls onto the field after the game). Thanks to whoever threw the ball that ended up landing on the target I almost doubled my money.

Maureen August 6, 2012

Jim set up a slip-n-slide to dry today.

Miranda August 6, 2012

Playing with kitty

Marla August 5, 2012

Lollapalooza Day 3

Maureen August 5, 2012

Annie went grocery shopping with Jim today. Ultra had giant jars of pickles on sale.

Miranda August 5, 2012

Deep in thought

Marla August 4, 2012

Lollapalooza Day 2-Eric (with "The Tallest Man on Earth") and the band "Walk Off the Earth" they are all playing the same guitar, it's really cool check out their video here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4hIzgqA9io

Miranda August 4, 2012

Cleaning and organizing the basement - how do we collect so much stuff?

Maureen August 4, 2012

We all wanted to try the rowboats at Blackwell, but everyone except Annie was nervous about doing it since we had never done it before. I'm glad that we all decided to be brave & try it anyway!

Marla August 3, 2012

Lollapalooza Day 1-Eric & I, Dylan & Vaughn discussing where they were headed next and Dhani Harrison (George's son)

Miranda August 3, 2012

I'm not sure who was having more fun - Joe or the boys? : )

Maureen August 3, 2012

Hanging out in the North Shelter at Blackwell, waiting for Jim to get there with the cash that I forgot, so that we could head up to our campsite & start putting up the tent.

Miranda August 2, 2012

Getting ready for the garage sale

Maureen August 2, 2012

Malcom loves Lexi. Lexi loves Malcolm.

Marla August 1, 2012

Gianni and Gabe came to have fun with us tonight. Gabe followed Dylan around all night.

Miranda August 1, 2012

Gianni has been working so hard on his listening chart!

Maureen August 1, 2012

This little guy is in the crane machine at Bowling Green, where we went for the $1/game after 9pm special tonight. Does that '94 on his shirt mean 1994? Has he been in there since 1994? If so, Pixar should make a movie about his adventures, his struggles to stay safe, with some kind of moral, perhaps about his safety concerns keeping him from getting out in the world & really living.