At the Beach

Almost every night as we drive by Lake Michigan, Alex asks if we can go to the beach. So, this weekend we did. Dave was out of town, but Sue suggested that we go, and we had a blast. Alex loved chasing birds, throwing shells/rocks into the water, and playing with his beach ball. He could have stayed all day, but we only had two hours on the parking meter. We'll be going back soon with Dave. Hopefully, next time, a bird won't steal his lunch. Alex left his sandwich unattended to play in the water, and an enterprising gull swooped in and took it!

Picking up shells.
(Rocks really, but the Casaleggi
beach combing instinct is strong.)

Beach balls are fun!

Dancing in the waves.

Belated Father's Day

I just found the Father's Day pictures on the camera and realized I never got them posted.

Dave got a special present from Alex and me, Alex took pictures, and we went on a fun outing to use the present. Pics below (all but the first one and last one were taken by Alex).

Giving Daddy his present

Gift opening

Surprise!

Posing with the discs

Alex had us pose with his friends
and requested that this picture be included in the blog.

Of course, we had to go out and play that afternoon.

Happy 50th!

Today is Grandma and Grandpa D's 50th wedding anniversary! What a fantastic milestone. We had a fun visit with the whole family to celebrate.

Run for the Zoo

Alex ran his first race on Sunday, doing the Zebra Zip at the Run for the Zoo. When we told him about it the night before he was not very interested since we wouldn't be running with him, but on race day he really got into it. He loved having a bib with a number just like Mommy. He lined up very patiently and calmly. (It was quite amusing to watch him being so stoic as he waited.) He followed the instructions for the run perfectly and had lots of fun. His only complaint was that it was too short!

Here's a selection of pictures and a short video of the beginning of the race.

Getting his bib pinned on

Running strong!

He made the turn and is heading toward the finish line.

So very proud of his medal.

Justin Roberts at the Printers Row Lit Fest

We had a great time Saturday at the Printers Row Lit Fest. This is one of our favorite summer traditions (this was our fourth, and Alex's third, visit to the event). The main excitement today was that Justin Roberts and the Not Ready for Naptime Players were performing.

On the drive there, Alex kept talking about songs they might play and that he wanted to hear. When we got to the Lit Fest he kept asking "Where's Justin Roberts?" Well, lo and behold, after visiting Open Books and some other book stalls, we ran into Justin and most of the band on the sidewalk. Alex instantly became shy, buried his head in my shoulder, and could barely speak. (He did, however, have a huge grin on his face.) They were all super friendly and nice to Alex. They asked if he had any songs he'd like to hear, but he was too shy to make the request and asked me to do so. In the car he was really focused on "Gym Class Parachute" (and we had even talked about making that request) so that's what we asked for. They played it during the set. I missed the introduction where they talked about Alex and his request, but here's a short excerpt from the song and the happy fan's reaction. After the show we got a signed poster from Justin Roberts, and we thanked him for playing the song. He told Alex that he picked a really challenging one to play. We always enjoy hearing them perform, and this was an extra-special experience.

Alex enjoying the show.

Justin Roberts and the Not Ready for Naptime Players

Getting a Jungle Gym poster signed by Justin. He wrote "Alex is Awesome!"

Carrying on the Cookie Tradition

Alex and I made chocolate chip cookies from scratch today for the first time. I can remember doing the same thing with my mom in our house on First Street, and it was really great to carry on that tradition with him. Plus, the cookies were delicious!

A chip for me to eat!

Adding the chips

Bouncy Fun

Saturday was the last day of the annual Rites of May festival at Alex's new school. They invited all the new families to attend. Dave was out of town, but Alex and I went and had lots of fun. There were several inflatables, carnival games (and prizes), and an international festival featuring several different countries. We got to see some African dancing and played a lot. Alex was so worn out that he fell asleep in the car on the way home, and he is not a car sleeper. I wanted to keep driving so he wouldn't stop napping.

Climbing up the wall in the obstacle course

At the top, ready to slide down