Impromptu Home Day

Chicago got hit with super heavy rains over the weekend, including the largest single day of rainfall since records starting being kept in 1871 -- around 7 inches. We were fortunate enough to not have any significant water at home, but Alex's day care was not so lucky. They had flooding in almost all of the classrooms and had to close today. So, just a couple of hours after he was dropped off, I picked Alex up and we had a Mommy/Alex day. We went and played at a park and had a picnic lunch. Per usual, he did not take much of a nap, and we spent the afternoon playing and watching Toy Story.

Dave brought his Legos home from Iowa after our last visit and spent much of last night sorting them out. Normally Alex isn't in the basement during the week, so Dave left them out to finish, which gave Alex a big surprise this afternoon. He was really excited to play with the Moon Landing set. I just felt bad that Dave wasn't here to play with him.

Picnicking in the park.

Hanging on the monkey bars.
This is a new skill for him.

Playing with Daddy's Legos.

Fresh Herbs, Anyone?

This morning, as we were leaving for the day, Alex and I gave our plants lots of water to help them survive this heat wave. Alex asked if we could have some of the basil with dinner. That was a perfect suggestion because I was already planning to have ravioli for dinner.

When we got home tonight, we gave the plants more water, picked a few leaves, and went inside. I chiffonaded the basil, Alex did a taste test, and I thought we were good to go. However, Alex wasn't too happy when I served the dinner because he wanted his basil on a plate and not on top of the ravioli. After some conversation, we discovered that he just wanted a basil leaf to eat. So, I went and cut off a leaf, which he enjoyed very much. I guess that's one way to get him to eat some greens!

Yum!

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!"