Last weekend there was a wonderful celebration for Grandpa Dice’s 90th birthday. Here are some memories of my grandpa: – Riding in his big car with a bunch of cousins singing The Bear Went over the Mountain. – Grandpa believes that bigger is better when it comes to buying cards for Grandma’s birthday. He gets…

Bea has finally learned to roll over from her belly to her back. Before last week she could only go from her back to her belly and then she would grunt and whine until I came to turn her over. There’s still one more milestone for her – she needs to learn to roll both…

Bea still gets up once in the night. I think she should be sleeping through the night but I’m finding it easier to just get up and make her happy. And tonight I realized I’ve sort of come to like this middle-of-the-night routine. We’ve tried the let her cry for five minute intervals technique and…

What a fun weekend we’ve had. A visit to Midland, Grandpa Dice’s 90th Birthday party and then to top it off we watched a bike race in downtown Evanston on Sunday. This is why we love Evanston.

What have we been up to? Well since it’s July we’ve been faithfully following The Tour de France. I love watching it for several reasons. First, the scenery is just gorgeous. If I didn’t care at all about the cycling I could watch it just for the views of France’s mountains and beautiful little towns.…

I can hardly believe it but I just saw two foxes while Bea and I were having our walk down by the water. I live about 12 miles from the center of Chicago and there are really no big areas of woods or fields near us. Huh. They were just slinking around the lawn of…

I went for a canoe ride with dad when I was back in Midland. It is so pleasant to be out on the quiet smooth water in the evening hours of a summer day. The pictures don’t show just how beautiful the colors are. Dad and Baxter going down the river – It’s a bit…

I always thought I was a lousy joke teller and I know I have a horrible, tuneless singing voice. But, I’m having second thoughts. According to my daughter I am funny, funny, funny and my singing is delightful. These are the reactions I get when I make a funny or sing a little song.

Sometimes I look at a photo of Brian and me and wonder what Bea will think when she’s 20 and she looks at the same photo. Now that I am a parent I look at old photos of my mom and dad differently. I wonder what they were going through way back then when their…

Aunt Jennifer made the most special embroidered and appliqued quilt for Bea. I want to hang it on the wall when Bea has her own room a few years from now. Look at the fine detailed work she did.