Laowai

recent posts

  • RAVINIA PART 3

    Uhg – migraine in the night – couldn’t sleep.

    Up way too early and buzzing from caffinated medicine.

    Quick post about Ravinia last night.

    Note to Brian: I’m sorry I’m so hard to live with.

    Must finish packing for our trip to South Haven. Woo hoo!

    Did I mention I’m buzzing – but at least my headache is pretty much gone.
    FROM THE ARCHIVES:

    Ravinia Part 2 (2008)

    Ravinia Part 1 (2007)

  • COUSINS IN THE CITY

    We got to spend the day with Dave, Kim, Sophie, Maddie, Ryan and Phillip today. Most of us got more and more tuckered out as our day went on (especially Dave and Kim and kids since they caught a train to Chicago at four in the morning!). But Bea seemed to get more energy as the day went on. I think it’s because she got a good nap in the stroller and she warmed up to her cousins more and more as the day went on. By the end of the day she was doing her happy little dance, running and smiling and having a great time.

    We walked and walked. 

    And then we waited and waited in line to go up to the observation area on the 103rd floor of the Sears Tower*. I have been meaning to do this for a long time. It was fascinating to see the tops of all those big tall buildings. Bea really got into it and started spotting the tiny trains and tiny boats.

    Here are Sophie and Bea on one of the new Ledges. It’s basically a glass box that juts out from the side of the building. Even the floor is glass – yikes. I am proud that there is likely some Dow Corning Silicone used in the making of the Ledge – Yeah Dow Corning.

    On our way back toward their hotel we took a quick trip through The Art Institute of Chicago and got to see a bit of the new Modern Wing. The building was bright and seemed beautiful but really I was too busy keeping an eye on Bea and talking to cousins to pay much attention. Bea and I will have to take a field trip soon so we can properly examine it.

    Thanks Dave and Kim we had a really fun day. But next let’s try lounging about on the beach – my feet are sore.

    * Did you know it’s not called the Sears Tower any more it was purchased by a London-based insurance brokerage earlier this year and it is now officially the Willis Tower. Hmmmm.

  • WEDNESDAY, SIXTY DEGREES, RAINY

    What do you do on a quiet day like today? I made a house. I’m not sure if I’m entertaining myself or Bea more but she does seem to like it. When I handed it to her she grabbed it and said “mine”. 

    This makes me think at least my exacto knife skills that I perfected in college are being put to use these days. And I can’t wait to get out my old doll house and all the furniture when Bea is a little older. I was so lucky, when I was young, to have a jigsaw and lots of scrap wood in Dad’s shop. I made a whole house full of furniture to fill up the house that mom and I put together from a kit. 

    My project was inspired by this house (I don’t know where I got the image – sorry – to the brilliant person who made it).

  • PRACTICING

    It’s all about practicing and learning new skills when you’re two. Here she is after peeling her own banana.

    And here’s a little practice cutting with a knife. Sticking your tongue out helps.

    She may be growing up and learning new things at warp speed but she’s still got her knuckle dimples so I think I can call her my baby a little longer.

  • HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY

    The weather was a big disappointment for most of the 4th of July. Here we are trying to have our picnic while ignoring the rain. Luckily it cleared up in time for the fire works. This was Bea’s first time to see fireworks since she slept through them last year. For the first time ever I had something more compelling to look at than the fireworks – I kept looking at Bea’s wide eyes and her serious expression. I bet we’ll be talking about fireworks all day today.

  • ALL CYCLING ALL THE TIME

    I am loving watching the Tour de France everyday. It’s become such a fun part of summer. And last weekend we caught a bit of the bike racing in downtown Evanston. Did you know a big group of bikers makes a loud sound and a big wind?

  • WHAT WE ‘RE UP TO LATELY

    Not sure why I haven’t posted lately – maybe it’s because all this summer fun is exhausting and I just feel like plopping on the couch at the end of the day lately.

    – We’ve been enjoying summer meals – like grilled burgers with grandma’s cucumber salad and strawberry shortcake. Oh do I love that cucumber salad – it’s just sliced cucumbers, mayo, salt and pepper and, if you have it, a little dill. You have to let it sit so the cucumbers give up their juices to mix with the mayo. Mmmm. I can’t get enough of that cucumbery crispness. I could eat it everyday.

    – We’ve been going to the beach – often. Bea is in love with her swimsuit. The other day I peeked at her while she was napping in my bed. She had managed to put her swimsuit half on before she passed out. The other benefit of the beach – good long naps. She slept a long time with her swimsuit up around her legs and hips.

    – Bea has given up a few of her cute ways of saying things. This morning for the first time she pronounce airplane with the p. She said airpane instead of airtane. And a couple days ago she said “mommy you carry me?” and it broke my heart. She has always said “mommy hold you” when she wanted to be picked up. At first I couldn’t even tell what she was saying but then it dawned on me she was repeating what I say to her: “do you want mommy to hold you?”. Brian and I always laughed at her phrase because it was like she was saying she was going to hold me. Anyway – it’s sappy – but it makes me happy and sad to hear her move beyond these baby things.

    – We take nice long slow walks – often. This day there were people getting married in the rose garden near our house. 

    – She’s been saying “pick up the pace”. One of us taught her to say it one day and now whenever someboddy is lagging behind when we’re trying to get out the door she’ll say “pick up the pace mommy”. That’s probably not a very amusing story – but you know how it is with kids. When your kid learns something – even something little – and she says it in her adorable toddler voice – well it just makes Brian and I smile.

    – Bea’s been hopping on her pop. Whenever Brian gets down on the floor and especially if he’s lying on his back she thinks it is so funny to bounce up and down on his belly. Here they are – Brian was just trying to catch up on a soccer game.

    – She asks us to “talk about it” all the time. I think it started before our vacation when I was telling her what to expect and I would tell a little story of our vacation. Now she says it all the time. If we see something on the street like a man washing windows – she’ll ask what the man is doing and I’ll say he is washing windows and then she says “you talk about it”. And then I’ll have to say anything and everything I can think of about window washers and when I’ve exhausted my knowledge of window washers she’ll say “you talk about it again”. So we talk about grandmas, and Baxter and upcoming vacations and Daddy and spiders and the farm and on and on and on.

    – We also talk about an old black fly (she says ode back hy). We have a book called Old Black Fly that she likes and I started telling her to close the screen door behind her so Old Black Fly doesn’t come in the house (it worked). And now she’s obsessed with what Old Black Fly is up to. And we must talk about him all the time. Old Black Fly has taken on a life of his own. When something isn’t quite right Brian and I just blame Old Black Fly.

    – Lastly – we spotted the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile – it must be summer. 

    now, if only, I could see the MINI wienermobile my life would be complete

  • IT’S NICE TO HUG A GOAT

  • UP LATE

    Why does the pillow on my bed call to me everyday at around 3:00 – “put your head down, close your eyes – I’m soft and cool”. But then at night I can’t seem to go to sleep. I just stay up – dinking around and watching bad TV until it’s the wee hours. 

    Here are some photos to show that our lazy days of summer have officially begun. It’s supposed to be 90 degrees tomorrow – here we come beach.

    Now I guess I’ll go to my bedroom and see if my pillow has anything to say to me.

  • COUSINS

    Bea has been expanding her vocabulary quickly during the last month or so. I’ve been hearing words come out of her mouth that I hardly knew she knew. Words like cousin – “Jenna my cousin” she said over the weekend.