Summer fun, part I

Hi all,

Sorry it's been so long since our last post! We have been having lots of adventures lately - trips to see family in Atlanta and South Carolina, festivals and museums and parks in Chicago, and fun in the sandbox, pool and garden in the backyard... Here are some recent photos - and another couple updates should be coming today too.

At the zoo in Atlanta:


Helping Grammy water the plants:


Swimming with Gramps:


At the park with Mom:


Eating animal crackers with Great Grandmama:

showdown at the OK Corral?

That kitty looks fierce and I think she may be having a stink-eye staredown with Lucia? In which Lucy just might suffer a humiliating defeat!

park park park park and park

Going to the park seems to occupy a humongous portion of our time these days. We just returned from a fabulous trip to Washington DC to visit family and friends and this picture is just one of many outings to various parks in various DC spots. This one had a sandbox filled with toys free for the using by anyone - um, nice idea that I don't think would fly in our Chicago neighborhood!

more monday madness...

Park fun while Mom's at work, part two... Lucy with her famous scrunch face which we see ALL the time. Also known as "I am being a ridiculous ham, please laugh with me". Generally, successful at getting onlookers to revel in her merry mood.

Don't know how well you can see in this pic, but we're also starting to rock the ponytail-on-the-top-o-the-ole-head look because I was tired of hearing "eyes! eyes! eyes!" when her bangs were flopping around and blocking her vision. Cindy-Lou Who is getting some competition for the awesomest Who in Whoville!

the best thing about having a hip, i-phone toting babysitter...

is getting pictures like this in real time. This is Lucy and her friend Aubrey (our neighbor). Aubrey shares her awesome babysitter, Kristina, with us on Monday mornings and I go to work where I get delicious emails and texts updating me on what they are doing. Which I love, of course!!!

Chicken-fest

OK blog-land, it's time to admit a piece of Garrett awesomeness that's been hiding in our mud room for the last week or so. Meet the three newest Garretts, chickens number 1, 2 & 3! Kyle has been talking about getting chickens for a long, long time - our goal is to have fresh, delicious eggs on a regular basis for our family and to share with all our Chicago peeps (heh, heh). With EXTENSIVE help from a very handy friend, Kyle built a coop for our little fluffy friends under our deck. When they get a little bigger, we'll have an official moving party into their new digs! For now, they are living in a cardboard box where they get lots and love and affection from Lucia, our visiting cousins Gracie & Annie (that's Gracie above holding Chicken #1 - whom Gracie & Annie named Popcorn), and our neighbors.

Gracie & Annie hold Cici & Gloria

Lucy says, "I'm not touching those crazy birds!". Smart girl.

We'll keep you all posted as to the progress of the great Garrett chicken project, but as for now, it feels very springlike what with all the peeping and the yellow fluff!

Sliding Queen

The following video is for seriously committed Lucy lovers only - it's a bit long and slow at times, but I absolutely love it because this is really and truly how we spend hours and hours and hours of time these days. Doing slide circuits. Up the stairs, down the slide, around the playground, up the stairs, repeat ad nauseum. You get the idea. See for yourself!




Furthermore, just to prove the crazy insanity of Chicago weather, I think this video was taken on Monday. Note the coat, hat, scarf and red nose. Tomorrow's weather? 82 whopping degrees! Hooray for spring in the air!