Otto's playdate with Quinn.

Playing catch with the big red ball was SO much fun. Otto was laughing and clapping all the while.

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August gets hot in Chicago

We have been seeing how long we can go without using air conditioning this summer.
(Might as well wait until there is a pregnant woman around to play this game.Right?)
So far it has been pretty painless.

Today it was pretty hot, so I put Elanor in her bating costume and we headed out to the zoo to play in the fountain.







I am not sure whose idea it was to get the ice cream, but neither of us fought it.

Are you suprised to hear that we went to the zoo?

We spiced this trip up with the addition of the Ferraros...








an expert group of goat groomers.

Grandpa Jim and Judy's House

We went to Appleworks and after having a cider squishy we visited the animals in the petting zoo, in this picture Elanor is feeding the donkey some oats. You can't feed the animals back home.

Our girl enjoyed the bumpy ride down the path in the trailer of the tractor.







We found some geodes during this walk. (wade)
They looked great once we opened them back at the house.
If you want to see them, they are on our front porch here in Forest Park.





Here is a friend that we met in the woods.











Here we have a salamander that we found in the stream.


























Kristen, Elanor, Grandpa Jim, Mimi and I all went to lunch Wonderlab, the Bloomington children's museum.









Recognize anyone?

The Hubers set sail on the Sunset.

Our friends Jill and Frank have a sailboat, Sunshine, in Monroe Harbor.
They invited the three of us to join them for Venetian Night.
We Packed a picnic and headed out for a night on the water.

It was the fiftieth Venetian night so there were some extra bells and whistles including a flyover by the Lima Lima Flight team.








I don't have any pictures of the boat parade because from the water you are facing away from the decorations, they all face the shore. So here is a picture of Kristen decorated with some glow earrings.




There was a fireworks show synchronized to music on the radio.
The barges that the fireworks are staged from were about one hundred feet from the Sunshine.









Oooo








Here are my girls watching the show.











Jill said that fireworks are her favorite things in the world.
(We are hoping that she considers Frank a who not a what.)










Ahhh

A long weekend with the Meyers.

We met my cousin Nikki and her family at the farmers market on the capitol square in Madison.










The girls were great helpers.








Eating above the table...








footsie below.








We visited Clair's Aunt Cindy's House and took a dip in the pool.
Here we have Uncle Ryan making his grand entrance.

(It is now weeks later and Elanor still wants to have a Popsicle on Aunt Cindy's porch.)

Fourth of July

We got started with Grandpa Jim and Grandma Judy on the Third. Practice makes perfect.











Then we headed over to the Ferraro's. It was a great time hanging out in their yard, eating and celebrating Laura's birthday.








Elanor Loved playing in the pool in their yard.








A handsome pair don't you think.
(I am thinking of an arranged marriage.)








We hope that you had a great Fourth too.