A Father's Day Celebration

Last Wednesday: What a surprise when we woke B up with a card saying he had to drink his coffee, take a shower, get dressed in the new outfit I had hanging up, and load up in the car... all without asking where we were taking him!

And, he had a tee-time with his golf buddy at 8:30!
North along the shore of Lake Michigan.
Whistling Straits Country Club, Kohler, Wisconsin
venue of the PGA Championship this August.
Whistling Straits Country Club
I could see this as our next home- love the architecture!
Father & Son taking a stroll.
Luncheon at the clubhouse with a gorgeous view of Lake Michigan and the links.
Next stop, Blackwolf Run Country Club....

...where I surprised B with a private golf lesson thru the Kohler Golf Academy.

...for an hour he and his instructor worked on technique...

...while the little one and I enjoyed the picturesque natural surroundings...

....

.......

Don't you love his little golf-themed polo?!

After the lesson we viewed the PGA Championship Exhibit.

I know B would love to get his hands on this cup.

Each display had either a club, shirt or shoes that the golfer wore to clinch their title.

A tasty afternoon beverage at the Craverie Chocolatier Cafe.

A wonderful way to celebrate one of the most amazing dads!

Glad he made mention that it was all worth missing his golf outing :)

We will be back to Kohler- it is now one of our family's getaways, and reminded me so much of Evanston. Can't wait till the kids are old enough and can go golfing with Daddy while Mommy gets to enjoy the spas and design showrooms!

Happy Father's Day to a Most Wonderful Daddy!!!!

Someone asked me the other day how married life was, and all I could think was, "I'm just happy to spend the rest of my life with my best friend and the person I love the most".

Last night we celebrated our anniversary, the same as we did it three years ago- enjoyed the cool breeze off the Lighthouse Beach, and wined & dined for hours at The Stained Glass in Evanston.
Another day to take in Cousin T's baseball game- with Daddy!
Go T!!!!!!
It's so cute watching them trying to hit the pitches, and then getting to use the baseball tee to seal the deal.

E even got an autographed baseball from his favorite player ;)

Sporting the team colors.

Lots more golfing. Taking a teething break.

The Double E's.

E and his new buddy, E.

Ha- we just found out they are our neighbors and are most likely going to be in kindergarten together!

Our neighbors, his second aunties, love to say 'you're such a little bruiser'.

Ha- now it's taking on a whole new meaning. Four big bumps/bruises to the noggin the other day. For whatever reason, he lost balance all day long.

Say what?!?

E, do you hear the airplane?
(he looks in the sky for the airplane, points to it (with an open hand), and then says "ah")

Hears the garbage truck coming down the street, toddles to the door, presses his face up against the glass, pounds on the door, and says "kuck, kuck, kuck".

Sees a neighbor pulling into their drive, waves, and says 'ca, ca'.

E, what does a fire truck say? "neh nay, neh nay".

Waves good-bye to Daddy. And after Daddy's car has disappeared around the corner.. "Dada Dad-dy".

We sing "Go Cubs, Go..." to him. We stop singing all of a sudden, wait, and then hear a little boy humming along for a few extra seconds.

He loves his Raffi cd. If you are close enough to him you can sometimes hear him humming along. All while grooving and shaking his head to the music.

E, where's the dishwasher? (Goes to the dishwasher and touches/bangs on) it.) Where's the refrigerator? (Goes to the refrigerator and touches it.) And, where's the freezer? (Ok, well sometimes he points to it ;) ) Where is the coffee maker? (Oh, he knows where that is!)

E, turn on/off the light! (Turns it on or off). *I need all the extra hands I can get*

E, blow me/or Daddy a kiss. (Literally blows kisses).

Most of the time he just babbles away. Sometimes the extent of it catches me off guard, and I find it so intriguing that this little guy has something so important to tell me/us. I'm working on 'responses'. Usually, it is an 'uh, huh, that's right', but I try so hard to associate it with a meaningful reference; for instance, "yes, I know you love your papaya and broccoli, but you still have to drink you milk. What does a cow say? That's right, 'moo, moo'". Yes, that's the normal daily dialogue in our household these days.


I don't want to forget this moment. He's trying so hard to speak/communicate, and will try to move his mouth and make sounds. All my linguistic, phonology and early-education classes couldn't prepare me for this special time. It's as though every thing is just starting to connect- concepts, vocabulary, cause/effect, labeling, music, pictorial recognition, commands. I can't wait for him to tell me what he is thinking in his little(ok, big) head.

Big Bang or Chaos Theory?

These days when I hear 'the cry' I wonder what kind of situation I'm going to find: the Big Bang (another bruiser to the forehead's bull's-eye) or Chaos (as I so call his 2-year old-like, sit-down tantrums).

Meet Chaos: ....

...
... "But, Mommy, WHY?"
After informing him that he could not play with his beloved alphabet & animal magnets in the laundry room (kitty's litter needed to be changed), and that we would be able to tomorrow, his world seemingly went askew. It's tough love for him when I find his tantrums adorable and decidedly ignore his sit-down strikes, meanwhile finding a cooler toy to play (hmmm, distract) with ;)

Back to himself:

E's favorite new activity: GOLFING!
He got a set of golf clubs from our friends, and he has just taken up the sport.
It is the first toy he runs to every morning (plowing thru a pile of other toys-rather amusing).
He 'putts' around the playroom or yard before realizing that the grip makes for a great teether.
Chillin' pool-side during the swim break.

Soaking in the sunshade rays.

Not sure how he figured out how to 'lounge', but he looked so cute and comfortable.

Getting ready to go 'chase' his boats in the kiddy pool.

The last several pool visits have been a hit-or-miss.

Hopefully by the end of summer he won't want to leave the water.

One of E's friends just got a baby sister so we went shopping today for a gift.

Hmmm, girls. I enjoy looking at cute baby girl clothes and items; but I truly never see myself having a girl. I just love the little boys, and all the blue, blocks, and polos. These though would be play clothes I would dress a daughter in... pinks, browns, flowers, ribbons, ruffles.

And, to wrap it all, I decided to go with an open-box arrangement.

I think I'm done wrapping and gift-bagging most gifts- arrangements just look more special.

"This is how I stack my buckets and tools...
...
.... A little something Mommy taught me about 'organization'."

My little buttercup.

"When I was down by the sea a wooden spade they gave to me to dig the sandy shore. My holes were empty like a cup. In every hole the sea came up, till it could come no more".

~Robert Louis Stevenson

"Ahoy, Mate!"

"Boats of mine a-boating...a hundred miles or more, other little children shall bring my boats ashore."

~Stevenson

"I love playgrounds. Especially the ones with the squishy ground tiles."

"Let's see. What can I fit in my cup?"

Is that deja vu of the navy blue polo?? Nope, just his other one.

"If you blow me kisses, I blow some back!" Ha More doodles.

Intrigued by the big kids playing soccer.

Congrats, Daddy, on the being asked to stand-in as General Manager for the next several months. We are sooo proud of you!!

My Very Own Farmer Boy

The other day we went to Wagner Farm in nearby Glenview.

He looks too darn cute on the tractor- must run in the family somewhere ;)

He loved the cows, and they were so friendly.
They 'teeth' as well ;)
We loved the special children's interactive exhibits in the barn.
"I'm supposed to do WHAT?!?! That's where my milk comes from??"
You can actually 'milk' the cow- the udders are filled with water.
"Um, where are the Go-gurts?"
They had a cute vintage grocers.
Probably the neatest things were the retro Coca-Cola cooler, typewriter, and the weight stand (just like my parents have).
Poor cows- I know how they must feel.... Ha

"Daddy, I'd like one of these for my next birthday."