Go Cubs Go!

(yes... I'm still avoiding my photo a day photos)

The Monday before the kids left for camp, we went to our first family Cubs game of the season. Alex and Jeff had already been to a game (which you would know if I was caught up on my photo a day photos... but I'm not)... but this was the first time of the season that all four of us were at Wrigley.

Jeff and Alex got there before Clara and me (Clara had a ballet class) and had spotted the nachos in a batting helmet. They decided that they needed them. Once we were settled into our seats, the kids went off in search of them. While they were gone, Jeff was telling me how good they looked with all of the chili, cheese and other toppings. Sounded good to me.

Well... this is what they came back with...
... chips, cheese and a drizzle of sour cream. They made the command decision to not get any of the other toppings... so chips and cheese it was! Apparently they were very excited about this.

We don't have season tickets, just know someone who does. We've been buying some of his extra tickets for a couple of seasons now. His tickets were always in the upper level, kind of by the first bank of lights in this photo. But this year, he has new seats, and they're great!

This is the evening view from the new seats...
and the very off kilter night view from the seats....
The view is really good... it looks far away here because I had my wide angle lens on which makes everything look farther away.

So, to continue with the food in headgear theme, the kids decided that they now needed ice cream in mini helmets...
Apparently Clara thought spoons were too much trouble...
(as a bonus for Clara... the helmets fit American Girl dolls!)

And after several scoreless innings... the Cubs score!!!

So, at the end of the game, it was time to sing "Go Cubs Go"....

And finally it was time to walk home!

the arch

Whew... what a crazy couple of weeks! School is now over, the kids are both at camp for a month and I finally have my computer functioning again (had some glitches when I upgraded my OS when we got the iPad).

With the kids gone, I'm hoping to finally get caught up with posting my photo of the day photos! I've missed another two days so far, but I'm not going to give up. Before I get to that, I'm going to post some photos from our night in St. Louis before the kids got on the bus to camp the next morning. We were staying right downtown and decided to take a pre-dinner walk to the arch...

We had planned to just look at it from the outside since we didn't know how late it was open... but, as it turns out, it is open pretty late in the summer and we were able to take a ride to the top. I took some video of our ride, if I can get it to upload, it will be at the end of this post.
Alex was pretty excited to go up to the top since it was mentioned in one of his beloved Percy Jackson and the Olympians books.
Clara has no fear of heights and climbed right up to look out the windows...
Alex has a major fear of heights, but was able to enjoy the view anyway...

an evening with friends

Yesterday was a really great day. The day started out with Jeff and Alex doing the Run for the Zoo at the Lincoln Park Zoo. Jeff did the 10k and Alex did the 5k. Clara and I stayed home and watched her Sleeping Beauty DVD from their performance in May. It was a beautiful day... and after lunch the kids went next door to fill water balloons and play with the neighbors. I have a photo or two of that... plus video. Hopefully I'll get to that soon!

Shortly after the big water balloon battle in the alley, we headed out to the 'burbs to see my friend! We were anxious to see her and her daughter again... but we were especially excited to meet this little one for the first time...
The kids had a blast together! They played the entire time!

Right before we left, I decided to snap a few photos.

This one was "supposed" to be the normal one. That's usually the deal... let me get one or two "normal" ones and then they can act as silly as they want. BUT... I'm not thinking that Clara looks very normal in this one...
But, that was the deal... so then they got a little crazy...
then crazier...
and, perhaps, craziest?
Ahhh.... the sisters...
And a couple more of the little one...

Then it was time for good bye hugs...

We had such a great time together! We need to get together more often!

sleeping beauty... again

Clara and I were watching the DVD of Sleeping Beauty this morning (we just picked it up yesterday!). We decided to go on youtube just to see if anyone happened to have taken any video of the performance and posted it online. Lucky us... there's just one and Clara happens to be in it! It's a short little clip from the Waltz of the Flowers... but Clara is there... third one back in the line of little salmon pink flowers!

Sleeping Beauty

So here we have another installment of "if you give a kid a camera" :-) A couple of weekends ago, Clara was part of her ballet school's production of Sleeping Beauty. It was fantastic! All of the students did a fabulous job... but the trainees were just amazing!!

Well... since I couldn't be backstage, I gave Clara our little point and shoot and hoped for the best... here is what I got....

A photo of their Waltz of the Flowers costumes...
Waltz of the Flowers costumes for the older girls....
Another costume...
(not sure which one though)

Clara was fascinated by the prop table...

A close-up of her skirt....
A wardrobe box?
My dainty flower imitating the photo to her left....
Escape routes...
... good to know.

Ahhh... finally a couple of good photos of her in her costume...

The girls thought it looked cool when they stood with their skirts together...
(I think it looks cool too!)

Clara's favorite prop....
... the mask of the evil fairy.

And one last photo of our Clara girl...